Tuesday, May 31, 2011

ANIME EXPO 2011 PRESENTS GOOD SMILE COMPANY PRESIDENT TAKANORI AKI AS AN INDUSTRY GUEST - VIA ANIMEEXPO.ORG


ANIME EXPO 2011 PRESENTS GOOD SMILE COMPANY PRESIDENT
 TAKANORI AKI AS AN INDUSTRY GUEST


LOS ANGELES (May 31, 2010) -- Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime and manga celebration, has announced the President of Good Smile Company, Takanori Aki, as an industry guest. Mr. Aki will be holding an attendee panel at Anime Expo when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 1 - 4, 2011. 

In keeping with its mission to connect fans with creative leaders and the latest trends from Japan, this panel will give attendees insights into one of the country’s most successful figure-making companies, famous for its “figma” (multiple articulated joint figures) and “Nendoroid,” (cute, pint-sized “chibi” figures).

Known as one of the most charismatic entrepreneurs in the industry, Aki is the force behind the "BlackRock Shooter” Project.  Expanding on an illustration by the artist huke, famed of his character design works for “Metal Gear Solid,” Aki created a line of sculpted figures and produced an original animation (OVA) based on huke’s artwork.  To date, more than 600,000 copies of the OVA and 160,000 "BlackRock Shooter" figma and Nendroid figures have been sold.  Growing the franchise, Aki introduces the video game, "BlackRock Shooter THE GAME", this summer in Japan.

In addition to Mr. Aki, Anime Expo 2011 has announced a line-up of Guests of Honor that includes chart-topping Japanese pop trio Kalafina, Japanese TV Host and blogger Danny Choo, voice actor Vic Mignogna and video game developer Sohei Niikawa, as well as Anime Expo’s first ever Virtual Guest of Honor, Digital Pop Idol Hatsune Miku.  Themed the “Year of the Fan,” Anime Expo 2011 will fully immerse guests into the world of Japanese animation, manga (comic books), music and fashion. Anime Expo is a non-stop marathon of Japanese pop culture that’s been likened to Halloween in July.

To stay updated on all of the latest Anime Expo 2011 news, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and check us out on YouTube.

VOICE ACTRESS AND SINGER MIYUKI SAWASHIRO JOINS GUEST OF HONOR LINE-UP AT ANIME EXPO 2011 - VIA ANIMEEXPO.ORG


VOICE ACTRESS AND SINGER MIYUKI SAWASHIRO JOINS
GUEST OF HONOR LINE-UP AT ANIME EXPO 2011


LOS ANGELES (May 31, 2010) -- Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime and manga celebration, has announced voice actress and singer Miyuki Sawashiro as its newest Guest of Honor when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 1 - 4, 2011. Sawashiro will participate in autograph sessions, an attendee panel and a fan meet-and-greet.

Sawashiro’s voice is recognizable to fans from such popular anime series as “Beelzebub,” “Angel Beats!,” “Durarara!!,” “PERSONA -trinity soul-,” and “Arakawa Under the Bridge,” in which she portrays the character Maria and also performs the theme song. In honor of Sawashiro’s appearance, Anime Expo will present a special screening of “Arakawa Under the Bridge.”

Over the last 10 years, Sawashiro has provided voice-over in more than 120 anime titles.  She has also lent her talent to many video games and Drama CDs.  Notably, she voiced Puchiko in the English dubbed releases of “Di Gi Charat – A Trip to the Planet” and “Leave it to Piyoko!” making her one of the few Japanese voice actors to have reprised a role in English in addition to the original Japanese performance. 

Sawashiro joins the line-up of Anime Expo 2011 Guests of Honor that includes chart-topping Japanese pop trio Kalafina, Japanese TV Host and blogger Danny Choo, voice actor Vic Mignogna and video game developer Sohei Niikawa, as well as Anime Expo’s first ever Virtual Guest of Honor, Digital Pop Idol Hatsune Miku.  Themed the “Year of the Fan,” Anime Expo 2011 will fully immerse guests into the world of Japanese animation, manga (comic books), music and fashion. Anime Expo is a non-stop marathon of Japanese pop culture that’s been likened to Halloween in July.

To stay updated on all of the latest Anime Expo 2011 news, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and check us out on YouTube.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

In Stock Now - Disney Monster Inc Plush Doll = Sulley & Mike - $19.99/each

Disney Monster Inc Plush Doll - 11 Disney Monster Inc Plush Doll - 7
Our Price: $19.99
Release Date: 02/26/2010
Genre: Plush
Company: Sega
Version: N/A
Stock Status: In Stock 

Features
  • Imported from Sega Japan
  • Mike Wazowski is approximately 7" tall
  • "Sulley" Sullivan is approximately 11" tall
  • Limited availability

In Stock Now - Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Giant Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig & Oshawott - $79.99

Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Giant 16 Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Giant 14 Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Giant 12 Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Giant 14
Our Price: $79.99
Release Date: 5/24/2011
UPC: 4904810391289 / 4904810391302 / 4904810391319 / 4904810391296
Genre: Plush
Company: TakaraTomy
Version: Japan
Stock Status: In Stock 

Features
  • Brand New With Tags!
  • Very Cute & Collectible
  • Imported From Japan

In Stock Now - Pokemon Best Wishes Talking Plush TAKARATOMY - Pikachu - $34.99

Our Price: $34.99
Release Date: 4/30/2011
UPC: 4904810423560
Genre: Plush
Company: TakaraTomy
Version: Japan
Stock Status: In Stock

Pikachu is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series.

Features
  • Brand New in Box!
  • Very Cute & Collectible
  • Imported From Japan
  • Package approximately 100mm(W) x 150mm(H) x 105mm(D)
  • 3 X LR44 batteries included

In Stock Now - Pokemon Best Wishes Voice Activated Talking Plush TAKARATOMY - Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig & Oshawott - $79.99/each

Pokemon Best Wishes Voice Activated Talking Plush TAKARATOMY - Pikachu Pokemon Best Wishes Voice Activated Talking Plush TAKARATOMY - Tsutarja / Snivy Pokemon Best Wishes Voice Activated Talking Plush TAKARATOMY - Pokabu / Tepig Pokemon Best Wishes Voice Activated Talking Plush TAKARATOMY - Mijumaru / Oshawott
Our Price: $79.99
Release Date: 5/24/2011
UPC: 4904810388418 / 4904810388432 / 4904810388449 / 4904810388425
Genre: Plush
Company: TakaraTomy
Version: Japan
Stock Status: In Stock 

Features
  • Brand New in Box!
  • Very Cute & Collectible
  • Imported From Japan
  • Package approximately 22cm(W) x 30cm(H) x 20cm(D)

In Stock Now - TAKARATOMY MONSTER COLLECTION POKEMON FIGURE - M-27 / M-028 - Excadrill & Emolga - $9.99

TAKARATOMY MONSTER COLLECTION POKEMON FIGURE - Doryuuzu / Excadrill - M-027 TAKARATOMY MONSTER COLLECTION POKEMON FIGURE - Emonga / Emolga - M-028
Our Price: $9.99
Release Date: 05/27/2011
UPC: 4904810419655
Genre: Figure
Company: Takaratomy
Version: N/A
Stock Status: In Stock 

Features
  • BRAND NEW! VERY CUTE AND COLLECTIBLE!
  • License product from Takara Tomy JAPAN ! LIMITED QUANTITY!
  • Size: Approx. 2"
  • All M Figures come with rotating stand

In Stock Now - Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Blitzle & Cubchoo - $24.99/each

Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Shimama / Blitzle Pokemon Best Wishes Plush Doll TAKARATOMY - Kumasyun / Cubchoo
Our Price: $24.99
Release Date: 5/21/2011
UPC: 4904810423423 / 4904810423430
Genre: Pokedoll
Company: TakaraTomy
Version: N-17 / N-18
Stock Status: In Stock 

Features
  • Brand New With Tags!
  • Very Cute & Collectible
  • Imported From Japan

In Stock Now - Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Taisen Z Hakai-hen (Special ZII Box) (Import PSP) - $119.99

Our Price: $119.99
Release Date: 4/14/2011
UPC: 4582224499441
Genre: Strategy
Company: Banpresto
Version: Region Free - ULJS-00352
Stock Status: In Stock

Super Robot Wars, known as Super Robot Taisen in Japan, is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to team up or battle one another.

2nd Super Robot Wars Z is the direct sequel to Super Robot Wars Z for the Playstation 2 and also the first PSP Super Robot Wars Game to be divided in parts, a manner similar to F/Final and the Compact 2 series. The Destruction Chapter (Hakai Hen) is the first half of a two-part series.

In Stock Now - Fairy Tail: Portable Guild 2 (Import PSP) - $59.99

Our Price: $59.99
Release Date: 3/10/2011
UPC: 4988602152289
Genre: RPG
Company: Konami
Version: Region Free - VP079-J1
Stock Status: In Stock

Fairy Tail is a Japanese manga series by Hiro Mashima. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 23, 2006 where it is still ongoing.



In Stock Now - Dead or Alive: Dimensions (Import 3DS) - $74.99

Our Price: $74.99
Release Date: 5/19/2011
UPC: 4988615039416
Genre: Fighting
Company: Koei Tecmo Games
Version: CTR-P-ADDJ
Stock Status: In Stock

Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a fighting game for the Nintendo 3DS. It was announced as an official title on 15 June 2010 at E3 under the working title Dead or Alive 3D.

This game will be the 15th game in the Dead or Alive series. It will also be the first Dead or Alive game to be released on a Nintendo system.

Dimensions will have 25 playable characters, more than any previous installment in the franchise had to offer. It was released on May 19, 2011 in Japan.

Features
  • On January 6, 2011, it was revealed that Dead or Alive: Dimensions will incorporate a "Chronicle Mode" feature, which acts as a story mode in the game. In Chronicle Mode, which goes through all four Dead or Alive tournaments, the player will assume the roles of various fighters from the series
  • It was also said that the 3DS's touch screen will be used for executing special fighting moves for his or her character, while the top screen would be used for displaying the fight. Dimensions will also use the 3DS' StreetPass feature to make AI representations of the player, based on their play patterns, challenge other owners of the game.
  • The other modes featured are "Arcade," in which you fight for additional time; "Survival," in which you fight until you defeat all your opponents or are knocked out; "Free Play"; "Training"; "Showcase," in which you position 3D models on a stage and take 3D photos of them; and "3D Photo Album," in which you view the photos taken in "Showcase" mode.
  • Dead Or Alive: Dimensions had consistantly favourable early reviews. Nintendo Power, in issue 267 (May 2011), gave the game a 9/10 rating, saying that the cutscenes were 'well-produced' and 'top-notch.' They also praised the 'fast and furious as ever' gameplay.




Friday, May 20, 2011

Anime Expo News - Sohei Niikawa - From AnimeExpo.Org


ANIME EXPO WELCOMES LEADING VIDEO GAME DEVELOPER SOHEI NIIKAWA, PRESIDENT OF NIPPON ICHI SOFTWARE, AS GUEST OF HONOR


LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2010) -- Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime and manga celebration, announces video game producer and developer Sohei Niikawa, President of Nippon Ichi Software (NIS), as its newest Guest of Honor when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 1 - 4, 2011.  Carrying on Anime Expo’s tradition of connecting fans with leaders from the anime, manga and gaming industries, Mr. Niikawa will participate in attendee panels, meet-and-greet and autograph sessions.  

As a scenario writer and producer, Niikawa is the creative force behind such popular NIS games as the “Disgaea” series, the “Prinny” series, “Phantom Brave, Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman,” and more. Founded in 1991 in Japan, NIS has established a worldwide following for its role-playing games created for multiple console platforms.  In many of its titles, characters from one series will appear as secret characters in other series creating innovative connections between the games. The games produced by Mr. Niikawa have been localized and published by NIS America, and are popular among hardcore, niche gameplay fans nationwide. His newest entry, “Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten” for the PlayStation® 3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, will be available this August.

”I’d like to sincerely thank you for inviting me as a guest for Anime Expo 2011,” says Mr. Nikkawa of his upcoming appearance. “I’ve never been more honored than to be invited to such a large worldwide anime and game congregation such as Anime Expo. I plan to share some great news about Nippon Ichi Software, Inc., in regards to not only our games, but also on our focus to provide entertainment for everyone worldwide. I am extremely excited to have the chance to meet everyone in the near future.”

Sohei Niikawa joins the line-up of Anime Expo 2011 Guests of Honor that includes chart-topping  Japanese pop trio Kalafina, Japanese TV Host and blogger Danny Choo and voice actor Vic Mignogna as well as Anime Expo’s first ever Virtual Guest of Honor, Digital Pop Idol Hatsune Miku.  Themed the “Year of the Fan,” Anime Expo 2011 will fully immerse guests into the world of Japanese animation, manga (comic books), music and fashion. Anime Expo is a non-stop marathon of Japanese pop culture that’s been likened to Halloween in July.

To stay updated on all of the latest Anime Expo 2011 news, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and check us out on YouTube.


About Anime Expo
Held annually in Los Angeles, Anime Expo is North America’s largest anime and manga event. Anime Expo gives fans the rare opportunity to meet and hear from some of the most famous anime, manga and musical artists from Japan and get into the action through everything from costume play, karaoke and video competitions to exclusive screenings, non-stop video gaming competitions and the wildly popular Masquerade, in which fans transform themselves into their favorite characters through creative costuming, accessories and make-up and put on their own show before an audience of thousands.   AX 2011 will be held July 1 – July 4, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To register or for more information, please visit www.anime-expo.org.

About the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property, Anime Expo®.   For more information, please visit www.spja.org.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

In Stock Now - Pokemon Center Plush Doll - Life Size 21" Zuruggu / Scraggy - $149.99

Our Price: $149.99
Release Date: 5/17/2011
UPC: 4521329103792
Genre: Pokedoll
Company: Pokemon Center
Version: N/A
Stock Status: In Stock

Scraggy is a bipedal lizard-like Pokémon. Its oval-shaped eyes are set to the sides of its head, and its teeth are like those of Croagunk. It sports a small red scale on its yellow head. Below the yellow portion of its head, its body is cream-colored, with thin arms and a red, scaled belly. It carries its yellow, molted skin around its legs, making them resemble pants, although some of the skin seems to trail off to form or cover a tail.

Features
  • Height: Approx 21" from feet to red tip of head
  • Length: Approx 11"
  • Width: Approx 17" from front pouch to back of tail
  • Brand New With Tags!
  • Wrapped in a polybag to keep clean
  • Very Cute & Collectible
  • Imported From Japan

In Stock Now - Pokemon Center Plush Doll - Life Size 16" Emonga / Emolga - $89.99

Our Price: $89.99
Release Date: 5/17/2011
UPC: 4521329103945
Genre: Pokedoll
Company: Pokemon Center
Version: N/A
Stock Status: In Stock

Emonga is a rodent-like Pokémon, primarily white in coloration, that most resembles a flying squirrel. It possesses facial features similar to Pachirisu’s, such as its eyes, tiny nose, and yellow cheek patches. Its ears, positioned at the top of its head, are rounded in shape and black in coloration, with yellow and white sections of coloration in the inside of its ears.

Emonga sports a vaguely hood-like patterning of black around its head, with a spiky extension of the pattern above its face. Emonga possesses winglike, yellow-colored flaps connected to its three-fingered arms. Its feet are white-colored and fairly small; its black-colored tail is a jagged shape somewhat like that of Raichu’s.

Features
  • Dimensions: 16" x 9" x 9"
  • Brand New With Tags!
  • Very Cute & Collectible
  • Imported From Pokemon Center Japan

In Stock Now - Princess Frontier Portable [Limited Edition] (Import PSP) - $139.99

Our Price: $139.99
Release Date: 4/07/2011
UPC: 4562168541758
Genre: Adventure
Company: Alchemist
Version: Region Free - ALCH-00030
Stock Status: In Stock






In Stock Now - Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsuisou (Tsuisou Nagato Yuki no Otoshimono Box) PSP/PS3- $129.99/$149.99

Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsuisou (Tsuisou Nagato Yuki no Otoshimono Box) (Import PSP) Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsuisou (Tsuisou Nagato Yuki no Otoshimono Box) (Import Playstation 3)
Our Price: $129.99 / $149.99
Release Date: 5/12/2011
UPC: 4582224499410 / 4582224499397
Genre: Adventure
Company: Bandai Namco Games
Version: Region Free
Stock Status: In Stock

The Haruhi Suzumiya video games have been published by Namco Bandai Games, Banpresto, Kadokawa Shoten, and Sega. The games revolve around Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl who is obsessed with the supernatural. To find the supernatural, she forms the SOS Brigade to investigate mysterious happenings with four other members: Kyon, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, and Itsuki Koizumi.