How Gundam Became an EMPIRE: The Rise of Gunpla
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s classic Mobile Suit Gundam anime, and the franchise has proven to be a huge hit in both the anime and toy industries ever since. How did the series become such an empire, though, and what role did toys and model kits have to play in its success?
To answer this important question, Crunchyroll host Tim Lyu took a look at the rise of Gunpla over the years, from the aspects that separated Gundam from super robot anime to the partnerships that kicked off the gunpla boom. Bust out your next kit and get to building as you explore this fascinating history in the video below!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJg1gfsA2kY?rel=0]
Did this video have you hankering for more Gundam? There’s a ton to watch on Crunchyroll, from Iron-Blooded Orphans to Gundam 00 and beyond, so have at it!
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter …read more
Lone Wolf and Cub Manga Writer Kazuo Koike Passes Away at 82
The official Twitter for veteran manga story writer Kazuo Koike announced today that he passed away on April 17 due to pneumonia. He was 82. According to his wish, his funeral was already conducted only by his relatives.
“Kazuo Koike, who had been hospitalized for a long time, deceased on April 17 due to pneumonia. We really appreciate that Kazuo Koike and his works were loved by so many people during his lifetime. According to his wish, his funeral was already conducted only by his relatives. Thank you very much for all of you.”
かねてより入院療養中であった小池一夫は肺炎により４月１７日永眠いたしました。
生前は多くの方々に小池一夫と小池一夫作品を愛していただき、心より感謝申し上げます。
なお故人の遺志により葬儀は親族のみで執り行いました。
皆様には大変お世話になり、ありがとうございました。— 小池一夫 (@koikekazuo) 2019年4月19日
His last three Twitter comments posted on April 17 were about the death of Monkey Punch, his long-time
friend/rival for 40 years.
“Monkey Punch was also my rival in the early days of Manga Action forty years ago, his ‘Lupin The Third’
and my ‘Lone Wolf and Cub’ were competing for popularity. And I remember we collaborated for the manga
called ‘Secretary Bird.’ I miss him so much.”
モンキーパンチさんとは40年前、漫画アクションの初期に『ルパン三世』と『子連れ狼』で人気争いをしたライバルでもあった。一緒に組んで『書記官鳥（セクレタリーバード）』という漫画も作ったなあ。
淋しくなるなあ。— 小池一夫 (@koikekazuo) 2019年4月17日
Koike was born in Akita Prefecture on May 8, 1936. He worked in various media …read more
Fans Choose Their Top Voice Actors of 2019 (So Far)
Every year, new voice actors are joining the world of anime, as long-running voice actors take on new roles that expand their resume. To keep up, Charapedia polls fans once a year to find out which voice actors rank highest among anime viewers.
This year’s results are in, and while there are plenty of familiar names on the list, their order has shifted thanks to new roles bringing out the best in them this year and last.
Starting with the ladies, let’s count down the top 3:
Third Place: Ayane Sakura
Ayane Sakura ranks high thanks to recurring roles Ochaco in My Hero Academia and Cocoa in Is the Order a Rabbit?, but fans cited her personality and charm as a major reason for their vote. Her work on the radio has also gained her lots of fans, allowing her personality to shine through.
Second Place: Inori Minase
Being the voice of Rem in Re:ZERO means Inori Minase is likely to remain a constant favorite! 2018 and early …read more
Crunchyroll Adds YU-NO, Million Arthur Season 2 And MIX To Spring Simulcast Lineup
Crunchyroll is excited to announce even more titles to its ever growing Spring simulcast lineup, with the following titles being added:
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World
Synopsis: During the summer, Takuya Arima receives a package—from his missing father—detailing the existence of parallel universes. He investigates further and soon realizes that he’s been given the key to cross-dimensional time travel. Now, Takuya is forced to use this newfound tech to unravel the mystery of his father’s whereabouts and find out why those closest to him are keeping secrets.
This title will be available to members in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark. and the Netherlands beginning at Noon PDT with episodes 1-3, with new episodes being available every Tuesday at 8AM PDT. The dub will be exclusive to Premium members and be available every Tuesday afternoon at 1PM PDT, with the first dubbed episode available today at 1PM PDT.
Here's What We Know So Far About Sony's PlayStation 4 Successor
Wired reporter Peter Rubin recently took a trip to Sony’s Foster City, CA headquarters to speak with Mark Cerny, who has been working as lead architect on what will ultimately be the successor to PlayStation 4. While the new console hasn’t been formally revealed under the name PlayStation 5, we now have an idea of what to expect from the company’s next generation efforts.
The next PlayStation has been in development for the past four years, and it won’t be released in 2019, so don’t pull out your wallet just yet. If you’re interested in the deep dive provided, I highly recommending reading the full Wired article, but here’s an overview of some of the information we know so far.
For those who don’t want to get rid of their old games, Backwards Compatibility is being implemented. It’s unclear just how deep into the past this feature will go, but you’ll at least be able to play PlayStation 4 games on the new console.
Ghost of Tsushima – Sucker Punch Productions (PS4)
Cerny and his team have been placing …read more
Georgia Coffee Takes off with Gundam Anniversary Campaign
Need a superpowered way to wake yourself up? Gundam Coffee may be just what you need.
Sunrise is collaborating with canned coffee maker Georgia to adorn cans of their Emerald Mountain blend with units and characters from the Gundam franchise. Emerald Mountain (besides totally being a Tomino name) came out 25 years ago; so we can expect 25 different decorative cans in the coming weeks. The campaign also coincides with Gundam‘s own 40th anniversary.
The first wave has already been revealed, and features big hitters Amuro Ray and Char Aznable:
Heading to the campaign’s website and entering the number printed on each can will unlock original art for its respective unit. Plus, if you collect four or more cans from each wave, you can enter to win one of 100 commemorative posters.
The cans won’t be hard to find, either; starting later this month, they’ll be for sale in these special vending machines:
<p …read more
Tokimeki Memorial Dating Sim Returns with New Girl's Side 4 Game
Konami’s Tokimeki Memorial series of dating sims has been around since the first entry launched on the PC Engine Super CD Rom back in 1994, but it’s been more or less dormant over the past decade or so. In 2002, the male-oriented series took a turn for the otome with the introduction of Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side on PlayStation 2, and now that sub-series is set to continue on as-yet-unknown platforms in 2020.
Next up is Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side 4, which has been announced along with a handful of characters and voice cast members. While we wait to learn more about the series, see some of the men you’ll be meeting and the voices behind them below.
Yuuki Kaji voices Ryouta Kazama and Takuya Satou voices Nozomu Sassa:
Sounosuke Hattori voices Iku Honda and Yohei Azakami voices Minoru Nanatsumori:
Jun Fukuyama voices Yanosuke Hiiragi and Shou Hayami voices Gorou Hanatsubaki:
Demon Slayer Anime's ED Theme Has Yuki Kajiura Partnering with LiSA
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime adaptation features an opening theme by LiSA, and the artist will also be handling the ED. Details went online for the new theme, which has Yuki Kajiura and FictionJunction teaming up with LiSA on the “from the edge” song. It all kicks off with today’s airing of episode 2.
Yuki Kajiura
LiSA
Via Comic Natalie
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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.
Cooking With Anime: Dimple Jello Dessert from Mob Psycho 100
Dimple from Mob Psycho 100 claims he doesn’t taste very good, but I beg to differ. Following up on my gluten-free Mob-themed curry from a few weeks ago, I wanted to hit hard with a Dimple dessert. The best thing I could think to represent his gelatinous, goopy form of spiritual energy was Jello.
As unimpressive as most people think Jello is, I actually think it’s got a lot of fun texture and wibbly-wobbly potential that we can capitalize on. Dimple most often represents himself as just a ball of ectoplasmic energy, but he’s kind of chunky looking, and VIBRANTLY green. I thought that I could get Jello to mimic this kind of texture, and could then use other candy to decorate his little face to make him look absolutely stunning.
The iconic red cheeks were easy—those bright red maraschino cherries that are slightly terrifying were the perfect color. Candy eyes from my local craft store did the trick nicely for his eyes, and some nori worked well for his (admittedly) heavy-handed eyebrows. The lips were the trick part—after much searching, I eventually found a candy lollipop …read more
Oricon Reveals the Best-Selling Musicians of the Heisei Era
With the Reiwa Era beginning in less than a month, lots of sites are talking about their Heisei “bests.” But Oricon is buckling down and rating Japanese music by the numbers. Who were the biggest selling artists of the era? They’ve got the answers, and most of them should come as no surprise.
The top-selling artists of the era were B’z, the hard rock duo consisting of Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba. Besides being popular in general, anime fans will have heard them performing themes for Hell Teacher Nube and several Case Closed films.
Idol girl supergroup AKB48 comes in at #2, with the band Mr.Children (Himawari, One Piece Film: Strong World) coming in third.
Long-running boy band SMAP, which disbanded in 2016, holds the honor of performing the Heisei Era’s bestselling song. 2003’s “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana” was a hit in its own time, and sales increased again just after the group’s split.
“TSUNAMI” by Southern All Stars came in second, with …read more