Baka

Within days of their Japanese television debut, FUNimation has begun streaming Baka and Test and Dance in the Vampire Bund. Better yet, they’re offering a high quality stream and the original Japanese dialogue accompanied by English subtitles. What can I say? This should definitely be fan-boy approved!

Otsuka

In conjunction with the Japan Society’s spring exhibition Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the Arthur R. Miller Collection, the Japan Society (NYC) has named visual artist and professional illustrator Hiroki Otsuka as its official mangaka. As an artist-in-residence, Otsuka will create an original manga inspired by the work of Kuniyoshi. He will also be conducting illustration workshops open to the general public.

Gundam UC

If you’re in San Francisco, or can at least get there anytime from March 19^th to the 25^th, then you’re in luck. Viz Cinema will debut Mobile Suit Gundam UC, and this is roughly one month after its debut in Japan!

Dragon Box 2

Fresh from a crushing defeat at the hands of the Saiyans, and with Goku still on the injured-reserve list, the rest of our beloved Dragon Ball fighters must rise to the occasion. To acquire the Namekian dragon balls, they must venture to Planet Namek. But the journey itself isn’t necessarily the danger. A powerful new enemy, Freeza, also desires these same dragon balls. A new challenge is about to go down.

Dante's Inferno

Ah, Dante’s Divine Comedy. As a trained Classicist, albeit a Hellenist, I do know Latin Epic poetry.  And Dante’s allegorically Christian reworking of Latin Epic in the Tuscan dialect is as familiar as the grooves of my tsuka. For better or worse, however, Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic isn’t quite the faithful adaptation. Instead of recounting Dante’s spiritual crisis in the 14^th century, in which Vergil ultimately aids him through an illuminated necromancy, this epic is all blood and mayhem.

CLANNAD

A limited-edition lithograph from the anime series CLANNAD will be available on April 6, 2010. Depicting the characters Nagisa, Fuko, Tomoyo, Kotomi and Kyou, this artwork was chosen by fans via public vote.

Soul Eater

At the Grim Reaper’s Death Weapon Meister Academy, students learn the fine art of combating the supernatural forces of evil. And much like the Jedi, these otherworldly warriors travel in pairs: one meister, one weapon. That’s right, one member of this team actually transforms into a deadly tool, and together they’re an unstoppable force. Maka is one of the Academy’s best. Along with Soul, who turns into a slashing scythe, they have one goal in mind: extract the evil souls of ninety-nine humans and one witch in order to turn Soul into a Death Scythe, the ultimate weapon. And with witches, werewolves, and zombies a foot, battles are waiting! Oh, and let’s not forget, this is a school. Hijinks are also lurking behind every book.

Dorohedoro 01

The Hole. No, it’s not a muddy orifice in the Earth. In Hayashida’s alternate world the Hole is the industrial epitome of urban squalor, where users and non-users of magic loiter. The problem is, magic users tend to playfully experiment on the untrained, transforming their flesh into various mutated concoctions. Caiman is one such victim. His head has been mutated into that of a large reptile, and the process has left him with amnesia. Together with Nikaido, his female companion, they’re on the hunt for Caiman’s identity and the magic user that transformed him. 

5 Centimeters Per Second

On March 5, 2010 Crunchyroll will participate in Global Shinkai Day. 48 hours of Shinkai’s most celebrated works will stream for free to members, and this stream goes all the way up to 480p.

Vandal Hearts

RPG fans listen up! Are you ready to join Tobias Martin and his comrades for free? That’s right, I’ve got ten pass codes for Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment to give away. And let’s make this simple. From February 17th until February 28th drop me an email with Vandal Hearts Giveaway in the subject line. Winners will be selected randomly. Also, these codes are divided in half: five for the PlayStation Network and five for Xbox Live. So, in your email specify the platform you desire.