Kin'youbi Mosaic: 3/14/14 White Tiger Day Edition

In case you don't know what the post title refers to, in Japan, March 14th, one month after Valentine's Day, is White Day. Whereas on Valentine's Day, girls traditionally give chocolates to guys, on White Day, guys return the favor by giving the girls that gave them chocolates various gifts in return.

As for the Tiger part, that refers to the big news that will be the focus of today's weekly ramblings: NIS America will release Toradora! on Blu-ray with an English dub this July!

For a bit of history: Toradora! was NIS America's first anime release, being released on DVD with subtitles only in 2010, albeit with an extra-fancy Premium Edition that included a large artbox and an artbook with extensive artwork and info on the show. Due to the demand for the title exceeding expectations, the first half's Premium Edition sold out quickly; not too long afterwards, NIS America released standard editions for the show. Meanwhile, in Japan, a Blu-ray set for the show was released in late 2011.

Now, as to why this news is so huge:

First of all, it's Toradora!, which is an excellent straight-up romantic comedy that develops its cast of characters and their relationships well. It is a favorite among many anime fans (including other ani-bloggers) and it is definitely worth watching.

Second, for all of you who like their anime in high-definition whenever possible, this is the first time the show will be released on Blu-ray in North America.

Third, the Japanese Blu-ray release came with an additional OVA episode, which this release will include, so this release will contain new material if all you are familiar with are the 25 episodes from the original broadcast and DVD release.

The big news here is, of course, the fact that the show is being dubbed. Even if you are not a big fan of Toradora!, this news is huge because it is the first anime series from NIS America to be dubbed. This opens the door for future titles of theirs to be dubbed, which I am sure will please many anime fans who dislike how none of NIS America's releases have been dubbed up to now. Of course, there's still the matter of which shows could be profitable enough to make back the money from a dub; I would not, for example, expect Chronicles of the Going Home Club to even be considered for a dub. But shows like The Pilot's Love Song or Genshiken Nidaime? A dub for those is definitely not out of the question.

There is also, of course, the question of whether they will re-release any past titles of theirs with dubs, a question which I cannot give any real predictions on. Toradora! was somewhat expected for this simply because of the sheer popularity of the title, but as for whether any other show in their catalog could be given the same treatment, it is too hard to say at the moment. The possibility is definitely there, though.

Now to go over some pre-order and release information. The bilingual Blu-ray/DVD combo re-release of Toradora! will be available in the following ways: a Standard Edition Vol. 1 containing the first 13 episodes, a Standard Edition Vol. 2 containing the last 12 episodes plus the OVA, and a Premium Edition containing all 26 episodes, plus a chipboard artbox and a hardcover artbook. The Standard Editions retail for $60 MSRP each, while the Premium Edition retails for $130 MSRP; actual prices may vary depending on the retailer, but will typically be lower.

Online retailers selling this release are somewhat limited, with Amazon notably not selling the series. Rightstuf does sell it, though, as does Robert's Anime Corner Store. For an additional option, consider buying this release directly from the NISA store. The prices are slightly more expensive than elsewhere (though still 20% below MSRP), but if you pre-order either the Premium Edition or the Standard Edition Vol. 1 & 2 Bundle there, you can get a free, exclusive bonus item in the form of a poster.

It is also worth noting that, compared to NIS America's typical Premium Edition releases, which are large and relatively flat, the Premium Edition for Toradora! here is sized more like a typical limited-edition-style release, with a thicker DVD-sized box that holds both the disc case and the artbook. Here's a look at what the Premium Edition looks like:

And if you are curious about the dub cast, here's what's been announced:

Taiga Aisaka - Cassandra Lee Morris

Ryuji Takasu - Erik Scott Kimerer

Minori Kushieda - Christine Marie Cabanos

Yusaku Kitamura - Johnny Yong Bosch

Ami Kawashima - Erika Harlacher

Yasuko Takasu/Nanako Kashii - Karen Strassman

Yuri Koigakubo - Elizabeth Thomas

Koji Haruta - Brian Beacock

Hisamitsu Noto - Jason Baker

Maya Kihara - Mela Lee

Sumire Kano/Inko - Wendee Lee

Finally, have a sample of the dub in the dub trailer:

The Best Anime of 2013: #20-#11

It's time to get into the top 20! And because we are starting to get into the really good shows, pictures will start appearing in this section, starting from #17 when the 9/10 shows start. There will also be a bonus section where I talk about my favorite short series of 2013, as well as the one movie of 2013 that I watched.

No reason to delay this any further. Let's get started.

The Best Anime of 2013: #34-#21

As we move into the middle of my list, it's perhaps going to be a bit weird to see a lot of really big-name titles falling short of the top 20. And all of the shows in this section are ones I liked a lot; there were simply a lot that I liked better. Still, these are all great anime that were well worth the time.

Still no pictures, but I'll be giving some more in-depth descriptions of what I liked about each show.

I might not gush as much about these as she does about muscles… but I might not be too far off.

Kin'youbi Mosaic: 3/7/14 Tumblr AniMarch Special

Over on Tumblr, Charles of Beneath the Tangles, along with Azure Alley, has been doing a thing called AniMarch. Over the course of the month, various people on Tumblr have been asked to give responses to one question per day, and the questions are some fun, more interactive ones. 

For this week's ramblings, I will post some of my entries for this event. If you're on Tumblr, why not join in? And even if you're not, feel free to go over and check out the #animarch tag to see various anime fans' answers to these questions.

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Akari~n!

Akari Akaza of YuruYuri is a girl that likes hanging out with her friends, but sometimes feels that she doesn’t really have a presence among them, as the others have more personality and other people within the group they are closer to. Her lack of presence becomes something of a recurring joke within the show, but despite this, there are definitely moments when the other characters in the series show how much they like her.

When I hang out with friends, I too often feel like I don’t really have a presence within the group, as I tend to be quiet and not speak much while others chat away. (It doesn’t help that most of my real-life friends aren’t quite as much of anime fans as I am…) As such, I can definitely relate to Akari’s feelings of wondering if she really does belong with the wacky group of friends she’s a part of. And likewise, I do appreciate those times when my friends show that they are happy to have my presence.

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(Note: For day 3, I chose five various anime characters, wrote their names on slips of paper, and then mixed them up in a bag. The following days' posts involved characters drawn from those slips.)

(Warning: Spoilers for Last Exile incoming!)

Dear Dio Eraclea,

[How are you doing? I hear you’ve been with the Sky Pirates lately, and that you had quite some adventures lately with the Exiles and some princesses. I haven’t really been following the news, though, so I do not know all the details. I am still recovering from the injury I got in that one incident. That injury has kept me from flying, too, which is unfortunate, as I have really been missing flying my Vanship.

Instead,  I have been resting at home and taking it easy. Thankfully, Lavie is around to not only take care of me but also keep me company. I am so happy to have her at my side, even if we cannot fly together; I really do not know what I would do without her. (Just between you, Al, and me, I am thinking about proposing to her soon.)

How is Al doing? I hear she has been caught up in everything with you, but that she is okay. Thank you so much for taking good care of her. Lavie and I really hope we can see her again soon. I hear that the Second Grand Race will be held soon; maybe we will go out to see it, if the two of you plan to be there.

For that matter, I do look forward to seeing you again; you can be a bit annoying at times but I do consider you a friend and hope you are doing well. Maybe someday, the two of us can fly together again.]

Until then, best wishes,

- Claus Valca

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Noël Kannagi (Sora no Woto/Sound of the Sky)

Rating: not my type | alright | cute | adorable | hot | sexy | OH MY GOODNESS

…where do I even start with this girl?

• A skilled mechanic and spider-tank pilot
• Prefers heavy-ammo machineguns
• Incredibly intelligent
• Will get absolutely memorized by a pillbug
• Her dream is to become “a lovely wife”

…and that’s not even looking at her backstory and how she overcomes the demons of her past.

Definitely one of my favorite anime characters.

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Ryoko Hakubi (Tenchi Muyo!)

…yeah, I am not an artist. At least I think I got her hair down...

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For more of my responses to AniMarch, as well as various other things, check out my Tumblr!

The Best Anime of 2013: #51-#35

I will kick off this "best anime of 2013" coverage with shows that are decidedly… not the best. That said, these shows aren't bad, either; they range from "decent" to "rather good". Descriptions for these shows will be very minimal, and there will be no pictures.

Let's get started, then.

As a side note, links will now go to Anime-Planet instead of MyAnimeList. The links not only include technical information and plot synopses, but some shows will also have Crunchyroll video embeds of the show's episodes in them.

Random Kirara for the pre-jump picture, just because.

Anime… Worst of 2013

Just as every year of anime has its big hits and personal favorites, every year of anime also has its stinkers. This post is dedicated to those shows--the bottom of the barrel works that failed to leave a lasting impression on me--or worse, left a bad impression.

That said, I should mention that because I only rate shows I complete (with exceptions for long-runners), and I drop any shows that I really dislike, none of these shows are particularly bad. (Well, okay, some are, but I still found some good things in them.) The four shows in this part are simply the four shows I finished this season that I rated less than a 6.0/10.0--and as it turns out, none of them rated less than a 5.0/10.0. In other words, these are all 5/10 shows on MAL and ANN (2.5/5 stars on Anime-Planet), and are aptly described by ANN's descriptor of "So-so, it didn't really grab my attention".

All in all, this post will pretty much be a post of mediocrity. But I plan to cover every series I finished this season; no point in excluding these. And I do have things to say about all of them, so I think this is a post worth posting. There will probably be some disagreement on these (most likely with the first one), but well, this is my opinion, and you're welcome to voice yours (respectfully) in the comments.

With that said, let's take a look at the shows that I felt were the worst of 2013.

At the very least, none of these were as bad as the Oreimo ending episodes.

Kin'youbi Mosaic: 2/28/14 Attack on Boyfriend Edition

Let’s get this out of the way first: The first half of Attack on Titan is available for pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD! There are currently three versions available for pre-order: a DVD-only set retailing for $35 (Wal-mart only), a standard edition Blu-ray/DVD combo retailing at $50 (Rightstuf, Amazon), and a special Limited Edition retailing at $90 (Rightstuf, Amazon) with a variety of goodies (check the links for more). All of these will be released on June 3^rd, 2014 and feature the first 13 episodes, including an English dub (plus the usual Japanese with English subtitles).

 

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In addition, Sentai Filmworks has released their June 2014 release slate, with all of the titles within available for pre-order on Rightstuf. It's a mix of Winter and Spring 2013 shows, plus one Fall 2012 show and even one Summer 2013. There's also one title that was only just announced as licensed earlier this week.

Amnesia and Samurai Bride are available with English dubs on Blu-ray or DVD. Available as a sub-only Blu-ray or DVD are a number of shows: Henneko: The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat, Leviathan: The Last Defense (i.e. Zettai Bouei Leviatan), and their newest acquisition, MAOYU ~ Archenemy and Hero (i.e. Maoyuu Maou Yuusha). Finally, there are two shows that are being released as sub-only DVD only (no Blu-ray): Busou Shinki and Dog and Scissors.

This means that after a short period where everything was being offered with a Blu-ray, Sentai has now essentially given themselves three tiers in which they have divided up their releases. The titles that are most likely to sell enough extra units dubbed to make up for the dub cost get dubbed Blu-rays and DVDs (it seems that shows based on otome games are big dub sellers, hence why Amnesia is getting a dub despite having a... questionable reputation otherwise). At the moment, it seems that sub-only Blu-ray and DVD is the "default" tier for most of their titles, which probably won't sell well enough to make up for a dub but should still turn out decent sales. And then, there are the titles that are so low-profile that they are not expecting much in the way of sales at all, which will end up sub-DVD only.

On a side note, it is worth noting that the MAOYU and Henneko Blu-ray releases are planned to be released as one single disc containing all 12 episodes of those shows. According to Sentai Filmworks, this is possible without any loss of quality as there is only the Japanese audio track, with no dub track. Both Amnesia and Samurai Bride, which are each 12 episodes dubbed, are still split across two discs, and Leviathan, 13 sub-only episodes, is also split across two discs. (At the very least, Japan has done this before, as an upcoming Blu-ray release of GJ-bu is going to be a single disc with all 12 episodes.)

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Here's a license announcement that will rock your nice boats: Discotek Media, of all people, has licensed, of all things, School Days. Yes, that School Days anime. If you don't know what I'm talking about, let's just say that it's based on a dating sim that has some… interesting endings. The series is planned for release on June 24th.

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I decided to pick up the currently-airing Super Sonico: The Animation, which I initially dropped after a weak first episode but decided to pick back up again after hearing some good things about it. Indeed, the second and third episodes were just okay at best, but episodes 4 and 5 were fantastic, episode 6 was pretty good, and episode 7… that episode is currently my absolute favorite single episode this season. It is pure iyashikei, right up there with shows like Aria. In fact, if you like shows like Aria at all, I definitely recommend at the very least watching episode 7--there's no real need to watch any previous episodes to understand it, and you certainly don't have to watch any more of it beyond the one episode.

Super Sonico can be an uneven show--Episode 8 was the weakest episode yet--but its stronger moments have managed to win me over. It's definitely one of this season's biggest surprises.