The Rest Of It: Free Anime, Free iPads

Anime:

• VIZ has established a new site for all of their streaming anime, which makes use of Hulu-- so it'll be handy for those of you who don't want any FUNi all up in your stuff. (Kidding-- it'll probably be handy for those wanting to navigate through, say, Naruto or InuYasha).
  
  
  PRESS RELEASE: VIZ Media Launches VIZ Anime

   VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES VIZ ANIME
  
  
  A NEW OFFICAL WEB DESTINATION FOR SOME OF THE HOTTEST ANIME CONTENT  
  Optimized Technology Allows Fans To Connect And Interact And Spend Less Time Looking For The Latest Anime Episodes And More Time Enjoying Them 
  San Francisco, CA, March 15, 2010 – In a significant news announcement, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has detailed the launch of VIZ Anime – a brand new, free-to-use interactive web destination that will become a permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series as well as new content which will be added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at: www.VIZAnime.com.  
  
  
  VIZ Anime kicks off with more than 400 episodes from hit series such as BLEACH, BUSO RENKIN, DEATH NOTE (complete series), HIKARU NO GO, HONEY & CLOVER, INUYASHA (complete series) and INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, NANA, NARUTO (complete series) and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN as well as THE PRINCE OF TENNIS. The site will also be the future web home for many other eagerly anticipated anime series set to launch later this year! 
  Episodes can be streamed for free with new ones being added weekly. A variety of interactive social networking tools and features also help foster an official online home and community for VIZ Media anime fans allowing them to connect on and discuss favorite shows, and offer ratings and opinions of various episodes. New functionalities will be added regularly. 
  Users can “follow” as many series as they like and choose to be notified each time a new episode is released, as well as keep track of the last episode they’ve watched. This makes it easy to stay current on series like INUYASHA or NARUTO, which feature more than 100 episodes.
  Users can comment on individual episodes and also meet and interact with other fans, invite friends to join, ask questions and debate plot twists and characters, voice their opinion on what’s happening in a particular series, and also find out what else is going on across the anime and manga spectrums.
   
  Users can rate their favorite episodes by using a “Like” button on each episode page. They can quickly access a list of all the episodes they’ve similarly liked to compare how other users have liked an episode.
   
  Users can make a personalized profile page to keep track of the episodes they’ve watched and enjoyed, the series they’re currently following, and comments they’ve made. Mail tools can also be used to send private messages between individual users. Privacy controls let users decide what information is shared publicly and who is able to send them messages.
   
  “We’re committed to developing VIZ Anime as a premiere online destination, and hope to offer a real community for VIZ Media fans to interact with each other and share their love of anime,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “We will also utilize the site as a means of two-way communication to better understand what our fans enjoy most and want, and how they engage with anime and manga online. With a lot of content to select from, VIZ Anime will become a favorite site to visit again and again!” 
  
  
  For more information on VIZ Media or VIZ Anime, please visit www.VIZAnime.com.  
  
  
  About VIZ Media, LLC
  
  
  Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and website at www.VIZ.com.     
• Crunchyroll is giving away a free iPad. To be eligible, you have to become their fan on Facebook AND sign up for a premium membership-- but you can use the two-week free trial counts, so no purchase necessary. While you decide whether to try it or not, I'm going to go over here and watch the latest episode of Durarara (again). <3
  
  
  PRESS RELEASE: Crunchyroll Announces Free Apple iPad Giveaway

   CRUNCHYROLL ANNOUNCES FREE APPLE IPAD GIVEAWAY
  
  Fans and Members Are Automatically Registered No Purchase Necessary
  
  San Francisco, CA and Tokyo, Japan (March 12, 2010) ‹ The number one online
  destination for anime and Asian ntertainment, Crunchyroll, does it again!
  Crunchyroll is giving away one of the highly coveted and anticipated 16 GB
  toys to a lucky winner.  The highly desired iPad will arrive to the winner
  pre-loaded with the new Crunchyroll iPad Application-so the winner can watch
  the hundreds of anime and drama titles found on Crunchyroll in HD for free!
  More information can be found at
  www.crunchyroll.com/
  
  To be eligible:
  
  Interested parties can enter by becoming a fan of the Crunchyroll Facebook
  Page < http://www.facebook.com/>  and be a Crunchyroll Premium
  Member < http://www.crunchyroll.com/>  on the day
  of March 31st (Pacific Time). No purchase necessary - you can simply get the
  two-week free trial < http://www.crunchyroll.com/>
  ! Anyone worldwide is eligible as long as you can accept mail packages.
  
  Crunchyroll will pick one (1) lucky winner on March 31st, 2010. The lucky
  winner will be announced on the front page and will be contacted by email
  and private message.
  
  Make sure you tell your friends about this!
  
  Be the first on among your friends to own an iPad!
  
  All fans can enjoy all content on the site for free, but Crunchyroll Anime
  Members benefits include higher quality streams of all shows (in some cases
  at 720p High Definition Video) with no advertisement and early access to all
  simulcast shows as early as one (1) hour after its Japan Broadcast.
  Crunchyroll Anime Membership costs as little as $5 a month and goes directly
  towards supporting Japan Animation companies. More information, including a
  two week free trial membership can be found at
  http://www.crunchyroll.com/.
  
  About Crunchyroll
  Crunchyroll is the largest online community and video site for the very best
  in Japanese Anime and Dramas from Asia. Crunchyroll's content is provided by
  Asian media leaders including TV TOKYO, Shueisha, d-rights, Fuji Creative
  Corporation (FCC), Media International Corporation (MICO), Pony Canyon,
  Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, Toei Animation, Gonzo, Munhwa Broadcasting
  Corporation America and many others.
  
  Crunchyroll was founded in June 2006 and has offices in both San Francisco
  and Tokyo. Crunchyroll is a pioneer and innovator within the Japanese anime
  industry and the only video service in the world to offer hit programs like
  NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, GINTAMA and many others online to its subscribers within
  one hour of its Japanese broadcast. Crunchyroll is a member of the
  Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) and the Licensing International
  Merchandisers Association (LIMA) and is funded by leading venture capital
  firm, Venrock. More information can be found at its website
  http://www.crunchyroll.com < http://www.crunchyroll.com/> .  
   
• Right Stuf is apparently going to carry the Big Bang Theory t-shirt that says "It's not cartoons...it's ANIME!" If I see any of you Vice Squad members wearing it at a con, I warn you: I will either hug you or shoot you. I'm not sure which yet.

 I can't decide if this shirt makes me want to kill people.

Manga:

• Digital Manga Publishing has announced two new license rescues: one is Target in the Finder, Ayano Yamane's most popular work, and the other is Kizuna, also a prominent BL manga. Both originally came from Central Park Media, and I wonder how much of a bidding war there was between DMP and the other remaining BL pubs?

Live-Action: 

• Online manhwa publisher NETCOMICS is reportedly turning one of their licensed properties into a movie. Um. By themselves? 
  
  
• Oh, and some nifty behind-the-scenes vids for the upcoming manhwa film Priest are out, too.

Conventions:

• Bad news for Sakura-Con goers: anime director Yasuhiro Imagawa (of Tetsujin 28-go and Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen) has cancelled his visit to the Seattle event this April. But you still have tons of other guests ( NOIZI ITO!) and the Trigun Badlands Rumble WORLD PREMIERE, so screw you guys for complaining. (Kidding. Mostly.)

 91.8 The Fan's scheme is to put you to sleep and then draw on your face!

Misc:

• Aaaaand here's the schedule for 91.8 The Fan, if you'd like-- it's Pokemon-themed this week. They've also apparently managed to score exclusive press rights to Anime Vegas (is no one else going? Or did they actually negotiate that? If the latter-- wacky).
  
  
  
  
  PRESS RELEASE: 91.8 The Fan Brings You Pokemon Week

   91.8 The Fan Brings You Pokemon Week
  
  LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – March 15, 2009 – 91.8 The Fan's popular radio show, Kana's Korner, kicks off the weekday with Pokemon related guests in honor of the release of Pokemon: SoulSilver and Pokemon: HeartGold. Starting from 12 noon to 4:00 P.M. PST on Monday, March 15th, Kana will interview guests, including the voice of Ash (Veronica Taylor) from Pokemon. 
  
  Mike Pollock will be sitting down with our favorite radio host on Monday. On Tuesday, Chris Niosi will also be joining the fray. Other guests include Veronica Taylor, Gwendolin Yeo, and other unnamed guests will also be attending the event. More information about them can be found on 91.8 The Fan ( http://www.918thefan.com). Constant updates can also be found at 91.8 The Fan's Twitter ( http://twitter.com/918thefan) and Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/