Anime Vice Anime/Manga News

FUNimation has announced the English dub cast for Linebarrels of Iron, which you may remember as one of Crunchyroll's earliest simulcasts (back when their biggest deal was with Gonzo, giving them access to Tower of Druaga and Linebarrels). The mech drama is based on Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi's manga of hte same name, which runs in Akita Shoten and is ongoing there. The anime ran from October '08 to March '09.

Rising FUNimation star Josh Grelle, who voiced Wallflower lead Kyohei Takano and Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple's titular hero, will star as Kouichi, a high school boy who gains super-strength and other such powers after an accident involving a satellite falling from orbit. Kouichi later also gains amnesiac Emi Kizaki, played by Alexis Tipton (her first lead, after playing Yuuri Andou in Bamboo Blade and Aira in Tower of Druaga) and a mech: Linebarrel. Here's the full cast list. 
 
Caitlin Glass is set to ADR direct, with Mike McFarland assisting. And if that's not enough information to get you interested in the series, good news for those of you who buy anime from Right Stuf: if you pre-order part one of the 24-episode series, you'll get a free Emi mouse pad. I thought it was an oppai pad with squishy breasts, but Right Stuf's Alison swung by to correct me. Alas!