Funimation's March Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Funimation has sent us over their March 2012 sales book (actually about 2 weeks ago), and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order.

Here's what they are bringing out in March:

Hetalia Axis Powers Complete Series (Season 1 & 2) DVD Boxed Set - Mar 6
Sands of Destruction Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) (S.A.V.E.) - Mar 6
One Piece Collection #5 DVD Boxed Set (Eps #105-130) (Uncut) - Mar 13
Dragonball Z Kai Season 1 Part 7 DVD Boxed Set (Eps #78-89) - Mar 20
Dragonball Z Kai Season 1 Part 7 Boxed Set (BLURAY) (Eps #78-89) - Mar 20
Dragon Ball Z Level 2.1 (Eps #35-51) (BLURAY) - Mar 27
Dragon Ball Z Level 2.2 (Eps #52-68) (BLURAY) - Mar 27

Bandai February 2012 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Bandai has sent us over their February 2012 release schedule, and we finally have it up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

Akira DVD (Re-Release) - Feb 7
Mobile Suit Gundam Complete Collection 2 DVD Boxed Set (Anime Legends) - Feb 7
Gundam Unicorn , Part #2 DVD (Eps #3-4) - Feb 7
Tales of the Abyss , Part #3 DVD (Eps #13-18) - Feb 7
Tales of the Abyss , Part #4 DVD (Eps #19-24) - Feb 7
Gundam 00 Season 1 Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) (Anime Legends) - Feb 7
Gundam 00 Season 2 Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-25) (Anime Legends) - Feb 7
Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-25) (Anime Legends) - Feb 7

So we are finally getting the R2 box that everyone has been waiting for - like forever - and also the 2nd half of Mobile Suit, plus boxed sets for 00. The next two installments of Unicorn will be coming on DVD only. Tales vol #3 and #4 are coming too, but Bandai seems to have bailed on the LE versions. And the Akira re-release? Really, has ANYONE not seen/bought that by now? Some Anime just never dies in print... :-)

mrry chrstms & hppy nw yr!

'Hobbit' Trailer #1 Released

Just in case you haven't already seen it:

Section 23 March 2012 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Section 23 has sent over their March 2012 release schedule this week, and we now have it all up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

Grave of the Fireflies DVD (Remastered) - Mar 6
Kimikiss Pure Rouge DVD Complete Collection (Eps #1-26) - Mar 6
Mardock Scramble: The First Compression DVD (Directors Cut) - Mar 13
Mardock Scramble: The First Compression BLURAY (Directors Cut) - Mar 13
ef ~ A Tale of Melodies Complete Collection DVD Set (Eps #1-12) - Mar 20
ef ~ A Tale of Melodies Complete Collection BLURAY Set (Eps #1-12) - Mar 20
Dream Eater Merry Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-13) - Mar 27
Dream Eater Merry Complete Collection BLURAY (Eps #1-13) - Mar 27

Bandai Announces January 2012 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Bandai has sent us over their January 2012 release schedule, and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

Girl Who Leapt Through Space Part #4 DVD (Eps #22-26) - Jan 17
Star Driver Collection #2 DVD (Eps #14-25) - Jan 17
Star Driver Collection #2 BLURAY (Eps #14-25) - Jan 17

They also bumped Tales of the Abyss Part #2 from December 6th to January 3rd:

Tales of the Abyss , Part #2 DVD (Eps #7-12)
Tales of the Abyss , Part #2 Limited Edition DVD (Eps #7-12)

NIS Announces the House of Five Leaves Premium Edition DVD Boxed Set

NIS has announced the upcoming House of Five Leaves complete premium boxed set, and we now have it up for pre-order on the store:

House of Five Leaves Premium Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-12)

The set will be released on March 6th, 2012.

The Premium Edition includes a full-color, 30-page hardcover artbook featuring character information, episode guides, artwork, behind-the-scenes storyboards, draft designs, concept art, and a glossary of terms for insight into the culture of feudal Japan.

Synopsis: Ronin Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled swordsman, but his personality often causes him to be let go from his job. With desperation closing in, Akitsu accepts an offer to work as a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a mysterious gang: the Five Leaves. Though the meek swordsman finds the gang's actions disturbing, Akitsu grows more fascinated by the outlaws every day.

SPEND $100 or MORE FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT RACS & SAVE an EXTRA 10%!

Spend $100 or more on your holiday shopping this week at RACS and you can save an additional 10% off any IN STOCK items throughout the store!! This includes sale and out of print items - pretty much EVERYTHING on the store (except for pre-orders).
To save an additional 10% off ANY in stock order over $100, just use the following coupon code during checkout:

HOLIDAYSAVINGS

The more you purchase the more you save, so be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity to load up on some of the Anime stuff you've had your eye on! US customers can combine this offer with our super saver shipping option to save even more on your favorite in stock Anime series, Manga, Figure, or Character Items!

Valid for new orders over $100 of IN STOCK items only (no pre-orders please).
Offer expires at midnight EST on December 8th, so don't wait!!

CYBER MONDAY FIGURE SALE - SAVE 20-70% ON OVER 500 ANIME FIGURINES!

We're offering our best holiday deal ever on over 500 in stock Anime figurines from RACS!

We've discounted almost our entire selection of in stock FIGURINES for the holidays by up to 20-70% off the regular price, and you can use our Super Saver or flat rate FedEx Ground shipping options to save even more!

These prices are already marked down on the store site, so you can even combine them with our current coupon sale for the ultimate in figurine savings! Good grief, what is Robert thinking!

But don't wait, at these prices our selection won't last long - so grab what you want before it's too late - or before Robert changes his mind...!

All figure sale items are strictly first come, first served. Be sure to place your order soon!

Wanna Know What Black Friday Looks Like from Our Side?

It looks like this:

Daily total number of RACS orders filled by day for last 30 days.

We've been working ALL weekend folks...

Forget The Store - Shop Online at RACS This Weekend!

This is why shopping online at RACS this weekend is so much better than at the store:



(Note: From a Walmart Black Friday morning. Just say no to crack!)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We'll be closed on Thursday for the holiday, but will be back at it on Friday, so keep those orders coming! Until then, we wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Anime friends!

(Hey, you can look at a picture of a turkey anywhere...)

Section 23 & Funimation February 2012 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Section 23 and Funimation both sent over their February 2012 release schedules this week, and we now have it all up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

Section 23 February 2012 releases:

Xam'd (Lost Memories) Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-24) - Feb 7
Xam'd (Lost Memories) Complete Collection BLURAY (Eps #1-24) - Feb 7
Hell Girl Three Vessels (Season 3) Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-26) - Feb 14
Broken Blade Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-6) - Feb 21
Broken Blade Complete Collection BLURAY (Eps #1-6) - Feb 21
A-Channel Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-12) - Feb 28

Funimation February 2012 releases:

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-13) - Feb 7
Sengoku Basara 2: Samurai Kings DVD/BD Combo Set (Limited Edition) - Feb 7
.Hack//Quantum OVA Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-3) - Feb 14
Chrome Shelled Regios Complete Collection DVD Set (Eps #1-24) - Feb 14
Vexille 2077 Nippon Sakoku Movie DVD (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Feb 14
Vexille 2077 Nippon Sakoku Movie BLURAY (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Feb 14
Fairy Tail Collection #4 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #37-48) - Feb 28
Princess Jellyfish Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-11) - Feb 28

In addition to the above upcoming titles, Funi also bumped the release date of two January titles up a week:

Fairy Tail Collection #3 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #25-36) - Jan 24 to Jan 31
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom DVD/BD Combo DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) - Jan 24 to Jan 31

That's it - pre-order away!

Bandai Announces December 2011 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Bandai has sent us over their December 2011 release schedule, and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

Tales of the Abyss , Part #2 DVD (Eps #7-12) - Dec 6
Tales of the Abyss , Part #2 Limited Edition DVD (Eps #7-12) - Dec 6

In addition to this blow out holiday schedule, they bumped two upcoming titles by one week:

K-On! Vol #4 BD & DVD - Nov 22 to Nov 29
Star Driver Collection #1 BD & DVD (Eps #1-13) - Nov 22 to Nov 29

Just a note: The retailer pre-order date for Tales #2 is listed in the mailer as October 7th. They sent out the mailer to everyone on November 10th... [rolls eyes]

Sentai Picks Up A Channel and Un-Go

Sentai Filmworks announced over the weekend that they have licensed two new anime series - A Channel and Un-Go. Both series are currently being shown on various evil greedy streaming services, and Sentai did not say when these might be out on home video.

A Channel: Series about four friends; Tooru who has just entered the same high school as her best best and childhood friend Run, who is now a second year, and Run's friends Yuuko & Nagi in their daily lives. Toeru takes a test so she can enter the same high school as Run, the girl she likes. She passes, but when she goes to tell Run, she finds her hugging a girl she's never seen before.

Un-Go: With the help of his strange assistant Inga, "failed detective" Shinjuro Yuki solves crimes in a near future Japan still suffering from the ravages of war. Problem is, the credit always ends up going to super detective Rinroku Kaisho. Yuki Shinjuro is known as "The Defeated Detective". He is searching for something, either individual or an object, and he is always accompanied by Inga, a mysterious entity that he coerced by tempting him/her that he will show him/her truth of humans. Although, his deductions are always correct, it is often cast into the darkness by Kaisho Rinroku and conspiracy of the current government.

NIS Announces the Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge Premium Edition

NIS has announced the upcoming Arakawa Season 2 (Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge) premium boxed set, and we now have it up for pre-order on the store:

Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge (Season 2) Complete Collection Premium Edition DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #14-26)

The set will be released February 7th, 2012.

Just a little trivia: The title of season 2 is pronounced "Arakawa Under the Bridge Bridge". Don't mess up and include the 'x' when you are talking to other Otaku about it. :-)

The Premium Edition will come with a hardcover art book (full-color, 30+ pages), featuring character information, episode guides, artwork, and interviews with cast and production staff. Bonus tracks include commentary from various voice actresses/actors and even the original author, Hikaru Nakamura. These tracks will let you take a peek behind the scenes - it’s a very intimate way to learn how the cast thinks and feels about the characters and events! Also, TV spots and an End Card gallery are included.

Synopsis: Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder by the banks of the mighty Arakawa, they go ahead and get weirder by a whole lot. Rec, Nino, and the rest of the riverside residents return, and with the addition of another batch of nutty citizens the insanity gets turns up to eleven...thousand. Now Rec has to deal with a sci-fi loving comic nerd who's convinced he's a captain in the Earth Defense Force, and the less said about the Amazon woman living upstream with her demonic "female" Amazon followers, the better. On top of that, Rec struggles with the pressing issues of romantic expression, media obsession, weight loss, weight gain, beach parties, haunted houses, interplanetary travel, and the ever-present threat of global thermonuclear war!

#OccupyDockingBay94

Seems even the Storm Troopers are fed up:

HEH.

Funimation Finally Licenses a Few More One Piece Episodes

After what has seem an interminable amount of time, the folks at Funimation have FINALLY announced that they have picked up the next block of One Piece episodes. They have picked up where they left off at episodes 206, and have licensed 57 more episodes up to 263. They do not expect to release these episodes until at least Summer of 2012.

These new episodes will will be presented in high-definition and in 16 by 9 aspect ratio in anticipation of a possible Blu-ray/DVD combo release. Funimation also said they will try to keep as much consistency as possible with regard to the voice acting, but that they may not be able to get all the same voice acting cast as the first 206 episodes for the dubbing of the new eps.

I guess they should not have waited so long to continue the series. At 530 total eps so far, they still have a long way to go with One Piece. As with Detective Conan, I think they may be biting off more than they can chew with some of these big shows.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween from the entire Anime Corner crew!

Arrietty Anime Film's U.S. Dub Trailer Posted

Disney has posted the official trailer for their upcoming North American theatrical release of Arrietty, which will begin on February 17:

Sentai Licenses Mashiro-Iro Symphony

The folks at Sentai confirmed earlier this week that they have licensed the Eroge Anime Mashiro-Iro Symphony: The color of lovers. They plan to release the series subtitled on DVD later in 2012.

The anime premiered in Japan on October 4, and that evil greedy streaming company is currently simulcasting the series in North America.

Mashiro-Iro Symphony: The traditional girls-only Yuihime Private Academy is considering the possibility of starting to accept both genders and has thus made an agreement with a neighboring school to receive some of its students as an experiment to see the reaction to this adaptation. Shingo Iryu is one of the many students transferred for a ten month experimental phase at Yuihime Academy. He, his sister, and his fellow relocated colleagues are impressed by the sophisticated campus, but even more by the resistance of many students who don't want the boys over there.

Funimation Resurrects Fafner, Picks Up Oblivion Island Film

Here's one I've been meaning to post on for a few days now. The Funimation folks announced at their New York Comic Con panel that they have licensed the Fafner TV series and film (Sokyu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor: Heaven and Earth), and also the Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror Anime movie.

The Fafner series is old news and was originally published by Geneon in 2005. Geneon went under in 2008, but the old Fafner DVD's have pretty much remained. Ditan had tens of thousands of unsold copies left in their warehouse when Geneon bit it, so the series hasn't ever really been scarce, even after all this time. The film, on the other hand, only came out a year ago and a US release is most welcome. It's quite good.

The Oblivion Island film came out in Japan a couple years ago and is 100% 3D CGI. It won a bunch of awards, and is really excellent. It comes HIGHLY recommended by me, which as you know, I hardly ever do. It's just too bad Funi still has A HUGE lag time between announce and publish, and probably won't get it out on the street until around this time next year.

Fafner TV Series: Tatsumiyajima is the central island in the middle of a small cluster of islands, in a sleepy backwater of the Japanese isles. Not much happens there, and the island's young people go to school knowing that their lives are likely to remain peaceful and undisturbed. Or so they have been taught... but the truth is different. The fate of mankind is on the line, and Tatsumiyajima is the last line of defense against a hostile and incomprehensible enemy. At the center of it all, fighting for Humanity's continued existence, is the giant robot Fafner, the dragon that guards this final treasure of mankind.

Sokyu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor, Heaven and Earth: Two years after the end of the original Soukyuu no Fafner TV series, Tatsumiya Island and its surviving residents have returned to some semblance of recovery. However, things have become desperate for our hero, Kazuki; nearly blind now, and partially crippled from his battles with the Festum two years earlier, he clings to the promise his fallen friend Soushi made to him to return to the island and set things right again. Kazuki's hopes flare when a lifeform is detected within an unmanned submarine that comes floating into Tatsumiya Bay one night, but the person aboard isn't Soushi; it is a mysterious "boy" named Misao Kurusu who may not be entirely human, and who claims to have been sent by Soushi. With Misao's arrival, hostilities break out anew between the Human Army and the Festum, and the Fafner pilots are thrown into the most desperate battle of their lives--this time, with the fate of TWO races riding on their shoulders.

Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror Film: Haruka is a single daughter who lost her mother at a young age because of terminal illness. She continued to live with her father after that but time and the fact that her father is always busy with his work has created an emotional distance between them. When her mother was still alive, she received a hand mirror from her as a present and she treasured it a lot. After her mother's death, she started to forget about the mirror until she eventually lost it. One day, she decides to go to a local shrine and pray for the return of her lost mirror. It is there that she accidentally encounters a small masked creature which she secretly follows to the land of forgotten items.

Section 23 January 2012 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Section 23 has sent over their January 2012 release schedule and we've got it all posted to the store site for pre-order. Here's what coming:

And Yet the Town Moves (Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru) Complete Collection DVD - Jan 3
Akikan! Complete Collection DVD - Jan 10
Princess Resurrection Complete Collection DVD Box (Eps #1-26) (Bilingual Edition) - Jan 17
The World that God Only Knows Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-12) - Jan 24
The World that God Only Knows Complete Collection BLURAY (Eps #1-12) - Jan 24
EF: A Tale of Memories Complete Collection DVD (Eps #1-12) - Jan 31
EF: A Tale of Memories Complete Collection BLURAY (Eps #1-12) - Jan 31

My thoughts? Once again Section 23 comes through with a fantastic list of nearly all new material. They are even giving us a dubbed version of Princess Resurrection, and no messy re-releases to deal with. I swear if it wasn't for them, we'd hardly have any new Anime releases in the pipeline at all. While the other studios are sitting around wringing their hands about digital this and live action that trying to figure out which direction to go in, Section 23 is getting it done for the rest of us. Kudos!

Customer Comment from Myeisha

Myeisha wrote it today and said this:

"Hello,

I just received my package and I must say that I am totally, completely, utterly, satisfied! I was actually very surprised to see my stuff so neatly wrapped in bubblewrap. It made me feel like my items were given a personal touch. I'm not a frequent shopper here, but after my recent experience, I was reminded that I need to shop here more often! You guys even had a manga that my usual retailer sold out of!

A+++++++ for awesomness!

P.S I'm glad you guys started the free shipping for orders $49 and up as well! ^-^

M-chan ^-^"

WOW! Sometimes when we hear general comments from someone it's because they are "totally, completely, and utterly" incensed by something I said on some Anime forum 2 or 3 years ago, so it's really nice when it's the other way around. Though I'm really not surprised when people are happy with our order packaging - we do give it a lot of consideration, but considering how some of the other guys box up your orders, we could hardly do worse. -_^

Thanks Myeisha! We appreciate it very much! :-)

15 Geek Convention Stereotypes that are All True

It's funny because it's true!

I especially like the 'creepy weird guy that hangs around your booth for 8 hours'. Anyone who's ever worked the dealer room at an Anime con knows that one is right on target! "Dude, get outta here already, isn't there a screening room or workshop you should be sitting in??!!"

Funimation's January Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Funimation has sent us over their January 2012 sales book, and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order.

Actually, they had made a couple of last minute changes, so we held off posting this update for a couple of days until all the correct info was in our hands. Here's what's coming:

Dragonball Z Movie Pack #3 (Movies #10-13) DVD - Jan 3
Gun X Sword Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) - Jan 3
My Bride is a Mermaid Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) - Jan 3
Sekirei 2: Pure Engagement Complete DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Eps #13-24) - Jan 3
X TV Series Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #0-24) - Jan 3
Hetalia (World Series 1) Season 3 DVD Set - Jan 17
Kaze no Stigma Season #1 Complete DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-24) (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Jan 17
Nabari no Ou DVD Season 1 Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-24) (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Jan 17
Fairy Tail Collection #3 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #25-36) - Jan 24
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom DVD/BD Combo DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) - Jan 24
Tenchi Muyo GXP Complete DVD Boxed Set (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Jan 24
B Gata H Kei – Yamada’s First Time Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Limited Edition) - Jan 31
One Piece Collection #4 DVD Boxed Set (Eps #79-104) (Uncut) - Jan 31

Customer Comment

Being in any sort of retail is probably one of the most thankless jobs that exists.

This is especially true online, where (for example) people that you have never met can lay the blame that they waited to long to use the last coupon squarely at your own mothers door and in the most colorful language without the slightest fear you will come over the counter and introduce their face to your fist.

This also applies to Anime forum trolls, but I digress...

The reality of customer service work is that you rarely hear from customers unless there is some sort of issue you need to resolve, so this note that Mel send over today was really a breath of fresh air:

"Dear RACS,

As I sat in my room pondering what should be my next anime purchase; RACS popped into my mind. I then remembered how before I discovered RACS I only knew of the anime that came on Toonami (just made myself feel so old), Adult Swim, and 4Kids. My first anime purchase that did not come from any of those networks was Princess TuTu and Galaxy Railways, that I purchased from RACS. Ever since I discovered this wonderful store I feel as if my anime world expanded. At the end of the week I always make sure to read the newsletter, the newsletter helps me with decisions of purchasing certain items, and so far it hasn't lead me astray. The BEST thing I love about RACS is that the staff there is so wonderful, and I truly appreciate all the hard work the staff of RACS does for everyone.

P.S. I emailed the staff of RACS some cookies! They have macadamia nuts in them so if you have peanut alergies please don't eat them. xD

Sincerely,
Mel"

Thanks so much Mel! We appreciate it very much - and the cookies were delicious! :-)

Sentai Picks Up Broken Blade (Break Blade)

Sentai has announced that they have licensed the six-part anime film series Broken Blade (Break Blade). The series is based on Yunosuke Yoshinaga's alternate-world robot manga, the first 3 volumes of whic were published by CMX Manga before they shut down last year.

Sentai plans to release the series on DVD and BD in 2012.

Have you noticed there have been a lot of announcements for new Anime coming out of Sentai lately, while at most other studios you can hear the crickets chirping? To drive that point home, we got a big new shipment from Funimation today, and the entire thing was S.A.V.E. editions, like 5 or 6 different ones. Not sure what's going on with that...

Synopsis: The inhabitants of the continent of Cruzon are born with the ability to freely control quartz. Technology based on this power allows them to perform a great multitude of tasks such as shoot projectiles and pilot mobile suits (called Golems in this society). Rygart Arrow is an un-sorcerer, a rare individual who is unable to levitate even the smallest crystal. Living with his brother on a farm, he receives a letter from an old friend, Hodr, the current king. Close companion of the king and queen when they were students at Assam Military School, Arrow is informed that a war is about to occur. Hodr called him because an ancient type of Golem has been found in a mining shaft. No one has been able to move it and Queen Sigyn, an expert engineer, suspects that maybe an un-sorcerer might be the key to activate it.

Funimation Delays YuYu Hahuksho OVA/Eizou and Lowers a Few Prices

Funimation has announced a short delay in the release of the upcoming Yu Yu Hakusho OVA (Eizou Hakusho) DVD Set. It's been pushed back 2 weeks from Nov 29th to Dec 13th.

Yu Yu Hakusho OVA (Eizou Hakusho) DVD Set - Nov 29 to Dec 13

They also continue to participate in the current 'race to the bottom' business strategy seemingly favoured by so many Anime companies these days with re-prices of several existing items, including:

Dragon Ball Season 5 DVD Boxed Set (Uncut) - $49.98 to $34.98 MSRP
Kamui Gaiden DVD (Live Action) - $24.98 to $19.98 MSRP
Kamui Gaiden BLURAY (Live Action) - $29.98 to $19.98 MSRP
Daytime Drinking DVD (Live Action) - $14.98 to $9.98 MSRP

They also repriced an older release of Afro Samurai Resurrection, but we no longer carry that version. We've lowered our regular price on the DB #5 Box to $24.98. Both formats of Kamui can now be had here at $13.98, and Daytime Drinking is now only $7.98. Any cheaper than that folks, and they'd be free. -_^

The Passing of a Great American

As I'm sure you already know, Steve Jobs passed away yesterday.

What a piece of work is a man!
How noble in Reason!
how infinite in faculties!
in form and moving how express and admirable!
In action how like an Angel!
in apprehension how like a god!
the beauty of the world!
the paragon of animals!
and yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

- Hamlet, Act II, Scene II

Jobs was probably one of the most brilliant creators and marketers of products in history. He also was born into and worked in a country, and at a time, that allowed him and his inventions to flourish, making himself rich in the process. Thinking about it, I sit here and wonder if Steve Jobs could start 'Apple' in his garage today and still get it off the ground floor.

With all the misplaced anger we see today directed at successful people, all the talk of corporate greed, and all the finger pointing by people blaming someone else for their lot in life, it makes me wonder if Steve Jobs will be the last true capitalist that political correctness will permit us to admire?

But really, who cares what's "permitted?". For myself, Steve Jobs was an inspirational figure, and I for one plan to keep on misbehaving - just like he did.

God Speed Steve.

Sentai Gets Towa no Quon, Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai, Akikan!, & And yet The Town Moves

Sentai announced at its Anime Weekend Atlanta panel that it has licensed four new series: Towa no Quon film, The World God Only Knows (Season 1), Akikan! , and And yet The Town Moves.

The 6-part film series Towa no Quon follows the story of a boy named Quon who wakes up with supernatural powers. He must protect himself and those like him from Kestos, the secret organization hunting them.

In the World God Only Knows (Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai) Keima Katsuragi is a high school boy who is known as the "Capturing God" for his success at romance simulation games. However, thanks to a contract with a devil, he now has to capture the hearts of real girls to catch the runaway spirits hidden in those hearts.

The 12 ep series Akikan! revolves around a typical high school boy named Kakeru Daichi and the can of melon juice soda that he bought from a vending machine. The can suddenly transforms into a beautiful but standoffish girl that Kakeru nicknames "Melon," and more "Akikan!" ("empty can") girls appear. However, Akikan girls need to be (of course) infused with carbon dioxide from kissing to survive.

The comedy series And yet The Town Moves is an adaptation of the Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru manga series. The story centers around Seaside, a slightly odd maid tea shop (kissa) in an otherwise ordinary shopping district of a mundane neighborhood in Tokyo. Hotori works at Seaside and daydreams about being a high school girl detective.

Funimation Picks Up Guilty Crown & the .Hack//Quantum OVA

Funimation announced over the weekend at their Anime Weekend Atlanta panel that they have picked up both the .Hack//Quantum OVA and Guilty Crown anime shows. Funi plans to release the .Hack//Quantum OVA on DVD in early 2012. Guilty Crown will be streamed for now, and FUni did not say when they might be releasing the title on home video.

.hack//Quantum OVA is set in The World R:X setting of last year's .hack//Link game for the Sony PSP. In the story, the player characters Tobias, Mary, and Sakuya form a party in The World R:X for adventure but encounter a mysterious entity named Hermit. The encounter draws them into the all-consuming darkness taking over The World R:X.

Guilty Crown is set in Japan in 2039, 10 years after the "Apocalypse Virus" devastated the land in an incident known as "Lost Christmas." A multinational organization known as GHQ brings the lawless country under control, but at the price of Japan's sovereignty. One day, an unsociable 17-year-old second-year high school student named Shū Ouma encounters Inori Yuzuriha, a female singer who is part of the resistance to liberate Japan. Together with Gai Tsutsugami (Shu's 17-year-old rival who is a young "Jiikundo" pilot in the resistance), Shu and Inori fight with mysterious innate abilities known as "imperial powers."

Sentai Picks Up Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere

Sentai Filmworks announced this morning that they have picked up the license for the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere Anime (Kyōkai Senjō no Horizon). They plan to release the series susbtitled on DVD in 2012.

Synopsis: 'History' is coming to an end. When humans came down from the sky they brought with them the Testament, the guide to the path they must follow if they wish to return to the skies again. Now, in a strange world where only the islands of Japan are inhabitable, the nations of the world vie for power and protect the portions of Japan that they have claimed, each armed with its own ultimate weapon: a Roysmoi Opro, the Armor of Deadly Sins. But there may be a far greater threat to mankind than the Roysomi Opro, for the Testament ends abruptly, and it is now the last year. Is this the end of humanity, or can Tori Aoi and his fellow students from the aerial metropolitan ship Musashi somehow affect the course of destiny? Who and what is the HORIZON IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE?

Sentai Picks Up Persona 4 & Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai

Sentai Filmworks has announced that they have licensed the Persona 4 The Animation television anime series, and plan to release the show on both DVD and BD in 2012. The anime has not yet started it's showing in Japan, but will premiere on Japan's MBS station on October 6.

Sentai has also licensed the Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!! television anime series, and will publish it under the name "Majikoi - Oh! Samurai Girls!". They plan to release the 12 episode series on DVD in 2012 also.

Majikoi - Oh! Samurai Girls: Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A healthy fighting spirit is always valued and it's even an important factor for success at school. Yamato, a second year student from Kawakami Highchool is always with his close friends (4 boys and 3 girls). They have all known each other since they were young and have done many things together. While they have many other friends, this group of seven is a close-knit, inseparable group. They even have a secret base where they meet. With the new semester, they welcome two girls into their group and shortly after things begin to change...

Funimation Delays Release of Darker than Black Season 2

Funimation just sent over a note letting us know that the release of Season 2 of Darker Than Black, originally scheduled for Oct 18th, is going to be delayed due to the holiday backlog at their presser. The new release date is now set for Nov 8th.

Darker Than Black Season 2 Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps # 27-52 + OVA's) (Limited First Pressing) - Oct 18 to Nov 8

Damnit. -_^

As always, if you have an existing order holding for this title and want to make a change, just drop us a line and we'll take care of it for you.

Bandai Announces November 2011 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Bandai has sent us over their November 2011 release schedule, and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

K-On! Vol #4 DVD - Nov 22
K-On! Vol #4 (BLURAY) - Nov 22
Star Driver Collection #1 DVD (Eps #1-13) - Nov 22
Star Driver Collection #1 BLURAY (Eps #1-13) - Nov 22
TEKKEN Blood Vengeance DVD - Nov 22

Couple Notes:
1) Star Driver will be sub only.
2) No Tekken Blood Vengeance BD - for now.
3) NO DATE CHANGES in this mailer! Yippie!!!

Star Driver: On the southern edge of Japan, the inhabitants of Southern Cross Island lead seemingly normal lives but far beneath the surface of this quiet island lies an ancient secret that lays dormant until Takuto Tsunashi washes ashore one night. Upon enrolling in Southern Cross Island High School, Takuto and his friends become embroiled in a conflict with a clandestine society to control giant machines, called Cybodies, sealed under the island and whose powers are bound by special shrine maidens. What secrets will Takuto dig up and how will he deal with the obstacles that lie ahead of him as this struggle will threaten to tear apart the entire island?!

TEKKEN: Blood Vengeance: The stage for a final showdown is prepared as Anna Williams and the G Corporation set a trap for her sister Nina who works for Jin Kazama, head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Both Jin and his father, Kazuya Mishima of the G Corporation, seek to possess and control the M Cell that will unlock the destructive supernatural powers buried within the Mishima bloodline. Kazuya dispatches Ling Xiaoyu to a prestigious international school to spy on Shin Kamiya, a victim of secret genetic experiments and may hold the key to the M Cell. While investigating Shin, Xiaoyu befriends Alisa Bosconovitch who also shows an interest in Shin. Their new friendship is put to the test as they are caught in the middle of the Mishima family feud. The final battle explodes in a three way battle between father, son and even grandfather, Heihachi Mishma, the mastermind behind the M Cell conspiracy. Who will claim the M Cell and unlock the full power of the Devil Gene?!

Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing- Trailer

The new Last Exile show from Gonzo, Last Exile -Fam, The Silver Wing- will begin it's TV run in Japan at 2am on October 15th. This is one in particular that I've been looking forward to for some time. Funimation has licensed it for North America, but I imagine it will be at least a year before it shows up on our shores.

Until then, enjoy the trailer! :-)

The Worlds Most Generic News Report

Brilliant!

Crunchyroll - Pot Sues Kettle

You know, after reading some fan comments over the past few weeks it's clear that over the last few months I've been way too quiet about the little hypocrisies in our industry. Time to change that.

So I was perusing the news blurbs over on the Anime ecomatrix this morning, when I saw this:

"Crunchyroll and TV Tokyo have issued a lawsuit against 13 YouTube uploaders for allegedly illegal distribution of anime episodes, according to a copyright infringement complaint filed on May 11 and served between July and September. Crunchyroll and TV Tokyo are seeking reparation for "great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money" because of the defendants' allegedly unauthorized copying, uploading, and distributing via YouTube of multiple Naruto, Naruto Shippūden, and Bleach episodes.

Based on their YouTube subscriber information, the defendants reside in the United States, Japan, Canada, Denmark, and Hungary. Crunchyroll maintains its main offices in California (as does YouTube), so the suit was filed as a U.S. copyright violation in the Northern District Court of California. For the purposes of the lawsuit, TV Tokyo is giving Crunchyroll legal permission to act on its behalf in order to "permanently remove the illegal uploads of infringing parties from file-sharing services and to obtain legal relief against infringers."

I just find it a bit entertaining as, before they went legit, Crunchyroll got it's start and built it's audience streaming unlicensed fansubs captured from torrents. A little history:

"Launched in the summer of 2006, Crunchyroll is a video-streaming site run by Crunchyroll, Inc. that originally grew by serving illegal (unlicensed) content, namely Japanese Animation (anime). The site generated revenue by soliciting donations and through advertising. After failing to be bought out by Viacom in 2007, Crunchyroll secured venture capital funding to the tune of $4 million through Venrock."

Of course, as soon as they got the angel funding from Venrock (and started working up SEC filings so they could privately sell more shares) they had to go legit, but they built their original audience and 'brand' on unlicensed content. So let's not forget that Kun Gao, Vu Nguyen, Sanha Han, Brandon Ooi, James Lin and many others have gotten rich off an enterprise that started deep in the shylocks.

Just something to think about the next time you are watching Anime there. I'm sure there will be outrage from the fan community over their persecution of YouTube users, and if not, I hope the irony does not escape you. :-)

Section 23 December 2011 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Section 23 has sent over their December 2011 release schedule and we've got it all posted to the store site for pre-order. Here's what coming:

Rozen Maiden + Traumend Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-24) - Dec 6
Rozen Maiden Ouverture Collection DVD (Eps #1-2) - Dec 6
Kino's Journey Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set - Dec 13
Elfen Lied Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) - Dec 20
Modern Magic Made Simple (Yoku Wakaru Gendai Maho) Complete DVD (Eps #1-12) - Dec 20
Himawari, Too! (Season 2) Collection DVD (Eps #14-26) - Dec 27

Modern Magic Made Simple: Life hasn't been fair to Koyomi Morishita. Even though she's in high school, she's so short that everyone assumes she's still in grade school. The boys and girls in her school tease her mercilessly, and she's not exactly graceful either. On the other hand, she's still better off than Yumiko, who has a magician trying to kill her. Or at least Koyomi WAS until their paths crossed! Fortunately, salvation arrives in the form of master mage and graduate student Misa Anehara, who agrees to take Koyomi under her wing in learning the new style of magic, which breaks enchantment down into sequences of code. That'll be quite a task, given that so far Koyomi's talent seems to consist of making washbasins randomly fall out of the sky. But if it was easy, it wouldn't be magic, would it?

Funimation's December Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Funimation has sent us over their December sales book, and we now have it up on the store site for pre-order.

Here's what's coming:

Birdy the Mighty: Decode Complete Collection DVD Box(Eps #1-26) - Dec 6
Devil May Cry Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 6
Devil May Cry Complete Collection Boxed Set (BLURAY) (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 6
Dragonball Z Movie Pack #2 (Movies #6-9) DVD - Dec 6
Master of Martial Hearts (Zettai Shougeki ~Platonic Heart~ ) Complete DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-5) (Classic Collection) - Dec 6
Dragon Ball Z Level 1.2 (BLURAY) - Dec 13
Ikki Tousen (Battle Vixens) Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 13
Heaven's Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono) Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Box (Limited Edition) - Dec 20
Rosario+Vampire Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-13) - Dec 20
Rosario+Vampire Capu2 (Season 2) Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #14-26) - Dec 20
Initial D Fourth DVD Boxed Set (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 20
D.Gray-man Season #1 DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 27
Eden of the East Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set (Eps #1-11) - Dec 27
Fairy Tail Collection #2 DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #13-24) - Dec 27
Guyver Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 27
Heroic Age Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set (Eps #1-26) (S.A.V.E. Edition) - Dec 27
Slayers TV Season 4 / 5 (Revolution & Evolution-R) DVD/BD Combo Boxed Set - Dec 27

Thank goodness we're finally getting Rosario + Vampire. Man, we sure have been waiting long enough for it!

NIS Changes Kimi ni Todoke to DVD/BD Combo Set, Delays Release to January

NIS sent over an update package this morning to let us know that they have decided (in a rather last minute decision) to change the upcoming premium edition release of Kimi Ni Todoke from a DVD set to a DVD/BD combo set. This is great news! We also have new box art - see below.

The bad news is that this means the release of this set is being pushed back from Oct 25th, 2011 to Jan 10th, 2012. The other bad news is that NIS is increasing the MSRP on the set from $59.98 to $69.98. This means we had to raise our pre-order price to $48.98, which leaves us in a bit of a pickle - the $10 increase puts our new cost slightly over the old street price we were selling it for.

I have e-mailed NIS to see if they would offer us price protection against the pre-orders we've already booked. This would allow us to honor the old $44.98 price for existing pre-orders that have already been placed. If they do not, we'll have to either get approval for the price increase from everyone who has already pre-ordered or cancel those orders. Once I hear back from NIS I'll post back here regarding what we are going to do.

PRE-ORDER UPDATE: The folks at NIS have been kind enough to put a deal together for us that will allow us to share the cost of the price increase and thus keep everyone's existing pre-order for Kimi Ni Todoke booked at the original price of $44.98. So all 'existing' pre-orders for this release will automatically be upgraded to the new DVD/BD combo set at no additional cost. Thanks Mitsu! :-) New pre-orders will be offered at the slightly higher price of $48.98 based on the new higher MSRP.

9/11 Remembrance

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the 9-11-2001 attacks. I have nothing profound or relevant to say, except that I will always remember that day as one of the saddest of my life. We have not forgotten the 3,000 lives lost in the attacks. Please remember the families of the victims in your prayers today.

Funimation To Release Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu Next Spring

The folks at Funimation confirmed at AnimeFest that they are planning to release the The Legend of the Legendary Heroes (Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu) anime series as a DVD/BD combo set sometime next spring (2012). The release will be both English dubbed and subtitled.

Synopsis: Raina Lute is a lazy student of Roland Empire Royal Magician's school. One day, Roland Empire goes to war against a neighboring country Estaboole, and he lost his classmates in the battle. After the war, Lute sets out for a journey to search the relics of a "Legendary Hero" at Emperor Zion Astar's command. And he finds out a deadly curse spreading the continent.

Sentai Picks Up Rozen Maiden, Traumend, and Ouverture!

The folks at Sentai Filmworks (Section 23) have announced that they have licensed the Rozen Maiden anime series (12 eps), the sequel Rozen Maiden - Träumend (also 12 eps), and the 2 episode OVA Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre.

Some of you will remember that Geneon previously licensed the original series and Traumend in 2007, but the release got botched up when Geneon went under in 2008. Funimation then signed on the distribute the series for awhile, and did, but has since dropped the license too.

Everyone in the industry seems to get a shot at these licenses eventually, don't they? So this will be third time around for Rozen Maiden, though the OVA eps have never been released before. Sentai is planning a complete set DVD release of the series (both seasons + the OVA) during the holiday season this year, probably in December. They are also planning to release the OVA separately in case you already own the first two seasons. The OVA will be carrying a brand new dub from BangZoom.

3rd Evangelion Film Announced for Fall of 2012!

At last! We finally have a date on the 3rd Evangelion film!

Khara has confirmed that Evangelion Shin Gekijō-ban Q Quickening, the third film in Hideaki Anno and Khara's four-part remake of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series, will open in Japan in Fall of 2012. The announcement was made during a new preview of the film that aired after the television premiere of the second film.

That would put it's release here in North America somewhere around late 2013, or about 2 years from now. It's a long time to wait, but now at least we know. :-)

Bandai Announces October 2011 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Bandai has sent us over their October 2011 release schedule. The Sept release of Girl Who Leapt Through Space Part #3 has now been pushed into October. So with that said, here's what's coming:

Tales of the Abyss , Part #1 DVD (Eps #1-6) - Oct 11
Tales of the Abyss , Part #1 Limited Edition DVD (Eps #1-6) - Oct 11
Girl Who Leapt Through Space Part #3 DVD - Sep 13 to Oct 18

And yes, I am aware that their entire October release slate is made up of previously announced titles that they re-scheduled into October. Times are tough, what can I say...

Irene is Coming

I've been holding off posting about Irene until we got close enough to get a better view of where it's headed. Even though those of us here at RACS HQ live and work a couple hours inland on the East Coast, it still looks like we're going have some sort of major effect from Irene as it passes up the east coast, so now we are making plans to batten down the warehouse Friday afternoon and head home to ride out whatever effects we get from the storm.

Our building here is designed for 85mph sustained winds, and we are far enoguh inland that I don't think we will be seeing anything like that here. Still, we're going to take a few precautions just in case - like bringing the picnic table inside and chalking the wheels on our travel trailer. And we already have cut plywood panels here in house if we feel like we need to cover the windows, as crazy as that might sound considering where we are. When Isabel came through in 2003, we had 65-70 mph winds here and some flooding. That was before our current building was built.

While the main track looks like it's going to skirt us and head straight up for New York, there is one westerly track (it's the blue line in the graphic above) that brings the storm in right on top of us, so we're taking this very seriously. If it moves significantly westerly overnight, we will probably cut out early tomorrow so everyone has time to go home and get their houses ready for the storm.

While we were talking about it today, it made me think of this:



'Fuckin Irene'. Yeah.

Chaos Head Coming November 29th - Now Available for Pre-Order!

We'll, someone at Funimation was listening to me when I criticized their lack of new material for November. They announced today that they have added the DVD/BD combo release of Chaos Head and have set a street date of November 29th. We have it up for pre-order now:

Chaos Head Complete Collection DVD/BD Combo Set (Eps #1-12) (Limited Edition)

We're offering the Limited Edition set in pre-order for a regular price of 36% off MSRP, so be sure to get your order in today!

Earthquake

Yes, we just had an small earthquake here about 10 minutes ago. Apparently, it's a pretty decent sized one but 80 or 90 miles to our south. Apparently they are evacuating some buildings in D.C. I'm moving my folks here at our facility outside for a few minutes.

More later.

UPDATE: Looks like everything is OK, just the one tremor. Shook the office and warehouse here pretty good though. Very unusual for this area. We're back at it as we have quite a few orders to finish processing.

UPDATE 2: Devastation:

Titancon - Belfast Ireland - Sept 24th - Be There

Loving this...



Even if the fifth book didn't go anywhere... HEH.

(Note: I don't know how many of you out there might be Game of Thrones fans, but if you are you know that everyone bitched like hell that it took like 10 years to get a decidedly mediocre fifth installment. But really? That ain't nothin people. Anime fans can do ten years standing on our heads!)

Media Blasters December 2011 Releases - Now Available for Pre-Order!

Media Blasters has sent over their December 2011 release schedule, and we now have them up on the store site for pre-order. Here's what's coming:

MazinKaiser SKL (BLURAY) - Dec 6
Twelve Kingdoms Part 3 : A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn BLURAY (Eps #34-45) - Dec 13

Just a heads up, MB has not been too reliable on their release dates as of late, especially their BD release dates. While I hope they do, don't expect any of these to ship on time - especially if you are thinking of giving one as a holiday gift.

Funimation Confirms Retirement of More Geneon Licenses

I know this is probably old news, but here we go anyway. Sophie McNutt, an online community lead for Funimation, confirmed yesterday that Funimation has, or will soon, let their license on the following Geneon titles expire:

Familiar of Zero
Kamichu
Kyo Kara Maoh
Paradise Kiss
The Story of Saiunkoku
The Law of Ueki
When They Cry

All of these have been out of print basically since last fall anyway, but now at least it's official. They are already commanding ridiculously high prices in the secondary market, but I suspect that's because these editions will be the last DVD pressings that we'll ever see of these titles released in R1. I don't suppose anyone has tried to pickup one of those Cardcaptor Sakura DVD bricks lately? Ouch! Sophie also said:

"As far as I know, there are no plans to re-acquire these titles."  Well, no kidding.

My question? What the heck does an 'online community lead' do? Is that an actual job? If so, I'm guessing that is one of those 'gateway gigs' for that fresh outta college, newly framed business degree guy or gal (you know, the one with the minor in advertising) that you hire by pitching them that the position is some sort of fantastic entry level marketing opportunity but just ends up vampiring their professional (and probably personal) life away working your facebook, twitter, blog, and forum accounts?

Yeeesh, I wouldn't want that job...

...oh yeah, I forgot.