The Wallflower manga to be made into TV drama

From Anime News Network:

This year's 18th issue of Kodansha' Bessatsu Friend magazine has announced on Friday that a television drama series based on Tomoko Hayakawa's The Wallflower (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge) manga has been green-lit for a January premiere. The story follows four teenaged "pretty boys" who are invited to stay at a posh mansion, free of charge—provided they can transform the owner's standoffish, weird niece into a proper young lady. More details about the drama version will be published in future issues of Bessatsu Friend.

The manga has been running in Bessatsu Friend since 2000, and 24 compiled book volumes have been published so far. Del Rey will publish the 22nd volume in North America next January. The story has already been adapted into a 2006-2007 25-episode television anime series, which ADV Films released on DVD.

Reina Tanaka to get own anime series

From Hello! Online:

"Modeled after Morning Musume's Tanaka Reina, the on going 4 square manga series "Kaito Reinya" (Phantom Thief Reinya) that's currently serialized in "Shoukan The Television", "Gekkan The Televsion", "Gekkan Newtype", "Shounen Ace", "Comptiq" is finally being made into an anime! It has been decided to premier beginning January 2010 on KBC TV (Kyuushu Asahi Housou)!"

More at link!

Ai Kago gives tips for living and studying in America

Ai Kago has a section at navi ROAD with tips on how to deal with being sick, ordering food, shopping, and etc. while living abroad.

CLICK HERE

Susan Boyle to sing Eagle Talon anime fim theme song

From Anime News Network:

Susan Boyle, the 48-year-old Scottish woman who became globally famous after performing on the television competition Britain's Got Talent, is singing the theme song for next January's Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume The Movie 3 ~http://takanotsume.jp wa Eien ni~ anime film. The film is the third one based on the Flash-animated Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume gag comedy television shorts from the animator FROGMAN. The story follows the Eagle Talon secret society and its bumbling attempts to take over the world.

Boyle gained international attention after her televised cover of Les Misérables stage musical's "I Dreamed a Dream" song spread like wildfire across the Internet in April. The YouTube website alone has served up the video over 300 million times. The same song will be the theme song of the third Eagle Talon film, and it will serve as the title track for Boyle's first album in Japan on November 25.

Crunchyroll Adds Yumeiro Pâtissière Pastry-Baking Anime

From Anime News Network:

The Crunchyroll media-distribution website has announced on Friday that it will begin simulcasting the Yumeiro Pâtissière (Dream-Colored Pastry Chef) pastry-baking anime series on November 8. The anime adapts Natsumi Matsumoto's shōjo manga about a 14-year-old girl named Ichigo Amano (Aoi Yūki) who wants to be a pâtissière (female pastry chef), but is stymied by her own clumsiness. One day, she enrolls in St. Mary Academy, a culinary school for sweets, and meets a "spirit of sweets."

Director Ko Suzuki and Studio Pierrot premiered this anime in Japanese television on October 4. Crunchyroll's video streams will be available in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates. Crunchyroll's subscribed Anime Members can see each new episode, in 720-line progressive resolution, within one hour of its Japanese premiere. Other users can see the same episode in standard definition for free one week later.

Yumeiro Pâtissière, episode 1

夢色パティシエール (2009)

Ichigo Amano is pretty average. Her looks don't really stand out, she can't play any sports and doesn't do very well in school. Even though she and her younger sister, Natsume, have been taking piano lessons, only Natsume excels at it enough to win an award. While attending one of her sister's concerts, she comes across a sweets festival and eats a slice of cake that tastes eerily familiar. When Ichigo confronts the one who made it, she comes to find a Frenchman named Henri Lucas. It turns out her recently deceased grandmother attended the St. Marie school in Paris, where she learned to be a Patissiere. Not only that, "Madame Michiko" was quite famous, and Henri is further impressed that Ichigo was able to identify such a thing with just one bite. He encourages her to enroll in the Japanese division of the school. Remembering the declaration she made as a little girl that she would be a Patissiere too, she becomes determined to do so.

Trigun movie coming in Spring 2010

From Anime News Network:

The official website for the Trigun the Movie project has opened on Friday with an announcement of the movie's opening in spring of 2010.

The story is set in Makka, a town surrounded by quicksand. With rumors spreading that the legendary robber Gasback has his sights set on the town, the mayor Kepler has brought together bounty-hunters to protect the town. These bounty hunters have been following Gasback from town to town in hopes of bagging the prize. Meryl and Milly, two characters previously seen in Yasuhiro Nightow's manga and the later television anime series, have come to town to assess the situation as insurance agents, but are shocked by this turn of events. Moreover, Vash the Stampede is also in town, along with the female bounty hunter Ameria and the fan-favorite character Wolfwood.

Fans of MST3k do their own projects

Some fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 took it upon themselves to personally riff movies and old shorts that the people behind the show never did or could. Check them out!

1000 Huzzahs

CapperMSTing

Fun With Shorts

Maintenance Science Theater 3000

Media Center Theater

Soiled Shortz

Video footage of Anne Frank, only one in existance

This is absolutely chilling!

Sims 2 'The Secret Show' Photoshoot

Featuring Victor, Anita, and their twin kids, Vic and Andy.

Made in China by Reed Darmon

This book features colorful ads and merchandise illustrations from the early 1900s to as recent as the 1980s. It's a fascinating look into Chinese culture and displays how much delicate work was put into something even as simple as a box of matches. I highly recommend it!

Buy HERE!

Live action Barbie movie in the works

From Variety:

Universal Pictures has added Barbie to its star stable.

The studio has made a deal with Mattel to build a live action film around its signature toy line. Studios are placing a premium on building films around well-known concepts. Universal brass feels it has landed the queen of globally branded toy figures.

Laurence Mark will produce.
According to Mattel, the 50-year old Barbie has 99% worldwide brand awareness, is the number one girls property in the toy industry, the top doll property in the U.S. and the number one worldwide property in the traditional toy industry.

“Barbie is the most famous doll in history, a unique cultural icon in the world of brands,” said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. “So many representations of Barbie frequent pop culture, but never before has she been brought to life in a motion picture. We’re grateful to Mattel for entrusting us with this extraordinary opportunity.”

More at link!

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 13

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

The march into summertime is approaching, and while Comet's host mom prepares her store for the new season, Keisuke is also training to be a lifeguard. But in the middle of practice, he trips and injures his leg. Comet was witness to the whole thing, and tries to help, but Keisuke stubbornly refuses treatment. So, Comet enchants his bike, bringing him right into the doctor's waiting room. But the injury is more serious than Keisuke assumed, and he can't really use his leg for a week. But he has to get ready for the beach to open for the summer, so that just won't do! Can Comet help him heal in time so his dream won't be ruined?

New items in my mom's Etsy shop

Etsy Buy Handmade shesuchacard

Kusumi Koharu to graduate from Morning Musume

More information and statements from Tsunku and Kusumi herself here!

Kirarin Revolution, volume 8

-Hiroto and Izumi have some filming to do at a hot springs resort, and Kirari sneaks along disguised as a crew member. She can't just leave him alone with Izumi! While there, with a prompting from an elderly woman, Kirari signs up for a kimono modeling contest. When Izumi finds out, she joins in on the contest and attempts to sabotage Kirari from winning; because if she did, as per a deal she makes with Kirari, Izumi would have to leave Hiroto alone.
-Izumi isn't a she - she is a he! And Hiroto knows him very well. His real name is Izumi Hyoutarou, and Hiroto and himself were childhood friends. Hiroto once made a promise to Izumi that they would start a duo pop group together, but that was obviously broken after Izumi's family moved away. He decided to go under the guise of a girl and become famous to get close to Hiroto again. But just because he is no longer a threat to Kirari physically, it doesn't mean he won't keep trying to win Hiroto's heart.
-Kirari has been asked to draw a comic for a magazine, but as with everything else she tries to hand make, she can only draw mushrooms. Enchanted with a mangaka she sees on TV, she decides to go to the woman for help. But the life of a mangaka is no party, as she quickly learns. It drains away the hours and fun in your life, making you tired and haggard. Can Kirari make the poor woman feel happy again?

Nozomi Tsuji sings song for Kiwi commercial

Tsuji is singing a song called "Bokutachi ZESUPURI KIWII Da ne" for Zespri Kiwi. If you visit the official website you'll find clips of the commercial, along with a link to buy the song on iTunes.

Zespri Kiwi

Yet more of gamers playing games...

If you like to watch people playing/reviewing, and/or love to learn about the world of video games, check these out:

2-Bit Gaming

Classic Gaming Room

CornshaqGaming

Famicom Dojo

Hello Project's Tsunku makes voice acting debut

From Anime News Network:

Not-So-Daily Link of the Day: Tsunku♂, the Hello Project producer best known for assembling the Morning Musume female idol group, is making his voice-acting debut in the anime adaptation of Tomoko Nishimura's Gokujō!! Mecha Mote Iinchō high school romance manga. He is playing Nijūkyu-sensei, the advisor of Musashino Moriyama Academy's light music club. (The Television magazine posted side-by-side pictures of Tsunku♂ and his character.) In the story, Mimi Kitagami is a kind, level-headed girl who aims to be the best, coolest student council president of her high school class. However, three trouble-making boys are always causing her grief — and she has a one-sided crush on one of the boys, Ushio Tōjō.

In addition to being a character in the anime, "Nijūkyu-sensei" is credited with composing the "Mecha Mote I Love You," "Kirei ni Naritai," "Daisuki ni Nare—!" and "Kokoro Kimi ni Todoke" theme songs. Tsunku♂ is the actual composer of these songs. The songs' performance are credited to "MM Gakuen Gasshō-bu" (Musashino Moriyama Academy Choral Group), Mimi Kitagami (voice actress Mana Ogawa), and MM3 (the characters Ushio, Ao Nishizaki, and Namito Nagumo as played by voice actors Ryo Oshima, Ryutaro Abe, and Tomohiro Watanabe, respectively).

After his dialogue post-recording session, Tsunku said that the voice-acting stint was basically his first job outside his usual work in the music business and was most fascinating. Tsunuku played the character with an accent from the Kansai region south of Tokyo.

Tsunku assembled Morning Musume from the finalists of the televised auditions for his own rock band, Sharan Q. In addition to producing Morning Musume and other musical acts under the Hello Project umbrella name, Tsunku♂ once sang several hit songs for Sharan Q, such as DNA²'s "Single Bed" and Orphen's "Ai Just on my Love" and "Kimi Wa Majutsushi." He also composed and wrote music for Hyakko, Kirarin Revolution, Patalliro Saiyuki, School Rumble: 2nd Semester, and Yo-Yo Girl Cop. (Some of these anime- and manga-related projects feature current members and alumni of Hello Project.) He appeared at Anime Expo this past July.

Japan's video, anime sales drop furthur

From Anime News Network:

On Tuesday, the Japan Video Software Association announced its survey results on Japanese video software sales for the first half of 2009. The overall market, which includes DVDs, Blu-ray Discs (BDs), UMDs, and video cassettes, amounted to 127.731 billion yen (about US$1.381 billion). That is 90.3% of the sales in the same period last year — a drop of almost a full tenth in sales. Despite its declining sales, the DVD format is still the overwhelming bellwether with 93.1% of the video software market.

The sales of Japanese animation DVDs for general audiences was 22.447 billion yen (US$242.6 million), or 91.2% of the sales in the same period last year. This is the latest annual drop in the segment; sales in the first half of 2008 had been 88.1% of the sales in the first half of 2007. Still, anime continues to be the largest segment of overall DVD sales, with 30.4% of the yen spent and 24.1% of the raw number of releases sold. However, less anime DVDs were rented — 88.1% of last year's total.

Now that last year's Blu-ray Disc/HD DVD format war is a fading memory, BD sales jumped 386.8% to 8.443 billion yen (US$91.2 million). 1,744,105 copies were sold — an increase of 312%. BDs now represent 6.6% of the overall video software market by yen spent, and 4.5% by copies sold. Anime dominated BD sales with a 56.6% share; last year, it was only 20.9% of the market. However, only 32.7% of the BDs rented were anime.