‘The Deer King’ is a fantasy novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi and published by Kadokawa that ran from September 2014 to July 2017. It would later be adapted into a manga illustrated by Taro Sekiguchi that ran from July 26, 2021, to March 2, 2022. The Japanese animation studio Production I.G has developed a feature film adaptation directed by Masashi Ando that had its premiere at the 2021 Annecy International Animation Film Festival before getting a wide release.
GKids has announced they are releasing it in the United States and with an English voice cast for the movie.
According to the GKids website, their English dub cast includes:
Van – Ray Chase
Hohsalle – Griffin Puatu
Sae – Erica Schroeder
Yuna – Luciana VanDette
Tohlim – Doug Stone
Aquafa King – Neil Kaplan
Kenoi – Frank Todaro
Makokan – Luis Bermudez
Ohfan – Keith Silverstein
Yotalu – Chris Hackney
Utalu – Doug Erholtz
Shikan – Xander Mobus
Van’s Wife – Larissa Gallagher
Van’s Son – Michael Deaner
Tohma – Stefan Martello
Ohma – Steve Kramer
Ohma’s Wife – Edna Larsen
Kiya – Larissa Gallagher
Yoki – Marc Thompson
Yoki’s Wife – Stephanie Sheh
Yoki’s Son – Michael Deaner
You can watch the trailer below:
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows,
“In the years following a vicious war, the Empire of Zol now controls the land and citizens of rival Aquafa—except for Aquafa’s Fire Horse Territory, where wild dogs that once carried the deadly Black Wolf Fever continue to roam free. When a pack of dogs race through a Zol-controled mine, Van, an enslaved former soldier, and a young girl named Yuna are both bitten, but manage to escape as the sole survivors of the attack. Finally free, Van and Yuna seek out a simple, peaceful existence in the countryside. But as the deadly disease once again runs rampant, they find themselves at the crossroads of a struggle much larger than any one nation.”
The movie is written by Taku Kishimoto and features music from Harumi Fuuki.
Anime fans will have a blast in August 2022. Sentai Filmworks announced that are releasing six DVD releases with one being available for pre-order. Five of the boxsets will include English dubs with one exception being released exclusively in the original Japanese with English subtitles.
Rent-A-Girlfriend
The synopsis is described as, “When Kinoshita Kazuya’s new girlfriend brutally dumps him, he discovers a surprising new alternative – renting a girlfriend instead! However, while this does let Kazuya avoid the embarrassment of explaining to his friends and family why he’s suddenly partner-less, he’s unprepared for what happens when Mizuhara Chizuru arrives to fulfill his rental contract. Not only is she completely not what he expected, but her real life has a frightening number of cross-overs with his own! And when it turns out that his grandmother is just crazy about Chizuru, it’s not like he can just swap her out for a different model! Or can he? Will Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship progress beyond a “goods purchased” mode? And what happens if Kazuya’s ex-girlfriend decides to re-enter the picture?”
The first season of this show comes will twelve episodes for this release. It will be available on August 30, 2022.
Gugure! Kokkuri-San
“Tiny little Kohina is a very strange girl. She’s so small that she could really be the living doll that she claims she is, her face seems totally devoid of expression, and she lives all by herself, subsisting entirely on a diet of instant noodles. So, when Kohina has the terrible idea of playing with a Kokkuri game and summoning ancient kokkuri spirits by herself, it’s no surprise that she actually manages to make a fox spirit appear. What is a surprise, however, is that rather than doing the usual spirit-y sort of pranks and haunting her, the Kokkuri decides that what she needs is a protector and assigns that job to himself! And that’s a good thing, because it turns out that he’s not the only supernatural entity who becomes mysteriously fixated on her in Gugure! Kokkuri-san,” says the description.
It will be available on August 30, 2022, and will include the entire series.
Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun
“Iruma Suzuki’s parents were horrible, nasty people who didn’t just mistreat him, they literally sold his soul to a demon! Ironically, however, it turns out surprisingly well, as it seems that the Demon has always wanted a grandson and is determined to make Iruma fit into that role… even if that means that Iruma has to go to school with all the other demon kids. Since Iruma’s never had a decent education, he’s fine with that, but there’s a catch: if anyone learns that he’s human, his classmates will eat him! Talk about pressure to fit in! Amazingly, Iruma manages to blend in fairly well with his devilishly good new friends! Now, if he could only stop nearly giving himself away by trying to do nice things, he might even survive to graduate in WELCOME TO DEMON SCHOOL, IRUMA-KUN,” the synopsis explains.
This includes the complete first season of twenty-three episodes to be released on August 16, 2022.
Short Peace
It is described as, “Prepare your senses for animation on the cutting edge as Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of AKIRA, unleashes the combined creative forces of Japan’s newest animation masters! A lone traveler is confronted by unusual spirits in Shuhei Morita’s Academy Award® nominee POSSESSIONS (TSUKUMO). A mysterious bear defends a royal family from a demon in GAMBO from director Hiroaki Ando featuring designs by NEON GENESIS EVANGELION’s Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Men battle robotic tanks in an apocalyptic Tokyo in A FAREWELL TO WEAPONS (BUKI YO SARABA), directed by MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM designer Hajime Katoki from Otomo’s story, while Otomo himself takes the director’s chair in the multi-award-winning saga of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan, COMBUSTIBLE (HI-NO-YOUJIN). See the films that are taking the critical world by storm as a new era in anime begins with Katsuhiro Otomo’s SHORT PEACE!”
The DVD release includes the entire anthology film to be released on August 9, 2022.
Shikizakura
“Kakeru Miwa might have been a totally typical Japanese high school student, but his life quickly transforms into anything but ordinary when his morning trek to school crosses paths with beautiful shrine maiden Oka Myojin. That’s because Oka belongs to a secret group dedicated to fighting demon oni who cross from their dimension into ours by possessing the bodies of humans! This isn’t your classic exorcist type job either, as the only reliable way of defeating these invading monsters requires donning a Yoroi, an incredible armored battle suit powered by an arcane mix of mystical arts and beyond bleeding-edge technology, then taking the oni on in mortal combat! Is that shocking? Yes. Dangerous? Extremely. But it’s also more interesting than school, and Kakeru is quickly lining up to defend mankind in SHIKIZAKURA!”
The entire series of twelve episodes are included with this release. It is set to hit stores on August 1, 2022.
Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In Dungeon
“The rules of the Dungeon always seemed simple: Enter, avoid traps, kill monsters and gather treasure. But when Bell rescues a young vouivre, Wiene, who is capable of speaking, it changes his understanding of what the Dungeon’s monsters could be. Unfortunately, the discovery of the Xenos, a secret group of monsters who all speak, reincarnate, and are capable of rational thought, isn’t welcomed by all. With many of the Familias remaining determined to destroy all monsters on sight, Bell and the Hestia Familia quickly find themselves confronted on multiple fronts, even as other Familias work in secret to exploit the Xenos for their own sinister gains. And when the Xenos are forced to defend themselves, all hell breaks loose in the third amazing season of IS IT WRONG TO TRY TO PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON?”
Available for pre-order, this release includes the entire third season of the show as well as several OVAs released during its run.
Entertainment Earth has opened up pre-orders for the upcoming Previews Exclusive Godzilla retro lunchboxes. If you’re a kid of the 1970s and 1980s, you’ll remember the metal lunchboxes with the Thermos that always leaked. Many a peanut butter and jelly sandwich were ruined thanks to the not-so-leakproof Thermoses.
Each lunchbox is themed after a specific Godzilla film. These include the original 1954 Gojira, Destroy All Monsters from 1968, and the 1993 follow-up to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. The lunchboxes are made from metal, and the “beverage holder” is, indeed, a recreation of the vintage 1970s Thermos. Artwork from the original Japanese posters adorns the front and back of the lunchboxes, while still from each film line the sides. In addition, the Thermoses feature biological diagrams of Godzilla and his foes.
Each lunchbox is priced at $24.99 and should arrive at the beginning of 2023. TohoTohoTohoToho
Celebrate the 1954 Japanese Kaiju film that started it all, Godzilla, with this classic-style tin lunch box from Surreal Entertainment! The Godzilla 1954 Lunch Box with Thermos – Previews Exclusive features art taken from the original Japanese movie poster of the first Godzilla as he terrorizes the city of Tokyo! The sides are decorated with scenes directly from the black-and-white film! The classic beverage holder also features an illustration of the anatomical inner workings of the fearsome Kaiju! Measures approximately 7 3/4-inches long x 6 3/4-inches tall x 4-inches wide.
TohoTohoToho
Celebrate the classic 1968 Japanese Kaiju film Destroy All Monsters, with this classic-style tin lunch box from Surreal Entertainment! The Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Lunch Box with Thermos.
Toho TohoToho
Celebrate the classic 1993 Japanese Kaiju film and return of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II, with this classic-style tin lunchbox from Surreal Entertainment! The Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla Lunch Box with Thermos
What do you think of these retro lunch carriers? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Entertainment Earth]
With the recent news that Naughty Dog is remaking (for whatever reason) the original The Last of Us game for the PS5, I thought it would be nice to look back on the characters when they were interesting and not so full of hate and spite. Gaming Heads has announced a limited edition statue featuring Ellie and Joel as they appeared in the first game, traveling across the country in the hopes that the young girl holds the cure for the cordyceps plague that sent the world into chaos. Don’t worry. There’s not a golf club in sight.
The statue will measure 12″ high, 10″ long, and 11″ wide. This statue is a limited edition release; only 500 copies will be made. Expect Joel and Ellie to journey out into the wide world during the first quarter of 2023. Although the statue may not be big, it is sort of expensive. The Deluxe Edition Ellie & Joel piece will cost you $549.99. Gaming HeadsGaming HeadsGaming HeadsGaming Heads
The Ellie & Joel (Deluxe Edition) statue is only available here at Gaming Heads. Ellie is shown holding her bow by her side and Joel has a baseball bat and interchangeable steel pipe in his right hand. Ellie & Joel also comes with the Ellie & Joel standard edition statue parts, which are Ellie with her rifle slung across her shoulder while Joel is holding his personal weapon of choice, a revolver. It also comes with a bottle and brick placed in easy reach of both Ellie and Joel. The Ellie & Joel (Deluxe Edition) statue is made using polystone resin and is skillfully hand-crafted and painted by artisans. It also includes deluxe, full-color packaging, a hand-numbered base and a validation card.
What do you think of the remake and this statue? Is there a need to overwrite a game’s art style just to make it more realistic? Is something lost in that process? Let us know your thoughts below.
[Source: Gaming Heads]
A slew of pre-orders just became available from Diamond Select this week. It was an exciting mix of comic book characters and a member of Cobra. So if you’re into statues or busts, there’s probably something in the mix for you.
The ’70s and ’80s version of Scott Summers (Cyclops) is up for pre-order right now. The 11″ tall statue is going for $175 and is limited to only 2,000 pieces. Old school Cyclops should ship out in November. Diamond SelectDiamond SelectDiamond Select
Don’t fire until you see the reds of their eyes! The first-ever Marvel Premier Collection statue of the X-Men’s stalwart Cyclops, it shows Scott Summers in his classic costume, unleashing a crimson optic blast. Measuring approximately 11 inches tall and featuring detailed sculpting and paint applications, it is limited to only 2000 pieces and comes packaged with a certificate of authenticity in a full-color box.
Glenn Gorblin?! Norman Osborn’s sinister alter-ego and the bane of Spider-Man’s existence in the ’60s and ’70s is back in bust form. The Green Goblin bust is $175. This 1:2 scale collectible should be arriving this December. In his Goblin mask, Osborn sits atop a rising cloud of orange smoke from his pumpkin bomb base. Diamond SelectDiamond SelectDiamond Select
The Green Goblin is now a Legend in 3 Dimensions! The iconic Spider-Man foe gets the 1:2 Scale bust treatment with this all-new sculpture, capturing the grinning villain atop a smoking pumpkin bomb pedestal. Limited to only 1,000 pieces, it comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a full-color box.
Storm Shadow is next on the list. This bust of the Cobra ninja is also 1:2 scale but is a bit pricier than the Green Goblin. Snake Eyes’s nemesis is priced at $200, limited to 1,000 copies, and does not yet have a release date. Diamond SelectDiamond SelectDiamond SelectDiamond Select
Because honor demanded it! It’s the first-ever G.I. Joe Legends in 3D bust, and it’s of Cobra’s resident ninja, Storm Shadow! This half-scale bust captures the sword-wielding villain in his trademark white outfit, complete with swords, arrows, throwing stars and more, and sits atop a sword-hilt pedestal. Limited to only 1,000 pieces, it comes packaged in a full-color box with a numbered certificate of authenticity. Designed by Joe Allard, sculpted by Jorge Santos Souza!
The collectibles lineup rounds out with Eric Draven and The Crow. The statue of the undead hero is based on Brandon Lee’s portrayal of the character in the 1994 film adaptation. Eric comes complete with a guitar, Crow, and a firey base in the outline of his namesake. The 11″ tall statue is $175 and should ship out before Christmas 2022. Diamond SelectDiamond Select
Eric Draven returns as an all-new 1.7 scale Premier Collection Statue! Based on the movie The Crow and measuring approximately 11 inches tall, this statue depicts Eric atop a flaming crow-design base, with his guitar slung across his back and the titular crow alighting on one arm. Limited to only 3,000 pieces, it comes packaged in a full-color box with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
Let us know what you think about these collectibles below.
[Source: Diamond Select]
Bethesda is finally letting us get off of this rock and into space. Rather than another Skyrim re-re-re-re-re-re-release, the now-Microsoft-owned developer is moving past dragons and nuclear wastelands (for now). Instead, the company showed off gameplay footage of their upcoming galaxy wandering title Starfield this weekend.
The footage shows us an early part of the game as we explore a moon called Kreet. Traversal and the 3rd party camera should look familiar to anyone who has played Fallout 4 or Skyrim. Animation of the early aliens we see also has a bug that will also look not too uncommon. However, after that, familiar mechanics in the gameplay sprout up.
There isn’t a VATS system, but the on-foot gameplay does offer up some similarities with Bethesda’s previous games, which includes the UI, too. Lockpicking is also here but called “digipicking” and appears to be a lot simpler. What does return is something akin to Fallout 4’s base-building system. This also extends to customizing your ship. No doubt there’s a lot to do outside questing.
Overall the game looks nice, if not a bit like something you’d find on the last generation of consoles or PCs from 2015, if not earlier. The framerate isn’t exactly smooth, but since this isn’t a finished product, I can forgive that.
I’m all for getting away from earthly stories and into the vast unknown reaches of space. Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds was OK, if not uninteresting. It felt like there could have been so much more as far as gameplay was concerned. Bethesda appears to have seen that void and is filling it. Odd switch in roles there, as it is usually Obsidian swooping in to fix Bethesda’s designs.
Ultimately, we won’t know if this will be a success or another round of Bethesda reusing ancient programming. I don’t want to be cynical, but gamers have been doing this song and dance through how many releases of Fallout and Skyrim now?
What do you think of Starfield so far? Let us know below.
[Source: Bethesda Softworks YouTube Channel]
The textures are blocky. The faces look stretched or weirdly symmetrical. The guns have a low polygon count. However, the gameplay is a-freaking-mazing. That’s what it was like when we all first picked up the N64 classic GoldenEye developed by Rare. The escapades of the new James Bond brought us a new face, a new game, and an experience that has often been copied but never hit the same mark twice.
Thanks to an article on PC Gamer, I was made aware of Replicant D6 and the developer’s new game that looks to capture that same lightning in a bottle. Agent 64: Spies Never Die is taking all the things that made GoldenEye great and expanding on them with an all-new campaign and more!
A retro FPS inspired by classic 90s console shooters. Explore new locales, accomplish varied objectives and fight against state-of-the-art 1997 enemy AI. Enter a world of espionage and action.
On top of giving us the smooth gliding gameplay of the legendary N64 James Bond sim, Replicant D6 is also including a campaign generator. It looks relatively simple to use from what little we see of it in the trailer above.
Sadly, multi-player isn’t going to be included with this release, at least not at first. Replicant D6 does not have a lot of games under the belt, but their last Steam-issued title, Proxy Blade Zero, has primarily positive reviews. So perhaps the best aspect of GoldenEye will eventually make its way in? Agent 64 isn’t the first attempt at replicating GoldenEye’s oddly captivating gameplay, but it looks like it is undoubtedly pulling it off well. You can even take the game for a spin yourself because the alpha demo of Agent 64 can be downloaded right now on Steam.
When I could finally afford to buy an N64 for myself in the ’90s, the very first thing I did was pick up a used copy of GoldenEye. Making $5 an hour meant being frugal back then. Luckily we had a place called MicroPlay, which sold used games at a fair price. Money well spent. That first weekend was spent getting used to the system’s unique controls and playing match after match in the FPS’s multiplayer mode. I’m hoping that the developer finds a way to put that in.
What do you think of Agent 64: Spies Never Die? Let us know below.
[Source: PG Gamer]
[Source: Replicant D6 Twitter]
On the one hand, it’s great to see more games being released based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, but on the other hand, this new one is a survival crafting game. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a PC-exclusive Epic Games release that will combine the lore of Tolkien with the crafting mechanics of games like Minecraft and The Long Dark.
What’s interesting about this game is that it takes place during the Fourth Age of Middle Earth, also known as the Age of Men. Sauron is gone, the One Ring destroyed. The elves, Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo, have all left for the Undying Lands. With peace restored, the Dwarves are seizing the opportunity to return to Khazad-dûm and reclaim the mines of Moria.
The gameplay trailer released by the Epic Games shows what some of the gameplay and crafting will be like, albeit at a rapid pace with no UI. The art style appears to have taken a little inspiration from Peter Jackson’s films, but it is a welcome aesthetic. Additionally, Moria will be procedurally generated. So, hopefully, no two playthroughs will be the same.
Set in a procedurally generated Dwarven realm of Moria™, no two adventures will be alike, and every expedition is traversable either solo or online with companions. Players can mine to craft greater gear and resources, but beware mining makes noise, and noise created in the quiet deep threatens to awaken the dangers below: where there’s clatter, there’s combat. Excavate the mysteries of three legendary mountains, extract precious metals, scrape to survive, and battle unspeakable forces to learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.
Free Range Games are developing the title. This studio also brought us Spell Drifter and Goosebumps Night of Scares. Unfortunately, I’ve never played either, so I can’t attest to the level of skill housed within the company. LoTR: Return To Moria will launch next Spring. What do you think about the game? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Epic Games YouTube Channel]
Heath Ledger’s iconic performance of the Joker helped make The Dark Knight one of the best comic book films of all time. The late Ledger may not have lived to see his impact become legendary, but the spirit of the man can be brought home thanks to a near-perfect replica of Batman’s number one villain, thanks to Queen Studios.
The price of The Joker was not shown, but it’s safe to say that it was probably around the $10k mark, if not higher. Unlike the other statues Queen Studios has offered, Joker features a fully tailored suit rather than a resin-cast suit of armor like Iron Man or Spider-Man. As is typical with this company’s high-quality collectibles, Joker features glass eyes, “platinum” silicone skin, and rooted hair.
The chaotic Clown Prince of Crime is due during the second quarter of 2023. From the base to the top of his head, the Joker comes in at 191 cm. Queen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen StudiosQueen Studios
This The Joker 1/1 life-size limited edition statue captures the Clown Prince of Crime from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) from one of his most iconic scenes. The Joker is stood in his iconic purple pinstriped suit, while he holds his calling card in his right hand. His clothes are made of the finest fabrics, and are hand tailored to fit just like the movie. His soft to the touch skin is made of platinum silicone, creating an unparalleled character likeness, before his make up is expertly applied and his hair is punched on by one, cut and styled.
Sadly, this statue is only available in China, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Hopefully, Queen Studios’ distribution deal with Sideshow Collectibles will make full-size statues like The Joker available for us in the States.
Would you buy this statue if it were available in your country? Let us know below.
[Source: Queen Studios]
The retro-styled TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge video game is due out in just a few days, and another playable character just dropped! Casey Jones will be joining in on the retro Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat-em-up action! Goongala! Goongala!
We spotted the new trailer featuring the sportswear-clad vigilante at Playstation’s YouTube Channel. The design of the character is based on his appearance in the ’87 cartoon, but hopefully, you can unlock his original red shirt from the Mirage comics. The game is set for digital release on June 16th across multiple platforms.
A physical release will be available sometime from Limited Run Games. Various editions will be coming, including a $659 Fan-Bundle, as well as a “Classic Edition” that comes in a VHS sleeve. The $199.99 Radical Edition comes with the following:
Physical Copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge for Microsoft Xbox with Reversible Cover and Blister Box Packaging
Blister box packaging includes trap door on back for easy removal of the game without damaging the card!
Official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge G2 Blu-ray Sized SteelBook
Deluxe Playset Style Box (art to be shown later) With Slipcover
Mini Arcade Cabinet Replica/ Movie Viewer, Plays the Game’s Trailer
Plays Video and Sound Only
Physical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Soundtrack CD
Art Booklet (Inside the Standard Game Case)
Retro VHS Sleeve With VHS Tape Box (sized to store the game and SteelBook)
Full Length Strategy Guide
18″ x 24″ Poster
3D Shadow Box
Exclusive reissue of the original retro Shredder action figure with cartoon accurate colors from Playmates
Sprite Stickers
Free Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza Coupon
Do you plan on picking up Shredder’s Revenge when it comes on this week? Let us know, and maybe you’ll catch us on PC, XBOX, PS5, or Switch playing the game online.
[Source: DotEMU]
[Source: Playstation’s YouTube Channel]
