Black Butler's Jack the Ripper Arc Gets Stage Musical

Yūya Matsushita, Nayuta Fukuzaki star in manga's 3rd musical in September, October

---

The official website for Musical Kuroshitsuji ―Chi ni Moeru Licorice― (Musical Black Butler: Licorice that Burns in the Ground), the third musical adaptation of Yana Toboso's supernatural manga Black Butler, launched on Saturday. The musical will adapt the manga's Jack the Ripper arc and run in Tokyo's Roppongi Blue Theater from September 5 to September 23. The musical will then run in Osaka's Umeda Arts Theater in the Theater Drama City hall from October 2 to October 5.

The 24-year-old singer Yūya Matsushita will reprise his role as Sebastian Michaelis, while 13-year-old actor Nayuta Fukuzaki (Tonbi live-action television series) will star as Ciel Phantomhive. Former Takarazuka Revue all-female acting troupe member Akane Liv will play Madam Red, and Prince of Tennis musical performer Motohiro Ōta will play Charles Grey. Sengoku Basara stage play actor Yūsuke Hirose will play Charles Phipps. D☆DATE pop music unit member and actor Hirofumi Araki will debut in the musical. Yuka Terasaki will take over Saki Matsuda's role as Mey-Rin.

Returning cast members include:

Takeuya Uehara as Grell Sutcliff
Yoshihide Sasaki as Viscount Druitt
Teruma as William T. Spears
Noboru Washio as Baldroy
Takuya Kawaharada as Finnian
Shun Takagi as Fred Aberline
Takeshi Terayama as Sharp Hanks
Shūhei Izumi as Undertaker

Nobuhiro Mōri (Kamen Rider Gaim) is directing off scripts by Yoshiko Iseki (Hunter X Hunter's Pakunoda).

Tickets for the Tokyo performances will cost 8,500 yen (about US$83) and go on sale on July 29. Tickets for the Osaka performances will cost 8,800 yen (US$86) and go on sale on August 3.

Sono Shitsuji, Yūkō (That Butler, Friendship), the first Black Butler musical, ran in Tokyo in 2009. The second musical, Musical Kuroshitsuji- The Most Beautiful DEATH in The World- Sen no Tamashii to Ochita Shinigami (Musical Black Butler: The Most Beautiful Death in The World – A Thousand Souls and The Fallen Grim Reaper) debuted in 2010 and had a second run in Tokyo in May 2013 and in Osaka in June 2013.

The original manga revolves around a noble English boy named Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaels, Ciel's butler who is more than he seems. The manga already inspired a television anime series in 2008, a television anime sequel in 2010, several original video anime, and a live-action film. The manga is also inspiring the Black Butler: Book of Circus television series that will premiere on July 10.

Source:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-06-07/black-butler-jack-the-ripper-arc-gets-stage-musical/.75299

http://www.mangabigbang.co.uk/

Online manga class via video conference!

6 Obscure Anime Series Lost in Time

The List

6 Obscure Anime Series Lost in Time

by Lynzee Lamb

The current anime streaming market-to-home-video format means North American audiences have quick and easy access to almost every show, every season. In days of yore, this was far from standard and many series went under the radar, never to resurface. This week's list looks at one series from each staple genre with a few qualifying points: it aired on television in Japan, it was never fully released legally in English, fansubs are not readily available, and it ran at least one cour (often much, much more).

6. Hana no Ko Lunlun (Magical Girl) Anime Sols has had moderate success bringing lesser known or older magical girl series to the forefront. Others, like Hana no Ko Lunlun are still wallowing in obscurity. The story follows French orphan girl Lunlun who teams up with a talking dog and cat to help them find a magical flower. The late 70s series got very limited exposure stateside under the title Angel by ZIV International who produced two episodes cut from multiple Japanese episodes.

5. Pro Golfer Saru (Sports) The comedic sports series has an impressive pedigree. The original manga was helmed by Motoo Abiko a.k.a. Doraemon'sFujiko Fujio A. Saru, who like his namesake is reminiscent of a monkey, has honed his golf skills by practicing in the countryside with a homemade club. He takes on a mysterious Mr. X to prove his self-proclaimed status as a "pro golfer." The story never came stateside which could be credited to the U.S.'s tepid reception to golf. The 1970s series is still popular enough in Japan though, and got a DVD release in 2010 and a Wii video game.

4. Pachislo Kizoku Gin (Shonen) Around the time Nobuyuki Fukumotointroduced the world to gambling manga Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji, Kengo Asaipenned Pachislo Kizoku Gin about pachinko journalist (is that a thing?) and college student Ginya Otonashi who discovers he's actually really, really good at Pachinko. The series ran for 23 episodes and followed Ginya as he meets new people during his run as a "Pachiko Aristocrat."

3.Pygmalio (Fantasy) Pygmalio is a mix of Greek mythology and traditional fantasy settings. Nippon Animation produced the 39-episode series in 1990 and it would have been right at home on U.S. TV as a younger version ofConan the Adventurer, He-Man, or The Pirates of Dark Water. The story follows the quest of super-strong Prince Kurt to return his mother back to normal after she's turned into a statue by Medusa.

2. Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (Shojo/Romance) The title of this anime might ring a bell for you or anyone else familiar with American Folk music. The semi-biographical anime series is named after the well-known tune by Stephen Foster, otherwise regarded as "the father of American Music." The titular "Jeanie" in the series is named for Foster's wife Jane Denny McDowell and followers their lives as young children in Pennsylvania in 1838. Was historical fiction considered unpalatable for U.S. kids because it didn't stopLittle House on the Prairie from taking off.





1. Zenderman (Sci-Fi) Zenderman is sandwiched between its better known predecessor Yatterman and Rescueman from Tatsunoko Productions' "Time Bokan Series." The series follows Tetsu, Sakura, and Amattan as they literally race through time to discover the Elixir of Life before their evil pursuers.Yatterman proved unsuccessful among fans when it was up for funding onAnime Sols so prospects are likely lower for the even less well known Zenderman.

Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-list/2014-06-07/.75251

http://www.mangabigbang.co.uk/

No Game, No Life Anime Staff Apologizes for Using Art Without Authorization

Artist's magic circle appeared in episode 7

---

The No Game, No Life Production Committee admitted on Wednesday to using another artist's magic circle design without permission in the anime's seventh episode. The company apologized to the artist and to fans, and stated that it would be more careful in checking for rights so the situation is never repeated. The Blu-ray and DVD release will include a corrected image.

The episode aired last Wednesday and the artist, whose Pixiv handle is "Unicorn" (Ikkakujuu) posted the scene on Twitter followed by a screenshot of the original Photoshop file on Thursday. The artist wrote that the show's seventh episode used Unicorn's image without permission.

The artist wrote a response to the situation after the apology, saying:

Everyone makes mistakes. People who can admit their mistakes and reflect on them will be able to grow. Therefore, everyone, please cheer them on. What's most important in this incident is not just the fact that things were taken without permission: It's that the practice of "taking with no repercussions" was a practice in the creation process that almost took root as a sample for other creators. Even if I get money for this, it wouldn't improve the industry. Everyone is more assured when the company admitted its mistake and apologized, right?

Source:  http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-05-29/no-game-no-life-anime-staff-apologizes-for-using-art-without-authorization/.74993

http://www.mangabigbang.co.uk/

New York Times Manga Best Seller List, May 

Monster Musume, 5 Attack on Titan volumes, Fairy Tail, Dragonar Academy, Nisekoi, Naruto

---

The New York Times newspaper listed the manga bestsellers in the United States for the week ending on May 24.

Rank	Prev. Rank	Title	Author	Publisher	Weeks on List	Cover
1	1	Monster Musume#3	OKAYADO	Seven Seas Entertainment	3
2	4	Attack on Titan #12	Hajime Isayama	Kodansha Comics	4
3	6	Attack on Titan #1	Hajime Isayama	Kodansha Comics	50
4	2	Fairy Tail#38	Hiro Mashima	Kodansha Comics	2
5	-	Dragonar Academy#2	Original creator: Shiki Mizuchi / Original Character Design: Kohada Shimesaba / Art: RAN	Seven Seas Entertainment	1
6	-	Attack on Titan #3	Hajime Isayama	Kodansha Comics	21
7	8	Nisekoi: False Love#3	Naoshi Komi	Viz Media	3
8	-	Attack on Titan #2	Hajime Isayama	Kodansha Comics	28
9	-	Naruto #65	Masashi Kishimoto	Viz Media	7
10	10	Attack on Titan #10	Hajime Isayama	Kodansha Comics	12

Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-05-30/new-york-times-manga-best-seller-list-may-18-24/.75069

http://www.mangabigbang.co.uk/

Inspirational speech by doctor turned manga creator

http://www.mangabigbang.co.uk/

Doraemon author joins opposition for the Japan’s Child Pornography law amendment

Japan’s controversial Child Pornography Law is gathering even more opposition. This news comes as one half of the Fujiko Fujio duo responsible for the classic comedy manga ‘Doraemon’ issued a statement against the law.

Renowned manga artist Fujiko Fujio A, one half of the Fujiko Fujio duo who wrote classics like ‘Doraemon’ and ‘Mojako’, has said that the bill will “lead to a decline of Japan’s manga culture”.  He also added that the bill will “take away the mangaka’s freedom to deploy creative activities under free thinking and freedom of expression”.

Fujiko Fujio A also adds that there would be a possibility that works would “not be interesting” and he fears that “only mangas that do not get the support from readers will be mass-produced”. He then calls for the withdrawal of the amendment.

The opposition to the amendments on the Child Pornography Law is mainly directed towards a provision of the bill that calls for an investigation into the relationship of anime, manga and CG images and Human Rights violations against children.

‘Doraemon’, which was co-written by Fujiko Fujio A, can be used as a good example for this issue. It is a regarded as a children’s anime/manga and is now considered a classic, however, there are several scenes within the anime that depicts Shizuka showering naked as well as being seen bathing with Doraemon and even Nobita.

The scenes of her bathing beg the question, would this be for the “purpose of satisfying the sexual curiosity” or would this scene just merely be a simple part of the story and would be a part of the writer’s freedom of expression? Should Shizuka, a fictional character be subject to the regulations set forth by the government? Well, what is certain is that most anime and manga fans would answer the latter question with this: “The world of 3D and 2d should never mix.”

Other opposition to the law’s amendment have also been announced. The council of animation directors of Japan (日本アニメーター・演出協会) has said that the bill has a “significantly chilling effect on freedom of expression”. The statement also provides a warning that the bill has a “high risk to cause the decline of the animation culture, such as anime and manga”.

The Movie and Theater Trade Union of Japan (映画演劇労働組合連合会) also issued a call against the amendments which calls on the video industry and its stakeholders. They mentioned that the bill will “exert constraints on a world based on computer, manga and anime images where the child victim does not actually exist”.

Meanwhile, Takaichi Sanae, chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who co-sponsored the amendments said that they do not intend to regulate anime and manga immediately and that they would only be researching the relationships between anime/manga and child pornography. It should also be noted that according to Yahoo! Japan, there is also opposition against the amendments within the LDP.

The amendments for the Child Pornography Law are co-sponsored by the LDP, the New Komeito Party and the Japan Restoration Party. The amendment would have individuals caught with possessing sexual images of children below 18 years of age would be given a one million yen fine plus less than a year’s imprisonment. And as mentioned earlier, the bill has a provision that calls for an investigation into the relationship of anime, manga and CG images and Human Rights violations against children.

Earlier this year, Japan’s Cartoonist Association issued a statement against the proposed amendment. Other manga authors have also voiced their opposition to the bill like ‘Negima?!’and ‘Love Hina‘ manga author Ken Akamatsu, ‘Mazinger Z‘ author Go Nagai and ‘Ashita no Joe‘ author Tetsuya Chiba.

Source: Yahoo! Japan and 47 news

http://sgcafe.com/2013/06/doraemon-author-joins-opposition-japans-child-pornography-law-amendment/

http://www.mangabigbang.co.uk/