TV Tokyo Announces Train Hero Series, Plus Movie

 Image source: Japanator.

It's been a while since we've had any train-related stories in anime or manga - not since Miracle Train, the anime where different train lines were represented as bishounen characters. That is set to change with the latest CGI anime Train Hero, from TV Tokyo in association with Carloon Animation and Total Production Office.

Bleeding Cool reports that the anime is about a Thunderbirds-style rescue team that saves high-speed trains from various disasters. Naturally, as all technology is prone to do in Japan, their trains will transform in order to save the day.

Pat Lee (formerly of Dreamwave) is designing the characters for the 26-episode series, which will also be made into a film timed to coincide with the 2012 debut of China's new high-speed train between Beijing and Shanghai. The TV series will air much sooner on April 26, later being offered to China and other parts of Asia.

Train Hero sounds utterly silly, but maybe they can get some good ridiculous action scenes into some episodes. Here's hoping for multi-track drifting!

Source: Japanator.

Spring 2012 Anime Season Chart (UPDATED)

Full chart is here, and this is v4. The chart will be updated if there's new information about anime releases until we considered it as complete, well, every few weeks.

With that, the TV anime list is now complete. Now, the next version of the chart (v5) will have the updates of OVA/DVD/BD/Specials/etc. and Movies, if available.

Changes in this version: 
> Sankarea, Nazo no Kanojo X, AKB0048, Accel World, Jormungand, Shining Hearts, etc. release date updated
> Some minor changes

Click HERE to download this chart.

Click HERE to download this chart.

Little Busters! Visual Novel Gets TV Anime

Long-suffering Little Busters! fans are rejoicing with the news that the game is apparently finally due its long-awaited TV anime adaptation.

The announcement itself comes from an advert in a Dengeki web radio broadcast, and so whilst having good provenance has very little in the way of details; further information is expected in April.

Little Busters!, aside from being a very popular eroge/visual novel, has long been notorious simply due to the fact it has not yet been turned into an anime (the first game dates from 2007), something which has long aggrieved its fans.

Fans themselves appear to be delighted, with some predicting Clannad-level success should the adaptation fall into the hands of Kyoto Animation again.

Source: Sankaku Complex.

Top 15 Most Anticipated Anime of Spring 2012

Anime fans impatiently awaiting the new anime of spring 2012 have assembled this ranking of their most anticipated titles, with plenty of old favourites looking set to return – as well as a couple nobody particularly liked the first time around.

The ranking:

1. Saki – Achiga-hen Episode of Side-A

2. Fate/Zero 2

3. Hyoka

4. Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? OF THE DEAD

5. Medaka Box

6. Accel World

7. Eureka Seven: AO

8. Sakamichi no Apollon

9. Kimi to Boku 2

10. Kuroko no Basket

11. Shining Hearts

12. Phi Brain: Puzzle of God

13. Shirokuma Cafe

14. Sankarea

15. Tsuritama

Source: Sankaku Complex.

Hatsune Miku Concert: 39's Giving Day - Is This Her Last Gig?

Image source: Reuters.

Hatsune Miku has a following that would make most Japanese pop stars green with envy, with thousands of fans at every concert and a big international following.

She never misses a beat, fluffs a line or messes up a step. But then she doesn't really exist.

Hatsune Miku is computer generated, based on a voice-synthesizing programme developed by the company Crypton Future Media that allows users to create their own music.

Her image was produced by the company, but her music is a creation of her fans, Her best songs -- the ones headlined at her concerts -- have emerged from more than 20 different people.

The fans know what the fans like.

All 10,000 tickets for the digital diva's four shows in Tokyo -- two on Thursday and two on Friday -- sold out in hours despite the 6,300 yen ($76) ticket price.

Hatsune Miku was projected onto the stage at the shows while thousands of other fans packed into 24 cinemas to watch live.

"It was absolutely amazing, it's like my heart is still dancing. I don't think I'll be able to sleep," 21-year-old Yuya Ofuji said as she came out of a concert.

Another fan, Hazuki Koide, showed her dedication by dressing up as Hatsune Miku.

"I've liked her for a long time and wasn't able to come to the concert last year and watched it in a movie theatre. But this year I thought that I absolutely had to make it," Koide said.

The concert, billed as possibly Hatsune Miku's last, was also broadcast in cinemas in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Some fans came from further afield to catch what could be their idol's last gig.

"We thought we really had to make a real effort to come because we wouldn't get a chance to see her in the future," said Daniel Noll who flew in from Australia.

It's not clear why organizers said these shows could be Hatsune Miku's last, but if they are, she'll be going out on a high. Some online polls have her down as the most-requested singer for the London Olympics opening ceremony.

Whatever her future, the virtual star has made a real difference to many fans, they say.

"She gave a lot of people that didn't have a voice, a voice to express their feelings and thoughts," Noll said.

Source: Reuters. 

INFO: Hatsune Miku Concert: 39's Giving Day was held in Tokyo on 8-9 March 2012.

Anime of the Season: Winter 2011/12: The Winner Goes to...

Vote ended, and the winner is: Black★Rock Shooter TV 2012!

Thank you for voting.

The winner will be qualified to the New Anime of the Year 2012.