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!

Moetron reports that an OVA of Lucky Star, the very successful anime adaptation of Kagami Yoshimizu’s 4koma strip, will be announced in the next issue of Comptiq (L*S’s home magazine). (If you’re wondering about what it says about Type-Moon in that image, it says it’s going to have some details about their new project.)

Also, the issue is going to have Lucky Star magnets. *Adds to her amazon.co.jp to-buy list* ♥

Bandai Entertainment’s sneaky marketing people are at it again– check out the Bandai Entertainment website, which promises a giant announcement in about 20 minutes and also has a little history of BE. The announcement is also being made at Kawaii-Con in Hawaii by BE president Ken Iyadomi. What will it be?

Actually I’ve already heard along the grapevine, and people, this is big. Keep reloading and I will let you know as soon as I can. Did I mention this is BIG? Yeah.

Meanwhile we’re doing a bit of a Q&A while waiting for technical difficulties to be resolved– the Geass manga is probably going to be released in August, around when they start releasing the DVDs of the anime. He doesn’t know what kind of editing Geass will get on Adult Swim, but probably nothing too dramatic. (Probably just the table-humping…)

Just asked about the Eureka Seven movie, which they actually co-produced, so while they haven’t set anything official they would most likely be involved in the movie’s release in North America.

Someone just asked if Bandai Visual USA’s bad rep with fans in the US causes any trouble for Bandai Entertainment, which Rob Napton (who’s hosting the panel, did I mention?) says isn’t really the case– though both companies get questions for the other.

We has Geass DVD specs! There will be limited edition version of each disc, the first of which includes a box, the soundtrack, and the first manga, plus a sound episode CD and the first two discs for $74.98 There is also a bundle pack which will come with the first two discs (9 episodes) and a box for $39.99, and the regular edition will also be $24.98 per five-ep disc. The rest of the first season will come out in two-disc, 9-episode chunks.

And we finally have sound, huzzah! Which means we move into trailers, eh. Geass first, then Lucky Star. You know how Lucky Star comes with a t-shirt with the uniforms? Yeah, the rest include the cheerleader outfit, male and female uniforms, school swimsuit, etc.

Moving on…Ghost Slayers Ayashi, which premiered at Sakura Con. It’s being released with a really fancy collector box, and they also have the manga of the series (new announcement!) starting September 2nd. The collector box will come with the manga and a 16-page guidebook and the first ten episodes. Similarly, there will be a bundle box release for $39.98 with the first ten, and then you can also buy the DVDs individually for $24.98 for five eps.

In the meantime, one of the announcements has already been leaked: it’s Gundam 00, which isn’t terribly surprising, but still spiffy to hear. They’re also working on a TV broadcast.

And the next big announcement is…Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Sorry ADV! Yes, I’m serious, Bandai Entertainment has snatched away the Gurren Lagann license. They’ll start releasing it in July, August, and September, three months in a row. It will also be sub-only for that release; a dub version will be released in 2009. Here is a teaser site for TTGL, btw. And the actual, official site too. Don’t worry; I’ll get to questions about whether they’ll use the same cast/dub and what kind of release they’ll be doing.

Three 9-episode chunks for Gurren Lagann; no license for the movie just yet. For the dub they’re starting completely over, so you can scrap those ADV dub cast lists entirely. The sub version will probably be fairly bare-bones, with more special features and stuff available for the dub version. Nothing concrete for possible digital distro for the series.

Yarrrr! That’s pretty much it. I kinda spaced on most of the Q&A because it’s mostly not very new.

Chuosha has announced that a manga version of Gonzo’s Tower of DRUAGA ~the Aegis of URUK~ is being developed. It was originally going to run in Kadokawa’s Ace Assault shounen mangabon, but it’s apparently been moved to Comptiq (home of Lucky Star).

The manga will begin in the July issue of the magazine (on sale June 10th), and it will be created by Makoto2, who did the art for the Rental Magika manga (pictured), as well as Tales of Destiny’s manga and 4koma.

Yes, indeedy: the same day that Code Geass is set to premiere on Adult Swim, Bandai Entertainment has announced that they’ll host a free screening of the first two episodes of both Geass and Lucky Star at the ImaginAsian Theater in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to selling swag in the lobby, they’ll also be doing some giveaways, and voice actors will be on hand for autographs: Wendee Lee and Kari Wahlgren (Konata and Kagami, respectively, from Lucky Star) and Steve Blum, who plays Tohdoh in Geass.

The screening’s free but first-come-first-serve, April 26th from 1-3pm. Alas, I won’t be there, so I’ll just sit here and be jealous of whoever does go.

A press release announcing NYCC’s anime-related guests and events is being circulated. First up is T.M.REVOLUTION, aka Takanori Nishikawa, who you may know for performing on the soundtracks of Rurouni Kenshin, Gundam SEED, and Gundam SEED Destiny.

Need more? How about some premieres? Code Geass, Lucky Star, Victorian Romance Emma, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Amuri in Star Ocean will all premiere at NYCC.

I’m willing to bet that the premieres of Geass and Lucky Star will be dubbed; Emma is a sub-only release to begin with so there is no dub. For The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I have no idea; ditto for Amuri. (If you noticed that all of these premieres are Bandai Entertainment except for Amuri and Emma, bonus points for yoU!)

The rest of the press release is right here.

Everyone loves– or loves to hate –Itsuki Koizumi, the slick-as-grease esper of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. So here he is, in all his glory. Glories. Whatever. Yes, it’s standard Itsuki, school play!Itsuki, schoolgirl!Itsuki, and Lucky Star schoolgirl!Itsuki starring in a not-very-well-timed but still pretty hilarious take on Motteke! Sailor Fuku. (Keep an eye out for school swimsuit!Itsuki.)

Secondary source: SWF Blog

It’s a battle of the cities between Washinomiya and Satte, who are duking it out over Lucky Star fans. Washinomiya has the advantage of already having attracted visitors prior to announcing that they would try to, and now they’re stepping things up with a “Lucky Star’s Brunch” event at a local restaurant.

The seiyuu who play Lucky Channel’s Minoru and Akira will be in attendance, as well as Kagami and Tsukasa’s seiyuu.

I wanna go. They better be serving chocolate cornets.

Remember how Washinomiya gave in to the Lucky Star fandom and started selling cell phone charms? Well, now the city of Satte, which is where Lucky Star lead Konata lives, is apparently proposing to do the same thing.