For the uninitiated, Da Capo II is the sequel to the popular bishoujo game Da Capo. Both the Da Capo and Da Capo Second Season anime series are actually based on the first game, leading to much confusion amongst casual fans and the non-hardcore. This time the main character is Yoshiyuki Sakurai who has not one but two sisters unrelated by blood, Otome Asakura and Yume Asakura, the granddaughters of Nemu (heroine of the first game). Oh right, the story also happens to take place 50 years after the first game. Read my past entry for more details.

As everyone should know by now, my favourite D.C. II girl is Nanaka Shirakawa. So here’s a picture of a pillow cover featuring her!

Haha, good stuff. Still with me? Anyway, on a related note, Kadokawa and CIRCUS are working on a PS2 version of Da Capo II called “Da Capo II Plus Situation” (D.C.II P.S). Oh my god I didn’t see that one coming. At all. New story paths will be added and a Comptiq will be polling its readers to determine who gets to be one of the new heroines. It’s got to be either Akane or Iinchou…

Also I forgot to mention this, but I actually own a PS2 now! So yay for me! I’ll get my PS3 as soon as PS4 is released. :)

Here’s an update to the announcement for the upcoming anime adaptation of School Days. While it is not stated on the image, it appears, judging the from lighting and layout, to have been taken during the Tokyo Anime Fair 2007 which just ended on Sunday.

The series will start airing in July on Chiba TV and will contain a total of 13 episodes.

Director: Keitarou Motonagake (Yumeria, To Heart: RMM, GetBackers, Amaenaideyo!!)

Series Composition / Script: Makoto Uezu (Utawarerumono, Ah! My Goddess S2, Amaenaideyo!! S2)

Character Design / Overall Art Director: Junji Gotou (original character designer for School Days)

Animation Production: TNK (Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora)

Production: Marvellous Entertainment Inc.

Nothing unexpected, though I can’t say that the staff list so far instills much confidence. Well, I guess it will probably be fine if they remain faithful to the game…

TVシリーズは全13話構成で、原作のどれかのエンディングを再現ãã‚‹ã®ã‹ã€ã‚¢ãƒ‹ãƒ¡ã‚ªãƒªã‚¸ãƒŠãƒ«ã«ãªã‚‹ã®ã‹ã¯ä¸æ˜Žã ã‘ど、何らかのバッドエンドになるのは確定だそうで。

According to the above line from Moon Phase Zakki, it is still not confirmed whether the ending will follow one of the paths from the game or a original anime path. But apparently, it will be a bad ending. (WTF? I hope it’s just rumours.)

[ Source: ASCII.jp via Moon Phase Zakki ]

More info after the break.

Original Work: gimik / Kadokawa Shoten
Director / Storyboard / Producer: Keiji Gotoh
Character Design / Animation Director: Megumi Kadonosono
Series Composition / Script: Hidefumi Kimura
Mechnical Design: Kanetake Ebikawa
Art: STUDIO EASTER
Animation Production: Aslead
Project Producer: Atsushi Itou
Content Producer: Kiyonori Hiramatsu
Official Site: http://www.kiddygrade.com/

ES Members Éclair and Lumière were involved in a battle to determine fate of the galaxy and they prevailed in the face of danger. However, years passed and now the galaxy has entered another era of chaos. The general feel of the Kiddy Grade universe remains unchanged and the story takes place after the end of the first series, though the exact time lapsed has not been confirmed yet. The new heroines are “Asukuuru” (resembles Lumière) and “Kufiiyu” (resembles Éclair). Look forward to possible appearances by characters from the first series. The limited edition pilot episode DVD is 7-minute long and cost ï¿¥2,940.

All information taken from Moon Phase Zakki.

The names are direct romanization from Japanese (アスクール and クフィーユ), so they are almost definitely wrong. I tried googling around in French but couldn’t find anything close.

More sci-fi yuri action coming your way soon.

According to Moon Phase Zakki, a sequel to Kiddy Grade is in the works.

[タレコミ]「キディ・グレイド」続編「キディ・グレイド2（仮）」制作決定！

「涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱 SOS団ラジオ支部」第35回放送内で、リュミエール役の平野綾がしゃべってた模様。エクレールとリュミエールのその後を描く。パイロットフィルムを先行公開予定。

Demoonificator:

Kiddy Grade Sequel “Kiddy Grade 2” (tentative title) is in the works!

Aya Hirano, the seiyuu of Lumière, revealed that a second Kiddy Grade anime is in the works during the broadcast of “Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu SOS-dan Radio Subdivision” episode 35. The new anime will continue to focus on Éclair and Lumière. A pilot episode will be released first.

This has got to be true because Haruhi-sama said it! Continue reading for what I think Kiddy Grade 2 needs…

The first Kiddy Grade series was kind of nice, but it didn’t leave much impression other than a swath of Éclair x Lumière H-doujinshi. Here are some suggestions from me for Kiddy Grade 2 to achieve the status of ultimate moé!

1. Make Lumière more tsundere
2. More girls
3. Introduce a meido-fuku dojikko who is often sexually harrassed
4. Make her shoot laser beams from her eyes as her ES power
5. Rename GOTT to SOS団
6. Bunny costume shall be the new work uniform
7. Ponytails
8. Instead of just incest, get yuri incest!
9. Throw in 12 sisters while you are at it
10. Trap(s) — Everyone is doing it

Okay so my suggestions suck like a vacuum cleaner, but seriously, will anyone ever be able to watch Kiddy Grade 2 without thinking of Haruhi-sama every time Lumière speaks? It will be a whole new viewing experience. 楽しみ～

[アニメ]æ‚雨沢恵一「キノの旅」劇場版アニメ制作決定！
アニメ化は3度目、映画化は2度目。前回の「キノの旅～何かをãã‚‹ãŸã‚ã«ï½žã€ã¯ã€å˜é¤¨ä¸Šæ˜ ã ã£ãŸã‘ど、今度はどうだろう？劇場版「灼眼のシャナ」と同æ‚上映だったりして？

Moonspeak to English (ok I’m running out of funny things to say here):

New “Kino no Tabi” (by Keiichi Shigusawa) movie confirmed!
This is the third anime adaptation and the second movie adaptation. The last movie “Kino no Tabi ~nanika suru tame ni~” was only shown in a single cinema, we wonder how it’ll be this time. Will it be in theatres the same time as the “Shakugan no Shana” movie?

Kino is a reverse trap! :3

UPDATE: The official site will be updated with more details in October. There’s currently a placeholder page.

[アニメ]「新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 新劇場版」前編、中編、後編、最終話の4部作にて製作決定。

以前のタレコミ情報では、TVシリーズの総集編3部＋完全新作の全4部作という話だったけど、4部全てが新作という位置付けらしい。続編でもリメイクでもないとか。タレコミ情報を頂いたæ‚は、正直まゆつば情報だと思ってたんだけど、本当に4部作で再映画化だったとは。

Un-moon-ed:

“New Evangelion Theatrical Version” will be a 4-part project.

According to previous leaks, it was thought that the new project consisted of 3 summary movies of the TV series and 1 new movie, but now it turns out that all 4 movies will be new productions. Also, the movies are neither sequels nor remakes. We had previously thought that those leaks were faked, but apparently there really are going to be 4 new movies…

Here’s the scan (from Newtype I presume) linked by the article that supposedly proves it:

The words on the left say　劇場４部作で描かれる「新作」 or “A new project consisting of 4 theatrical releases”.

So it seems like we are getting 4 new Eva movies that are neither sequel nor remakes… Hmmm… I guess we just have to wait for Newtype October, though Moon Phase is pretty reliable so there’s a pretty good chance that it’s true. Also, Hideaki Anno will once again be in charge, for good or for bad.

Yay! Now we can look forward to 10 more years of Evangelion merchandise! (Okay, so it was going to happen any way)

UPDATE: Just want to add that the first movie will be out Summer 2007, about one year from now.

Fresh off the press! From Moon Phase Zakki:

ニュータイプ10月号早売り情報。

WOWOWのディレクターズカット版、総集編仕立て＋完全新作？「SHUFFLE！MEMORIES」が今冬放送とか。

De-moon-ified:

News from early copies of Newtype October.
WOWOW’s director’s cut version, summary episode + a completely new work? “Shuffle! Memories” airing this winter.

I shall confirm this when I get my hands on a copy of Newtype in about 4 days or so. But basically it sounds like this “Shuffle! Memories” thing will contain new content, though it’s not clear what it’s exactly relationship to the first TV series will be. Half summary half new content, maybe? Anyway there will be a new OP and ED to look forward to, at the very least.

Based on the game, I think there’s really not much left to cover, so maybe it’s completely original side stories? Or maybe, Haruhi forbids, an alternate Kaede ending? (I am so not watching that!)

I, for one, am rooting for a Kareha ending! (Let a guy have his dream, okay?)

According to Moon Phase, an announcement for a new Kimi ga Nozomu Eien anime was made during the event.

アージュ、特報 「君が望む永遠 “éãƒ«ãƒ¼ãƒˆâ€ã€ アニメ化決定！！

今日のイãƒãƒ³ãƒˆã§ã‚‚正式çºè¡¨ã•ã‚ŒãŸæ¨¡æ§˜ã€‚まだ 「君望」 で引っ張りまãã‹ã€‚「あゆまゆ劇場」 のネット配信アニメは、てっきり 「マブラヴ」 アニメ化への布石かと思ってたんだけど、こっちと連動した企画だったようで。

From Age: New “Kimi ga Nozomu Eien – Haruka’s route” anime confirmed!

This was officially announced during today’s event. Although it had been speculated that the “Ayu Mayu Theatre” anime distributed on the offical site was part of the preparation towards a Muv-Luv anime, it turned out to be another KimiNozo project.

I hate Haruka. I love the ending of the first series. God, why did they have to announce it on Mitsuki’s birthday? :( The irony, it burns…

Still, more Mitsuki and more Akane is good. <3

Apparently from what I have heard (not currently confirmed), the new anime will be an OVA series and it will take place in an alternate timeline where Haruka did not get knocked down by a van. (What the fuck? How is that KimiNozo anymore?)

Quote:

ガンダム新シリーズ、来年10月放送にむけて始動！…らしい。

「天保異聞 妖奇士」の後番、来年の土6は新ガンダム。監督は水島精二氏とのこと。一応、内部リークでããŒã€å®Ÿéš›ã“の通り順調に企画が進むかどうかは不明。

Translation:

New Gundam series, starts airing October next year!… Apparently.
Taking over the time slot of Ayakashi Ayashi, a new Gundam series will air during the Saturday 6pm slot next year. The director will be Seiji Mizushima. Although this is, technically, an internal leak, it is not confirmed whether the project is really proceeding as stated.

You can just feel the journalistic confidence oozing out of this little article… On another note, Seiji Mizushima is most well-known as the director of Full Metal Alchemist.

Unlike most people, I still have hopes for the SEED franchise, especially if a new director is being brought in to continue the series. While it is not certain if the new Gundam series will continue the C.E. timeline, or indeed whether it even exists at this moment, I have this to say: BRING STELLAR BACK!!!

P.S. Moon Phase has also confirmed, with information from Comiket 70, that the third Nanoha series will be a full-fledged TV series and not OVAs. I don’t care for Nanoha, but it’s on the same page as this news so might as well….

I was just scrolling through Moon Phase’s list of autumn anime and I came across Hanoka. The official site doesn’t have much information, but a single line in the promo video on the homepage caught my attention:

日本初！！
本格フラッシュテレビアニメーション
「HANOKA」

Translation:

Japan’s First!!
True Flash TV Animation
“HANOKA”

“Flash TV Animation”. I think the industry has just hit a new low. I can’t find more details anywhere on the site, but the animation in the promo video certainly looks like it was done in Flash. And it’s going to be aired on TV…

Which begs the question: Why the hell would anyone want to make an anime using Flash!? Anime are all made digitally anyway and I don’t see how using Flash can help lower the production cost. Are the creators aimming for the “new radical idea” angle? Or are they high on crack?