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[Source: AICN.com] BioWare and FUNimation Entertainmen announced an agreement to create an anime feature film adapted sci-fi game Mass Effect™. Tokyo-based anime and international feature film production company T.O Entertainment, Inc. has signed on as a co-producer on the video. B

Casey Hudson of BioWare, executive producer of the Mass Effect series, will serve as executive producer on the film, along with FUNimation President and CEO Gen Fukunaga and Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes and T.O Entertainment's CEO Takeichi Honda and Yui Shibata.

Production of the Mass Effect anime movie has already begun. Digital and home video releases are scheduled for the summer of 2012.

Funimation acquired additional rights to "Fractale" and Freezing, which have recently wrapped up their simul-stream runs.

FUNimation now has the U.S. and Canadian home entertainment, broadcast, digital and merchandise rights to the 12 episode anime series. Funimation will release Fractale on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012.

Funimation also licensed “Tales of Vesperia ~ The First Stike” from Bandai Visual Co. Ltd. FUNimation now holds the home entertainment, broadcast, theatrical, digital, and merchandising rights for the title in the U.S. and Canada.

The movie is the anime adaptation of the role-playing video game (RPG) for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 published by Namco (now Namco Bandai Games) and is directed by Kanta Kamei. A veteran of the Japanese animation industry, Kamei has worked in several "Tales of" series titles, and directed the movie part of Tales of Legendia (2005) as was on staff on Blood: The Last Vampire (2000, visual effects and key animator), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003, visual supervisor), Innocence (2004, visual effects and key animator), IGPX (2005, visual effects) and Asience: Hairy Tales (2007, director of photography).

Tales of Vesperia ~ The First Strike ~ (2009) is his directorial debut in a feature film.
FUNimation will release the feature on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012.

Rosario + Vampire has been delaued from September to December

Fanfare/Ponent Mon

Amazon lists that Jiro Taniguchi's will be released in June 23

IDW
American comic publisher IDW has some releases that may be of interest to AICN Anime readers

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #4
Eric Powell & Tracy Marsh (w) • Phil Hester (a) • Eric Powell, Jeff Zornow (c)
France is in danger when the mysterious egg that washes ashore begins to hatch, but should the military be worried about what's inside the egg or those creepy kids who found it? Also, a community of monks has a religious experience of the 3-headed variety. And all the while, Godzilla seems hell-bent on coming to America...but hasn't Anguirus already claimed it as his turf? Fight! Fight! Fight!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 4-to-1 ratio (4 Eric Powell, 1 Jeff Zornow cover)

Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #1 (of 5)
John Layman (w) • Alberto Ponticelli (a) • Geof Darrow, Alberto Ponticelli (c)
Detective Makoto Sato is on an unrelenting quest to bring down the Takahashi crime syndicate. Sato's efforts earn him a one-way trip to a tropical getaway, courtesy of the Tokyo criminal underworld. The exotic locale? MONSTER ISLAND! Alone and facing death at the hands of both gangsters and goliaths, Sato must use his wits to survive—and enlist the aid of some most unusual friends. Join superstar creators John Layman (Chew) and Alberto Ponticelli (Unknown Soldier) for this unusual and exciting miniseries!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 4-to-1 ratio (4 Geof Darrow, 1 Alberto Ponticelli cover)

Suicide Forest
El Torres (w) • Gabriel Hernandez (a) • El Torres (c)
The legend of the Aokigahara forest (which lies just outside of Tokyo) says that those who have committed suicide in the massive wilderness are cursed to have their souls trapped within its very roots. Unfortunately for Alan, his girlfriend, Masami, committed her suicide there and she’s now on a vengeful mission to ruin his life!
TPB • FC • $17.99 • 104 Pages • ISBN: 978-1-60010-947-8

Transformers Classics, Vol. 1
Bob Budiansky, Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, Jim Salicrup (w) • Frank Springer, Alan Kupperberg, William Johnson, Mike Manley, Ricardo Villamonte, Herb Trimpe, Don Perlin (a) • Guido Guidi (c)
Relive the original Transformers stories that started it all—now re-mastered and re-presented! Pulling from the original '80s Marvel material, this first volume offers some of the most beloved stories from TRANSFORMERS' history, including the seminal "Car Wash of Doom," "Crater Critters," "Warrior School!" and many others in their entirety.
TPB • FC • $24.99 • 276 Pages • ISBN: 978-1-60010-935-5

100 Penny Press: Transformers Classics #1
Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio (w) • Frank Springer, Kim DeMulder (a) • Bill Sienkiewicz (c)
FC • 32 pages • $1.00

Transformers: Heart of Darkness #4 (of 4)
Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning(w) • Ulises Farinas (a) • Farinas, Casey Coller, Livio Ramondelli (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers # 20
Mike Costa (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Marcelo Matere, Guido Guidi (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
Selling Points:
Art by fan-favorite Guido Guidi!

Transformers 3: Movie Adaptation #1 (of 4)
John Barber (w) • Jorge Jimenez Moreno (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers 3: Movie Adaptation #2 (of 4)
John Barber (w) • Jorge Jimenez Moreno (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99


Transformers 3: Movie Adaptation #3 (of 4)
John Barber (w) • Jorge Jimenez Moreno (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers 3: Movie Adaptation #4 (of 4)
John Barber (w) • Jorge Jimenez Moreno (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99


Transformers Prime, Vol. 3
Joseph Kuhr (w) • Various (a & c)
TPB • FC • $7.99 • 104 Pages • 5” x 7” • ISBN: 978-1-60010-960-7

Transformers: The Complete All Hail Megatron
Shane McCarthy, Simon Furman, Andy Schmidt, Nick Roche, Mike Costa, Josh Van Rekk, Shaun Knowler (w) • Guido Guidi, Casey Coller, E.J Su, Robert Deas, Emiliano Santalucia, Don Figueroa, Andrew Griffith, Nick Roche, Robbie Musso, Marcelo Matere (a) • Trevor Hutchison (c)

The DECEPTICONS have won, the AUTOBOTS are defeated, and the time for conquest is at hand! After finally succeeding in defeating the AUTOBOTS, the DECEPTICONS set about ruling our planet with an iron fist. Their forces invade and control New York City where, before long, they manage to cripple the United States. It's a war between the armed forces of the United States of America and a giant species of technologically advanced killing machines—a war that suddenly becomes incredibly one-sided! That is, unless the AUTOBOTS can muster their ranks and come to humanity’s aid. But the way things are going on Earth, nothing short of a miracle will save the planet from utter extinction!
HC • FC • $75.00 • 492 Pages • 7x11 • ISBN: 978-1-60010-955-3

IDW will be bringing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back in a new comic series in summer 2011. In addition to the all-new series, TMNT fans will also be treated to newly remastered collections of classic Turtles comics, beginning with the original 1980s series that started this worldwide phenomenon.

Additionally, in fourth quarter 2012, Nickelodeon will premiere a new CG-animated version of the wildly popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.


Image Entertainment
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door will be released on Blu-ray June 28th for $17.97

Kodansha
Kodansha USA Publishing announced return of Naoko Takeuchi’s SAILOR MOON, coming September 2011. Out of print for six years, SAILOR MOON re-launches along with Takeuchi’s two-volume prequel series CODENAME: SAILOR V, in print in the US for the first time—making this one of the most highly anticipated manga releases in years.

The SAILOR MOON manga, which originated in Japan in 1992 and debuted in the US in 1997, follows Usagi Tsukino, a young girl who transforms into super heroine Sailor Moon to combat evil and fight for love and justice in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. The first successful shôjo (girls’) manga release in the US, SAILOR MOON changed the book landscape and helped establish the foundation for the manga craze; in particular drawing attention to the popularity of comics among female readers.

Prequel series CODENAME: SAILOR V, the first of Takeuchi’s “magical girl” manga, will make its highly anticipated debut in the US alongside the SAILOR MOON re-launch. In CODENAME: SAILOR V, teenager Minako Aino fights as Sailor V against the villains of the Dark Agency before she discovers Sailor Moon.

The Kodansha USA editions of SAILOR MOON will be published on a bi-monthly schedule and follow the 2003 Japanese re-release format of the classic series. The original 18 volumes have been condensed into 12 volumes covering the main storyline, and two volumes dedicated to short stories. Each volume has gorgeous new cover art, retouched interior art and dialogue along with extensive bonus material from Takeuchi, and detailed translation notes.

Relationship comedy Love Hina returns in omnibus form this September. The first omnibus will contain volumes 1-3 of the original Love Hina series and will be priced at $19.99. This edition of Love Hina features an entirely new translation.

Shojo series Tokyo Mew Mew, a shojo classic, also returns in omnibus form in September. The first Tokyo Mew Mew omnibus will contain volumes 1-2 and will cost $14.99. This edition contains a new translation.

Following up on Shugo Chara, which concludes with the 12th volume in September, comes Shugo Chara Chan! in November. Created by PEACH-PIT and some of their closest mangaka friends, Shugo Chara Chan! Volume 1 stars all of your favorite CHARActers in hilarious 4-koma (4-panel) gag strips. Shugo Chara Chan! is priced at $10.99.

@Full Moon is the sequel to Until Full Moon, and it releases in November. Find out what happened to Marlo, the half-werewolf/half-vampire, and his paramour, David. A new vampire has come to town and no one knows her secrets. Only Marlo, whose curse is still in full effect, can unravel them. But can he do it in time? Both volumes in this two-volume series are priced at $10.99.