Anime Adaptation of Love Stage!!

The July edition of Asuka Ciel magazine has made my day by announcing that Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou's BL manga "Love Stage!!" is getting an anime adaptation! Details are sparse at the moment but you can be sure that I'll keep you up-to-date as they become available. In the meantime you can pick up volume three of the manga and the third "Back Stage!!" spin-off novel at CD Japan starting June 1st. Also, for those of you still waiting on the American market to publish this great series, be sure to catch up on previous chapters from the wonderful folks at September Scanlations.

Sideshow Collectible's Darth Vader Deluxe Sixth Scale Figure

"Tall and menacing, Darth Vader is the most potent icon of the Galactic Empire's might. The product of the Emperor himself, Vader answers to only the highest in the Imperial command structure and is granted great leeway in the work he conducts on his master's behalf. Once a Jedi, Vader possesses absolute command over the Force, and through him it is directed to terrible and often fatal effect. As a Lord of the Sith, the dark side flows through him, and it can be channeled to kill with a single thought or to subdue his detractors, enemies, and sometimes even subordinates. Feared by Rebels and Imperials alike, Darth Vader is a terrifying union of man and machine hidden beneath black robes and forbidding armor. Determined to hunt down and extinguish the Rebel Alliance, Vader commands the massive Imperial fleet and rules his forces through unquestionable terror. " ~Backstory provided by Sideshow Collectibles

Can't... fight... it... Dark Side... too... tempting...Who am I kidding?! Jedi mind tricks not needed. You don't have to threaten my room with Death Star destruction. I want! I have to have Sideshow Collectible's Darth Vader Deluxe Sixth Scale Figure! Pre-order is open at Sideshow Collectibles website and set to release on January 2014.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Vader stands at a glorious 14" high with fully articulated body, fabric body suit, head with helmet and cape and detailed armor and gloves. Pose him as you please with 10 interchangeable gloved hands and lightsabers (hilt only and hilt with blade). If you are one who is attracted to anything that lights up, please note the light-up belt, the light-up figure display base with Imperial symbol AND additional Helmet and Mask accessories with light-up Meditation Chamber display base! As much as I love all of this what really clinched the deal with me was the additional Anakin Skywalker Portrait. Now THAT'S detailed!



So give the wonderful artists of Nathan Eakins and Bernardo Esquivel (Paint), Tim Niver, Adrienne Smith, Andy Bergholtz, Nathan Mansfield, Pascual Wawoe, Bigshot Toyworks (Sculpt), Kevin Ellis (Costume Fabrication), Joe Allard, Pascual Wawoe, Jared Chapman (Design), Jesse Lincoln (Development) and all of The Sideshow Collectibles Design and Development Team a hand! Vader did. Okay, that was a lousy way to work in a pun, but I sunk to that depth in order to end this post on the Sideshow Exclusive you will receive if you pre-order through their website today: Vader's Severed Gauntlet and Hand. Now isn't all of this worth $249.99 of your hard earned money to support The Empire?

Yoko Kanno to debut "PIANO ME" concert at Otakon 2013

Baltimore, MD (May 15, 2013) – The renowned composer will present the world premiere performance of her new project, "PIANO ME", at Otakon. For this concert, the simple intimacy of one performer with one instrument will be enhanced by experimental live visuals that respond to her performance. To see a sample of that performance, you can see it on our website at http://www.otakon.com/.

While studying at Waseda University, Yoko Kanno made her first debut as a member of “Tetsu 100%” which was released from CBS Sony. After the group split up, she became a composer/arranger for commercials, animation, movies, games and TV series. Known as a great master of animation music, her best works include Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Bepop, MACROSS Frontier, Genesis of Aquarion, and The Vision of Escaflowne. She has also written and produced songs for artists such as SMAP, May’n, YUKI, Miki Imai, Maaya Sakamoto, Kyoko Koizumi, Crystal Kay, T.M Revolution, Shione Yukawa, Chitose Hajime, YOSHIKA, ORIGA and more.

Her recent performances include in 2008 the “Galaxy Tour” for MACROSS Frontier as well as in 2009 for the “YOKO KANNO SEATBELTS / Chojiku Tanabata Sonic” event of which both were sold out almost immediately.

For the recently released movie Petal Dance which came out in April 2013, she wrote a piano soundtrack which she performs herself. The piano score will be released from her own label PIANO. In summer 2013, she plans to release a score of “Song of departure, which is A Cappella Arrangements for Male Voices.”

Otakon 2013 will be held August 911 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.

Be sure to check out her super adorable announcement video below!