:anime: Anime Kibbles 'n' Bits ::04.01.13:: Return of the News Bits

For the first time in five years, "Anime Kibbles 'n' Bits" makes its return back to HardDoor! If "Boxing Bits" can return, why can't its predecessor?

:Mon.04.01.13:

GAINAX To Develop Fighting Game
Legendary anime studio GAINAX doesn't just dip its feet into animation and merchandise pimping, but they also have a game developing department, as well. Though their catalog mostly consists of sims (one of which inspired 2002's Petit Princess Yucie), they have finally taken the step of developing a fighter, which will feature anime characters from their storied history, hailing from the likes of Evangelion (apparently with Khara's blessing), Gurren Lagann, Mahoromatic, FLCL, Nadia, and Gunbuster. Details on which other properties will be represented and which characters will appear, as well as preliminary game footage, will be revealed at a future event, but I'm fairly certain that they'll indulge on everyone's desire to pound Shinji Ikari in the face…

Sunrise To Make Another Gundam Series?
Sunrise may already have their plate full with Gundam Unicorn's conclusion and Gundam: The Origin and its still-unknown format, but the studio may have even more Gundam goodness on the horizon. For a blip last Wednesday, March 27, the URL "http://sunrise-gundams.net/" was temporarily live, though only a blank page was present and was taken down as soon as it was made available. While "gundams" may seem rather generic to those unfamiliar with the franchise, there was a novel entitled Gundam Sentinel that was published in the late '80s which was very popular among fans, namely for Hajime Katoki's mecha designs. Of course, this is primarily hearsay and it could very well mean a lot of things, but after the success of Unicorn and its lauded animation effort, a Gundam S(entinal) series would certainly keep the tongues of fanboys wagging as the next in a new line of high-quality OVAs in the franchise…

The Newest World Masterpiece Theater Entry Is…
Nippon Animation hasn't done a new series in its venerated World Masterpiece Theater omnibus since 2009 (Before Green Gables), but it looks as if they are close to revving it up again. An alleged studio artist leaked some rather fancy production art on a now-closed Twitter account (with Nippon Animation's logo in the papers' headers) of what looked to be a new--and, assumingly, more "true"--adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet (judging by the "Montague" and "Capulet" insignia on a few of the sketches). GONZO, of course, was the first to undertake a retelling of the tale with Romeo x Juliet, but it was expanded upon with new material and told against a sci-fi/fantasy backdrop. NA's version looks to be a more classical and lavish interpretation, more in line with what most might expect from a Shakespeare-esque story. Nothing else since that mid-March posting, but definitely something worth keeping an eye out for in the near future if it all pans out…

There was a rumor about a possible fantasy (non-canonical?) crossover between Strike Witches and the recent Vividred Operation (both share the same creator and love of pants-less young girls), but that sounded more like a prank than anything else, so I neglected to include details here. So sad…