Chinese TV Station Attacks Japan — Using Anime Commercials

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Chinese State Television has launched a series of campaign ads against the country of Japan, this time using a series of Japanimation commercials.

Such (ironic) actions may not come as that surprising, given that the two countries haven’t exactly been getting along so well lately. Continue reading “Chinese TV Station Attacks Japan — Using Anime Commercials” »

ConNooga: Help Kids Get Their Own Geek Convention!

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Known as a ‘multi-fandom festival’,ConNooga is geared towards fanboys and girls of lots of different geeky things — particularly Sci-Fi/Fantasy shows and movies — as well as other geek-oriented pop culture items.

Unlike a lot of other cons, the organizers behind Chattanooga Tennessee’s ConNooga are starting to gear the festival more towards kids (each year, con organizers are seeing more young ones dressed up as Boba Fett, the good witch from The Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter).

Now, using crowd-funding site indiegogo, the organizers of the event hope to raise money for ConNooga Kidz, a kids (13-and-under)-oriented track for their convention. Continue reading “ConNooga: Help Kids Get Their Own Geek Convention!” »

“Amazing Spider-Man” Writer Receives Death Threats Via Twitter Over Leaked Issue Ending

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In case you thought Prometheus had provoked outrage over the supposed decimation of the beloved Alien franchise, or the absence of a codpiece on the Man of Steel was turning up some irate fans: Spider-Man lovers have taken it to a whole new level: specifically, death threats against Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott.

Predictably, these threats regard Slott’s supposed disregard for a beloved and time-honored tradition beholden to their beloved web-slinger. Continue reading ““Amazing Spider-Man” Writer Receives Death Threats Via Twitter Over Leaked Issue Ending” »

‘Dragonball’/'Naruto’/'One Piece’ Anime Theme Park to Open in Japan

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With the worldwide success of shows like Naruto, Dragonball Z and One Piece — not just in terms of show ratings but also marketing sales — you’d think that an anime theme park, especially in a country like Japan, would have happened already (they do, after all, already have one devoted to Angry Birds).

At long last, anime series like these have inspired a theme park, built by Namco and Bandai and centered largely around the Shonen Jump series of manga/anime. Continue reading “‘Dragonball’/'Naruto’/'One Piece’ Anime Theme Park to Open in Japan” »

Japanese Cop Arrested for Illegally Pirating Anime Film

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In an effort to enforce their new anti-piracy laws, Japanese officials have added to penalties for illegal downloading, and promised to prosecute to the fullest extent anyone caught in possession of pirated material. Perpetrators could now face up to 2 years in jail for downloading, along with a $2 million fine.

For those uploading illegally downloaded material, it’s potentially a lot worse: up to $10 million in fines, and 10 years in jail.

That message doesn’t seem to have sunk in with certain Japanese cops, however, as one has now been caught in an elaborate scheme to illegally record an anime film. Continue reading “Japanese Cop Arrested for Illegally Pirating Anime Film” »

New ‘Legend of Zelda’ Manga Preview Drops

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Akira Himekawa’s new Legend of Zelda manga, Hyrule Historia, won’t officially debut until next January (the 29th, to be exact). But Dark Horse and Nintendo have decided to release an extensive sneek peak at their upcoming collaborative comic.

Historia both sets up many of the events which take place in the Hyrule of Skyward Sword, the most recent Zelda game release, but also contains a great deal of extras. Continue reading “New ‘Legend of Zelda’ Manga Preview Drops” »

Man Who Had Sex With Donkey May Get Off (Yet Again)

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Florida man Carlos Romero was caught having sex with miniature donkey Doodle earlier this fall (and rather infamously proclaimed “I like the way fur feels”). A neighbor allegedly caught him “with his pants down behind a donkey,” creating what would seem to be a pretty straightforward case of bestiality, a first degree misdemeanor under Florida state law.

However, Romero’s defense team isn’t going down without a fight (pun not intended…promised) this week, they motioned to have the charges dismissed on the basis that it violates Romero’s 14th Amendment rights (due process of Law). Continue reading “Man Who Had Sex With Donkey May Get Off (Yet Again)” »

Were there originally Female Fighter Pilots in Return of the Jedi?

Though the Death Star Trench one has gone down in history as the more famous Star Wars space battle sequence, the final battle of Return of the Jedi gave us some equally thrilling moments as well. From Admiral Ackbar screaming “It’s a Trap!” to everyone’s favorite screaming A-Wing pilot crashing into the bridge of the Executor, it turns out there may have been more to the battle than we originally saw.

Star Wars Aficionado recently unearthed some images from the Blu-Ray Return of the Jedi release showing that originally, four female Rebel Alliance pilots were set to join their colleagues in the attack on the second Death Star. But for unknown reasons, most of them were cut from appearing in the film, and the sole female A-Wing pilot who appeared had her line dubbed over by a Male Voice Actor.  Continue reading “Were there originally Female Fighter Pilots in Return of the Jedi?” »

Anime Fans Are Sick & Tired of These Stereotypes, Says Poll

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The recent resurrection of Cartoon Network’s Toonami block is coming at a hugely beneficial time for the anime industry. According to Kotaku, anime’s continuing surge in popularity — helped greatly by sites like crunchyroll and others, who’ve made streaming anime their specialty — continues.

So, unfortunately, do the stereotypes. And according to a recent poll conducted by the Japanese pop culture site Biglobe, Japanese animation fans are getting quite fed up with them. Here’s a top 10 list of the most tired tropes in all of anime-dom, according to the fans. Continue reading “Anime Fans Are Sick & Tired of These Stereotypes, Says Poll” »

‘Up’/'Batman:TAS’ Actor Ed Asner Asks Fox News if He Can Pee on Them

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Veteran actor Ed Asner has raised eyebrows during a recent appearance on Fox News, while commenting on a mild controversy over a political cartoon that made the rounds in California.

An animated cartoon produced by the California Teachers’ Union released earlier this year features the caricature of a wealthy, over-the-top rich man urinating on a group of poor people and protesting workers.

Actor Ed Asner (“Up”, “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Spider-Man”) narrates the clip, and it seems Fox News wasn’t too happy with his contribution to it as a voice-over artist. Continue reading “‘Up’/'Batman:TAS’ Actor Ed Asner Asks Fox News if He Can Pee on Them” »

DC Fires Bestselling ‘Batgirl’ Writer Gail Simone (By Email)

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By all accounts, Batgirl was on the fast track to greatness. Since its debut alongside the rest of the New 52 DC titles relaunched, it was the top selling female-led comic book, and had garnered excessive praise for writer Gail Simone and the artists on board — and even landing a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list.

DC, however, thought better of renewing Simone’s contract (which expired recently): Yesterday, the Batgirl author tweeted that she’d been relieved of her duties last week by editor Brian Cunningham. Continue reading “DC Fires Bestselling ‘Batgirl’ Writer Gail Simone (By Email)” »

Bill Murray Finally Signs On To ‘Ghostbusters 3′; Movie Might Be Doomed Anyways

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Good news for Ghostbusters fans who suspected knew that the long-in-development-hell Part 3 wouldn’t have been the same without Dr. Venkman: After years of wavering, Bill Murray has officially signed on to the project.

According to The Toronto Sun, co-star/creator Harold Ramis has revealed that Bill Murray called him last month to give him his word that he was in.  Continue reading “Bill Murray Finally Signs On To ‘Ghostbusters 3′; Movie Might Be Doomed Anyways” »

Anime Classic ‘Ninja Scroll’ Gets Original & Uncensored Blu-Ray Release Today

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Long regarded as one of the anime industry’s greatest films, Ninja Scroll is finally getting the Blu-Ray treatment.

Sentai Filmworks/Section 23 Films are also dropping a new DVD version today, with both formats featuring restorations of the original cut. Continue reading “Anime Classic ‘Ninja Scroll’ Gets Original & Uncensored Blu-Ray Release Today” »

Man Shoots Girlfriend With Rifle After ‘Walking Dead’ Argument

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A Long Island man shot his girlfriend over an argument concerning the show The Walking Dead, New York police have reported.

According to The New York Post, the suspect informed cops that he shot his girlfriend in the back with a .22 caliber rifle, right after she told him that ‘a zombie apocalypse’ could never really happen. Continue reading “Man Shoots Girlfriend With Rifle After ‘Walking Dead’ Argument” »

Are 3D Printers Making Illegal Weapons Available for Free?

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Once the stuff of dreams, 3-D printers are now able to replicate almost anything their designers can think up.

Now there’s the serious possibility they could help circumvent some crucial firearms laws by ‘printing’ the parts of assault rifles that are technically illegal.

The green portion of the AR-15 assault rifle above Continue reading “Are 3D Printers Making Illegal Weapons Available for Free?” »

Popular Manga Artists Re-Create Infamous Dictators…as Hot Anime Babes

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What if a group of respected anime artists took some of history’s most infamous dictators, and turned them into hot babes?

Fortunately acclaimed manga creators like Takeshi Nogami and Nishieda already have, reincarnating some of the most reviled leaders in history as cute anime chicks in (mostly) skimpy outfits.  Continue reading “Popular Manga Artists Re-Create Infamous Dictators…as Hot Anime Babes” »

Greenpeace: Using Anime to Save the Environment

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Worldwide environmental protection organization Greenpeace has long conveyed its messages through a series of shots of disintegrating environments, endangered species, and excessive pollution.

For one of their more recent campaigns, however, they’ve decided to embrace anime as a medium.  “Detox” marks the first effort by the organization to stop the spread of toxins and pollution via clothing brands, and one of several companies who have recently taken to using Japanimation to spread their word. Continue reading “Greenpeace: Using Anime to Save the Environment” »

Popular Manga/Anime is Inciting Some Violent, Hate-Driven Reactions

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Kuroko’s Basketball is a popular, youth-oriented manga that’s enjoyed a pretty successful 4-year run. Production I.G. even turned it into an anime back in April, which debuted to some pretty positive reviews.

So why has the manga and anime’s creator been the recipient of so many vitriolic (some might even say scary) threats lately? Continue reading “Popular Manga/Anime is Inciting Some Violent, Hate-Driven Reactions” »

Man Gets Angry at Girlfriend, Drunkenly Stabs Her Parrot With a Fork

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63-year-old Richard J. Atkinson, a Washington man who this week pled guilty to stabbing his girlfriend’s parrot with a fork, blamed his violent actions on “a mix of whiskey and anti-anxiety medication” (according to Atkinson’s lawyer, anyways).

That, of course, hasn’t stopped him from being prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The parrot, named Bailey, had lived a good long life before Continue reading “Man Gets Angry at Girlfriend, Drunkenly Stabs Her Parrot With a Fork” »

Are Robots Destined to Kill Us? Two Cambridge Professors Consider it a Serious Possibility

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A robot-initiated armageddon once seemed the stuff of movies like The Terminator and The Matrix, and little more than Science Fiction.

But now Skype co-founder Jean Tallin, as well as Philosophy Professor Huw Price and Professor of Astrophysics Martin Rees, both of The University of Cambridge, think it more serious than that. All 3 have taken it upon themselves to form the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, where the scientists will ‘analyze the threat posed by a possible robotic uprising.’ Continue reading “Are Robots Destined to Kill Us? Two Cambridge Professors Consider it a Serious Possibility” »