[Source: ANN]

A young woman fights for her life in the carbon dioxide infested jungles of a neo-futuristic Tokyo. When she uncovers a government plot to suppress the less fortunate, a battle for humanity’s future begins.

The company also announced it has licensed the currently airing TV anime series Sankarea, and will be simulcasting the show on NicoNico.

Furuya’s not interested in the living, he’s got zombies on the brain! When Furuya’s cat dies, he decides he’s going to try and bring it back to life. In the process, he stumbles across a girl whose failed attempted suicide has turned her into a real zombie! What’s Furuya going to do now that the thing he loves the most is right in front of his eyes? Watch what happens in this campy romantic comedy about the undead.

[Source: ANN]

UPDATE: Fandom Post confirmed with Sentai that the movie will be dubbed

Sentai Filmworks announced today that it has licensed Gintama – The Movie. The movie is a theatrical remake of the Gintama series’ Benizakura arc, which sees series protagonist Gin going up against a former ally from his days fighting against the Amanto.

Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you’re a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that’s been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term “Odd Jobs” means REALLY ODD jobs.  But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of OJG founder Gintoki Sakata’s somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice!  So if you’ve had the good fortune to see Gintama, Japan’s most popular science fiction samurai series before, get ready for more of the same on an epic scale!  And if you haven’t seen Gintama before, well, this is your quick and easy introduction to why Gintama (the series) is the hottest thing to hit the Land of the Rising Sun since a certain large, green reptile whose name we can’t use due to certain litigious lawyers!  So sit down, strap yourself in and make sure you’re not wearing anything too tight or constricting as the junior half of OJG takes on the task of tracking down a tenacious terrorist while their silver-haired slickster of a partner seeks out a certain sword in the side-splittingly silly GINTAMA- THE MOVIE!

Sentai will release the movie on DVD and Blu-ray later this year.

[Source: ANN]

[Source: ANN]

Bandai Entertainment, the subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) that handles anime and manga in North America, will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases next month. It will continue to distribute in its existing catalog lineup, but it will no longer produce and distribute new releases as of this February.

Instead, Bandai Entertainment will focus on licensing rights to other companies, particularly in digital distribution, broadcast, and merchandising. The company will be restructured as a result, and most of its contractors and three of its five fulltime staff members will be laid off. ANN will publish an interview with Bandai Entertainment President and CEO Ken Iyadomi on Tuesday.

Releases in Bandai Entertainment‘s current catalog will still be available after February, and Bandai Entertainment plans to produce new stock on these existing releases, if needed, until their respective licenses expire.

This really is a sad day for anime fans in North America.  I love Bandai even with all of their mistakes they have made I still love them.  My earliest anime DVD purchases where from Bandai.  Hell for a while Bandai DVD where the only titles in my anime DVD collection before.

The closing of any anime licensing company is bad, but one such as Bandai, which has been around for a while, is especially sad.  Therefore, the question that remains now is once their licenses for the rest of their shows end who will get the shows to license rescue.  I am sure Funimation, Sentai and probably Media Blasters will pick up something in the future.  The Gundam stuff will pretty much be a moneymaker for anyone so I think Sentai or Media Blasters will probably get them.  I could see Funimation getting K-ON! in the future.

I will post tomorrow a more in depth look at Bandai and how they affect me as an anime fan over the years.

The game is available for pre-order on Amazon

TSUKIMI – Maxey Whitehead
KURANOSUKE – Josh Grelle
BANBA – Mariela Ortiz
CHIEKO – Cynthia Cranz
JIJI – Leah Clark
MAYAYA – Monica Rial

CLARA – Lara Woodhull
SHU – Ian Sinclair
INARI – Jamie Marchi
KOIBUCHI – Charlie Campbell
NEGISHI – Jerry Russell
HANAMORI – Christopher Bevins
TSUKIMI’S MOTHER – Wendy Powell

Haruka – Christine Marie Cabanos
Teo – Cassandra Lee
Baron – Patrick Seitz
Cotton – Julie Maddalena
Mother – Julie Ann Taylor
Father – David Roach
Miho – Maki Terashima-Furuta
Elder Brother Soldier – George C. Cole
Younger Brother Soldier – Derek Stephan Prince
Vikki – Tara Platt
Decargot – Kyle Hebert
Picanta – Mark McCollum

From what I gather, this dub was produced by the Japanese producers before the film had actually been licensed, and would have been recorded at a studio in the LA area based on the cast.