On December 14, 2008 at 4 PM, Bandai announced that it will be releasing Kurokami the Animation simultaneously in Japan and the United States on Thursday, January 8, 2009. This will be the first time ever a simultaneous bilingual Japan/US release has been scheduled for an anime. The English dub of Kurokami the Animation will be presented in the United States on ImaginAsian TV (IATV) Thursday nights at 8 PM PST/EST. The anime will also be released in Korea on January 8.
The announcement was made at the ImaginAsian Theatre in Los Angeles during Bandai's Black Sunday event and free screening. The announcement was followed by a brief prescreening of the upcoming anime dub and a question and answer session with Bandai producer Toshifumi Yoshida and NYAV-Post voice talent Michael Sinterniklaas (Takeru from Freedom).
Kurokami the Animation will be based off the Kurokami manga (released in the United States through Yen Press as Black God), but Yoshida and Sinterniklaas noted that there will be several differences between the manga and the anime. Bandai had been contemplating a simultaneous anime release for some time, and Kurokami the Animation was selected predominantly because it is being produced by Bandai's sister company, Sunrise, and fortuitous timing.
The primary impetus for scheduling a simultaneous release is a bid to reinvigorate the United States anime industry, which has been struggling as of late. With a same-day release, Bandai hopes to divert viewership away from unofficial avenues. One of the main arguments of fansubbers is it takes too long for companies to release titles, and by simultaneously releasing Kurokami the Animation, Bandai would eliminate that excuse.
The anime, which will last at least twenty episodes, will be produced for the United States by NYAV-Post and cast bi-coastally with Mike Sinterniklaas directing voice talent in Los Angeles and Marc Diraison handling direction in New York. Production began one month ago with scripts and line animation. Laura Bailey and Jason Griffith (Sonic the Hedgehog) have been cast in the leads of Kuro and Keita, respectively. SAG talent will be used in an effort to get larger names involved with the production. When asked if production would be impacted if SAG goes on strike, Sinterniklaas stated that because SAG's contention is about new media rights, they won't be interested in a contract for a foreign dub so that production of Kurokami the Animation will not be affected if SAG strikes.
IATV was chosen to carry the anime because it was the outlet most willing to work with the anime's release schedule. Because the show airs in Japan on Thursday and it cannot be aired in the United States before it is shown in Japan, it will be aired on Thursdays, separate from the existing Wednesday night Bandai block. Bandai plans to produce and deliver the anime to IATV uncensored, but it will be up to IATV as to how they present it.
When asked about plans for the DVD release of Kurokami the Animation, Bandai stated that it will probably take place during the first or second quarter in order to coincide with the Japanese DVD release.
For more information, look for updates at http://kurokami.bandai-ent.com/.
LOGIN
REGISTER
RSS
HOME
Yet here's MY question:
Will the male lead be a "forward guy" or a "backwards guy."
I seen this before with GONZO's "Iron Linebarrels;" the company introducing Kouichi Hayase, only to turn him into a punching back for the Japanese otaku audience. If Keita becomes like Kouichi, then this anime will definitely suck and the companies behind it will shoot themselves in their already bullet-filled feet.