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 twoscans 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.
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.
So the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni live-action film is coming out on May 10th, and a sequel has already been announced. So what are they going to do with Higurashi next? Are they going to let it lay low for a bit, or maybe even put the series to rest to work on something new?
HELL NO! They’re (tentatively) going to make a third season OVA-style, according to Moon Phase. It looks like more details are going to be available in the June issue of Megami, but it’s going to be called Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei.
In unrelated news: happy birthday to Japanator’s John Martone! Aaaand I’ll be back later today. I have to go to the DMV and update my driver’s license ’cause I moved. God only knows how long it’ll take. @_@ But I have a giant round-up coming after that, so stick around. ♥
Yeees, Moon Phase reports that a sequel to the live-action Higurashi no Naku Koro ni film is being made.
More will be announced at the Higurashi road show event on May 10th, and the announcement talks about whether the film’s mystery will be made public and to carefully enjoy the new movie.
Remember how GONZO released a Tower of DruagaMMORPG as well as the anime?
Well, it looks like they’re expanding their gaming revolution: they just issued a press release announcing that they’re partnering with Gamania Digital Entertainment to release their MMO Pandora Saga in China, including Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong. (The Druaga MMO is still Japan-only, or at least Japanese-only, as far as I can tell).
I also noticed that the press release mentions that Gamania releases games in Korea, the home of about ten million different MMOs, so I wonder if that’s a possibility, too? Meanwhile, they don’t care about the US. (Not that MMORPGs are really my thing anyway.)
The answer? They’re both cancelled for safety concerns. Ha!
…Okay, not really funny. But according to the Mainichi, a threatening letter has gotten a Pokemon event cancelled. And not just the one mentioned in the letter, which was to happen in Tokyo, but also the ones in Nagoya and Fukuoka.
I found it interesting, since Japan Probe reported that the Nagano Olympic torch event has been cancelled as well, due to safety concerns– this time because of demonstrators protesting against China’s treatment of Tibet, which have caused problems at torch events around the world.
This video is only safe for work if panty shots are allowed at your work!
You know, the expression “I like 2D girls better!” gets kind of confusing when you start having 3D animation, eh? A new ‘game’ called 3D Custom Shoujo (link decidedly NSFW) made me think of it. And no, it’s not a make-your-own-shoujo-manga program.
Instead you can make your own custom anime girl. Give her the hair, eyes, outfit, and accessories (…wings? bandages? armor?) you find hot, and it’ll let you conduct a sex scene with her and a slightly transparent, single-color male body. Or with just herself. I can’t tell if you can make two girls have sex with each other, though…but I AM downloading the demo. The full game comes out June 13th!
Computer programmer and illustrator of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni novel anthologies Meguru Ishii was arrested today in Kanagawa, according to the Yomiuri (and handily translated by Canned Dogs, whose translation popped up just as I was looking into the doujinshika).
Apparently Ishii was arrested for committing indecent acts with a 15-year-old girl at least four times in November and December. Rumor has it he also convinced another female fan to give him ¥150,000 (about $1500 USD). As Zepy points out, with Higurashi being blamed for all sorts of things, it’ll be interesting to see how the Japanese media play this.
Like Soul Eater so far? IGN reports that Square Enix has announced a game based on the manga, titled Soul Eater: Monotone Princess. It’ll be an action/adventure game for the Wii.
Also in video game news, Destructoid rejoices over a release date for Final Fantasy IV’s DS remake: July 22nd. Huzzah! Now maybe I should go back and finish up FFIII…
Apparently somewhere along the line I missed out on word that the eroge Koihime Musou is being developed into a TV anime, and its official website has opened.
The game follows a high school boy who gets sucked into a Romance of the Three Kingdoms-esque world when trying to catch a thief. There he joins forces with a female warrior, and together they screw a dozen or so women unite the world. Or something?
Anyway, it’s supposed to air in July, and it’s being directed by Sumomomo Momomo and Kashimashi director Nobuaki Nakanishi, so it’ll probably be good fun.
