Other License Announcements Round-Up from AX

In addition to the major announcements from Funi, Sentai, and NIS at AX, several other companies made various new license announcements over the weekend. Here's the roundup:

Viz Media announced that it will release the Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva film and the Bleach: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu film (Bleach movie #4). The release details of the Professor Layton film will be announced later, but the Bleach movie will street on DVD & BD mid-November.

Bandai Entertainment had little to show at their panel, but did announce that they have the new Japanese series Sacred Seven and that it will be streaming at a couple of places starting next week. No word on a DVD or BD release. They also licensed two new manga series - Mobile Suit Gundam 00I and Lucky Star Boo Boo Kagaboo.

One of our favorite companies [sarcasm] for their expert pricing and distribution policies, Aniplex of America, announced at that they will release the Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Blue Exorcist television series. The details of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica release will be announced later, but the first of four DVD volumes of Blue Exorcist will ship in October, while the remaining volumes are tentatively slated to ship in January, April, and July of 2012 - so they clearly intend to release the series in North America across at least 7 single DVD's. They are like Bandai Visual reborn. Uggg.

Game company JAST USA said at their Anime Expo panel that they are "looking into the process of licensing" the Starry Sky project - honeybee's popular planetarium drama CD and game series. This otome game (games for female players) with bishonen inspired an anime. They have already announced seven new game titles on their blog today including: Saya no Uta - Song of Saya, Kikokugai: The Cyber Slayer, Hanachirasu, Sumaga (Star Mine Girl), Outlaw Django ~Zoku: Satsuriku no Django, Seinarukana: The Spirit of Eternity Sword II, and Starless.

And finally, that company out in Iowa (who's name escapes me) dug through someone else's licensing dust bin (I'm just glad they are keeping busy) to bring back from the dead the very old Original Dirty Pair OAVs & Movie + Dirty Pair Flash, slated for release in 2012. They are also bringing back the Martian Successor Nadesico TV series, movie & the Nadesico Gekiganger III OVA - all three to be released together in an Anime value pack. They have also licensed the old Gasaraki TV series, formerly released by ADV. Gasaraki is also planned for a 2012 release as a value-priced DVD set. As one of the worst Anime series released this decade, I hope it's REALLY cheap. Over here at RACS the old ADV Gasaraki box remains one of the most traded in DVD boxed sets of all time.


Bleach: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu (Movie)
Synopsis: A mysterious reiatsu (spiritual particle) explosion occurs in the center of Seireitei in Soul Society, causing it to be destroyed. At the exact same time, a major change overwhelms Kuchiki Rukia, which leaves her losing something important inside. Urahara Kisuke sends Kurosaki Ichigo to Soul Society to investigate the disturbance. Upon reaching Seireitei, Ichigo is set upon and attacked by shinigamis, once allies, who have no memory of him and Rukia. Now alone and on the run, Ichigo must find the missing Rukia and uncover the cause of the mysterious incident before it's too late.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (Movie)
Synopsis: Puzzle expert Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice Luke are invited to an opera by one of his former students, only to learn that most of the audience in attendance have come seeking eternal life, which has been promised to be given to a single person who successfully comes out on top after a series of puzzles. Along with the claim that a young woman who died has been reborn as a child and the search for a long lost civilisation, the mysteries run deep as Layton seeks the truth behind all the riddles.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (12 Episodes)
Synopsis: After experiencing a bizarre dream, Madoka Kaname, a kind 14-year old girl, encounters a magical creature named Kyube. Madoka and her friend Sayaka Miki are offered the opportunity of gaining magical powers if they agree to make a contract with the strange little being. He will also grant them one wish, but in exchange they shall risk their lives by accepting the responsibility of fighting witches. Invisible to human eyes, witches are catalysts of despair in the areas they inhabit. An ally of Kyube, a magical girl named Mami Tomoe, befriends and encourages the two girls to accept the contract. For an unknown reason, another magical girl named Homura Akemi is determined to prevent Madoka from accepting the deal.

Blue Exorcist (24 Episodes)
Synopsis: Humans live in the world of Assiah, demons in Gehenna. The two dimensions are not meant to interfere with each other, but demons still possess creatures in Assiah in spite of this. The humans who can fight these demons are known as exorcists. Rin Okumura is a boy who bears the curse of being Satan's illegitimate son. His foster father sacrificed himself to save him from demons. To avenge his foster father's death as well as to prove himself, Rin decides to follow the path of an exorcist.