According to ANN:

The official Japanese website for the Shigofumi supernatural suspense anime has confirmed that the sixth episode (”Sakebi” or “Shout”) will be preempted by the Sun TV broadcasting station in central Japan. No explanation was given for the preemption. Sun TV serves the city of Kobe and the surrounding areas.

The first indication that the sixth episode would be preempted came when Sun TV ran the previous episode without a next-episode preview on Tuesday. The sixth episode would have aired on February 12 at 26:10 (effectively 2:10 a.m. the next morning). Instead, the station will skip this episode and air the seventh episode (”Kirameki” or “Glittering”) on February 19.

source: ANN

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Japanese anime officials want to work with fansub groups to eventually make fan subbed videos legal. If and when the fansub gods like Dattebayo do sell out… watching anime online won’t be cool any more. Free, legal, but not cool.

The Japanese government’s Task Force on Media Content Business and Japanese Brands published the fourth series of proposals from its content-planning working group on February 1. The proposals discussed “a comprehensive policy for promoting content in the digital age” — particularly, how to eventually legalize the content on Nico Nico Douga, YouTube, and other video-sharing sites. The working group suggested that it may be necessary to approach the illegal uploaders directly, so that Japan can formally approve these sites.

source: ANN photo: Dattebayo

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ANN says:

This year’s 11th issue (on sale on February 11) of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine will publish a special standalone short story for Tsugumi Ooba and Takeshi Obata’s Death Note manga in Japan. The announcement was made in the current issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, which was released on Monday. The 44-page story with color insert will describe an event after the end of the original series — specifically, the case of a new Kira. The return of the Death Note manga will mark the February 9 opening of L change the WorLd, the spinoff based on the two Death Note live-action films. The original run of the manga lasted from December of 2003 to May of 2006 in Japan, and Viz Media has released all twelve volumes in North America.

source: ANN photo: Yale Anime Society

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Here’s a snip of a post we’ve found about a court ruling against file-sharers in Singapore.

Odex Pt. Ltd is a Singapore-based company that distributes anime in South East Asia. Created in 1998 it started distributing anime in 2000, later with titles such as Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Mobile Suit Gundam and Chrono Crusade.

In 2007 a decision was made in the company to start targeting people who share their material via BitTorrent after they claimed their sales had dropped 60-70 percent in just 2 years. After using a tracking system to collect the IP addresses of sharers, they have successfully forced StarHub - an internet service provider - to reveal the identities of 1000 BitTorrent users they accuse of breaching their copyrights. It had previously forced the ISP SingNet to reveal its customers details.

In all fairness, StarHub did put up a fight to keep the privacy of its users but it was little use. According to StarHub spokesman Michael Sim, although the company originally said they had “an obligation to protect our customers’ information”, the pressure from the courts was too great. A court order against StarHub was obtained in a closed chamber session in the Subordinate Court which forces them to hand over their customer’s details.

That sux! We wonder what’s gonna happen next…

Thanks TorrentFreak, Protaku

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The guys at Tantei File launched an investigation to test if rumors are true that the Japanese police are stopping otakus and subjecting them to searches.

Tantei File sent Ozumi-san to the streets dressed up like an otaku. And as expected, he was searched by the police.

Previously, we’ve brought word of criminals hunting Japanese otaku. This time it’s the Japanese police who’s hunting them. Apparently, police in Shinjuku have been stopping people who look like otaku, aka NERDS, and subjecting them to spot checks. What do Japanese otaku look like? They come in all shapes and sizes, but the above chap does a nice job of playing the stereotype. In these spot checks, the police ask what your occupation is, examine your ID and sometimes go through your stuff.

A supposed police list describes what types of individuals cops should do spot checks on. Those individuals are:
•People wearing camouflage trousers or jackets
•People with chains or keys (hanging off trousers)
•People who look weak
•People wearing a bandana
•People wearing leather

[ source ] [ photo ]

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One of the top print anime magainzes is closing its covers for good… well sorta…

NewType USA’s February issue will be its last, according to news reports. In it’s place will be a new anime related magazine under the same publisher.

Representatives from NEWTYPE USA, one of the foremost anime magazines in North America, based on the widely popular Japanese counterpart, announced today that February’s issue of NEWTYPE, will be the last.

The magazine is expected to be replaced, however, under the same publisher.

The magazine was one of the first on the market meant specifically for the genre, and is notably famous for being unflipped (the front cover opens from the right), usually containing a DVD featuring previews of upcoming anime for release, typically over two hundered pages every issue (going way beyond what some anime magazines feature), and… its newsstand cover price.

[ link ] [ photo ]

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American viewers will be delighted to know that Nickelodeon will be airing two minute Domo-Kun animated shorts in 2008.

The ICv2 retail news source is reporting that the Nickelodeon television network will air the Domo series of animated shorts in America in the first quarter of 2007. The stop-motion anime, which is based on the Domo-kun mascot of the Japanese public broadcast NHK, consists of 26 two-minute episodes.

Link | Photo

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Sanrio is developing Hello Kitty products aimed for young men.

The cute cuddly white cat from Japan’s Sanrio Co., usually seen on toys and jewelry for girls and young women, will soon don T-shirts, bags, watches and other products targeting young men, company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu said Friday.

Link | Photo

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According to Genshikens website a new novel titled ‘Return of the Otaku’ is scheduled to be released in January 23rd 2008.

Thanks to SDS for the heads up on this: according to the recently updated Genshiken anime site, the tale of otaku life and love in a college “modern visual culture” club is set to receive novel treatment. Writing duty for the book’s original story has been passed to Iida Kazutoshi, director of independent game maker Artdink whose past work includes Doshin the Giant and Aquanaut’s Holliday. I’m not sure how this qualifies him to pen a Genshiken novel, but perhaps designing quirky niche games grants one mystical powers… the book is entitled Hainyuu Ranjin no Yabou ~Return of the OTAKU~ and is scheduled for release from Kodansha on January 23rd at 940 yen; the first part of the name translates roughly as “the ambition/treachery of the Dutch pilgrims”, which makes absolutely no sense to me at this point but will hopefully be clarified in due time. Shimoku Kio seems to have given the project his blessing, so I’ll probably pick the book up to see what all the fuss is about

Link

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Before you head out to Otaku Central - Akihabara to search for the latest doujin or figures, you should check out this interactive map provided by the guys at Akihabara Channel. This should help you find your way around Akihabara.

Link

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