On a random, but spiffy note (especially for you graphic designers/photoshop wizzes out there): Stone Bridge Press has worked out a deal with the Shikosha Design Library to offer a small set of stencil and textile patterns for free for a limited time, as a promotion for the for-pay sets of designs they’re currently offering.

(PS, I’m now using one of these– adjusted to be all seamless tile-y –as the bg on my twitter account, which I thought I’d mention because some of my stalkers have been complaining that I’m too hard to get a hold of.)

I know how much you guys loooove your photoshoppery, so I thought I’d give you a quick heads up.

Earlier I talked about various details of the new Slayers REVOLUTION anime, including mention of a mascot character named Pokota. Moetron provided the above image of the terrifying creature, and suggests that it’s appearing in the manga– but maybe not the anime.

In any case, yeah, I hope it either dies in a fire, or kills lots of people. Or is, y’know, really sarcastic and funny or something. Anything but adorable.

According to World Screen News, VIZ has announced a new licensor of Death Note– The Northwest Company, a manufacturer of home decor items. Yes, now U.S. and Canada-based fans can buy Death Note pillows and throw blankets…you know, the ones that aren’t imported or knockoffs. This looks like TNC’s first anime merchandise, but I guarantee if you’ve ever set foot in a Hot Topic, you’re familiar with their wares. For some samples, try their Pirates of the Caribbean swag.

I just hope they make an L dakimakura. WOULD TOTALLY WANT!

Sankaku Complex links us to some Newtype scans with details about the Lucky Star OVA, which will apparently revolve around the relationship between Konata and the Animate store tenchou (manager). For those of you who need a refresher, tenchou-san constantly tries to manipulate Konata’s purchases, only to be foiled. (Sankaku calls it a ‘rivalry,’ and it sort of is, except it’s ostensibly unknowing on Konata’s part).

No release date yet, but it looks like there’ll be a drama CD this summer, for you fluent Japanese-speakers. On a tangentially related note, Singaporeans get to enter a spiffy Lucky Star-themed contest and win a DS and some other groovy stuff. No fair!

Yes, yes, roundup-tastic– I’m back working on more database stuff for the new site, so a bit less time for the lengthy posts (though there’s always time for more CPM/Libre speculation!).

Anime:
- Man, we do a Spoiler-san for Haruhi on Japanator, and suddenly the Haruhi news just keeps popping up. First the Wii game, and now Canned Dogs reports that details on The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, aka Haruhi Second Season, are due in the July issue of Newtype. Huzzah!

- A video for the Mashura remake is up.

- This one’s a day or two old now, but I sucked at getting it up (Golden Week makes me lazy!): Zune is going to carry some FUNimation titles, including Afro Samurai and Witchblade.

- Meanwhile, Bandai Visual USA plans to stream Super Robot Wars and Galaxy Angel Rune– just the first episodes –within the next few weeks.

- The Higurashi no Naku Koro ni third season OVA has been confirmed and will start being released this winter. (Via Moon Phase.)

Movies:
- ICv2 has details on the DVD release of Naruto the Movie 2.

- Ain’t It Cool News has a few reader reviews of the Speed Racer film. Here’s another and another and more and more and more…

Games:
- The Wii Fit is a bad, bad person machine. Seriously.

- Meanwhile, Japanator reports on a board game featuring characters from anime romcoms– and Project A-Kon and Dominion Tank Police. Sounds like someone got a little too wacky with their copy of BESM one night…

Misc:
- Various website updates: apparently ADV is now outsourcing its online shop to Right Stuf in yet another cost-cutting move (though FUNimation did it first). Meanwhile, Bandai Entertainment’s temporary site promises a new website at 5pm PST tomorrow, or else a firing.
- And in a final bit of “awww!” news, FUNimation has been visited by a very special VIP: Jay Dunn, a 15-year-old who visited FUNimation with assistance from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The image above is some of Jay’s art. How’s that for a warm-and-fuzzy way to sign off?

Today’s Moon Phase diary has some details on Slayers REVOLUTION, although it’s unclear where it came from (though other information has been hitting the web from Newtype and other mags today, so I’m guessing it’s one of the primary anime ‘zines). Moon Phase is generally spot-on, so take it as you will.

Anyway, they report that the anime will air in July on TV Tokyo in a late-night spot. Apparently the plot at least begins as a search for a replacement for Gourry’s Sword of Light. Characters that I think haven’t been seen in the anime before (but who are known in the novels) will appear, including Rook and Mirina. Some more familiar faces, as well: Prince Phil returns, as does Sylphiel. And apparently some kind of mascot character called Pokota, as well…no clue there.

Once again, no source cited on the blog, but it’s Moon Phase, so it’s up to you what to think.

If you’re one of the 34 Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya fans who hasn’t yet learned the dance to “Hare Hare Yukai,” you’ll now have your chance…if you import the new Haruhi game for Wii, anyway. Canned Dogs has two scans talking about the game– which is the final entry in the trio of games that was announced way back when; one for DS, one for PSP, and one for Wii.

So! In the Wii game, you’ll dance to “Hare Hare Yukai,” and…as far as we know, that’s it. I’m kind of with Sankaku Complex; I dunno if that can really sustain a whole game. But it sounds cute.

Isn’t she lovely? This is a custom “gyaru” edition of a Gundam figure, the MG Gyan. Apparently a staffer at Bandai was “inspired” to give the figure a more “feminine air” and is now auctioning the results off, and it’s currently at ¥39,000 (about $370 USD). The seller’s desired price is ¥50,000 (about $475), and they’ve got another two days to make it.

I wonder how many people are preparing to snipe that sucker from space like Lockon?

Via Sankaku Complex, who also has more shots of the figure (and a picture of the original MG Gyan it was derived from).

Edit: This post has been altered per the wishes of the moderator of the community that was its source. She provided an alternate source that also confirmed the information.

So! The last we heard of Central Park Media was that they were considering suing Japanese BL publisher Libre. See, way back when, CPM licensed a whole bunch of popular yaoi titles from Biblos for their Be Beautiful line. Biblos later went bankrupt and was replaced by Libre, who now says that CPM’s licenses are invalid because they weren’t renegotiated, as all the other BL publishers did. CPM says they paid up-front for the licenses and that they’re still valid. Libre posted an announcement on their website denouncing CPM’s releases as being illegal, and some fans and retailers started boycotting CPM’s books (or at least the ones in question).

One of these licenses is the popular Finders series by Ayano Amane. According to the editor blog and comments from a Libre editor, who says in comment #481 that a plan to release the Finder series in English– even though CPM has released it in English, but it is (for the moment) out of print and very, very hard to find –is in the works. In #484, the editor says that a specific plan is in progress but that the details haven’t been finalized.

It’s not surprising to me that it took them this long to find a publisher willing to take on the Viewfinder manga. It seems to me that the manga companies generally aren’t especially hostile to each other, and whoever takes it on could wind up a target of a lawsuit from CPM– if CPM ever even gets around to suing Libre. And yes, it’s a VERY different situation from when, say, Bandai Entertainment snagged the Gurren Lagann rights or even manga license rescues from ADV; in those cases we can assume that the original contracts were voided, whereas in this case the validity of the contract is in question.

We’re already speculating on what publisher it could be; 801 Media (with their recent hints at a major license that could get them in trouble) seems the most obvious choice.

Moetron reports on an RPG featuring games by Capcom, Nippon Ichi, Bandai Namco, and a handful of other game pubs. The new RPG, called Xedge (pronounced Cross Edge) features two new characters, Yuuto Kanagi and Mikoto Aiba, who somehow cross paths with such video game classics as Darkstalkers‘ Felicia and Morrigan, Etona from Disgaea, plus people from games like Ar Tonelico and Atelier Marie. (Check out the Moetron article for the full list.)

Sounds a little bit like trying to bank on the crossover appeal that helped sell so many copies of Kingdom Hearts, but I’m willing to roll with it. Xedge is due out in September this year.