Bandai and FUNimation news roundup
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Phyl Good
By Phyl Good
Published on 06/11/2008
Bandai Visual continues streaming episodes on the Dot-Anime site (Galaxy Angel Rune is the latest), despite the company's imminent demise. Bandai Entertainment continues to tweak its Alpha Testing website, while Toshifumi Yoshida appears to be having a great time at the new job. And over at FUNimation, the gradual cast announcements for their production of Ouran High School Host Club continue as they work their way up to the final big announcements at Anime Expo.
Bandai and FUNimation news roundup
Just catching up on recent announcements, tantalizing hints, and one long, slow demise...
First, the long, slow demise (if they can't get it over with, at least we can). The Dot-Anime website of Bandai Visual USA (which is to be liquidated and wrapped into Bandai Entertainment beginning in early July 2008 and completely vanish by September) continues reporting the odd bit of new information, and has added another episode to its streaming site.
The first episode of Galaxy Angel Rune is now viewable on the Dot-Anime site, to join three others already streaming there. Interestingly, this episode is listed as "viewable until 09/03/08," which implies that the site will continue running even after Bandai Visual USA is mostly liquidated. It would seem that Dot-Anime will be wrapped into Bandai Entertainment? Or can we expect the site to disappear in September (after the last running day of Rune) when the last bits of this company evaporate?
Certainly at least a couple of Dot-Anime's blogs continue to be updated, so somebody, at least, is keeping the home fires burning there.
Meanwhile, speaking of blogs, that's where the "tantalizing hints" come in, on the Bandai Entertainment website. Toshifumi Yoshida, who recently joined the Production department of BE, keeps posting bits and pieces on the Production blog about the ongoing dub being taped for "a certain show that I'm on," saying things like "whenever I think about a cast member of a certain show that I'm on...I keep hearing a theme that Puffy AmiYumi sings running through my head..." And on June 11 there was the utterly enigmatic, "The lights in the sky are stars...and they're burning."
He certainly seems to be having a good time over there. Even if he's keeping the rest of us hanging.
The Bandai Entertainment site and its new Alpha Testing site continue running simultaneously, with much cross-information. The Alpha site is still evolving (they've done something about how overpoweringly white the background was), and the main site's "Trailer of the Week" is for Ghost Slayers Ayashi.
Jumping now out of the Bandai family pool, and strolling over to FUNimation, we see that they continue to tease the fans about their upcoming release, Ouran High School Host Club, being directed by Caitlin Glass. (Who, among other roles, may be remembered as the English voice of Winry Rockbell on Fullmetal Alchemist.) At the end of May, FUNimation announced the new series, and then last Friday they revealed the first two cast members: Carrie Savage, playing the role of Kurakano Momoka, and Eric Vale, who portrays Toru Suzushimaid.
The distributor plans to reveal two more cast members for the new production each Friday, up until Anime Expo (July 3-6, 2008), where they will finally reveal all the main cast. Cruel, huh?
First, the long, slow demise (if they can't get it over with, at least we can). The Dot-Anime website of Bandai Visual USA (which is to be liquidated and wrapped into Bandai Entertainment beginning in early July 2008 and completely vanish by September) continues reporting the odd bit of new information, and has added another episode to its streaming site.
The first episode of Galaxy Angel Rune is now viewable on the Dot-Anime site, to join three others already streaming there. Interestingly, this episode is listed as "viewable until 09/03/08," which implies that the site will continue running even after Bandai Visual USA is mostly liquidated. It would seem that Dot-Anime will be wrapped into Bandai Entertainment? Or can we expect the site to disappear in September (after the last running day of Rune) when the last bits of this company evaporate?
Certainly at least a couple of Dot-Anime's blogs continue to be updated, so somebody, at least, is keeping the home fires burning there.
Meanwhile, speaking of blogs, that's where the "tantalizing hints" come in, on the Bandai Entertainment website. Toshifumi Yoshida, who recently joined the Production department of BE, keeps posting bits and pieces on the Production blog about the ongoing dub being taped for "a certain show that I'm on," saying things like "whenever I think about a cast member of a certain show that I'm on...I keep hearing a theme that Puffy AmiYumi sings running through my head..." And on June 11 there was the utterly enigmatic, "The lights in the sky are stars...and they're burning."
He certainly seems to be having a good time over there. Even if he's keeping the rest of us hanging.
The Bandai Entertainment site and its new Alpha Testing site continue running simultaneously, with much cross-information. The Alpha site is still evolving (they've done something about how overpoweringly white the background was), and the main site's "Trailer of the Week" is for Ghost Slayers Ayashi.
Jumping now out of the Bandai family pool, and strolling over to FUNimation, we see that they continue to tease the fans about their upcoming release, Ouran High School Host Club, being directed by Caitlin Glass. (Who, among other roles, may be remembered as the English voice of Winry Rockbell on Fullmetal Alchemist.) At the end of May, FUNimation announced the new series, and then last Friday they revealed the first two cast members: Carrie Savage, playing the role of Kurakano Momoka, and Eric Vale, who portrays Toru Suzushimaid.
The distributor plans to reveal two more cast members for the new production each Friday, up until Anime Expo (July 3-6, 2008), where they will finally reveal all the main cast. Cruel, huh?