AnimeVision

MVM were probably saving the announcement for Amecon, in which case HMV have spoiled their fun, but the HMV website is currently listing volumes 1 and 2 of Daphne in the Brilliant Blue. The series was released by Geneon in the US and is a futuristic action / mystery series with rather heavy fanservice - one of their more low-profile series and it's nothing spectacular, but it does have some good moments and a real sense of fun about it. The opening volumes are set for release in November and December.

I have the official word back from Lace / ADV UK about their upcoming schedules, and along with confirming the hiatus titles they've also dropped in some word about upcoming Complete Collection releases. What we all want to know, though, is what's happening with the already-released volumes of the hiatus titles, and ADV have this to say:

All existing stock of titles in these series will remain on sale for the time being. Also, following the recent shift of licenses from ADV Films to FUNimation over in the US, all stock of said ADV licenses will also remain on sale for the time being. If at any time this situation should change, LDMS will inform retailers and consumers as promptly as possible.

Another day, another new FUNimation title. This time it's the sequel to hit mini-series Afro Samurai, the feature-length story Afro Samurai: Resurrection. Samuel L Jackson will be returning in the lead role, with Lucy Liu and Mark Hamill also taking on lead roles. The film is due to debut on Spike TV in January 2009, with FUNi's DVD release to follow.

ADV's UK distributor, Lace Digital Media, has announced the cancellation of a number of upcoming releases - all the affected titles were covered by the recent transfer of titles to FUNimation, so it seems that despite early word from ADV that their UK schedule would be "business as usual", they've been affected by the transfer as well. The cancelled titles are:
Pumpkin Scissors #2
Ah! My Goddess Season 2 #2
Kurau Phantom Memory Boxset
Coyote Ragtime Boxset
Welcome to the NHK
Red Garden Complete Collection
Pumpkin Scissors #3
Ah! My Goddess Season 2 #3
No word at the moment on what's happening with already-released volumes of the affected titles - I've asked Lace, but no reply as yet. I'll update this article when I know more.

In something of a stealth announcement (no press release, just the appearance of the title on RightStuf's online store), it's been confirmed that Media Blasters have picked up Dai Mahou Touge, which they're releasing under the name Magical Witch Punie-chan. The single-disc release follows the adventures of the future queen of the Magical Land, the eponymous Punie-chan, and the havoc that she and her violent familiar Paya-tan wreak on Earth during a year-long field trip. I reviewed the first few episodes a while back, and it definitely looks to be worth picking up. The DVD streets on October 21st.

FUNimation's mission to take over the anime world continues, with their licensing of action series Baccano!. Described as "the high concept story of the havoc wrought by an immortal 18th Century alchemist who shows up in New York in the 1930s and brews a batch of immortality elixir", the series runs for 13 episodes and apparently owes a lot to Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction in storytelling style. Curious. No release details have been announced yet, but if it joins the end of the queue of FUNi's recent announcements, expect it around summer 2009.

Sony unveiled their new digital download service at E3 yesterday - accessible through the PS3's PlayStation Network store, the service promises a wide range of downloadable video for prices in the US$1.99 - US$5.99 range for rentals, or up to US$15.99 to buy.

What's this got to do with anime? Well, the latest series from BONES, Xam'd: Lost Memories, will be exclusive to the new service. FUNimation are also set to provide a number of titles to the store. One big advantage of the Sony offering over other console-based offerings is the ability to transfer content to the PlayStation Portable for on-the-go viewing.

No details of a UK launch yet - while the US version apparently went live yesterday, the UK's PlayStation Store is still bereft of a Movies tab. Hopefully it won't take too long to appear here...

It was going to be pretty much impossible for anyone else to match FUNimation's title spree this weekend, but there were a few other titles announced. Kadokawa Pictures USA announced Junjou Romantica, Spice and Wolf, Rental Magica, My Heartfelt Sympathy, Ninomiya-kun, H2O ~Footprints in the Sand~, and Coo ~ Our Guardian (aka Wagaya no Oinarisama.) As usual for Kadokawa titles, the production and distribution of these titles will be outsourced to other companies, so there were no firm release details yet.

Elsewhere, Bandai Entertainment announced Hayate the Combat Butler and Gundam 00, while Nozomi Entertainment / Right Stuf announced Gakuen Alice.

After wowing anime fans with their rescue of Geneon's recent catalog yesterday, FUNimation are at it again, with the announcement of a deal with ARM (the licensing entity originally formed by Sojitz to handle the titles covered by their deal with ADV Films) for the home video, broadcast, digital, and merchandising rights for over 30 former ADV titles. The rights include both North America and "other regions", so seems to include the UK rights.

The titles covered by the deal are: 009-1, Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy, Air Gear, Air movie, Air TV, Blade of the Phantom Master, Comic Party: Revolution, Coyote Ragtime Show, Devil May Cry, Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor TV, Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven, Jinki:Extend, Kanon, Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora (titled Shattered Angels by ADV Films), Le Chevalier D'Eon, Magikano, Moeyo Ken TV, Moonlight Mile, Murder Princess, Nerima Daikon Brothers, Pani Poni Dash!, Project Blue Earth SOS, Pumpkin Scissors, Red Garden, Sgt. Keroro 1st & 2nd, Tokyo Majin, UFO Princess Valkyrie, Utawarerumono, Venus Versus Virus, The Wallflower, Welcome to the NHK and Xenosaga.

That makes 52 "license rescues" the FUNi have announced in the past two days. What I wouldn't give to be at their Anime Expo panel - where they have "several" new titles of their own to announce.

ADV have finally come into the open and commented on their current woes, even if only in a semi-official way. At their "Sneak Peek" panel at Anime Expo last night, ADV's Matt Greenfield confirmed that the company had parted ways with Japanese investor Sojitz, that a number of the company's titles were in limbo as a result, and that at this point no-one really knew what was going to happen next. The company is in negotiations for a number of new titles, but as yet has nothing to announce. They key point, though, is that they're not dead yet - running on idle while the Sojitz issue is resolved, but not out of the game.