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Not much news announced today, just a whole bunch of retelling of news annouced weeks earlier. This is going to be a reoccurring theme throughout most of the panels for NYCC, so please bare with us.
KODANSHA COMICS MANGA PANEL
First up on our NYCC adventure is…the Kodansha Comics Manga Panel! This panel was stacked with some of the greatest editors in the US manga industry as well as a special guest all the way from Japan! Mr. Yasuyuki Mimura, a Japanese Editor for many manga, came to share his knowledge and experience making seinen manga in Japan. But first, we must go through new and upcoming releases before we can get into the seemingly ‘main focus’ of the panel…Mr. Mimura! Also just be warned, there is not going to be a ton of TOONAMI related news in any of these panels.
New License Announcements: All Titles Coming Summer 2017!
The first title given the spotlight was;
Regarding My Reincarnation as a Slime
story by Fuse art by Taiki Kawakami
“A regular, 37-year old working man gets a chance to start life in a fantasy world after being killed. There’s just one catch: he’s been reincarnated as a blind slime with magical powers. This is a “trapped in a video game world” done in an entirely new way. There’s plenty of fantasy action and nods to old-school RPG (role-playing game) fans, but the comedy makes this title truly fresh!’
Fairy Tail: Rhodonite
by Kyouta Shibano, based on Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima
“The second standalone story in the series published as Fairy Tail Gaiden in Japan follows the popular, tough, but lovable Gajeel Redfox! When Gajeel runs into an old friend, he is roped into the intrigue of a crime syndicate in his hometown. Fairy Tail fans won’t want to miss this chance to learn about the past of the Iron Dragon Slayer!”
Love and Lies
by Tsumugi Musawo
“In an alternate future Japan, marriage partners are assigned by the government when people are only 16 years old. Love and passion are strictly forbidden! In this environment, high schooler Yukari must deal with his secret love for a beautiful classmate. On top of that, his spirited marriage partner could prove to be an obstacle or a helpful hand in love. Anyone looking for a dystopian twist on school life romance won’t want to miss Love and Lies.”
Kigurumi Defense Squad
by Hoshino Lily
“From the creator of Otome Yokai Zakuro and character designer of acclaimed anime Mawaru Penguindrum comes another whimsical, modern fairy tale! 14-year-old Sasakura’s normal life is shaken up when she comes home to find a giant, mascot-like creature in her house. This kigurumi spirit, named Ginger, tasks her with protecting the world. If that’s not enough to take on, Ginger can also transform into a handsome young man. Fans of Hoshino Lily’s beautiful artwork and creative world building won’t be disappointed!”
Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight
by Mikimoto Rin
“To most people, Hinana is a model high school student, but she secretly yearns for a fairy tale romance straight out of a shojo (aimed at young girls) manga. She finally gets the chance to meet her prince when Ayase, a popular actor, shows up at her high school. But this prince isn’t a charming knight at all… he’s actually a pervert! Fans of shojo romance will love this send up of tropes, and readers looking for a new take on a classic setup will find a lot to love.”
Frau Faust
by Kore Yamazaki
“From the creator of the fantasy hit The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Kore Yamazaki, comes a josei (aimed at mature females ages 18-40+) reinterpretation of the classic Faust legend. An unlikely partnership forms when traveling scholar Joanna Faust comes across a down-and-out boy in search of books. She offers to be his teacher in exchange for his help in her search for something important to her. Fans of cool female characters and intricate fantasy details will get lost in the world of Frau Faust.”
Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty
by Morino Mei
“Satoshi, a 16-year-old high school student, gets a job as a caretaker of a beautiful mansion surrounded by roses. He is drawn to Shizu, the mysterious girl who lives there. Behind her blank stare lurks a supernatural secret, and Satoshi wants to help her. But can he overcome his fear of ghosts to get closer to this strange girl? Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty is a sweet and magical shojo that will hit the spot for any fan of supernatural romance!”
Waiting for Spring
by Anashin
“Mitsuki has been always been a loner, but high school offers the chance to break out of her shell and try to open up to people. The true friendship she seeks arrives in the unexpected form of four handsome guys from the basketball team! Mitsuki realizes there’s more than meets the eye to these boys, and together this unlikely group may be able to help her learn to really connect with others. Fans of strong heroines like Mei in Say I Love You and the quirky friendship dynamics of Kiss Him Not Me – don’t miss this one!”
Ahogaru: Clueless Girl
by Hiroyuki
“Yoshiko is a truly clueless high school girl whose spaciness reaches impressive heights. From getting all 0’s on a test to her single-minded obsession with bananas, it’s never a dull moment with her. Her childhood friend tasks himself with watching out for her at school, and is roped into her hijinks. This hilarious, 4-panel style manga is a perfect fit for fans of school life comedy like Nichijou and Azumanga Daioh.”
Land of the Lustrous
by Ichikawa Haruko (Sakuhinshuu)
“In the distant future, a new immortal and genderless life form called Gems populate the Earth. The 28 Gems must fight against the Moon Dwellers, who attack them regularly to abduct them and to turn them into decorations. Being only 300 years old, Phosphophyllite is the youngest of the Gems and has no assignment yet. He wants to help to fight the Moon Dwellers, but is too weak and brittle for battle. He finds his calling when the master of Gems assigns him the task of creating a natural history encyclopedia.”
Now this one, this manga got all the special treatment at the Kodansha panel. Not only did it get to be the anchor of the new licenses segment but it also got a pretty breathtaking anime promo, animated by Studio Hibari, to go along with it! Thus far, no plans have been made however to make this property into an anime.
Check out the promo below!
A TON of shojo titles in that half of the panel, glad they capped it off with a pretty intense looking seinen to keep my interest.
That’s it for all the new title announcements, moving on to
License Updates for Previously announced titles.
a Silent Voice
by Yoshitoki Ōima
Princess Jellyfish
by Akiko Higashimura
JUNJI ITO’S CAT DIARY (Gyo, Uzumaki)
CELLS AT WORK
by Akane Shimizu
Queen Emeraldas
by Meiji Matsumoto (Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock, Daft Punk’s Interstellar 5555)
Nekogahara: STARY CAT SAMURAI, Volume 1: Mewshido
by Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King, Ultimo)
Oct 25th, 2016
FIRE FORCE
by Atsushi Ohkubo (Soul Eater and Soul Eater Not! creator)
November 2016
The Ghost and the Lady, Volume 1: Darkest Nightingale
by Kazuhiro Fujita (Ushio & Tora)
Oct 25th, 2016
VINLAND SAGA
by Makoto Yukimura (Planetes)
Happiness
by Shuzo Oshimi (The Flowers of Evil)
ICHI-F: A Worker’s Graphic Memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
by Kazuto Tatsuta
2017
APPLESEED ALPHA
by Iou Kuroda (Sexy Voice, Robo!)
Now some of you might remember way back in January Kodansha revealed they got the license for a slew of manga, one of which was ….. Appleseed α (Alpha), a prequel series to Masamune Shirow’s* original work. Scheduled to release this year, Kodansha went silent on the title. For good reason too, it has been delayed till 2017. June 2017 to be exact! But to make it up to the fans, Kodansha will be creating a Hard Cover version of the 400 + page title!
Now on to the news TOONAMI fans might care about!
And before everyone flips their shit, this next title might not be what you were expecting….or really wanted.
NEO PARASYTE F: Love in the Time of Parasites
By Various: Kaori Yuki (Godchild, Angel Sanctuary), Ema Toyama (I Am Here!), and Asumiko Nakamura (Utsubora) as well as other female artists!
“Parasites: shape-shifting aliens whose only purpose is to assimilate with and consume the human race … but do these monsters have a different side? A parasite becomes a prince to save his romance-obsessed female host from a dangerous stalker. Another hosts a cooking show, in which the real monsters are revealed. These and 13 more stories, from some of the greatest shojo manga artists alive today, together make up a chilling, funny, and entertaining tribute to Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga horror classic!”
Oct 25th, 2016
GHOST IN THE SHELL
by Masamune Shirow* (Appleseed)
*Masamune Shirow is the pen name of Masanori Ota creator of Ghost in the Shell
Moving on to what is to be considered the paramount seinen, Ghost in the Shell. Kodansha noted that because of the Hollywood film they are seizing the opportunity to create a Deluxe Edition of the original Ghost in the Shell manga! Just like Shirow’s other work, Appleseed, GITS, will be getting the hardcover treatment.
AKIRA 35TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET
by Katsuhiro Otomo
Much like Otomo’s groundbreaking masterpiece Kodansha is celebrating Akira’s 35th Anniversary next year in style. This premium edition is for the biggest of Akira fans. Just like the GITS release, Akira will be getting a hardcover but in a larger format.
ATTACK ON TITAN ANTHOLOGY
by Various
The manga megahit Attack on Titan, reinterpreted by some of comics’ top talent! Featuring original stories by a long roster of comic superstars such as Scott Snyder, Gail Simone, Faith Erin Hicks, Michael Avon Oeming, Paolo Rivera, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr!
This unprecedented, full-color collaboration between East and West will be released first in English, making it indispensable for Attack on Titan fans and curious comic fans.
Oct 18th, 2016 | 256 pages
Contributors include:
• Eisner Award winner Scott Snyder (Batman)
• Eisner Award winner Michael Avon Oeming (Powers)
• Eisner Award winner Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl)
• Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr (The team behind the new Batgirl)
• Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Batgirl)
• Eisner Award winner Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese, Dork)
• Crawford Award winner Genevieve Valentine (Catwoman)
• Top Cow Pilot winner Afua Richardson (Genius)
• Eisner Award nominees Asaf Hanuka and Tomer Hanuka (The Divine)
• Eisner Award winner Paolo Rivera (Mythos)
• Eisner Award nominee Phil Jimenez (The Invisibles, Infinite Crisis)
• Damion Scott (Ghost Rider)
• Eisner Award nominee Ronald Wimberly (Prince of Cats)
• Kevin Wada (The Wicked + The Divine)
• Eisner Award nominee Simon Spurrier (Judge Dredd)
• Writers Guild of America Award winner Rhianna Pratchett (Rise of the Tomb Raider)
• Jody Houser (Orphan Black)
• Eisner Award nominee Emi Lenox (Plutona)
If you want to learn more about how this incredible Japanese property was allowed into the hands of some of the brightest minds in Western Comics check out Deb Aoki’s Publishers Weekly interview with Kodansha USA’s, Director of Publishing, Ben Applegate.
Also check out Kodansha’s Youtube channel for exclusive interviews with the minds behind the Attack On Titan Anthology and so much more!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwXsvLxZF6XFpkb8pd2bGAg
*The first chapter for some of the comics listed above are available to read via Kodansha’s comics reader.
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary Chapter 1
Attack on Titan Anthology free preview
Inuyashiki: Challenging the World of Seinen Manga
The rest of the panel was dedicated to Mr. Yasuyuki Mimura. However, not much time was left for Mimura to really get anything started. For those unaware, Yasuyuki Mimura is a the editor of countless seinen manga in Japan. Seinen comics are aimed at young-adult readers, predominantly male and between the ages of 18-30+. Seinen manga is for a more mature reader and therefore tends to be more sophisticated with characters and stories more fleshed out than it’s shonen (young boys comics) counterparts. Some examples of seinen manga are; Vagabond, Gantz, and Moribito. TOONAMI fans will be familiar with Ghost In The Shell, Akira, Black Lagoon, Hellsing, FLCL and even (believe it or not) Rurouni Kenshin! All very popular seinen anime/manga series.
Mr. Mimura has been the editor of Inuyashiki and Devils’ Line, but is probably best know for working on the powerhouse, Vagabond.
Mr. Mimura regaled tales of chasing down Takehiko Inoue, the writer for one of the most famous seinen manage, Vagabond, just to get some progress done!
If you wish to learn a bit more about the life of a Japanese manga editor give Mimura a follow on twitter.
Make sure to go to http://kodanshacomics.com/ or follow @KodanshaUSA on twitter to get all the news and updates on some of you favorite manga series.
BONUS:
Vagabond shikishi at the VIZ Media booth!
Moving on to the next panel of the day,
FUNimation INDUSTRY PANEL
It’s so hard for me to say this but besides no real news coming out of the FUNimation panel, it was also rather boring. FUNimation didn’t bring any real news to NYCC and it showed in a drawn out repeat infested panel of news that they announced a WEEK earlier. That’s right! All announcements were made just prior to the con.
Even being hosted by Lauren Moore, Social Content Producer at FUNimation, and Justine Rojas, Sr. Manager of Social Strategy and Development at FUNimation, was not enough to salvage the panel.
Before the panel officially kicked off Lauren asked the crowd to think of a Sign for the word ANIME. There is no way to say the word ANIME in American Sign Language and FUNimation needs YOUR help in creating one! So be sure to tweet @FUNimation with your ideas!
FUNimation started off by giving the audience a preview of their new site. Only siting that it was ‘coming soon’ and that unlike the old website this one is mobile responsive.
Most of the panels time was taken up by what should be a refresher to most of the audience, unless they have been living under a rock, the FUNImation x Crunchyroll Partnership.
If you are one of those people, visit http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more for more details.
A week previous, FUNimation announced their FALL SEASON line-up and from that we got the announcement of a show called DRIFTERS. Drifters is “the tale of Samurai Shimazu Toyohisa. He is transported to another world moments before dying in the historical Battle of Sekigahara. He becomes part of a group known as “Drifters” and is forced to battle against other legendary warriors in an ultimate death game.”
DRIFTERS is an ongoing manga created by Kouta Hirano, the same mind behind Hellsing. The anime is being animated by Hoods Entertainment or as of the acquisition of DRIFTERS is now being called Hoods Drifters Studio.
Drifters is scheduled to start streaming on FUNimation in October.
FUNimation then went over their online block of sorts, DoubleTalk. DoubleTalk is a weekly block that airs 3 broadcast dubs and then right after you join Justin, Lauren and ScrewAttack’s Chad James in discussing what just happened.
DoubleTalk airs every Wednesday at 9:30/8:30c on Twitch.
Just like the FUNixCrunchy announcement, in case you missed it FUNimation will also be partnering up with VRV (pronounced ver-v) to bring more anime to even more people. VRV is a new streaming video platform that focuses on bringing together the best of anime, comedy, sci-fi, and geek culture all in one place. VRV launches later this year. It is a free service but if you are a paid subscriber you will be able to watch all of VRV’s content ad-free and all in HD.
For more info visit https://vrv.co/earlyaccess and sign up for the newsletter.
FUNimation then moved on to their home video and theatrical releases. Once again, no new news. Everything was announced a week previous or in One Piece FILM GOLD’s instance a DAY prior.
And that’s it. Not FUNimation’s best showing at NYCC But hey, here’s a picture of a MASSIVE poster celebrating One Piece FILM GOLD, SHIN GODZILLA, and the live-action ATTACK ON TITAN film part 1 and 2 hanging inside the Javits Center right by one of the main entrances! 😀
CRUNCHYROLL INDUSTRY PANEL
The Crunchyroll panel began a bit like an old Sony E3 Press Conference, with a bunch of facts, numbers and milestones, except with CR they didn’t dwell too much on the issue like Sony tends to.
Every season, CR gets 50+ NEW shows! Which makes for 200+ new shows every year!
And a reminder to those who think CR is only a place to go for the latest anime simulcasts, it’s also the place to go to catch up on some of your favorite manga too! Visit http://www.crunchyroll.com/comics/manga for more info.
CR is giving away an exclusive free trial of it’s premium membership just for NYCC fans!
Be sure to visit https://www.crunchyroll.com/freetrial?from=nycc&sku=cr-anime-membership-freetrial-coupon-1 for a 30 day free trial.
Crunch roll’s FALL Season Showcase
Izetta: The Last Witch
Saturdays at 11:45am EST
Bungo Stray Dogs
Wednesdays at 1:35am EST
Yuri on Ice produced by Studio Nappa (Ushio & Tora!)
Wednesdays at 1pm EST
Magical Girl Raising Project
Saturdays at 12:15pm EST
Nanbaka (or what CR staff like to call it Glitter Prison) Premiered in the digital Japanese Magazine, Comicco
Tuesdays at 3:30pm EST
DRIFTERS
premieres 10/07/17 at 4pm EST
Nyanbo!
Monday at 6:15pm EST
Special Annoucnements!
For those who did not know FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s new digital home for BOTH the sub and dub is now Crunchyroll! Apparently, the anticipation for FMA:B was so high that it actually took down CR’s site for awhile when it became available.
There is going to be a NEW Anime Convention coming to New York called, Anime NYC! Launching in November 2017 and powered/sponsored by CR.
This half of the panel is full of recaps and rerun video from the last panel.
Just like FUNimations panel before it, CR talks about their partnership with VRV (owned by Elation CR’s parent company)
The same exact video is shown much to the audiences chagrin. Most of the audience had been there for the previous panel (same room).
Recap of the FUNixCrunchy partnership (same video is shown as last panel). However, CR goes more in depth about the process they share with FUNi over simulcasts/dubs. CR gets the subtitled versions of anime day and date with Japan and then FUNimation starts creating the dub TWO WEEKS after!
CHILDREN OF ETHER
Now for the spotlight announcement Crunchyroll had been touting slightly before the panel, and to make it a special guest joins the CR staff on stage, the one and only LeSean Thomas (The Boondocks, Black Dynamite, Cannon Busters, The Legend of Korra)!
Thomas was on stage to announce that he, with the help of CR, will be creating a new anime called, CHILDREN OF ETHER. Together with an all-star staff from Japan and France’s rich history of animation the project is already in production. No release window was given.
CR’s press release offers more insight into the story of Children of Ether:
“Children of Ether follows Rhonda, a woman with a dark past and a mysterious power, as she is pursued by an unknown assailant after the death of her father. Aided only by her wits and a pair of orphans, Rhonda journeys through a decaying, dystopian metropolis populated by raiders, gangs, and the supernatural. As she struggles to survive in this harsh urban tangle, she meets both friends and enemies, and searches for answers about this power, “The Ether”, awakening within her.”
CHARACTERS
Rhonda:
The main character of the story, Rhonda is the daughter of a very powerful man. One day, Rhonda wakes up to this awesome power growing inside her. This power is the link to the past to help save the future. Unable to take full control of her powers Rhonda is involved in a accident take takes the life of the father she loves so much. Now she is on the run.
Rhonda’s final design looks badass!
Pint and Copper:
A brother and sister by orphanage. They are the only two people in this mistrustful future Rhonda can has faith in.
Thomas described Pint as a tunnel rat and Copper as the doctor/alchemist type.
Biggie-Pint’s pet is a grey fox-like creature.
Gio- The boss of a “pretty cool group of people” Rhonda meets. Rhonda will sometimes be in need of his services. It’s a question whether or not Gio is a friend…or a foe to Rhonda.
Aaru: Rhonda’s father, he plays a fundamental role ion the story.
Promotional Image for CHILDREN OF ETHER.
The impressive staff roster looks like this so far;
Creator, Director:
LeSean Thomas
Character Designer:
Hiroshi Shimizu (Michiko & Hatchin, Studio Ghibli Porco Rosso, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy)
Storyboard:
Shingo Natsume (One-Punch Man, FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Space Dandy, Gurren Lagaan)
Assistant Director:
Jin Tamamura (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Animation Director:
Yuichi Takahashi (Mob Psycho 100, Blue Exorcist, Eureka Seven, Gurren Lagann, Macross Frontier)
Senior Animators:
Yuichi Takahashi
Mitsuo Iso (Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Ghost in the Shell (movie), FLCL, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Porco Rosso)
Atsushi Tamura (Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Space Dandy, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin)
Antoine Antin (Space Dandy, Zarafa)
Jamie Vickers (Black Dynamite, Daria, Batman: Gotham Knight, Black Lagoon)
Moderators:
Cedric Herole (Space Dandy, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine,Silver Spoon, You Lie in April, Drifters)
Alexander Ulmann (Casshern Sins)
Eddie Mehong (Sword Art Online, Space Dandy, Oban Star-Racers, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Casshern Sins)
Yann Le Gall (No Game, No Life!, Air Gear -Break on the Sky-, Bodacious Space Pirates)
Junior Animators:
Etienne Guignard (Miraculous Ladybug)
Myriam Fourati (The Adventures of Puss in Boots)
3D Moderator:
Jean-Louis Vamdestoc (Monster Buster Club, Rekkit)
Set Design:
Benoit Maillochon (Totally Spies!, 9 (movie))
Art Design:
Saina Cisse (Nisei -Flase Love, Gatchaman Crowds insight, Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3, Star Blazers 2199, Tsukimonogatar, Hanamonogatari)
Layout:
Yann Le Gall
Chief Colorist:
Azusa Sasaki (Blue Exorcist, Fairy Tail, Kids on the Slope, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Sword Art Online, X)
Studio Animation:
Yapiko Animation (Garo: Divine Flame)
Producers:
Jean-Louis Vandestoc,
Eddie Mehong
Production Managers:
Severine Varlette (LoliRock)
Tomoko Kumada (Deadman Wonderland, Soul Eater)
Airi Takekawa
Studio (intervals and coloring):
Studio Graphinika (Urbance)
Studio (composition):
Ph Studio (Urbance)
Translators:
Tomoko Kumada,
Yayoi Dreisker Urbance)
Concept Artist:
Ronald Wimberly (Attack on Titan Anthology, Black Dynamite)
Original Music Composition and Performed by:
Mr. Hudson
Scriptwriter:
Nicholas Thurkettle (The Retriever, Samantha Gets Back Out There)
Addition Development:
Brandon Easton (Thundercats 2012, Transformers Rescue Bots)
Children of Ether Promotional Video
To learn more about Thomas’ new adventure, be sure to visit http://www.crunchyroll.com/ and http://yapiko.fr/ regularly.
**********************************************************
One last image of something I found while leaving the Javits Center at the end of first day of New York Comic Con.
It really DOES exist! ^_^
Sources:
http://www.toonzone.net/nycc-2016-lesean-thomas-crunchyroll-reveal-children-ether-animated-series/
