AnimeVision

According to Anime News Network, ADV announced a few more licenses at Kamikaze Con earlier in the day...

• Getbackers
• Mezzo DSA
• Hello Kitty Sanrio Paradise

Glad to see Mezzo DSA on the list, not fussed on the others.

The good news: Tokyo Mew Mew is licensed for R1.
The bad news: 4Kids have the license, and based on past experience that means there's little or no chance of a proper bilingual release.

Vent your feelings on the AoD forums here or here.

Feel free to storm the offices of 4Kids with torches & pitchforks.

So it seems someone has Stellvia, but they're just not admitting to it.

AN Entertainment's John Oppliger gave an interview (here) saying they had tried to get it but were beaten by another company. Let the speculation begin..!

(My bet? Going by past record, the US company most likely to have a license & say nothing is Pioneer / Geneon. But that may just be wishful thinking on my part...)

Is it just me, or are licensing announcements at this time of year a bit unusual?

Anyway, Geneon, fka Pioneer, seem to have been on a bit of a licensing spree and have announced Gad Guard, Hajime no Ippo, Ikkitousen, and Maou Dante.

Don't know much about Maou Dante - seems to have passed me by somewhere - but not much interest in the rest of the list. Ikkitousen may score some points for fanservice value, but that's about it. Can't help wondering why some more high-profile shows like Stellvia and Scrapped Princess haven't appeared yet...

Pioneer / Geneon mentioned earlier in the year that somebody had the license for SaiKano (aka She, the Ultimate Weapon), it just wasn't them. Now we know the guilty party is Viz, who also have the license for the manga.

There was not much rejoicing in Fandom, as Viz aren't exactly the best loved company in the land, and most people's hopes of the R1 matching the very nice R2 release have gone up in smoke. Of course, we could all be over-reacting horribly. Again.

Viz's press release & resultant discussion is available over at the AoD Forums.