PR: Ranma 1/2 Anime Coming To Limited Edition Blu-Ray Release

© Rumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan

VIZ MEDIA RELEASES CLASSIC RANMA ½ ANIME SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIGH DEFINITION IN A NEW LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY BOX SET

One Of Anime Genre’s Greatest Titles Returns This Month In New

3-Disc Blu-ray And DVD Sets That Feature The Celebrated Series, Plus An Array Of Special Bonus Features

San Francisco, CA, March 17, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, is proud to announce the March 25^th release of the first of seven sets of the venerable RANMA ½ anime series as a special new Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set and also as a Standard Edition DVD Set.

For the first time, all RANMA ½ episodes will be presented in their original Japanese series order. The Blu-ray Box Set carries an MSRP of $54.97 (U.S. / CAN) and features a special 3-disc set containing the first 23-episodes of the acclaimed martial arts action comedy, presented in full 1080p High Definition resolution for the first time, taken straight from the original Japanese Blu-ray masters giving fans the original, un-cropped 4:3 aspect ratio. The Standard DVD Edition is available with an MSRP of $44.82 (U.S. / CAN). RANMA ½ is rated TV-14.

Manga Reviews: Kamisama Kiss, Strobe Edge

Today in super small manga reviews, a human-turned-kami watches her supernatural entourage grow by leaps and bounds while a young woman struggles with her feelings for a guy who is beyond her reach (or is he?).

Spoiler alert: post contains spoilers for Kamisama Kiss volumes 2 through 5 and Strobe Edge volumes 6 and 7.

Kamisama Kiss (Julietta Suzuki): Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity!

Where has this supernatural shojo series been all my life? Oh, right, in Japan. After marathoning through all of these volumes over the span of so many hours, I absolutely 100% adore it. I especially adore Nanami, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite shojo heroines in recent years. Meanwhile, we have Tomoe, her perfect foil, who soon becomes the object of her sudden and new affections.

Manga Review: Time Stranger Kyoko GN 1

Time Stranger Kyoko volume 1
Author: Arina Tanemura
Viz Media/Shojo Beat
200 pages

Kyoko Suomi is the princess of Earth in the 30th century. Kyoko lives among the commoners, unwilling to reveal her true identity and ascend the throne. The king will allow Kyoko to live as she pleases if she can revive her twin sister Ui, who has been trapped in time since birth.

As Kyoko's 16th birthday approaches, crowds are rioting as Kyoko refuses to present herself to her subjects. But in order to revive Ui, she must find 12 holy stones and 12 telepaths to move the clock that has stopped time for her sister.(Source: Viz Media)

Having finished Sakura Hime, I got the hankering for more Arina Tanemura, so I turned to her three-volume series Time Stranger Kyoko. Like Sakura Hime, Kyoko is a shojo manga about a young woman who is a princess with unusual powers that must use them to save those close to her and reveal her own destiny. Unlike Sakura Hime, however, it lacks true depth and is crowded with characters who have yet to reveal their usefulness. But hey, at least it's fun!

The story itself isn't terribly challenging, but it is interesting. Kyoko must use time travel to find twelve stones and twelve matching telepaths in order to awaken her twin sister? Yeah, all right, why not?

Wednesday Briefs: Whatever Happens, Happens

You thought it was over, you thought it was done, but this newest Wednesday Brief has only begun! I've started another multi part story for this Wednesday, and yes it's LOST, but the thing about this one is, I have no idea what direction it will take or how long it will be! But we'll have fun exploring the possibilities of this brave new LOST world together! 

I'm having too much fun playing in Abrams' fictional island 'verse to stop, really. I hope I can do the original characters due justice.

Constants and Variables (Part 1/?): LOST, Desmond Hume-centric, PG-13, prompt - "take the initiative, VW bus"

Canon note: Takes place during season five of LOST, albeit an AU take on said events in episode six, "316". It's actually ridiculously AU because it fucks with two major plot points, one involving Desmond and one involving Daniel, both of which will become evident as soon as the story kicks into gear. Spoilers for the rest of season five lie within. Eventual Desmond/Daniel and implied Juliet/Sawyer & Jack/Kate.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

There are (at least) two separate realities for Desmond Hume.

Interesting Vocaloid PV Of The Day

Heard of OSTER Project? She's a member of the always growing Vocaloid fandom, the kind that creates their own original content using the Vocaloid software and voice banks. She's been making music out of Miku Hatsune's voice since 2007 and is very active in the doujinshi music fandom. Judging by her discography, OSTER Project has been ridiculously productive, and 2014 has been no different for her.

This year, OSTER Project has released a new album, "Attractive Museum", which includes fourteen tracks of sweet Vocaloid jams. The CD jacket art is by artist Y-oji, who has become a regular contributor with OP over the years. He also made the art for the below PV of one of the songs off of "Attractive Museum", which can be watched below.

Y'all like Wizard of Oz, right? How about a 20-minute Vocaloid PV based on it?

I think I'll be checking out some of the other tracks from OSTER Project's latest album. How about y'all?