.

It’s been 15 years since the SONY family started it’s entrance into the entertainment business under the name Playstation, many key figures are no longer in the company, but the that only shows that Playstation is a brand that can be pass down to the next generation.

I got my first Playstation when I’m 10 and I have had plenty of fun ever since!

So may there be many more Playstation years to come, thanks and Happy birthday!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hmm, as many would have known by now that Anime Festival Asia will be hosting it’s press conference soon. But what you might not know is that we at Ani-Culture.net have also been invited.

Updates: The date is confirmed. It is set on next Monday, 13th September.

Oh this is so exciting! We will of course not forget everyone of our readers, and we will be squeezing as much information as possible from the Q&A, if there’s any.

Most importantly, we will be reporting from the location LIVE on the day itself,  so stay tuned to us as the live blog session commences.

It would be great if you can join us! Soon (^o^)/

Popularity: 3% [?]

Yup Animax MUSIX Fall’s edition, on 3rd November, have announced the Singers taking part in the event. And here is the list!

Updated list of artists participating:
May’n, SCANDAL, Mikuni Shimokawa Kotoko, Tamaki Nami, Kalafina, Akino from Bless 4, ORIGA, Elisa, Himeka, Kita Shuuhei, Sasaki Sayaka, Shoko Nakagawa, GRANRODEO, Lia, LISP (Kiyoshi Kana Abe, Risa Yuu Hara, Kataoka Adusa), Saki Sato gauze flowers and many more.

Yup, that is the list of artists set to perform at the 17,000 capacity Yokohama Area and what a line up it is.

The live concert is unknown whether to be airing on Animax Channels around the world, that is to wait until further confirmation…

Source: Animax Musix Fall website via @mayn_wiki

Popularity: 12% [?]

A sequel of the anime OVA Cencoroll is green lighted for production, after the creator, Atsuya Uki, announced on his website. The storyboard and design for the anime is now in production.

Cencoroll, the anime that was made by a one man studio, Director, animator and producer Atsuya Uki. The anime itself is a 1 episode OVAA produced and released in the year 2007.

The original story involves a girl, who discovered and then took over the monster controlled by a young man, named Tetsu. Cencoroll have also been shown at many other arts festival in Japan and since have been critically acclaimed worldwide.

Source: 2ch Via ANN | Niralog
Website: Cencoroll website

Another do it all person would be Makoto Shinkai(Voice of a Distance Star), before he joined up with his current studio. I really admire people like them, they are so good at what they are doing and have the patients to endure thur the whole production process…

That reminds me… Where did my DVD went to?

Popularity: 4% [?]

Hmm, this is interesting…

Moe Moe Kyun Maid Cafe is now auditioning for new maids and you can send in your profile with photo to mmk@animefestival.asia if you have the following qualities.

1. Passionate
2. Strong interest in all things Japanese
3. Active Personality
4. Flexible time schedule
5. Not camera shy.

Once again if you are interested, send your profile with picture to mmk@animefestival.asia.

Source: MMKMC Facebook
PS: Of course, unless you can look just like Kayo Satoh, males need not try… For the sake of everyone…

Who is Kayo Satoh or Kayo Police?… Well shehe is just a very hot looking cross-dresser…

Devastating, I know… TT_TT

Popularity: 6% [?]

Picture by Akiba Research Institute

On the 28th of August, a few shops in Akihabara together with Banpresto held the Magical Lyrical Nanoha – The First Movie – Kuji premium. It’s like lottery with the participating members buying tickets to a sure win lucky draw, to win premium goods from the maker.

It’s noticed that there are more than 100 people queuing for the draw, way before the shops are open or before the draw have started. No wonder, when some of the goods are just so premiumly delicious…

Picture by Akiba Research Institute

Like the below…

A Prize: High quality Nanoha Figurine by KANA, Picture by Akiba Research Institute

B Prize: High Quality Fate Figurine By KANA, Picture by Akiba Research Institute

And these are only the top prizes. Each set of the Kuji contains 80 items, and the others are also items quite desirable…

You can look at the prize over at the source, over at Akiba Research Institute, but it’s in Japanese.

Source: Akiba Research Institute(Japanese)

I’m sure you want some of those goodies, but you are not in Japan…

However rejoice! At least for dear Singaporeans, KKnM have brought in the Kuji, and the draw is this Saturday at 1:30pm and 3pm… Unfortunately there’s only 2 sets..

Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha Movie 1st Ichiban Kuji starts this Sat!
There will be 2 sessions in all. 1st session at 1.30pm, 2nd session at 3pm.
Limited to 3 tickets per person (per turn). Tickets are $18.00 per try.

May the luck be with you! Have fun! You can find out more on KKnM’s facebook

Popularity: 6% [?]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!

I would like to see them try… LOL.

The live drama is going to be epic if it can actually be successful. According to Anime News Network, a Taiwan Television Station will be adapting the Romance Comedy manga Hayate no Gotoku by Kenjiro Hata into a Life Action drama, staring the Korean actress, age 20, Pak Shin-Hye as Nagi and Taiwanese Actor, 28 ,George Hu as Hayate.

Pak Shin Hye as Nagi

George Hu as Hayate

Both are understandedly good looking, but they might be a bit out of the age range… If the director wants to follow the script loyally, which they will not. After all, the Taiwan stations are known to loosely base their production on the actual manga.

For example previous Manga inspired dramas like Meteorite Garden based on Hana Yori Dango and Itazaru na Kiss. While Skip Beat! the Taiwanese Live Drama named Extravagant Challenge is still in limbo about it’s production process…

Btw it now features the boys from Super Junior as Ren and Sho… Not sure about their acting thou…

Source: ANN

I’ll be eagerly awaiting the product… lol

Popularity: 19% [?]

There appears to be a count down timer on Kara no kyokai’s movie site… which could mean a million things… hmm what might this be?

The timer is set to end on the 27th of August, which is tomorrow… and the Japanese are betting that it might be the announcement of the Blu-Ray release of the movies.

Source: Temple-Knight

Website: http://www.karanokyoukai.com/

Popularity: 5% [?]

Bisco Hatori’s Ouran High School Host Club is set to end on the September 24th, with the release of the next issue of the LaLa magazine. It’s not too big a surprise as the end have already been foretold months before with a message from the magazine that the manga is entering it’s final arc.

The final chapter of the Ouran High School Host Club will be a 52 page long one, making a outstanding end to the 7 year old series. OHSHC gain popularity with it’s female fans and then got made into a CD drama followed by the Anime in 2006, which in turn became one of the best selling manga around the world, constantly rank amoung the top in both the Japanese and the New York manga charts.

LaLa magazine have even held an event to commemorate the end of the series, releasing also a CD containing the most popular quotes from the drama CD series.

It’s also one of my favorite series, and it will be sad that it has to end… But as with always… Good things will never last forever… The latest compiled volume is now volume 16, released in April and with volume 17 set for a September 3rd release.

Singapore’s Chuang Yi Publishing have already released the 16th volume in English and Chinese, for the South East Asian and Australian market. So please support the manga by buying the manga!

Source: Comic Natalie Via Anime New Network

LOL… Couldn’t resist…

Did you know, Haruhi to me was like a daughter… Reading her love problems and not be able to help is so heart breaking to me, especially the part when she starts to realise her love for Tamaki… Oh the tension…

Popularity: 5% [?]

And I sure hope she’s Japanese… Ah the dreams…

Nope, not talking about myself, but the Japanese Movie, “My Darling is a Foreigner!”. I have received news that the movie will be in Singapore’s cinemas starting Sept 16.

The movie is about a Mangaka finding her love of the life-time in a foreigner from the United States and how they work towards their relationship, even when the girl’s parents are against the relationship.

Of course, that will not be the only obstacle facing them. In a movie derived from the  popular manga of the same title by Saori Oguri(the same mangaka mention above), based on her real story with her husband Tony.

Acting as the mangaka(Saori) will be Mao Inoue(Hana Yori Dango as Makino). For Saori’s husband(Tony), it will be by Jonathan Ser, a comedian based in Japan.

The movie will open in Cinemas on September 16 at GV cinemas and selected Cathy Cinplexs.

Website: Encore Films | Saori Oguri Wikipedia entry |

Popularity: 10% [?]

“Otome no Hozoshita” is a manga that teaches the youth Sex education, an topic that is a rather touchy topic in the traditional Japanese family… And don’t be mistaken, this manga is not rated 18+, and not Hentai… … … O.O||| It’s sold at almost all proper manga shops like Kbooks.

Although it’s the first manga with an uncensored Genitals, a taboo and against the law in Japan publishing…

The manga is created by Madomatic and it sure have created a splash…  And features a Highschool girl, Mao, she is approached by a weird obstetrician who is a new School Doctor, named… 臍下熊太郎… … … His sure name in Japanese means Lower abdomen!

Mao in the manga will be talking to Kumataro about the Sexual organs, STDs and etc… All the educational stuff, with the occasional laughter… and echi-ness…

It’s now on sales at most bookstores in Tokyo at a price of ¥540, not inclusive of tax.

This book is for the Adolescent male and female thoroughly confused! Even the Adults can read! ！ !  To study! ？ ?

Source: Akibablog

Website: Comics information

Popularity: 10% [?]

(Soho Host Club. From L-to-R: Alex, Christian, Andy, & Ken)

Hey everyone, I just wanted to do a quick follow-up on the entry I did on host clubs. I want to inform you guys about a “host club” I met at a mini-convention in Soho, NYC a few weeks ago (a very positive club, I might add). These fine, outstanding gentlemen you see above are the Soho Host Club. I met them at AniMiniCon Soho. They went around interacting with all the attendees of the 3-day event, especially the females. I think a few girls even got crushes on them. :]

I spoke to one of the organizers of the event, Alexandra Honisberg, about the concept behind the Soho Host Club.

She told me why and I quote.

“I’ve been in the arts since I was a kid. And especially lately as a single musician and newly-minted into the whole anime/manga scene the past 3-4 years or so. I’ve noticed some things. Dating is crazy and both sides of all ages and all cultures complain about it. The arts are being devalued, especially in this recession, because they’re seen as stuffy and superfluous. People are tense and losing their patience with each other.

I play at or go to an arts event and the coupled people stay in couples or hang out with other couples and the single adults tend to do just what we did in 8th grade — stand on either side of the room, huddled in same-sex groups that have little or nothing to do with sexual orientation. So, basically, beauty is sorta wasted because too many people are uncomfortable in the social settings and are not experiencing its value.

Then a friend showed me Ouran Host Club back in October and I laughed and cried and fell in love (I was the awkward, smart, poor kid who’d gotten into a fancy school on scholarship and hung out with the gorgeous rich guys who mostly treated me like their buddy). And in the January doldrums, after the holiday crush of arts and socializing, late one night alone, a light bulb went on — why should the kids have all the fun? Why should the arts suck? Why should dating suck? Why can’t we have a Host Club for adults that focuses on chivalry & elegance, is relaxed enough for them to be ladies & gentlemen, and enjoy the arts, the world of beauty, for real?”

Alexandra did a lot of research on Japanese host clubs and wanted to make sure that her club wasn’t like them. She emphasizes realism & sincerity in all the hosts she chose. You have to give her huge props & respect because she is using an idea that may not be well-liked by certain people and turning it into something that can build a community for a positive purpose.

One more thing I would like to add is a conversation I had with one of the hosts, Ken. I asked him if he knew about the nature of host clubs in Japan and he said yes. Ken went on to point out one, very important thing and I quote.

“You have to understand, Japan is very sexual.”

As much as people can blame host clubs for certain things, Japanese society can be blamed as well. Their harsh standards can force people to ignore their love life. They also look down on those who stay single. Sexual frustration develops and women/men resort to going to the red-light district for their sexual needs. Host clubs don’t just highlight the flaws of people involved in host clubs. They also highlight the flaws of society in general. Why do you think we have people dating body pillows?

At first, I was a little skeptical about the Soho Host Club. But, after meeting them, they were pretty cool guys. I thought to myself that they did an amazing job in chatting with the attendees. More importantly, the hosts were absolutely enthusiastic & had fun interacting with them. The attendees were really receptive towards the hosts. AniMiniCon had an AMAZING turnout despite being on the same weekend as Otakon.

For those looking to start a host club in a positive manner, the Soho Host Club can be a source of inspiration on how to get it done. Who said chivalry was dead?

- Tony

You can find this article and much more at Manga Therapy (http://www.mangatherapy.com)!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Another Century Episode: R will surprise the players even before they start playing after the launch of the game on the 19th of August, happily.

As a leak in of the game’s instruction manual indicates that the game will be making use of almost forgotten 6-Axis function and equally forgotten custom Background music.

The motion sensing part of the game might not be as popular but, it will be interesting as to how it’s being implemented in the game, in real life. But as you can see from the picture, the standard pitch left, pitch right, front and back motion. This function have almost been forgotten by the general gaming population and the Developers… So it’s quite a surprise that it’ included… No idea if it could be omitted thou…

Next, the Custom BGM. A function totally forgotten by almost every developer in the world… … This function exists on the PS3, the game developers just need to enable it…

And it can Play any music you can use listen to on the PS3. But there is a recommended range thou.

It’s recommended that your music should be encoded in AAC 128kbps or MP3 128kbps atleast. Now, I know a certain someone will be looping Sheryl Nome’s song while flying on a VF-25 Messiah… …

Maybe you will like FMP better… Looping Shimokawa’s song while playing as Bon Ta Kun.

That would be amusing… lol!

Source: Esuteru.com | Temple Knights

Btw: did you know, Mass Effect 2 is coming to the PS3… Told you so.

Popularity: 6% [?]