AnimeVision

FUNimation have confirmed they've licensed the Haru and Natsu OVAs for Negima!. Both OVAs are single-episode stories, with Haru focussing on Negi and Asuna, while Natsu features Nodoka and Yue. Treats for the fans, for sure...

Here's a strange one. After press releases earlier in the week from both FUNimation and Bandai Visual talking of the need for Japanese licensors to do their part in combating free-streaming sites like Crunchyroll, GDH (parent company of GONZO) have been the first to stick their head above the parapet - but not in the way most people expected. More below the cut.

I'd called yesterday for the US releasing companies to take a stand against the likes of anime streaming site Crunchyroll, in the wake of their recent injection of VC funding. Both FUNimation and Bandai Entertainment have issued responses, and the word isn't entirely good. Read on below the cut.

More news from LDMS about ADV's UK releases - and a familiar name is attached to the press release. In short, along with the upcoming releases we covered yesterday, all ADV UK's catalogure releases are now back in circulation. In addition, a number of titles are on special offer through HMV stores and hmv.co.uk - so if you want to show your support, go and buy some product. Full press release is below the cut.

Don't normally do release schedules these days, but Lace have released their first wave of dates for ADV releases - as sure a sign as any that things are back on track. The new slate covers from March through to May:

31st March
Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor #5

14th April
Le Chevalier D'Eon #6
Pumpkin Scissors #1
Red Garden #3

28th April
Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy #1
Kurau: Phantom Memory #4
Paniponi Dash #5

12th May
009-1 #3
Utawarerumono #5
Wallflower #1

Having to wait a bit longer for some titles than I would have liked, but at least they're back.

Voltron was probably the first anime I ever saw - not that I realised what "anime" was at the time - but while there have been occasional half-hearted attempts to release it in the UK (usually 4 episodes on a £3 DVD in the Tesco bargain bin), it's never had a proper release. Until now. Manga UK have picked the series up, with the first set due for release in June. Bring it on... :)

Kadokawa Pictures have embraced the online age, and are now streaming the complete opening episodes of Full Metal Panic! and Mushi-Uta online via YouTube. You can find the episodes here: FMP!, Mushi-Uta. Please note their in Japanese only - no English language version is available. Yet. But compared to how other companies seem to be approaching streaming, with some of the Japanese distributors really sticking the arm in for paid downloads, this has to be a sign that someone's thinking clearly...

AnimeWho? It's a valid question... The answer is, they're a new US distributor, run by the same people who are behind adult label JapanAnime, and they're now dipping their toes into more mainstream fare. Their first title will be Joe vs Joe, a spinoff from boxing series Ashita no Joe. The first volume will be out in R1-land on 29th April, and will be a full bilingual release.

ADV's Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing has been speaking to ANN about the company's recent problems, and while it's understandably short on detail it's an interesting read. You can see the full piece here, but the key points are that, contrary to internet rumour, Sojitz's involvement with the company remains unchanged, and that they're still in negotiations with other parties on some issues (including new titles). On fan frustration at the lack of news from the company during the hiatus:

"There are a lot of parties involved in any anime production, and that can complicate even the best of negotiations. Frankly we had to keep quiet in the interest of resolving this situation as quickly as possible. [...] I understand fans' frustration — particularly those who follow the business of anime so closely. But this wasn't a situation that could be worked out over the Internet. I just hope fans understand that we're doing what we must to get back to the business of delivering first-rate anime. That's our focus."

Let the naysayers be poked fun at. ADV Films in the US have finally broken their silence over their recent woes, by way of providing retailers with an updated release schedule for the titles that went on an unexpected break last month. You can find the full list over at TRSI - but in short, all suspended titles will be back up to speed by the end of March, with the exception of Gurren Lagaan, whose fate is still unknown. Told y'all not to panic...