‘Panda! Go, Panda!’ is an early movie by director Isao Takahata and writer Hayao Miyazaki, both of whom would go on to found Studio Ghibli, though this animated kids film would be released by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and A Production. Premiering on December 17, 1972, it would charm the hearts of audiences alike, especially when it was released on DVD in North America in 2000.
GKids announced that they would be re-releasing the film in the United States in both its original Japanese with English subtitles and with its dubbed version in celebration of the feature’s 50th anniversary. The release will have a short theatrical run before heading to streaming and home video sometime in 2022.
GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt shared his excitement in a statement, saying, “Besides acting as a vital landmark in animation history, Panda! Go Panda! is an exuberant, feel-good story that will have you humming the theme song for days.” He added, “The film has never looked better, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with audiences more widely for a huge anniversary milestone.”
English voice casting includes Julie Maddalena, Kevin Seymour, Melissa Fahn, Kirk Thornton, Simon Prescott, Sherry Lynn, Doug Lee, Mona Marshall, Brianne Siddall, Barbara Goodson, Doug Stone, and Melanie MacQueen.
You can watch the trailer below:
Wikipedia describes the plot synopsis as follows,
“The plot follows Mimiko, a bright little girl left alone when her grandmother leaves on a trip to her grandfather’s memorial service in Nagasaki. Making a few stops at some local stores, Mimiko comes home to her house in a bamboo grove and finds a baby panda named Panny (Pan-Chan) sleeping on the back doorstep. She quickly makes friends with the little panda, and invites him in for a drink. His father, PapaPanda, soon comes to visit, and they decide to become a family after PapaPanda offers to be Mimiko’s father (Mimiko never had any parents). The three adjust to life together during their first night together, while Mimiko writes the first of many letters to her grandma.”
Kevin Seymour served as the English voice director for the dubbing production company Animaze. The movie was originally released in North America by Pioneer Entertainment in 2000.
‘Panda! Go, Panda!’ Kids Anime Film Gets 50th Anniversary Release
‘The Prince of Tennis’ Sports Anime Is Getting A “Fresh” English Dub
‘The Prince of Tennis’ is a coming-of-age sports manga written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. It was published by Shueisha in Japan with Viz Media releasing it in North America. It was adapted into an anime by the Japanese animation studios Trans Arts and Nihon Ad Systems. The show produced a sequel titled ‘The Prince of Tennis II.’
Crunchyroll announced that they are adding episodes 51 – 128 to their library as well as all thirteen episodes of the sequel, plus several OVAs from the show. The streaming service also reported that both shows will get a “fresh” dub that will cover both main shows.
‘The Prince of Tennis’ will feature Alejandro Saab (Platinum End) as Takeshi Momoshiro, Steven Kelly (Dragon Goes House-Hunting) as Sadaharu Inui, Jacob Hopkins (To Your Eternity) as Suichiro Oishi, Derick Snow (Fire Force) as Eiji Kikumaru, Ry McKeand (SK8 the Infinity) as Ryoma Echizen, Jarrod Greene (My Hero Academia) as Kaoru Kaido, Kylen Deporter (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!) as Satoshi Horio, and Stephen Fu (The Case Study of Vanitas) as Shusuke Fuji.
‘The Prince of Tennis II’ will star Ry McKeand (SK8 the Infinity) as Ryoma Echizen, Caitlyn Elizabeth (Little Witch Academia) as Kintaro Toyama, Christopher Wehkamp (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation) as Keigo Atobe, Xander Mobus (JUJUTSU KAISEN) as Yudai Yamato, and Aaron Dismuke (Dr. STONE) as Oshitari Kenya.
The dub is produced by Sound Cadence Studios with Howard Wang serving as ADR director for the English dub.
Crunchyroll celebrated the move on social media:
Get ready for an all-new English dub for The Prince of Tennis! Over 50 episodes are now available, including all of The Prince of Tennis II, with more on the way ~ ✨
Ryoma Echizen – @RyMcKeand
Kunimitsu Tezuka – @ImMrTransistor🎾 MORE: https://t.co/k9Iw7Cieta pic.twitter.com/0jutvWCyDf
— Crunchyroll ✨ #AnimeNextLevel (@Crunchyroll) March 29, 2022
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows,
“At the request of his father, tennis prodigy Ryouma Echizen has returned from America and is ready to take the Japanese tennis scene by storm. Aiming to become the best tennis player in the country, he enrolls in Seishun Academy—home to one of the best middle school tennis teams in Japan.
After Ryouma catches the captain’s eye, he finds himself playing for a spot on the starting lineup in the intra-school ranking matches despite only being a freshman. Due to his age, the rest of the Seishun Boys’ Tennis Team are initially reluctant to accept him, but his skill and determination convinces them to let him in.
Armed with their new “super rookie,” Seishun sets out to claim a spot in the National Tournament, hoping to take the coveted title for themselves. In order to do so, the team must qualify by playing through the Tokyo Prefectural and Kanto Regionals. Yet, the road ahead of them is shared by a plethora of strong schools, each playing tennis in unique ways for their own reasons. Ryouma and his teammates must learn to cooperate if they want to become the champions they aspire to be.”
‘The Prince of Tennis’ had its original run from October 10, 2001, to March 23, 2005.
Superman Returns In Black To Dynamic 8ction Heroes
Superman has returned to Beast Kingdom’s Dynamic 8ction Heroes line of 1/9th scale action figures. We spotted this version of Kal-El up for pre-order at the Big Bad Toy Store.
Clark’s wearing the black suit from his time on an alternate Earth after the Convergence event. It could be mistaken for his recovery suit from the Reign of the Supermen arc in the ’90s, but this Supes doesn’t have the rockin’ mullet.
This Superman figure is limited to 1,500 pieces and is priced at $89.99. The expected release window is during the second quarter of this year.
The ‘Dynamic 8ction Heroes’ collection from Beast Kingdom is back with the launch of the DAH-045SP DC Comics Heroes, Superman Black Edition’. This 1:9 live-action, limited edition collectable action figure brings to life Superman’s famous black costume from the comics. In the tight fitting suit, made of real fabric, Superman gets to show his strong physique and raw power with his defined muscles.
The super-textured black suit is made of real fabric and sports the all silver ‘S’ logo! Including a set of iron like chains and a collection of replaceable hands, the set also includes two replaceable head sculpts showing Superman in both a serious look as well as an enraged look, ready to cause havoc.
Black Suit Supes will come with the following accessories:
- 2 Head sculpts
- Regular
- Angry
- Pair of chains
- 4 Pairs of interchangeable hands
- Fists
- Closed
- Open
- Gripping
- Limited Warranty Card
- Stand
If classic Superman is more your style, DAH-045 is the Supes you’re looking for. He can be pre-ordered directly from Beast Kingdom. The blue, red, and yellow Superman is $86.99 and should be coming out in April.
Beast Kingdom’s ‘Entertainment Experience Brand’ takes fans of the Man Of Steel back to his roots with a classic rendition of the Superman design! The DAH-045 DC Comics Superman brings to life the muscular, heroic, and brave figure as a highly articulable collector’s piece. Standing tall at 20.5cm in height, the figure is clothed using real, detailed fabric, befitting the bulletproof hero!
The traditional Man of Steel comes with the following:
- Two (2) exclusive head sculpts (Normal, Angry)
- Built-in LED light function in the angry face sculpt eyes
- Attachable heat vision special effects for LED light function
- Five (5) pairs of replaceable hands
- One Chain effect
- Special, branded figure base with bracket
Serve Up Some Quality BBQ With This New Leatherface Figure
The Sawyer family is misunderstood. They’re just people who love good BBQ. Sure, they make the food out of humans, but at least no animals are being harmed. I’m surprised that Peta hasn’t used the Texas cannibals for their advertisements.
If you’re a fan of some good roadside BBQ served up by a suspicious cook, you’ll love the butcher: Bubba Sawyer, AKA Leatherface! Sideshow is currently taking pre-orders for a new 1/6th scale Leatherface.
Based on his first appearance in the classic 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface is decked out with his iconic yellow apron and mask. He’s ready to cut up some folks with his trusty chainsaw after he gives them a whack with his mallet, of course.
Sideshow Collectibles
- Fabric Costume including:
- Shirt
- Tie
- Pants
- Bloodied yellow apron
- Padded Undersuit
- Four (4) pairs of hands:
- Fists
- Neutral Hands
- Grip Hands
- Gesture Hands
- One (1) pair of boots
- Chainsaw
- Mallet
- Charm Bracelet
Gunnar Hansen was the actor behind the original Leatherface. He was a staple on the horror convention circuit for years before he passed in 2015. Sadly, Gunnar never returned to the role in the first three sequels or the subsequential reboots.
No other follow-up or reimagining has ever topped Tobe Hooper’s original film. It is the pinnacle of grindhouse. Gritty, raw, and unforgiving when it comes to brutality. Something studios never can reproduce.
What are your thoughts on this new Leatherface figure? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Sideshow Collectibles]
G.I. Joe Ultimates Wave 3 Enlists Storm Shadow and Scarlett!
This third G.I. Joe wave of Super7’s premium action figure line known as ‘Ultimates!’ includes two fan favorites (Storm Shadow and Scarlett), a Cobra Trooper for army builder, and the sadly neglected Doc. I cannot tell you the last time I’ve seen Doc in the toy line. Hell, he’s probably more well known for his appearance in the Fensler Films than the toy line or cartoon!
The Ultimates G.I. Joe figures are based more on the cartoon versions of the characters than the toys or comics from the 1980s. This means simpler costumes, more vibrant colors, and lots of accessories. Each figure comes with a plethora of weaponry and gadgets and lots of articulation, and interchangeable heads and hands.
Luckily, the figures are still priced at $55 each. The guys and gal can be purchased individually or as a four-pack for $220. These Joes and Cobras will be hitting the market in Spring 2023.
- 2x interchangeable heads
- 1x neutral head
- 1x diving mask head
- 10x interchangeable hands
- 2x fist hands
- 2x weapon holding hands
- 2x bow holding hands
- 2x chopping hands
- 2x fighting hands
- 1x alternate un-wrapped forearm with Arashikage tattoo
- 1x Excaliber (with glow in the dark blade)
- 1x katana
- 1x wakizashi
- 1x tanto
- 3x throwing stars
- 3x arrows
- 1x bow
- 1x nunchucks
- 1x sniper rifle
- 3x interchangeable heads
- 1x neutral head
- 1x smiling head
- 1x headset head
- 6x interchangeable hands
- 2x fist hands
- 2x chopping hands
- 2x weapon gripping hands
- 1x quiver
- 3x thermal arrows
- 1x grapple arrow with rope
- 1x jammer arrow
- 1x incendiary arrow
- 1x communicator
- 1x M16 rifle
- 1x small crossbow
- 1x large crossbow
- 3x interchangeable heads
- 1x neutral head
- 1x smiling head
- 1x yelling head
- 8x interchangeable hands
- 2x fist hands
- 2x weapon gripping hands
- 2x flare launcher hands
- 2x medical gloved hands
- 1x removable helmet
- 1x Joe laser rifle
- 1x flare launcher
- 1x flare gun
- 1x comic book
- 1x medic kit
- 1x walkie talkie
- 1x satchel
- 2 interchangeable heads
- 1x light skintone head
- 1x dark skintone head
- 14x interchangeable hands
- 2x light skintone fist hands
- 2x light skintone rifle grip hands
- 2x light skintone pistol grip hands
- 1x light skintone whip grip hand
- 2x dark skintone fist hands
- 2x dark skintone rifle grip hands
- 2x dark skintone pistol grip hands
- 1x dark skintone whip grip hand
- 1x dragunov sniper rifle
- 1x cobra rifle
- 1x cobra pistol
- 1x electric whip
- 1x walkie talkie
- 1x briefcase bomb
[Source: Super7]
Batman The Animated Series’ Batmobile Gets A $1K Statue
The Dark Knight, who graced our television screens during the mid-1990s, is back! OK, technically, Batman The Animated Series merchandise is still around, but this right here is something premium.
Iron Studios has announced that pre-orders are now open for the company’s upcoming Batman and Batmobile statues. Bats are priced at $139.99, while the car is $999.99. They can also be purchased as a bundle for $1,099.99. The Art Scale statues are pretty large. Batman may only be 9.4″ tall, but the Batmobile measures 6.2″ tall by 24.8″ wide.
Statues of this size and price typically come with a few unique features, as we saw with the BTTF II DeLorean statue. However, we’re still paying over a grand, but there are no lights? Weird. The Bruce Timm version of the batmobile only had a few lights on the exterior, the main one being the turbine’s exhaust. Oh, well. At least the thing looks fantastic.
With his long black cape with blue lining waving in the wind of the gloomy Gotham City, the flash of lightning reveals his image in a shadow silhouette on the top of a skyscraper. Noble and imposing, the hooded crusader with his clenched fists gets ready for action. He is the world’s greatest detective, and despite his tragic past, he overcame every obstacle so that he could dedicate his entire life to eradicating crime in his city, many times crossing the streets in high-speed with his black car, a high-technological super machine with jet exhaust. Inspired by the acclaimed animated series developed by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.
Batman TAS was one of the last shows that kept me interested in cartoons for a while during my teens. That, Animaniacs, and Freakazoid. It was so refreshing to see a primarily severe take on Batman. In the ’80s, we had reruns of ‘Super Friends’ and the 1960s TV show. We’ve got a lot to thank Tim Burton for. He and Bruce Timm made the Dark Knight great again.
What do you think of The Animated Series Batmobile and Batman statues? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
[Source: Iron Studios]
Skeletor’s New Statue Shows Him Contemplating On The Thone
OK, I, too, would have preferred to have a statue of Skeletor pondering an orb on the toilet, but we’ll take what we can get.
Iron Studios is now taking pre-orders for this new Art Scale 1/10″ statue of the ruler of Snake Mountain as he sits atop a boney throne and contemplates what evil deed his minions will mess up next. Maybe we’ll get King Randor on his throne next?
Skeletor’s statue stands at roughly 11.4″ tall and is priced at $299.99. The Art Scale statue will arrive during the 4th quarter of 2022.
It appears that Iron Studios went for the Filmation version of Skeletor rather than the Mattel or 200X look. Then again, he does sort of look like the bone-faced-fiend we saw in Revelations. Ugh.
Regardless, Skeletor will go great next to the Filmation Prince Adam statue that we reported on in February.
Contemplative in his dark throne, the leader of the Evil Warriors of Eternia plans his next conquest schemes to achieve his greatest purpose: to possess the secrets of the ancient Castle Grayskull and become the master of the universe. Firmly holding his Havoc Staff in his right hand, he watches with his empty eyes while his chin stands on his left hand, thinking such malicious thoughts that would cause even his most loyal followers to tremble. Iron Studios proudly present the statue “Skeletor on Throne Deluxe – Masters of the Universe – Art Scale 1/10”, a luxurious edition, full of details based on the original references.
A lot of the other Masters of the Universe characters are being left out of this new wave of statues. Where’s the love for Ram Man or Buzz-Off? I always love seeing new He-Man and Skeletor stuff, but let’s start switching it up a little. At this point, I’d even welcome an Orko statue.
[Souce: Iron Studios]
DOOM Eternal’s Cacodemon Statue Is Now Up For Pre-Order
The floating, lightning-belching beast from the depths of Hell is ready to sit atop your shelf or if you’re like me, office desk. Nothing makes people not want to bother you at work, like lining your entire office with statues of satanic beings.
Bethesda Gear has announced that it is currently taking pre-orders for the Cacodemon. This version is the one seen in DOOM Eternal. The creature itself is totally static, with no moving parts. However, it does sit on a clear piece of plastic. So, at least it looks like it’s floating.
The Cacodemon is priced at $135 and will be released in June of this year. This is a limited run, with only 1,200 being made.
The demon’s body features translucent washes, protruding veins, a host of spikes and smatterings of red on the skin. There’s a discernible difference between the rendering of the tough hide and the soft flesh. This lifelike and realistic look is achieved because of the level of detail Polyresin allows and is further enhanced by a semi-gloss finish.
The Cacodemon’s face is also finely-rendered, with highly-detailed features like teeth big and small. The touch of green in the eye and blue inside the mouth offer a contrast to the mostly red color palette and portrays the moment right before the demon launches its signature lightning attack.
Remember when DOOM Eternal caused such a stir because some in-game propaganda tried to humanize the invading armies from Hell? I thought it was a great touch because there’s no doubt that a colossal corporation similar to U.A.C. would try such a stunt to lower our guard. And, like every other “controversy,” it was ignored, and the game went on to be just as badass as we’d all hoped.
Although only 1,200 of these Cacodemon statues are being made, it’s not made apparent how many are left for pre-order. The previously released Archvile statue is still in stock. So, there may be no need to rush out to get this if your wallet’s tight.
[Source: Bethesda Gear Store]
Time Travel Anime ‘Iroduku: The World In Colors’ Gets Blu-ray Home Video Release
‘Iroduku: The World in Colors’ is a science fiction anime series created by Natsuka Yashio for the Japanese animation studio P.A.Works that explores time travel. It was directed by Toshiya Shinohara and ran for thirteen episodes. Previously, the series was available on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service before making its way to the HiDive app.
Sentai Filmworks announced on their website that they were giving the series a blu-ray home video release which will feature the original Japanese voice actors but will now include an English dub version. All thirteen episodes will be included in the release and will also have special features including some promos and special versions of the opening and closing songs.
It is set to be released on June 21, 2022, and is available for pre-order. The English cast list has not been released yet.
IRODUKU: The World In Colors Blu-ray. June 21. https://t.co/BPqodDQRAY https://t.co/rcJT13RRjC pic.twitter.com/1niawqNwp2
— WTK (@WTK) March 22, 2022
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows:
“Despite the kaleidoscopic magic ingrained in everyday life, Hitomi Tsukishiro’s monochrome world is deprived of emotion and feeling. On a night as black and white as any other, amidst the fireworks spreading across the sky, Hitomi’s grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell, for which she has been harnessing the moon’s light for 60 years, to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school.
Hitomi’s mission seems unclear, but her grandmother assures her that she will know when she gets there. Following a trip through time aboard a train driven by a strange yellow creature, Hitomi finds herself in stoic artist Yuito Aoi’s room, and his drawings flood her world with color. What is Hitomi’s purpose there, and why do Yuito’s drawings return such breathtaking color to her drab world?”
The anime was written by Yūko Kakihara with music by Yoshiaki Dewa. Chief animation director Yuki Akiyama also designed the characters with art director Kurumi Suzuki and art supervisor Junichi Higashi.
Crunchyroll Announces New Anime For Spring 2022
The anime streaming service Crunchyroll continues to expand its library. Following the merger with Funimation, they have brought most of that app’s catalog over, though some titles like ‘Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut’ and ‘She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man’ have yet to move over. This has not stopped Crunchyroll from adding over two dozen new shows and renewing some fan favorite anime.
These titles, among others, are coming to Crunchyroll:
A Couple of Cuckoos
“Nagi Umino is a 17-year old second-year high school student who learns that he is not the biological child of the family that raised him. On the way to his first meeting with his biological family he meets Erika Amano, a popular internet celebrity who is trying to escape from an arranged marriage. Later, Nagi and Erika discover that their parents had accidentally switched the two after their births and were now aiming to put them in an arranged marriage. To facilitate this, they are made to live in a house owned by Erika’s family.” – Wikipedia
Aoashi
The series involves youth football player Ashito Aoi and his journey and experiences in the Tokyo Esperion youth academy. – Wikipedia
Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3
The story follows Urano Motosu, a book-loving post-secondary college student and soon-to-be librarian who ends up crushed to death beneath a pile of books at her house during an earthquake. With her dying breath, she wishes to be reincarnated in a world where she can read books forever. Urano awakens in the body of a weak, five-year-old girl named Myne in a world where books are scarce and only available to elites. Myne, retaining her memories from her previous life, decides to create and print her own books so that she can read again. – Wikipedia
BUILD-DIVIDE -#FFFFFF- CODE WHITE
Everyone has a wish they long to have fulfilled. Teruto Kurabe, a boy who vows to take down the King, and Sakura Banka, the mysterious girl who guides him, throw themselves into the Rebuild battle. With New Kyoto as the stage, the curtain rises and the battle begins for Teruto and his friends! – MyAnimeList
Dance Dance Danseur
Junpei Murao use to not like ballet, but after seeing a man perform it, he suddenly finds himself fascinated by the art. His father dies in a tragic accident and Junpei gives up ballet to be “masculine”. However one day, a new transfer student named Miyajo Godai arrives who brings about his love for ballet once again. – Wikipedia
There is no word if these titles or the others will have English dubs. You can find the full list on the Funimation website.
