For many fans, Trigun was a very memorable series due to its lovable protagonist, Vash the Stampede, and its futuristic space western setting. Unlike another popular space western series, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun definitely had seemingly entrenched itself in the actual feel of an old-time spaghetti western rather than focus on the future. As Vash traveled in search of his long-forgotten past on the planet Gunsmoke, while being joined with cast regulars Meryl Stryfe, Milly Thompson and fan-favorite Nicholas D. Wolfwood, he was also being pursued by bounty hunters for the “60,000,000,000$$” price on his head as well as a more nefarious group. During his travels, Vash usually came off as a clumsy, foolish young man to many people but more often than not, he would display his exceptional skill as a gunman - particularly as he often employed non-lethal means of disarming his adversaries.

Way back during the Nineties when the VHS was king and not Blu-Ray/DVD, there were tons of classic and beloved anime that were released into the United States.  One particular series, Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, holds a special place in my heart as one of the first anime series I really got into and one of my personal favorites. It is also perhaps one of the first anime brought over here to the West to incite the cyberpunk genre fandom for English speaking audiences.

If you had the power to delude anyone into seeing the world the exact way that you want them to, what would you make them see? Studio Madhouse's (the Girl Who Leapt through Time, Chobits) adaptation of Nitroplus' (Demonbane, Saya no Uta) 2008 visual novel Chaos; Head, the first entry into their dark-and-gritty science fiction visual novel line, attempts to answer this as well as other philosophical issues on existentialism and the nature of being. All the while mixing it up with a romantic subplot revolving around an otaku protagonist. Sounds a lot like your typical anime fan's dream philosophy class, doesn't it?

The event held by VIZ Media on Saturday, January 28th at the West Hollywood Library in Los Angeles was to introduce their brand-new digital manga website, Shonen Jump Alpha, to the public. The new format is going to replace the printed version of Shonen Jump Weekly.  With a mini-convention feel to it, it featured tons of cosplayers, raffles, snacks, goodie bags and of course a sneak preview of Shonen Jump Alpha. In Japan, the issues of Shonen Jump are weekly and for that reason most people in Japan don't keep them. They just read them and dispose of them like they would with any other newspaper-style format.

Fashion retailer Mobacolle is collaborating with anime studio Gainax to release cat eared parkas based on the hit Evangelion series. The parkas are based on each of the Evangelion units (00 yellow, 01 purple, 02 red) and will be reversible. Unfortunately the parkas are only currently available for preorder in women and kid sizes and will retail for 7245 yen from the Official Gainax store.

As a note, over the years, artists have created various fanart involving the series as hoodies. Probably the most popular are the hoodie adaptation of the plug suits that each pilot wears. Pictures of fan art and of the parkas inside.

Yes Atelier fans, NIS America has announced on Friday that they will be releasing the third Arland installment, Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland in North America and Europe this May. Full details as well as the prologue trailer inside.

Check out what's upcoming in Spring! A new season of the majhong anime Saki, the second part to Fate/zero, and a sequel to mecha anime Eureka Seven titled Eureka Seven Astral Ocean. For those interested in a bit of the supernatural mixed in with a bit of ecchi, the zombie themed Sankarea and ghost story Tasogare Otome x Amnesia are great choices.

At a press conference held earlier yesterday, new details about upcoming Code Geass projected were announced.

Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito (Akito the Exiled)

Currently it is unclear if this will be a full season show; however, it has been announced the first episode will be screen this summer in Japanese theaters. The story takes place during the events of the original series and follows Akito, voiced by Miyu Irino and Layla, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto in Europe.

http://geass.jp/akito/index.html

Code Geass Gaiden: Nunnally in Wonderland

A new OVA release that retells the fairy tail of Alice in Wonderland with Code Geass characters that's set to release with a picture book.

http://www.geass.jp/nunnally/

Code Geass will also be getting the stage treatment in a full blown musical (http://www.geass-musical.net/) and apparently a film adaptation of the original series is also in the works.