Anime On Demand update us on the launch of three series

Following our interview with Andrew Partridge on our most recent podcast, Anime On Demand have revealed the their recently acquired titles 'Deadman Wonderland', 'Nichijou' (also known in English as 'My Wonderful Life') and 'STEINS;GATE' will (if all goes well) be launching on their site this weekend!

"For those wondering re: Deadman Wonderland, Nichijou and STEINS;GATE, we're receiving assets shortly so expect them to launch by Saturday :)"

That quote coming from their twitter account www.twitter.com/AnimeOnDemand

We'll keep you updated on any further developments.
For more information on Anime On Demand, please visit http://www.anime-on-demand.com/

Dir En Grey to release new single in June!

Japanese metallers Dir En Grey are set to return to the UK in August (see our previous post here) for a one off show as part their '2011 Paradox Of Retaliation' European tour. In preparation for the tour (and release of their forthcoming album due to hit the world in November) they will be giving fans a taster of what to expect as they will release a new single in June!

The single is entitled 'Different Sense' and is described as "Boldness and sensitivity. Complex but straightforward. It leads you into an untrodden, chaotic terrain with a wild mixture of hard core sounds with unique melody, and drastically changing scenes. Prior to the launch of their nearly-finished original album, DIR EN GREY is now ready to release a ferocious and stimulating single" on their website.

This description certainly gives the impression that this single (and possibly some of the forthcoming album) will have a very heavy sound to it. It's also been revealed on their facebook page that the two of the people working with the band on the production side of things are mixing engineer Tue Madsen (who has previously worked with August Burn Red, The Haunted and Suicide Silence) and mastering engineer Alan Douches (who has worked with Hatebreed and Job For A Cowboy). These two names do give me the impression we could be looking at some very heavy sounds from Dir En Grey. Perhaps around the same level as previous single 'Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamituita Shakunetsu no Yami'. Their recent single 'Lotus' was a vast contrast to "Hageshisa..." being heavy yet a lot slower on top of the vocal portion of the song being clean vocals as oppose to the gutteral sounding scream that Kyo (vocalist) is known for.

The new track will be released as two versions. The standard CD version and the initial limited edition version that is set to contain both the CD and a special DVD.

The single is set for release on June 22nd in Japan. If anyone reading this would like to order the single, CD Japan are now taking pre-orders for both versions.
-Pre-order 'Limited Edition' CD+DVD version here.
-Pre-order regular CD version here.

Podcast - Episode 21 w/ Andrew Partridge from Anime On Demand

This weeks edition of The Anime Chronicle Podcast is available for your listening pleasure!

On this edition of the program, Jeremy and Hugo discuss a few notes from the last few weeks of news and then we bring you an interview with Andrew Partridge from the new UK streaming website 'Anime On Demand' to talk about the concept of the site and much, much more!

You can stream or download the show at our website here.
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You can stream or download the show using the links below:

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Evangelion 2.22 UK release delayed

Manga UK have just announced that due to the late delivery of their master copies, the release date of Evangelion 2.22 has had to be pushed back to June 20th.

The second chapter of the new rebuild of Evangelion series is set to be released on both DVD and Blu-Ray. It will also be available as a combi pack so you can purchase both versions at the same time for an affordable price.

This could well be part of the reasoning why Fairy Tail has been given a tentative release of February next year. Following the problems in Japan last month, it's unsurprising that delays have happened. But on a positive note, hopefully this means that other forthcoming title will be unaffected.

'Fairy Tail' UK retail release confirmed

The good folks over at Manga UK have been busy over the last week or so when it comes to release dates. And they've added to that release date via their ever so handy Twitter account.

'Fairy Tail', the series that focuses on a young girl by the name of Lucy who aims to become a full-fledged mage, but on the way bumps into a man by the name of Natsu who is already a member of the one of the most well known mage guilds, Fairy Tale.

Manga have confirmed that volume one of the series will contain episodes one through twelve. They also commented saying it's not one hundred percent confirmed an English dub will be included.
The following comment came in response to being questioned on if there will be a dub included in their release: "we are not the right people to ask as it would originate in the US, with the US distributor. I'm assuming there will be a dub."
As Manga said, one would assume there would be a dub, but it is down to the US distributor to commission a dub to be recorded. I personally hope there will be one included.

In addition to this the release has been revealed as... February 2012. Yes it's a long way away, but at least it's confirmed that the series will indeed makes its way over to these shores.

We'll be sure to keep you posted on any developments regarding this release.

Anime to be brought to life at a wrestling event in Japan!

Yes you read that title correctly. Two Anime series are going to be brought to life on May 5th in Tokyo as part of the event named '"BUSHIROAD ~ Nagashima Jienotsu Yuichiro's Pro Wrestling Debut".

The event is set to have five matches total, two of which will encompass two different franchises brought to life before the eyes of the attendees. This is being made possible thanks to the Japanese Trading Card game company that produce the “Weiβ Schwarz” game. The game is developed in collaboration with the various Anime and video game franchises in Japan.

The card game features two sides. The "Weiβ" side that features cute characters, and the "Schwarz" side that generally features 'cool' characters. It should be noted that it is possible to mix and match cards to expand the game further.

To give an idea as to how widely spread this game is in Japan, here is a list of some of the Anime and games that have been integrated into this game:
“Lucky Star”, “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”,“PERSONA3”, “Disgaea Hour of Darkness”, “Fate/stay night”, “Shining Force EXA”, “THE KING OF FIGHTERS”, “Sengoku BASARA”, “THE IDOLM@STER”, “PERSONA4”, “Fairy Tail”, “Evangelion: New Theatrical Version”, “Detective Opera Milky Holmes”, and many more!

The franchise getting the opportunity to step foot in the ring is 'Black Rock Shooter' an OVA that has the following plot:
"Mato Kuroi just got into junior high school, and on the first day, someone catches her eye; her classmate Yomi Takanashi. The two meet.The innocent and naive Mato. The mature Yomi. Seemingly opposites, but the time they spend together only strengthens a growing friendship. But as they go into their second year at the school, they get placed in separate classes, and they begin to grow apart. But somewhere simultaneously... In another world, a young girl, blue fire residing in her eyes, Black Rock Shooter faces another young girl; this one holding a jet-black scythe, Dead Master, and a battle to the death begins to unfold."
Source for synopsis: Anime News Network

It is the characters of Black Rock Shooter (pictured centre) and Dead Master (pictured left) who will apparently be in the headlining match of the event. The role of Black Rock Shooter being played by J-Idol Erika Ura who can be seen wearing the white t-shirt in the photo at the top of this post. (It should be that the identity of Dead Master has yet to be revealed.) Also, the character from the card game 'Emporer Schwarz' will be brought to life that day but the identity of that character has also not be revealed as of yet.

We'll make sure to keep you updated on this. And chances are the event will be shown on Japanese television and eventually surface onto a platform like YouTube so we can see how it went down in the ring.

This now poses an interesting question, which Anime characters would you like to see brought to life in a wrestling match? There's is truly a wealth of possibility on this subject! We'll no doubt be discussing this story on our next podcast so if you have any ideas, let us know by email at AnimeChronicleUK@gmail.com or on twitter at http://twitter.com/animechronicle

If you'd like to find out more about the 'Weiβ Schwarz' game, I suggest visiting the official English blog of the company here.

Additional sources: PuroResu Spirit, Bushiroad Wrestling

Additional Yu Gi Oh movie screenings announced [Updated]

In an update to our previous story about the UK screenings of the Yu Gi Oh 'Bonds Beyond Time' movie, Manga Entertainment UK have just made it know that additional screenings of the film will held in London on May 21st.

The screenings will be at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill and at The Lexi Cinema in Kensal Rise.

If there are any more additions of amendments to be made regarding screenings of the film, we'll be sure to keep you posted.

[Update]
In addition to this news, Manga UK just informed us that they will "be getting more of the FREE ULTRA Rare [Yu Gi Oh Trading Cards] for these screenings! DVD and [Blu-Ray] come with their own SUPER rare [Trading Card]."

Manga UK will also be releasing the movie on DVD and Blu-Ray from Monday 25th July.

Below you can view the US trailer for the film.

Anime On Demand announce '[C]' as part of their lineup.

Anime On Demand (AOD for short), the new legal UK based Anime streaming site has announced a new addition to it's simulcast lineup following their recent announcements (which we've documented in recent blog posts).

"...for the first time ever, Fuji Television's popular Noitamina block will kick off for legal streaming in the UK via our website. We are pleased as a starting point to announce the simulcast of "[C] – Control – The Money and Soul of Possibility" starting on April 21st, one week after its Japanese broadcast debut."

For those unaware, the Noitamina block is one of the highest rated blocks of Anime on Japanese television.

This new series is "set in a world where the Japanese government was rescued from the brink of financial collapse by the Sovereign Wealth Fund. For its citizens, however, life has not improved, and unemployment, crime, suicide, and despair are rampant.

Kimimaro, raised by his maternal grandmother after the disappearance of his father and the death of his mother, is a scholarship student whose only dream is to avoid all this and live a stable life. One day, however, he meets a man who offers him a large sum of money if he'll agree to pay it back. From then on his fate is radically altered as he's drawn into a mysterious realm known as "The Financial District." "

Now the all important question. When can you see this show on AOD? Well it begins tomorrow (Thursday 21st April) exclusively through their website at 5.45pm GMT. The schedule see AOD launch a new episode one week after the original Japanese television broadcast. (It only started running in Japan last week!) And best of all, you'll be able to watch for free on their site. If you want to watch it in 720p definition you will need to purchase a subscription.

For more information on Anime On Demand, visit their website here.

Yu Gi Oh Movie theatrical UK screenings

Manga UK confirmed a few days ago there would nationwide screenings of the new Yu Gi Oh movie at various locations in the UK. Here's the info you need to know -

The screenings are in conjunction with Picturehouse Cinemas. As according to the Manga UK twitter, the following cinemas will see the film screened on May 14th:

Clapham, Ritzy Brixton, Greenwich, Stratford, Regal in Henley, Stratford on Avon, Exeter, Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge, FACT in Liverpool, Notting Hill, Phoenix in East Finchley, Phoenix in Oxford, Duke of York's in Brighton, Bath, Abbeygate Picturehouse in Bury St Edmunds, Cinema City in Norwich and at City Screen in York.

There will also be screenings on May 21st at Hyde Park in Leeds, Tyneside in Newcastle, Forum in Hexham and at the Lighthouse in Poole.

It should also be noted that in conjunction with Everyman Cinemas, there will also be screenings at Walton, Reigate, Oxted and Winchester.


If you can't attend a screening don't forget that as we reported, the DVD and Blu-Ray of the film is released on July 25th.

Notes on upcoming Manga UK releases

Before we get into the this blog post itself, apologies for the lack of updates over the last few days. Some personal circumstances cropped up unexpectedly, but I'm back, so the next few updates will act as a catchup of sort.


Following our post regarding the release of the Yu Gi Oh 3D Movie (HERE) there is more news from Manga UK regarding an number of their upcoming releases.

As according to the order of posting on the Manga UK twitter -

*The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 'Deluxe Edition' (that will included the 'The Melancholy of Haruhi-Chan Suzumiya shorts) box set will be released on July 4th. (Manga also noted this will be a 4 disc DVD set. It will not be released on Blu-Ray.)

*The first volume of 'Birdy The Mighty Decode' and Volume 6 of Naruto Shippuuden will be available from July 11th.

*Casshern Sinns and Xam'd: Lost memories from July 18th, set to be released on both DVD and Blu-Ray

*The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya will be released on July 25th on both DVD and Blu-Ray

*Fumihiko Sor's 'TO' that has been rebranded as '2001 Nights' for the UK release by Manga is set for release on August 1st. Also, volume 2 of Shikibane Hime (aka 'Corpse Princess') will be released on this date.

*August the 18th will see the release of the complete series of Sekirei (that has a duration of 12 episodes).

*Vampire Knight: Guilty on August 25th.

*The Complete series of 'Rideback' is now set for release on August 29th.

*September 1st will be the release of Naruto Shippuuden volume 7 and the second box set of Xam'd: Lost Memories

*September 12th is a busy week, as it see the arrival of the hotly anticipated 'Redline' feature, volume 2 of 'Birdy The Mighty Decode' that will include the second half of the first season and part 5 of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

*And on September 19th will bring the complete series of The Sacred Blacksmith.

It's certainly a busy calendar of releases over the summer heading into the final quarter of the year. No doubt there will be more more announcements by Manga UK in the coming months, perhaps at the London Expo to compliment this already very promising release schedule.

X-Japan sells out in 10 minutes! But if you haven't got tickets, there's still time as the venue has been changed!

Following the news of X-Japan set to perform in the UK for the first time in their history the concert sold out in ten minutes after tickets went on sale earlier today (Friday 15th April).

If you weren't lucky enough to get tickets, have no fear as the venue has been changed to meet the phenomenal demand!

The date of the concert will remain the same (Tuesday 28th June) but the venue has now been upgraded to the Sheppards Bush Empire. A venue with a capacity of 2000 people!

So if you want to get tickets for the show, we strongly suggest you don't delay for what is set to be a monumental occasion for all who attend!

You can purchase tickets via the venue's website.

PODCAST - Episode 20 'The Dragon Ball Z Special'

Episode 20 of The Anime Chronicle Podcast has arrived and boy it's a mammoth one! 90 minutes of passionate discussion on the world of 'Dragon Ball Z' as Jeremy is joined by Nicholas Mills of 'The Rafferty Mills Connection' to talk about a whole host of topics relating to the franchise including how they first discovered it, favourite memories of the show, remastering it, the various dubs and much more!

A fun show for all, and it's available right now!

You can stream or download the show at our website here.
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You can stream or download the show using the links below:

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MCM Expo launches new weekly online manga series

The MCM Expo has grown tremendously over the last few years. Attendance records have been broken and ticket sales for the expo in London next month have reached new heights! This week the expo will expand into a new field in the form of an online manga strip!

Starting this coming Friday (15th April) for the six weeks in the run up to the expo, they will be releasing a new online manga series by Christopher Chong.

The series follows a young girl by the name of Chloe who is attempting to teach her friend all about cosplay in time for the London Expo weekender. The series is six parts in length (hence the reason why each chapter is being released over the course of six weeks) and will be available exclusively through the MCM Expo Buzz website.

This according to Stuart Claw (editor of the MCM Buzz site) "...marks the first of many new pieces of original content that we plan to release on the MCM Buzz as part of the Buzz originals brand. It is a great opportunity for us to help give new talent a voice in this competitive industry and we plan to offer more people that opportunity in the months to come.”


From a personal standpoint, I think it's fantastic that the organisers recognise that the cosplay element of the weekend is now major part of the spectacle that is the MCM London Expo. Although I've yet to read it, I feel the intention of this manga could be to act as more of an introduction to those who might not be familiar with the concept of cosplay and in turn encouraging people to attend in cosplay either in May or at a future expo.

As this is the first manga series commissioned by the 'Buzz Originals' brand, it will be interesting to see if this is prelude of things to come regarding other aspects of the weekend. Cosplay doesn't just cover the anime/manga fan who attend, but all forms of entertainment including Sci-fi series like 'Stargate SG1' and many video games. Could a manga highlighting the indulgence of video gaming activities at the expo be in the works for the future? Back in October, there was a notable increase in video gaming activities including a playable demo of the (at the time) highly anticipated 'Assassins Creed: Brotherhood' game (complemented further by having the voice actor of 'Ezio', the protagonist of the game, Roger Craig Smith also in attendance).

I have friends who have attended the expo and have been enthralled by idea of cosplay but never really had an avenue to get into the nitty gritty (as it were) of the concept. This could be a huge source of information for many people be them new to veterans of it.

As mentioned, the first chapter will be available to read on Friday. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think if you have any opinions on it.

The London MCM Expo takes place at the Excel Centre in London on May 27th - 29th. For more information visit www.LondonExpo.com



Below you read the full press release:

The MCM Buzz is proud to announce the release of the first part of their exclusive online Manga series.

The series created exclusively for www.mcmbuzz.com by artist Christopher Chong, tells the story of a young girl called Chloe and her mission to educate her friend in the art of Cosplay in time for the London MCM Expo event. The story will be spread over six parts, all of which will be available for FREE on www.mcmbuzz.com starting on Friday April 15th 2011.

“The release of this Manga marks the first of many new pieces of original content that we plan to release on the MCM Buzz as part of the Buzz originals brand,” comments MCM Buzz editor Stuart Claw, “It is a great opportunity for us to help give new talent a voice in this competitive industry and we plan to offer more people that opportunity in the months to come.”

The project is the brainchild of both Stuart Claw and artist Christopher Chong, “Christopher originally emailed in and asked about joining the writing team and when I saw the Manga he had drawn on his website, I discussed with him the idea of doing an exclusive series for us and he accepted,” continues Stuart, “We then brainstormed ideas and once we had the general direction I left him to it and the end result is what readers will be able to see shortly.”

“The project has been an excellent challenge and a fantastic experience.  I've personally had many fun memories and met brilliant new friends at the expo so this Manga has been a great opportunity for me to showcase my passion,” comments Christopher, who in 2010 studied the art of Anime Animation at Nihon Kogakuin college in Japan.

The first part of the Manga will be released on www.mcmbuzz.com on Friday April 15th and then a new part will be available every Friday for six weeks in the building up to the London Expo Event this May.

For more information email info@mcmbuzz.com and learn more about Christopher Chong visit http://majorc.co.uk/sonicimages/

X JAPAN are coming to England!

It's news that people like us (especially my co host Hugo) have been waiting to hear for a long time... X-Japan are coming to England!

Yoshiki (the bands spoke person and drummer) previously mentioned in an interview that band wanted to come to Europe this year and England was one of the places he wanted to stop at. Well that request has been answered as the legendary group will grace the stage of Islington Academy in North London on Tuesday 28th June.

The Islington Academy has been a great venue for Japanese bands to showcase themselves including Girugamesh just a few weeks ago. Now one of the biggest bands of all time will playing in the UK in the 800 capacity venue! (Yes you read that right, 800 capacity!)

Although there has been no official announcement from the band, the listing is available to view on the website of the venue. Tickets go on sale this coming Friday (15th) and will no doubt be one of the hottest Japanese music tickets in town!

If you want a taster of what you could be in store for, here is the most recent single 'Jade'

Manga UK to release upcoming 'Yu Gi Oh' movie as 3D Blu-Ray!

Manga UK confirmed that following the nationwide cinema release of Yu Gi Oh 3D Movie, they will be releasing the film on DVD and in Blu-Ray. But not just the traditional Blu-Ray format as they'll be making it available to purchase as a 3D Blu-Ray also!

Here is what they had to say on their twitter account:
"We are happy to confirm that MangaUK will be releasing [YuGiOh The Movie] in glorious 3D on digital cinema screens across the UK starting on Saturday May 14th. Even cooler news. We are giving away a free ULTRA RARE [Yu Gi Oh] collectable [Trading Card Game card] with every ticket sold.
The movie will also be released on Blu-ray (with 3D ready and standard 2D HD presentation) and DVD on Monday 25th July. Site to launch with screen deets ASAP."

So mark that date in the diary everyone, Monday 25th July will be the date when you can own this 3D anime Blu-Ray release here in the UK!

The plot is as follows. In the future, the world has taken a turn for the worse. Civilization is on the brink of extinction. All hope of a brighter tomorrow has been cloaked with dark uncertainty. One man, however, thinks he can do something about it. With his world crumbling into chaos, a maniacal masked menace known as Paradox figures out a way to travel through time so that he can eliminate the scourge that he believes is responsible for causing his world to decay – the Duel Monsters card game! Paradox, determined to eradicate this perilous threat from the annals of time, begins rewriting the future by erasing the game -- one card at a time.

Standing in his way are three legendary duelists who will do whatever it takes to save what's on the line - their friends, their family and the game they love. For the first time ever, Yugi, Jaden and Yusei will team together and battle with all their hearts in a duel that will decide the past, present and future!
[Synopsis taken from the American based YuGiOhMovie3D.com website]

Below you can view the US trailer for the film.

Dir En Grey announce one off UK show!

Japanese band 'Dir En Grey' have announced they are set to return to the UK for a one off show this summer!

Following their appearance last year at the Sonisphere Festival and then their show at the Camden Koko just a few days later, they are set to return to the Camden Koko on Friday 12th August as part of their '2011 Paradox Of Retaliation' European tour.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (15th April) at 9am.

Kerrang.com had the opportunity to speak with guitarist Die about the announcement ""I'm thrilled to play in UK again. I personally like Koko very much, it's a very nice venue. The last show in Koko was great, and I'm looking forward to the next one, as we aim to one-up ourselves this time!"

It promises to be another thrilling concert from the band following their quite amazing show at the Koko last summer. Be sure not to miss your opportunity to see them live once again!

The Third title revealed by Anime On Demand is...

Following on from the initial two announcements by Anime On Demand via their twitter account, they confirmed later in the day that the third title they were revealing to compliment their simulcast lineup for Spring is 'Deadman Wonderland'.

This plot of the horror series as described by the good folks at Anime News Network (who as previously noted, are a direct partner with Anime On Demand) is as follows:

"Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland."

This series along with 'Tiger and Bunny', 'My Wonderful Life' and 'Steins;Gate' makes for diverse debut lineup of simulcasts for Anime On Demand. There are still two titles to be announced. But if these are anything to go by, it's safe to assume that we're in store for a wide variety of Anime to sink our teeth into!

For more information on Anime On Demand, visit their official website HERE.

See the video below for a preview of the 'Deadman Wonderland' series (in Japanese):

'Nichijou' (My Ordinary Life) confirmed for streaming by Anime on Demand

Following our last post about 'Steins;Gate' being confirmed for streaming by Anime On Demand, they've just confirmed another title via their twitter account in the form of 'Nichijou' translated meaning 'My Ordinary Life'.

As according to Anime News Network, they describe series as:
"While the title suggests a story of simple, everyday school life, the contents are more the opposite. The setting is a strange school where you may see the principal wrestle a deer or a robot's arm hide a rollcake. However there are still normal stories, like making a card castle or taking a test you didn't study for."

This series has also begun airing through Crunchyroll. There is one more title to be announced by Anime On Demand later today! Watch this space!


On a related note, following our interview we conducted with Andrew Partridge of KAZE at the London Expo last October, it has been confirmed that KAZE will be present at the London Expo at the end of May. They have made it know they'll be bring items to purchase with them including (in "limited quantities") the 'Clamp In Wonderland - Precious Edition' music video compilation featuring characters from 1989-2006.

Anime On Demand confirm their second title, and it's a UK Exclusive license!

Through the wonderful world of social media, well the Anime On Demand Twitter account specifically, it's just been confirmed that the next title as part of the simulcasting schedule will be 'Steins;Gate'.

The series (as according to their partner Anime News Network)"is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them."

There was some concern from UK anime fans when Crunchyroll announced that they had picked up the rights to the program but not for the UK. Anime On Demand will be the UK exclusive simulcaster of this series "over the next 2 seasons"

Anime On Demand are expected to be announcing more titles they will streaming shortly. So watch this space for more information on this as we get it!

For more information on Anime On Demand, you can read our previous blog entry about their streaming service or visit their website at http://www.anime-on-demand.com/

London Expo ticket sales set record for advance ticket sales!

[Photo, right: taken at the October 2010 London Expo]

It's that time of the year again where we build up to the London Expo, the convention combining the world Anime, Comics, Sci-Fi and whole other variety of forms of entertainment for one big weekend of fun at the Excel Centre located at the Royal Victoria Dock in London.

Tickets for the 3 day event over 27th-29th May are available to purchase right now from the revamped London Expo website. But you might want to think about purchasing advanced tickets sooner rather later as a record has been set for advanced tickets sales! 15,000 have purchased advanced ticket for the weekend following them being put on sale! To put this into perspective, according to the press release (see below) this is 10,000 more than the total number of people who went through the door of the convention back in October!

Following the increase in attendance over the last few years, we knew it was going to continue to increase, but this incredible how much it has increased just from advanced ticket sales alone! We'll be sure to keep you updated with any developments on this front and the expo in general in the coming weeks!

------------------------------

MCM Expo London Comic Con Records Best Ever Ticket Sales

Advance ticket sales for next month’s MCM Expo London Comic Con have just topped an incredible 15,000 – the highest recorded at this stage in the show’s decade-long history – event organisers have announced.

With demand for advance tickets skyrocketing, the MCM Expo is expected to hit the 60,000 visitor mark for the first time this May; 10,000 more than the total number of people coming through the doors at October’s show.

“We are absolutely delighted to see advance sales so high eight weeks ahead of this year’s show given that most of our sales usually happen in the two months running up to the event,” said MCM Expo co-organiser Bryan Cooney. “One possible reason for this unprecedented public interest is our recent media partnership with GameSpot UK. As London’s Comic Con, we were already the UK’s leading show for comics, movies, anime and manga, and this partnership ensures that the Expo delivers the best games content as well.”

As well as teaming up with GameSpot UK, the upcoming MCM Expo London Comic Con will sport superhero movie Green Lantern as its official title sponsor, play host the prestigious Eagle comics awards and welcome X-Men: First Class and Thor writers Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz as special guests.

First title revealed for 'Anime On Demand'

Following the announcement of the 'Anime On Demand' service coming to the UK, the new service has announced their first title as part of the Spring simulcast season in the form of 'Tiger Bunny'.

The series is described by Anime On Demand partner Anime News Network as the following:

"Sternbild City is home to people called "Next," who use their special abilities to protect the people as superheroes. These heroes solve cases and save lives so they can wear sponsor logos or acquire "hero points." Their activities are documented on the popular program "Hero TV," which picks the "King of Heroes" in a yearly ranking. The veteran hero Wild Tiger has always preferred to work alone, but now he's been assigned the rookie Barnaby Brooks Jr., who has a different perspective on being a superhero."

On top of Tiger Bunny being part of their streaming lineup, there are also a few other titles currently available until June 1st, those being the original 'Mobil Suit Gundam' and 'Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam' series. There are also a variety of trailers and other features available on the website.

Be sure to head over to Anime On Demand's website where you can watch the first episode of 'Tiger Bunny' now and for free!

Please view below to read the full press release regarding Tiger Bunny on 'Anime On Demand'.

----------------

PARIS, France, April 4th, 2011 - Anime on Demand is proud to announce its

first simulcast the exclusive TIGER & BUNNY from 04 April, with the

first four episodes available free of charge. Simulcasting will continue

every weekend alongside broadcast in Japan from now on.

TIGER & BUNNY is directed by Keiichi Sato (character design / mechanic design / concept works supervisor of THE BIG O), with original character designs by Masakazu Katsura, creator of I"s and VIDEO GIRL AI. Stern Bild is a metropolitan city where superheroes called NEXT help to maintain peace. Sporting sponsor logos on their suits, these heroes work to solve cases and save people's lives in order to earn Hero Points, while also helping to improve the public image of their corporate sponsors. Their activities are documented and broadcast by the popular show “HERO TV” in which each superhero strives to become the “King of Heroes” of the year.

One such hero is Wild Tiger (real name Kotetsu T. Kaburagi), a veteran superhero who relies on his years of experience and instincts to fight crime. Though obligated to work for his boss's best interest, Kotetsu follows his own code of honor and is even willing to cause destruction to public property for the sake of protecting the lives of his fellow citizens.

Over time, he has grudgingly earned the nickname “Crusher for Justice.”

Now, Kotetsu suddenly finds himself forced to team up with rookie hero Barnaby

Brooks Jr.

“We're very excited to make Sunrise's latest creation, TIGER & BUNNY,

available to fans in the UK exclusively through Anime-On-Demand.com,” says

Andrew Partridge, UK Business Development. “The incredibly creative story

alongside the show's uncanny potential to create the same excitement in

new fans that tiles like Cowboy Bebop did before it is what drew us in. We can't

wait to share the UK premiere with you today and all further episodes in sync with broadcast

from here on out!”

To view the official trailer and to follow TIGER & BUNNY's release please visit AoD's official Facebook page at Anime-on-Demand. For more information on TIGER & BUNNY and other animated titles from AoD please visit www.Anime-On-Demand.com.

New UK focused 'Anime On Demand' streaming service comes to the UK!

In the world of streaming anime, there are many options. The likes of Crunchyroll, a site with a service that provides quality Anime to those of here in the UK and around the world. But, there is one disadvantage with the service. Amongst all of the title in the back catalogue of Crunchyroll and the Funimation YouTube channel there is the issue of region locking. An issue that those of us, particularly here in the UK have felt the brunt of for quite some time. Well that could be about to change with the arrival 'Anime On Demand'. A brand new video streaming portal dedicated for the UK audience.

The service is due to begin in April and has been made possible thanks to Kaze and Anime News Network. Kaze, known more for their work in the Anime industry in France are now expanding their presence to the UK to help provide a service that could finally be exactly what UK fans of streaming Anime have been wanting for a very long time.

Anime News Network is one of the world leading websites in Anime News. Covering news from around the globe and have also dipped their toes into the streaming Anime world too.

The service is due to begin this month, in time for the Spring simulcast season. There are currently two pricing options available for the launch of service. An annual pass at the cost of £34.99 and a season pass at the cost of £9.99 (that runs from April till June and will also include an extra month so you can sample the next season of simulcasts as well). The launch subscriptions are a great chance to jump on the bandwagon of potentially the next big step for the UK anime industry!

For more information on Anime On Demand, visit their website at http://www.anime-on-demand.com/ or, read the press release below for all the information!

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PARIS (March 7th, 2011) - Kazé SAS and Anime News Network are pleased to announce "Anime on Demand", a new Video on Demand (VoD) platform for the UK dedicated to bringing you the hottest anime fresh from Japan in association with some of the UK's leading anime distributors.

Ever wanted a service where you didn't click on a file and find you were geo-filtered out? Ever felt frustrated with monthly-subscriptions and want to try a different way of doing things? How about one where you can interact face-to-face at events across the UK with the staff behind the project? All of these questions and more are what helped shape our decision to launch this platform in consensus with the whole UK industry.

Launching in April in time for the Spring simulcast season, we'll be bringing you some of the hottest titles in one convenient spot for the UK - more lineup details from Monday.

Instead of a monthly subscription price as well - alongside at least one free simulcast per season, we'll be trialling a completely new and awesome pricing system so you don't have to pay for the same content repeatedly!

Special first season pricing will be as follows:

SPECIAL LIMITED OFFER: Spring Season - early adopter's pass (April-July, including an extra month to sample the new season's anime): £9.99

Annual pass (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter seasons): £34.99

There'll be some extra special bonuses for Annual pass buyers to be announced along with our line-up later in March.

Expect to see us travelling the convention scene in 2011 as well - starting with Kitacon at the beginning of April! If you have a question, request or something *you* would like to see then come along and see us there.

You can also sign up at Kitacon for £10 and get a free gift with registration! All you will be asked to enter to our sign up computer at the event will be your email address, a user name and a password plus bring the season pass fee!

Please visit www.anime-on-demand.com to sign up – with subscriptions opening from the evening of the 4th of April, also check us out on either Twitter or Facebook at the links below.

LINKS:
Website: www.anime-on-demand.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/animeondemand
Facebook: Anime on Demand

ABOUT KAZE SAS:
Kazé is the leading distributor for Japanese anime in the France and beyond and has gone from strength to strength since combining with the Viz Media Group. With a diverse selection of licenses ranging from TV series like Bleach, Death Note and Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva across a wide variety of products including DVDs, CDs and merchandise. Watch out in 2011 for new and innovative ways to watch animé from Kazé and a host of other partners in the UK!

ABOUT ANIME NEWS NETWORK:
Anime News Network is the number 1 website worldwide for news and information about Japanese anime and manga. Anime News Network was launched in 1998 and now serves millions of readers from around the world every month. The company is also active in market research and has been streaming anime online since 2008. Anime News Network’s mission is to bring the anime industry and its consumers together with the latest and best information, editorial and anime content. For more, visit http://www.AnimeNewsNetwork.com