New 'Mobile Suit Gundam SEED' Film Confirmed for Release

In a long-awaited announcement, Bandai Namco has officially confirmed the production of an all-new Mobile Suit Gundam SEED movie. Initially mentioned in 2006, the film has now been given a green light and is scheduled to be released within the current fiscal year, concluding by March 2024.

This highly-anticipated movie is an integral part of the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Project Ignited initiative, which was launched in 2021. It will join the ranks of the 20th-anniversary festivities for the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series, which already includes an exciting new game and a captivating side-story manga.

Renowned director Mitsuo Fukuda, known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, has confirmed that the upcoming film will seamlessly continue the story from where Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY (2004-2005) left off. Stay tuned for further updates on this thrilling development surrounding the new Mobile Suit Gundam SEED movie.

The original Mobile Suit Gundam Seed anime series aired from 2002 to 2003, followed by its sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, which ran from 2004 to 2005. In 2006, a three-part anime project called Mobile Suit Gundam Seed C.E.73: Stargazer was released. During the Sony Music Anime Festival '06, a film project for Gundam Seed was announced in May of the same year.

Sadly, Chiaki Morosawa, the esteemed head scriptwriter for both Gundam Seed series, passed away at the age of 56 in 2016. Morosawa had been working in collaboration with her husband, the director of the two Gundam Seed television series, on the planned Gundam Seed film project. In 2008, Morosawa had revealed that the plot for the film project had been finalized. However, due to her declining health since the conclusion of Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny's sequel in 2005, progress on the project had been affected.

 

Kōichi Yamadera, Yui Horie Join Cast of My Hero Academia Anime as Gentle, La Brava

The end of the 80th episode of the My Hero Academia anime revealed two more cast members on Saturday for the show's fourth season. Both characters will debut in the 81st episode on February 15. Kōichi Yamadera (Cowboy Bebop's Spike, Evangelion's Ryoji Kaji) as Gentle Criminal.

The second half of the anime's fourth season, which focuses on the School Festival arc that began in the manga's 19th volume, debuted on January 25. KANA-BOON are performing the new opening theme song "Star Marker," and Ryokuōshoku Shakai are performing the new ending song "Shout Baby." The fourth season premiered in Japan on October 12. Funimation, Hulu, and Crunchyroll are streaming the season as it airs in Japan. The show premiered on Toonami on November 9. The season will have a total of 25 episodes (episodes 64 through 88 of the overall anime). The first half of the fourth season covered the manga's Hero Intern arc that began in the 14th volume. Images via My Hero Academia anime's Twitter account

New Kingdom Hearts Mobile Game Settles on Extremely Normal Title

Last week, Square Enix tasked Kingdom Hearts fans with figuring out the title to the next mobile entry in the series, codenamed Project Xehanort. Even that promotional move makes it sound like Square is well aware of how goofy the series' naming conventions have been in the past, so we were bracing for something truly absurd. Well then, what did we end up with?

Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road.  Seriously? That's the most normal title the series has outside of the mainline roman numeral sequels! Apparently this free-to-play game with in-app purchases, of course will follow a young Xehanort when it launches on iOS and Android devices around the world. Square Enix plans to unveil more info in the middle of February. If you're current on Kingdom Hearts, be sure to check out our recent post-mortem after the events of the Re:Mind DLC. 

First Prequel Short Episode to Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna Film Streamed

Toei Animation's official YouTube channel has started streaming a six-minute episode "Sore he / To Sora," the first episode of DIGIMON ADVENTURE 20th memorial story. The prequels to the upcoming all-new anime film Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna were originally produced as the reward for the supporters of the crowdfunding for the TV anime's 20th-anniversary project, and were screened at the pop-up store in Shibuya PARCO in Tokyo.

This first episode focuses on Sora Takenouchi (CV: Suzuko Mimori): "Over ten years have passed since that initial adventure. Sora worries over what she should do with her future. What choice has she ultimately arrived at?"

Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna, the Digimon franchise's 20th-anniversary film's story is set in 2010, when the protagonist Taichi Yagami has become a college student, while other members of The DigiDestined have lived their own lives. The Tomohisa Taguchi (Kino's Journey the Beautiful World the Animated Series)-durected film is set to be released in Japan on February 21, 2020.

Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Complete Series Review

Recent years have seen a trend in reincarnation-themed anime wherein the stories revolve around a main character who inexplicably dies and ends up being transported to another world, whether fantastical or, in the case of Youjo Senki (the light novel series by Carlo Zen on which this series is based) a world closer to ours, set against a sadly familiar backdrop of war.  Saga of Tanya the Evil sees a Japanese salaryman being reborn as an orphaned child known as Tanya Degurechaff, a young girl who becomes their unlikely vessel as they end up enlisting as a soldier, quickly working their way up the ranks to major, thanks to a ruthless yet strategic approach to warfare. Their reincarnation is overseen by an entity known as “Being X” who gives Tanya an ultimatum to either die a natural death or find faith in their new life or else end up in hell for their sins committed when living as an everyday salaryman. Being X occasionally makes appearances to verbally spar with Tanya and force their hand.

It makes for the rare occasions that Tanya cannot intimidate or manipulate their way out of a situation. The concept is fascinating in that it gives way to the bleak imagery of war. There are often scenes of frantic boardroom meetings where military minds formulate plans and worry about the future stability of their nation set against the backdrop of a building draped in red, evoking an aura of World War I, with some elements of World War II also. A key difference in this world is the inclusion of futuristic elements found in the technological capabilities of the soldiers. For instance, instead of dogfighting in the air in planes, soldiers take to the skies and spar in hover boots or motorbike-esque vehicles. Character-wise, the supporting cast feels a bit underdeveloped, aside from Viktoriya who is given a tragic backstory with her father and an unlikely friendship with Tanya. Some of the characters are literal cannon fodder in the story, though the main appeal of the series is Tanya themselves. Their personality and overall aura is darkly humorous, especially in their desire to complete their work as a soldier as effectively and efficiently as possible, killing whoever stands in their way without much of a second thought, all whilst possessing the doll-like body of a seemingly innocent child. It’s with this facade that Tanya is able to deceive those around her when necessary, whether it’s playing coy and acting sweet or distilling fear into any who defy her with just a glance, catching them off-guard in the process. It’s a multi-faceted approach to survival that makes Tanya an engaging lead to watch and witness their highs and lows. On a side note, all of this just makes their chibi appearance in Isekai Quartet even more humorous.

Violet Evergarden and Millennium Actress Head to Glasgow Film Festival

Glasgow Film Festival have announced that Kyoto Animation’s Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Automemory Doll and Satoshi Kon’s iconic Millennium Actress will be screened at this year’s festival in March, with thanks to Anime Limited. This festival will mark the UK premiere of Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Automemory Doll, which was first released in Japan in September 2019, and directed by Taichi Ishidate, who helmed the original anime.

The Glasgow Film Festival website describes the film as follows: An all-new story following on from the stunning and emotional animated masterpiece from Kyoto Animation, Violet Evergarden. Isabella, the heir to a noble house, attends a school for well-groomed young women under a ‘contract’ with her father. To her, this beautiful place where white camellias bloom is nothing more than a prison. Having resigned all hope and expectations for her future, Isabella meets her new manners teacher, Violet Evergarden. (Trailer produced for Australian theatrical release). Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Automemory Doll is recommended for ages 12 and up, will be screened on Sunday 1st March 2020 (20:30) and Monday 2nd March 2020 (15:45).The 1st March screening will also be followed by a Q&A Yui Ishikawa, the voice of Violet. You can book tickets from the film’s festival page from 30th January (GFF members) or 12pm on 3rd February (general public). Anime Limited additionally confirmed that they have UK rights for the film, and a placeholder page for the title has already been discovered on Netflix, who released the series.