Dead Sea Scrolls 606

Camilla d'Errico "No Ordinary Love" Bust

2012-02-10T12:03:00.001-05:00

Just revealed is Camilla d'Errico and Dark Horse's No Ordinary Love bust, based of Camilla's own titular painting featured in the "Femina and Fauna" artbook.

The gorgeous bust stands at 8 inches tall by 5 inches wide. She will be released in June this year, limited to just 950 pieces worldwide. The sculptwork was done in association with Gentle Giant, and supervised along with the paintwork by Camilla. Each bust will be packaged in a full-color collectors box, along with a certificate of authenticity. Its public debut is set for Toy Fair 2012, taking place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

“'No Ordinary Love' is a piece that is very dear to me,” Camilla d’Errico reflected, “ its the visual interpretation and expression of my feelings for my ‘one and only’, so you can imagine how exciting this is that this particular piece was chosen!"

“Translating Camilla’s work into three-dimensions was a challenge,” Dark Horse’s David Scroggy observed, “but with a lot of help from Camilla and the skilled artisans at Gentle Giant Studios, we were able to arrive at a piece that is unmistakably d’Errico, with all the subtle nuance and details of sculpture and paint application that her audience would expect.”

The details, oh the details. The No Ordinary Love bust in absolutely true to form - in color, in shape, in feeling, in everything. It is without a doubt one of the most stunning painting to sculpture transformations I have ever seen. BEAUTIFUL! This is the greatest Friday treat I could ask for and I yearn for the moment I can set my eyes on her and add her to my collection.

[Source: Tomopop]

DIR EN GREY Cancels "The Still Reckless Tour"

2012-02-09T14:21:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, rock band DIR EN GREY announced that they are canceling their upcoming "The Still Reckless Tour" in North Amerca. This also includes solo shows originally scheduled March and April 2012, due to vocalist Kyo's health.

Kyo's physician recently diagnosed him with nodules in his vocal cords. While this won't pose any major health risks, it was determined that he needs to rest his voice. Depending on his progress and recovery, Kyo may have to undergo surgery.

Here's wishing for Kyo's good health and speedy recovery!

[Source: Natalie]

Skyrim-Inspired ID Bracelet

2012-02-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

After countless hours trekking the roads of Skyrim, bringing down dragons and sucking their souls dry, perfecting that armor and upgrading your choice weapons, and showing off that massive th'um of yours, it always sucks whenever you've got to shut down that PS3 and head to work. No way of bringing Skyrim with you.

Sure my iPod is loaded with the incredible Skryim Soundtrack and short of coming into work in cosplay, there aren't too many subtle options to show off my love for Skyrim. And if you are anything like me, you are anxious for any official Skyrim merchandise. This led me to spend one lovely Saturday morning to create my own custom made Skyrim-inspired bracelet. This stainless steel wide cuff black leather bracelet is adorned with my name in black characters written in, of course, the dragon language.

I had a lot of fun making this Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim-inspired "ID" bracelet and I gotta say I'm super ecstatic with the results. Hope you like it!

Hello Kitty x Evangelion

2012-02-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

Sanrio's easily recognizable and iconic Hello Kitty brand is no stranger to massive collaborative projects. Wrapping myself around attempting to name them all has got me dizzy.

From the makers that brought us Yoshikitty, for example, comes another collaboration that has got my full attention (and wallet). On one side you've got Hello Kitty, and on the other Evangelion. The two join forces creating what may be the fourth impact.

Just in time to commemorate this fall's theatrical release of Evangelion: Q (Rebuild of Evangelion, You Can [Not] Redo), the collaboration will feature EVA pilots 00 Rei Ayanami and 02 Asuka Langley.

10 companies will open the flood gates in the form of stationery, general merchandise, and apparel.

[Source: Sanrio]

Japan Artists cover The Beatles' "All You Need is Love"

2012-01-11T10:34:00.000-05:00

March 11th will mark a year since the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, but its people have certainly not forgotten. Thirty of the country's greatest singers and musicians are collaborating together to release the charity single "All You Need is Love", a cover of the 1967 song by The Beatles.

The "JAPAN UNITED with MUSIC" project's single will be produced by multi-talented Ryuichi Sakamoto and Takeshi Kobayashi and include stars such as Crystal Kay, Verbal (m-flo/Teriyaki Boys), SUGIZO (Luna Sea/X Japan), Atsushi (EXILE), Bonnie Pink and Tomoyasu Hotei.

All proceeds from the single will be donated to the Tohoku earthquake relief effort. Pre-orders for the March 7th CD single release, which will include a sticker and bonus DVD of the promotional video, can be placed at CD Japan today.

ToshI Special DVD Box Live Japan Release

2012-01-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

It's a good thing my New Year's resolution wasn't to cut back on the pre-orders...

ToshI, the solo artist and vocalist for super band X Japan, announced on his Official Website today the release of a Special DVD Box Live Japan set that is sure to please fans. Featured in the set will be a T-shirt, 4 DVDs from ToshI's various 2011 performances (including the April 10th charity concert held in Kanazawa for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami ), a Best of 2010-2011 CD and a photo and lyric booklet with both Japanese and English text!

The set is reportedly going on-sale January 15th, which also happens to be the day of the airing for the Golden Globe Awards, where fellow X Japan bandmate Yoshiki's theme song for the show will debut.

Happy Holidays from Third Impact (2011 Edition)

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

MERRI KURISUMASU!! Hope your holiday is filled with lasting, fuzzy warm memories. Whether it's spending time with your family and friends, curling up with a good manga, catching up on some anime, snagging those video game trophies, finding that perfect spot for your newest figures/statues and posters, or reading that latest comic book issue...or hopefully a sweet combination of all of the above...we wish you the best and thank you very much for your readership!

Happy Holidays from your friends at Third Impact!

My Neighbor Totoro Musical Ferris Wheel

2011-11-09T06:04:00.000-05:00

It's hard not to be smitten by the world of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's films with their fanciful (and downright cute!) characters, and the beautiful melodies of composer Joe Hisaishi. As a collector of Ghibli music boxes, I always love to keep an eye on what new creative piece is out there. While I am still short a "Porco Rosso" and wondering if "Nausicaä" will ever get an anniversary edition release or something, "My Neighbor Totoro" is never in short supply and rarely fails to impress.

Take for example the 2011 "My Neighbor Totoro" musical ferris wheel. Standing at 10" tall, you can watch Mei, Chu-Totoro, Shu-Totoro and the sootballs (and a hearty stock of acorns and corn) take a ride on the magical forest tree. And, of course, no forest party is complete without our wondorous ride conductor Totoro and an appearance by the Cat Bus!

Instead of having a a classic wind-up arm, the wheel is controlled by an ON/OFF switch powered by 3 AA batteries (sorry, batteries not included) and plays the "Tonari no Totoro" theme. I do wish that one day Ghibli switches up the song in their "Totoro" pieces (perhaps with "The Wind Forest") as the theme is ALWAYS used.

It's not easy to quickly get your hands on Ghibli music boxes and they are certainly not cheap (trust me, I know), but searching auction sites like eBay and Japanese specialty sites like JBOX are always good places to start. But in the case of this featured ferris wheel and rare items, check out Love Ghibli, an online store dedicated only to the finest Ghibli items.

Happy Recipe! - Binantachi no Hirusagari

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

It was on a sweltering June day this year when my air conditioner at home broke down and I was forced to wait for the "I'll be there sometime between 10AM and 3PM" repairman to rectify the problem. In an attempt to distract myself from the appalling temperature, I decided to do a little web surfing.

Well, consider my attention averted when I paid a visit to the respective blogs of Daisuke Watanabe and Yukihiro "Takki" Takiguchi (two of my favorite Japanese actors that I embarrassedly gush over whenever I see them) and found they both posted this little gem pictured left. Them dining along with Ren Yagami, Yasuhisa Furuhara and Hisanori Sato?! Yes, attention temporarily averted but the combined hotness didn't help with the heat. "How I wish I could have a place at that table!" I thought. After all I am a huge "Takumi-kun Series" and "Tenimyu" fan and appreciate ikemen in general, so whatever could they be doing altogether and what could they be discussing?

The answer has come this November with the release of "Happy Recipe! - Binantachi no Hirusagari". This variety DVD features our five gentlemen enjoying a casual afternoon at a chic flat in the city, while each takes a turn cooking a specialty dish for their group dinner. Off the bat the musical theme for the show is a sweet melody that almost feels like it would be in a romantic shojo-genre TV series. You could almost imagine the guys being dressed up in waiter uniforms running a restaurant, and each of them with a distinct personality (the always smiling goofball, the pragmatic boss, the cute kid, etc). But no, the guys are just being themselves, albeit in a clever marketing fluff geared toward us fans willing to pay.

The special opens up with each of our stars walking separate streets to our location, appearing to have just come from the market with their ingredients in bag. Seems it was a hot month in Japan as it was for me, if the sweat dripping off a rushing Daisuke is any indication.

Ren is our first star to arrive and expects to find our "Licensed to Cook" Takki already there (Takiguchi-san in 2008 passed his exams to be recognized as a chef; nice fallback career if I do say so myself). Unfortunately he quickly discovers he is alone and instead decides to investigate the place. "Sugoi kirei jan..." he voices aloud, impressed by the diggs with its shiny white kitchen. Soon he discovers a pad and markers on the dining room table. With nothing else to do, he spruces up the table with a nearby vase of daisies and then starts doodling a portrait to occupy himself until there is a knock at the door. "Dai-chan!" he exclaims (how cute are his random assumptions?) and gets up to greet another one of our hosts, but is surprised to find it is instead Yasuhisa.

Ever the gentlemen, Ren offers to pour water and decides to make use of the wine glasses in the cupboard. Way to make it classy, my good man. Takki and Hisanori arrive next and are, too, surprised to see Yasuhisa there. Did the film crew not inform the boys of his appearance? It is important to note that Yasu was a previous "Engine Sentai Go-onger" lead and not in the same series & specials as the rest of the boys, so with all the "nice to meet you" greetings it appears this is their first time interacting. (If anyone out there wants to correct me, feel free to kindly do so.)

But where is Daisuke? According to Ren he is about 30-minutes away. 30 minutes?! Meanwhile, pan over to a miserable Daisuke muttering "chotto...chotto..." and having to take a breather. Sheesh, camera guy, you could have called the poor man a taxi and saved him from this grueling march in the heat! Eventually, as the guys chill out at the table in their nice cool digs and giving a toast with their wine glasses full of ice cold water, there is a loud set of bangs at the door. All heads turn to the ruckus, when Takki declares, "No, ignore it." The boys give a look which can only be described with an emoticon: 0_0. Just a wee bit sadistic are we Takki? The knocking continues, and they clearly know whom it must be, but no one budges. Finally, in one of the very funny moments on the DVD, Daisuke storms in, shouting a very loud and perturbed, "OI!" Everyone points out he is late as they observe his heated appearance (look at those arms glisten... someone get him a towel!). They redo the toast with Daisuke and he apologies for being late. We take a quick poll as to who is ready to cook and everyone raises hands but Takki quickly picks on Daisuke who is wearing a sleeveless shirt so the armpit hair is not very attractive and he bashfully covers it up.

The cooking segments are very entertaining. Takki is up first in the kitchen and being the licensed chef that he is, everyone is all impressed with his kitchen skills. By far Takki's preparation and presentation is the most fanciful with a mouthwatering shrimp and mussels dish, and I can imagine how good he would be running a restaurant as he gets all hands on deck with a task for each of our hosts.

Next it is Daisuke's turn to cook and whip up a meat and green onion dish and also a special desert (at which point did I hear Takki demand, "Make something decent!"?). Time to get out the tofu maker (??) and gets to work. However, the whole gang doesn't seem done [jokingly] punishing him for his lateness. While everyone was happily put to work for Takki, the gang has decided to play on their PSP handhelds at the table. Whenever Daisuke tries to chat or inquire from the kitchen, he is quickly cut off with a blunt "Urusai!" Eventually the gang let's up and takes interest in his preparation (not before my man fires back with his own "Shhhhh!!" when they speak).

Yasuhisa, who I must give my Best Dressed award for pulling off that cute polka dot bow tie with his black ensemble, makes a delicious curry with his special ingredient: apples. But one of the disappointments of the special occurs here as Yasuhisa makes a sudden and apologetic departure. I guess that does get him out of having to sample the spread. Haha!

Ren makes salad, but not just any salad. Out comes the drawing pad to excitedly introduce the Happy Colorful Salad! And you can't make a Happy Colorful Salad without first changing into a chef costume. Well you can, but it's just not as much fun. Commence applause! His Iron Chef look was totally worth it in the end. Had he only taken a bite out of the yellow pepper...

Can't have a nice meal without a tasty beverage to wash it all down, so Hisanori takes his turn in the kitchen to create his Fruit Tonic Juice. It is a combination of sliced kiwi, oranges and bananas tossed into a blender with ice. This quick smoothie is then topped off with a generous helping of carbonated water. As good as that sounds I have to admit the final product didn't appear as appetizing. Maybe if he put a colorful slice of fruit on the glass it would take my mind off of the beige color. Yep... beige...

Charming and amusing downtime cuts between cooking segments held my interest, including a very random and "spazzy duel" between Hisanori and the boys with the flowers from the table vase. The credits conclude with thoughts from the boys on the evening which, as this reviewer sees it, was a great time.

My heart can't help but do a thumpty-thump at the DVD cover alone. These actors are very talented, but they're currently not acting and I am not blind, so let's face facts that this really is delicious fluff for fans and we all can let out our inner fangirl without shame. I'm smitten by the handsome head shots (especially Daisuke's <3) and it definitely is one of the reasons I picked this selection up in the first place. That's good marketing for ya. Upon tearing off the cellophane and opening up the case, you will see that the cover has a reverse side showing the scene of our gang toasting to their happy event. And it's pink. Hey, this is "Happy Recipe!"

There are audio issues in spots. When the camera is focused on the preparation of the meals and away from the dining table, it can be difficult to tell who is speaking, especially when everyone is talking at once. But if you are familiar with TV talk shows in Japan, colorful and handy Japanese subtitles appear for parts of the dialogue with appropriate name tags.

If any of the dishes catch your fancy, the DVD comes with a bonus feature of how to make each of them yourself. These recipes are written all in Japanese, and there are no English subtitles for the main feature either, so if your Japanese-language skills are poor, you may have difficulty following along in both areas. As for myself, I am still learning, and this gives me a good excuse to watch it over again as a teaching test. ^^

Nevertheless, the interaction of the guys is still a lot of fun. You can't help but wish to be friends with them as you are taken in by their joking, happy smiles and kitchen skills (though in the case of some I got a tad nervous over their chopping ability... thankfully none of my crushes were hurt during the making of this program). The Daily DVD Rankings at CD Japan for November 5th had "Happy Recipe" peaked at #5, and they sold out of their original stock during pre-order time. If you are hungry for a little fun, tasty dishes and ikemen, pick up your copy today.

So, who's hungry for seconds?

Nobuo Uematsu + EARTHBOUND to perform at MAGFest X

2011-11-07T12:03:00.001-05:00

I am super stoked to announce that the all powerful master of music Nobuo Uematsu and his new band EARTHBOUND PAPAS will be attending as guests and performing at MAGFest X!!! This is HUGE news and as a long supporter and attendee of MAGFest, I couldn't be happier!

Best known for creating the sound tracks for almost all of the Final Fantasy series, Uematsu created his new band, EARTHBOUND PAPAS, after his former group (The Black Mages) disbanded. Several former members of The Black Mages join EARTHBOUND PAPAS. Together, they are:

Nobuo Uematsu: Keyboards (Composer for most of the Final Fantasy Series)
Michio Okamiya: Guitar (Performer/arranger on several Square Enix soundtracks, and former Black Mages member)
Yoshitaka Hirota: Bass (Shadow Hearts trilogy composer)
Tsutomu Narita: Keyboards and Guitar (Composer for UnchainBlades ReXX)
Arata Hanyuda: Drums (Performer on the More Friends, and Final Fantasy III (DS) albums, and former Black Mages member)

Since we overgrew our regular location, the 10th MAGFest, celebrating music and gaming, will take place at its new location at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, January 5-8, 2012!

If you haven't already, be sure to register NOW!

Assassin's Creed Movie Update

2011-11-04T12:38:00.000-04:00

Let's keep the love for Assassin's Creed going today. From the look of things, the Assassin's Creed Movie is a done deal. Sony has already registered 16 domains for such a picture, all registered on Oct 20th, the day before Variety's story reporting that Sony Pictures is closing in on a deal to develop a film franchise based on the AC game.

"Through the division, Ubisoft wants to maintain more creative control over the development of its games for other platforms rather than broker traditional one-off licensing deals with studios, something that proved key during the bidding process with Sony."

The project will be overseen by Ubisoft Motion Pictures, so we can be sure (and hopeful) that they'll be scrutinous with the adaptation. [Source: Kotaku]

Soul Calibur V...Meet Ezio Auditore

2011-11-04T05:48:00.001-04:00

There's still more time until Soul Calibur V is in our grasp. But joining the guest list is Ezio Auditore! Straight from Assassin's Creed and his birthplace, Firenze, Ezio will appear in Soul Calibur V equipped with his wrist blades, sword and dagger.

Check out the trailer, and a special thumbs up with the adaptation of select AC-authentic idiosyncrasies, such as the distorted video and of course the emblematic "A." Project Soul is really making it hard to wait for SC:V!

Other confirmed characters include: Siegfried, Mitsurugi, Patroklos, Pyrrha, Nightmare, Leixia (daughter of Xianghua), Raphael, Dampierre, Astaroth, Viola, Hilde, Maxi, Tira, Voldo, Ivy, Natsu (Taki's student), and Z.W.E.I.

Kotobukiya's Yoshimitsu 1/6 Scale Statue

2011-11-03T14:49:00.000-04:00

Attention Tekken Fans! Attention Yoshimitsu Fans! Attention Kick-assery Fans!

Kotobukiya spins whips a 1/6 cold cast statue of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 character, Yoshimitsu. Sculpted by Takayuki Takeya, Yoshimitsu, joines the Fine Art Statue series with this impressively detailed statue, only matched with its equally impressive base. While Yoshimitsu is looking vicious here, I can't help but cast my eye over that incredible base.

Yoshi will run you a whopping 45,000 yen (just under $600) and is due out May 2012.

For those interested, Hobby Search is currently taking pre-orders at a discount price. Be sure to check out all their pics for all its glory.

Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011 One-Night Only Screening

2011-11-03T02:30:00.000-04:00

To commemorate the November 16th release of "Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011" on Blu-ray/DVD/Live CD, distributor Live Viewing Japan will be screening the live in theaters worldwide. The set includes both 39's LIVE IN TOKYO (that took place on March 9th) and 39's LIVE IN SAPPORO (that took place on August 16-17th).

Three locations in Japan will screen the Live Party on Nov 15th. Other screening locations include Thailand, Brazil, Singapore, France, England, and the US! That's 9 US cities on November 10th to be precise:

Baltimore, MD
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Houston, TX
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Orange County, CA
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA

Check out the full list for specific theater information on the official Live Party Event site. [Source: Live Viewing]

Guild Wars 2 Art Trailers

2011-11-02T11:27:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I've got a thing for Guild Wars. Make that, a rather BIG thing for everything Guild Wars. Sure I play other MMOs, but to this day, Guild Wars remains to be my top ultimate favorite MMO. Take your titles like World of Warcraft and keep them, it's Guild Wars for me all the way. And one of the major reasons for this is Guild Wars' undeniable stunning art.

Horia Dociu, concept and storyboard artist for GW2, directed several trailers (shown below) showing off the art of GW2, including the works of Kekai Kotaki, Daniel Dociu, Richard Anderson and Jaime Jones. And it goes without saying, that these are absolutely gorgeous! [Source: Kotaku]

Guild Wars 2 Real-Time Intro from Horia Dociu on Vimeo. Guild Wars 2 Animated Trailer from Horia Dociu on Vimeo. Guild Wars 2 In-Game Cinematic from Horia Dociu on Vimeo. Guild Wars 2 Manifesto from Horia Dociu on Vimeo.

DIR EN GREY's UROBOROS Album Remastered

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Dir en Grey announces the upcoming release of a remastered version of UROBOROS, titled "UROBOROS [Remastered & Expanded]!" The remastered album will include 14 tracks with some lovely trimmings. The album also brings about the return of sound engineer Tue Madsen, who worked on Diru's latest album, DUM SPIRO SPERO. UROBOROS [Remastered & Expanded] will be released on January 11, 2012.

The album includes:
- The long version of "SA BIR" that, until now, was only heard live before.
- The exclusive version of "BUGABOO" that was previously only available on the limited first press analog release.
- "DOZING GREEN" and "GLASS SKIN" with Japanese lyrics, and 'HYDRA -666-' the coupling track on single "DOZING GREEN."

Track Listing
1. SA BIR
2. VINUSHKA
3. RED SOIL
4. DOUKOKU TO SARINU
5. TOGURO
6. GLASS SKIN
7. STUCK MAN
8. REIKETSU NARISEBA
9. WARE, YAMI TOTE...
10. HYDRA -666-
11. BUGABOO
12. GAIKA, CHINMOKU GA NEMURU KORO
13. DOZING GREEN
14. INCONVENIENT IDEA

1/1 Scale Fist of the North Star Kenshiro Statue

2011-11-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

"It belongs in a museum!!"

Because this is exactly what your collection is missing, the good folks of Comic Zenon (Tokuma Shoten's Monthly magazine) brings forth the creation of a life-sized figure of Fist of the North Star manga lead Kenshiro.

Kenshiro stands at 185 cm tall (about 73 inches tall) and did I mention that he happens to be inlaid with 500,000 Swarovski crystals! The crystals alone are worth 10 million yen (about $130,000). Figure maker Kaiyodo produced the life-size figure under the supervision of Fist of the North Star's very own creator, Tetsuo Hara.

Comic Zenon will offer the fully decked Kenshiro figure in a charity auction on their online store. For those with sparkly determination and a sparkling wallet to match can join in the auction which starts in mid-November. Minature version of the figure will also be sold at their online store.

The 1/1 scale statue was officially unveiled at Tokyo's Ginza Hakuhikan store with the opening of the Comic Zenon Online store. The first 77 people who bought the December issue of Comic Zenon there were given a photo-op with the statue and received a 7-inch Kenshiro figure. Starting today, "Swarovski Kenshiro" will be on display at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

Check out Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan site for more close-ups of the statue. [Source Mantan Web via ANN]

L'Arc~en~Ciel 20th Anniversary Concert in Theaters

2011-10-31T08:20:00.000-04:00

How many times have you folks that love Japanese musicians but do not live in Japan complained that you can’t go to your favorite band's concerts because, well, you don’t live in Japan?! L’Arc~en~Ciel knows they have fans that love them worldwide and they won’t let a little detail like distance keep them from returning that love.

The band, in cooperation with Live Viewing Japan, Inc. will be releasing their "20th L’Anniversary LIVE" concert in movie theaters. This two-hour special that took place on May 28th and 29th will be running for one night only in several cities around the world, including Tokyo, Singpore, Paris, Baltimore, New York, Los Angeles, and many more. U.S. screenings will take place on November 29th.

Click here to find out if your city is screening the event and to purchase tickets.

This will be the third entry Third Impact has posted about Hyde, Ken, Yukihiro and Tetsuya this month. We may just have to rename this month L'Arctober.

[Editor's Note: If you've never seen Larku live, this is definitely a treat. But let me just say that I completely agree with Sam...with all the love Third Impact has been giving Larku this month, L'ARCTOBER it is!!!]

All Hallow's Eve 2011

2011-10-31T02:27:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again. When the rest of the world cosplay along with us. Presenting my 2011 pumpkin! Not sure what I was going for this year, but this zombie-inspired pumpkin was another one I had fun making.

Be sure to check out my past pumpkins from 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. I think last year's Kratos-inspired pumpkin is still one of my personal favorites.

What about you? Doing any pumpkin carving? Dressing up for Halloween? Marathoning anime? Cuddling up to a good video game?

Let us all "take the black" as "Winter is nigh" and it seems that some of us will be dealing with white walkers on this halloween.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Third Impact...stay safe!

Junjo Mistake Anime Adaptation

2011-10-28T00:02:00.001-04:00

Excuse any typos as I tremble while attempting to type this out.

The December issue of Ciel Tres Tres magazine will be announcing tomorrow, the anime adaptation of Shungiku Nakamura's Junjo Romantica manga spinoff Junjo Mistake!!!! Yes, you heard me.....Junjo Mistake in anime form!!!!

Junjo Mistake takes place ten years before the main Junjo Romantica storyline. It follows Ryuichiro Isaka (senior managing director of Marukawa Publishing, and Haruhiko's childhood friend in the main Romantica storyline), and his assistant Kaoru Asahina. In "Mistake," Isaka aspires to be a novelist, despite his keen abilities on the business realm. Asahina finds himself working for the Isaka family, and becomes something more to Isaka.

Say it with me....A-SA-HI-NA!!!!

(now to re-read for any typos...) [Source: Otakomu]

Third Impact Spotlight: Newest Guest Contributor

2011-10-27T19:02:00.002-04:00

Great things are brewing here at Third Impact. Recently, we announced the addition of our newest contributor, Sam. She has transitioned here quite nicely, and I'm enjoying every post to date. We'll also be announcing more goodies in the near future, but shhhhh......it's a secret. In the meantime, you may have noticed another voice in Third Impact as of late. And it makes me very ecstatic and proud to announce our latest acquisition in the form of a brand spanking new guest contributor.

Please join me in welcoming Ayu (Anthy incarnate!), another avid Third Impact fan, fellow otaku, and bestie! You'll see Ayu pop in and out of Third Impact and offer her thoughts on the latest in all things Japanese. Wrapping up her Asian studies both in U.S. and our mecca, Japan, you'll no doubt be seeing her short stories and novella published in the future. We at Third Impact feel privileged to snag her first!

When asked to briefly describe herself, here's what she had to say:

"Some say her blood type is coffee. Some say her fingerprints are a ●,■,▲, X and R1 button. Some say she really did graduate from Ohtori Academy. Some say she is majored in Asian Studies in college just so she could get a discount, 4-month trip to Japan to attend a D concert. When she talks about old-school anime, old-school shows become popular new shows.

Her love for Devil May Cry is so great, the devil actually cried. She once wanted to work for Newtype Magazine, but decided contributing to Dead Sea Scrolls 606: Third Impact was a far better place to express her undying love of Japanese pop culture. She isn’t famous at all, but other people want her autograph. She may just be an abnormal twenty-something, but she is… one of the most interesting otaku in the National Capital area.

My fandom may not always get what it wants, but I hope to provide your fandom with a little of what it wants. Third Impact… stay informed my friends."

Check out Ayu's informative posts to date...and more to come!
- L'Arc~en~Ciel's X X X Single
- The Return of Sailor Moon

Togainu no Chi PVC Figures by Kotobukiya

2011-10-26T00:15:00.003-04:00

Oh mommy... Clear me some shelf space.

Pre-order start dates are a dangerous time for my bank account and the craftsmen over at Kotobukiya know just how to hook me. As of October 20th you can place your orders for the dangerous and drool worthy men of Nitro+CHiRAL's "Togainu no Chi" in 1/8 scale. The highly detailed Uiro Yamada illustrated figures will run you around 7000 yen a piece and can be purchased at sites such as CD Japan and Hobby Search.

The knife wielding Akira is set to release in all his scarred and bandaged (and pants dropping!) glory on March 31, 2012.

The violent man in black Shiki with his piercing red eyes and katana will be trailing not too far behind on April 30, 2012.

Add them to your collection before they add your dog tags to theirs!

The Darkness Gets New Writer in 2012

2011-10-25T07:31:00.000-04:00

Berkeley, CA – 20 October 2011 -- Top Cow Productions is proud to announce the addition of acclaimed writer David Hine (THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN, Batman) to the stable of talented stewards of the Top Cow Universe. Beginning in March 2012, Hine brings his considerable experience to torturing one of comics’ favorite bad boys, Jackie Estacado. David joins Detective Comics creative partner, Jeremy Haun (ARTIFACTS, PILOT SEASON: THE BEAUTY) as the ongoing team on THE DARKNESS beginning with issue #101.

“From issue # 101, I'll be the regular writer on THE DARKNESS, one of the best and longest-running independent books out there. I'll be teamed with Jeremy Haun, one of the most talented artists I've worked with. And I'm dreading it!” said Hine. “To write a character like Jackie Estacado you have to go into some very dark and ugly places on a daily basis. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it...”

“I couldn’t have been more excited when I found out we were able to get David on THE DARKNESS long term. He is one of those writers that perfectly balances story with character. He understands the inner workings of his characters and really knows how to tap into their darkness, if you’ll forgive the pun,” explained Hine’s collaborator, Jeremy Haun. “I’ve wanted to have an extended run on a series for years now, THE DARKNESS is the perfect place for me to do that. David and I are working hard to build a story that is true to the property, but at the same time, really kicks up the horror elements of the book.”

Hine takes over the writing duties from the long time writer Phil Hester (Green Hornet, Wonder Woman), who has written the series since 2007, when the series relaunched following the events of FIRST BORN and the release of THE DARKNESS video game. Hine has previously written the titular character of Jackie Estacado in 2010’s limited series THE DARKNESS: FOUR HORSEMEN, which garnered rave reviews. With Hester concluding his run on the series with the landmark issue #100 and The Darkness II slated for release in February, the time was perfect for a fresh voice to embrace THE DARKNESS. The team of Hine and Haun will pick up the story of Jackie Estacado after the events of ARTIFACTS #13, which Top Cow promises will alter the status quo of the Top Cow Universe irrevocably. Joining the already announced teams of Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH) and Diego Bernard (The Man With No Name) on WITCHBLADE and Ron Marz (MAGDALENA, VOODOO) and Stjepan Sejic (WITCHBLADE) on the ARTIFACTS ongoing series, the two will help guide one of Top Cow’s flagship franchises into a new era perfect for longtime, lapsed, and new readers alike.

THE DARKNESS #101, a 32-page full-color comic book for $3.99, will be on sale in stores and digital platforms, including THE DARKNESS app, in March of 2012. THE DARKNESS #94 (APR110499) will be on sale October 26 for $3.99.

Akira Live Action Greenlit

2011-10-24T01:42:00.002-04:00

After what has seemed like an endless loop of rumors (with names like Leonardo DiCaprio to Keanu Reeves being placed in the mix) and a massive developmental nightmare (with re-budgeting, for example), Warner Bros. has officially given its live-action remake of Katsuhiro Otomo's anime cult hit "Akira" the greenlight. Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unknown, House of Wax) will helm the newly-budgeted $90 million movie about biker Tetsuo Shima, and his incredible psychic powers and the biker gang member Shotaro Kaneda, who tries to stop Tetsuo from releasing Akira. According to Variety, shooting will begin in late February/early March 2012. Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy) seems to be the front runner for the lead role as Kaneda.

Twitch reports that Gary Oldman has been offered the role of Colonel; while Helena Bonham-Carter has been offered Lady Miyako. This, at the very least, has me intrigued simply because you just happen to have two of my all-time personal favorite actor/actress!

With a smaller budget, and the mere fact that I hate seeing my beloved anime titles in the hands of Hollywood, I don't know if this movie could be a hit. There's a reason why specific titles, such as Akira, have taken the mediums of manga and anime. There are things that only anime can do. Can a live action movie adapation capture the violence, the gritty, the supernatural, gruesome nature of Akira and leave us in complete awe of all the epicness? I am clinging on to the fact that Otomo will exec produce Akira. But does doing an awesome job, mean that instead of making a movie that closely resembles the anime we all love, it will instead be a recreation -- another way of telling the story...

Devil May Cry HD Collection Confirmed

2011-10-21T06:23:00.000-04:00

It's official, it's official...it's official!

CAPCOM has officially announced that it will release the Devil May Cry HD Collection for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

The DMC HD Collection brings the first three original DMC titles -- Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Special Edition -- together in one high def package for the first time. The collection will be available early 2012 in Europe and North America (February 7, 2012) for $39.99.

Dante, my darling....I think THIS is what they call a "heart-warming family reunion."