‘Love of Kill’ is a romantic suspense manga series written and illustrated by the Japanese novelist known as Fe. It is published by Media Factory starting in 2015 through their Monthly Comic Gene magazine. In January 2022, it was picked up by the Tokyo-based animation studio Platinum Vision for an anime adaption with Crunchyroll announcing they had picked up the rights to release the English dubbing, revealing the voice actors for the protagonists.
Erin Yvette (Millennium Actress) will portray Chateau Dankworth, a bounty hunter working for Ritzland Support who is partnered with an assassin who clearly has romantic interests in her. Little does she know that she has a secret connection to the deadly Nobel family.
Ryan Colt Levy (My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission) takes on the role of Ryang-ha Song, a victim of human trafficking who is saved by the man who once bore his name. He works with Chateau and brokers information from her as he carries out his assassinations.
The first season of ‘Love of Kill’ will have twelve episodes with the dub premiering on February 23.
You can watch the trailer for the series here:
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows,
“Novice bounty hunter Chateau Dankworth never expected to encounter someone capable of overpowering her in combat. Even less so that the mysterious man would take an immediate interest in her—to the point of aiding her missions. However, Chateau makes it clear that she has no plans of entertaining any personal involvement with him.
Chateau’s company is soon tasked with eliminating Song Ryang-ha—an expert assassin and a former member of a powerful Asian organization. Coincidentally, Ryang-ha is the man that has been pursuing her. Despite his background, Chateau reluctantly agrees to meet with Ryang-ha as part of a deal: in exchange for going out with him, he will provide her with the locations of current targets, dead or alive.
But when the past begins to haunt both killers, their arrangement may need to come to an end, as their entanglement puts their lives at grave risk.”
Yen Press acquired the license to republish the manga for English-speaking readers in 2020.
‘Love Of Kill’ Anime Unveils Key English Voice Cast
‘The Strongest Sage With the Weakest Crest’ Anime English Dub Drops
‘The Strongest Sage With the Weakest Crest’ is a series of Japanese fantasy fiction light novel series written by Shinkoshoto and illustrated by Huuka Kazabana. It kicked off in 2017 with SB Creative and Square Enix handling the manga publication. It was picked up by the Tokyo-based animation production J.C.Staff with Crunchyroll announcing that they had acquired the license to release an English dub.
The show will star Kayleigh McKee (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) as protagonist Matthias Hildesheimer, a sage who reincarnates thousands of years in the future of his fantasy world.
Joining McKee is Amber Lee Connors (A Silent Voice) as Lurie Abendroth and Lizzie Freeman (Akebi’s Sailor Uniform) as Alma Lepucius. David Walsh will serve as the voice-over director.
Check out the trailer below:
Wikipedia describes the synopsis as follows,
“In a world of magic, the powers and future of a mage are predetermined at birth through so-called “Marks”, four symbols that categorize a human’s aptitude for magic as well as he has reincarnated as the 4th crest and has had the other 3 crests. Lamenting the fact that his mark was considered ill-suited for combat and only useful for magic augmentation, an incredibly skilled sage decided to reincarnate thousands of years in the future.
Reborn as Mathias Hildesheimr, a six-year-old boy and the third son of a duke’s family, he attains the mark of close combat he always desired.
Unfortunately, it is also discovered that mankind’s knowledge of magic and swordsmanship has drastically deteriorated in this era; only shoddy magic equipment can be sporadically found, while even the most basic spells have been forgotten. To add insult to injury, his current mark, once hailed as the most powerful, is now viewed as the worst.
When Mathias becomes 12 years old, his unrivaled swordsmanship lands him in the Second Royal Academy. Shattering prejudices, he promptly makes ripples in the academy and beyond. However, the former sage uncovers signs of dark forces working in the shadows, and with humanity weaker than ever, it is up to Mathias to thwart their evil plans.”
The dub is set for release on February 19th, 2022.
Chris Pratt Reveals Release Date For New Thriller Series ‘The Terminal List’
Chris Pratt revealed the release date for his latest project ‘The Terminal List.’ Sharing the premier on social media along with an image of as protagonist James Reece. Pratt is not only starring in the series, but he is also serving as executive producer.
“Cancel your plans,” the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ star tweeted. “July 1 belongs to James Reece.”
Cancel your plans. July 1 belongs to James Reece. @TerminalListPV @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/0i3lK5RFSk
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) February 17, 2022
Writer and showrunner David DiGilio will also serve as executive producer, along with the original novel’s author Jack Carr. There are currently five novels in the James Reece series including ‘The Terminal List,’ which was originally published in 2018.
Amazon describes the plot synopsis follows,
“Based on the best-selling novel by Jack Carr, The Terminal List follows James Reece (Chris Pratt) after his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. Reece returns home to his family with conflicting memories of the event and questions about his culpability. However, as new evidence comes to light, Reece discovers dark forces working against him, endangering not only his life, but the lives of those he loves.”
The show also stars Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Riley Keough, Arlo Mertz, Jai Courtney, JD Pardo, Patrick Schwarzenegger, LaMonica Garrett, Stephen Bishop, Sean Gunn, Tyner Rushing, Jared Shaw, Christina Vidal, Nick Chinlund, Matthew Rauch, Warren Kole, and Alexis Louder.
Amazon Studios said in a press release, “Prime Video announced today that the highly anticipated Amazon Original series The Terminal List, starring Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War, Jurassic World), will premiere all eight episodes on July 1, exclusively on Prime Video. The Terminal List, which is a co-production from Amazon Studios and Civic Center Media in association with MRC Television…”
This will be Chris Pratt’s second project with Amazon Studios after the science fiction film ‘The Tomorrow War,’ for which he also served as the producer.
‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ Season 2 Dub Announced
‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ is a 2013 isekai fantasy online Shōsetsuka ni Narō series by Japanese author Ryo Shirakome. It was picked up in 2015 for a light novel release by J-Novel Club and in 2016 as a manga published by Comic Gardo. The popularity of the series paved the way for an anime adaption by the Japanese animation studios White Fox and Studio Mother. With the first season concluded, Funimation announced that will stream the upcoming second season with an English dub that has returning talent and some new ones.
“What’s that clicking sound? It’s us reloading Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, as we’re officially ready to fire away the English dub of Season 2,” Funimation wrote on their website. “A new season means new cast members! Following suit is Brandon Potter (Black Cat) as Freid Bagwa, Chris Cason (Dragon Ball Z) as Mikhail, Brianna Knickerbocker (So I’m a Spider, So What?) as Liliana and Jerry Jewell (Fruits Basket) as Bize…”
The returning cast includes Matt Shipman as Hajime, Tia Ballard as Yue, AmaLee as Shea, Morgan Laure as Tio, Skyler McIntosh as Kaori, Kate Bristol as Shizuku, and Lara Woodhull as Myu.
New voice-over actors and actresses also include Orion Pitts as Hiyama, Bradley Campbell as Eliheid, Kent Williams as Ishtar, Justin Briner as Endou, and Patrick Seitz as Meld.
You can watch the trailer for the series here:
Wikipedia describes the synopsis as follows,
“High-schooler Hajime Nagumo is bullied by his classmate for his relationship with the class idol, Kaori. When he and the rest of his class are transported to a fantasy world, all of his classmates get powerful magical abilities, while Hajime only gains the basic alchemical magic to transmute solid materials, a common ability usually found in craftsmen and smiths. During a dungeon raid, he is betrayed by one of his classmates and dropped to the bottom of the dungeon. He survives the fall and creates weapons to escape the dungeon and become stronger. On his journey, he meets with the imprisoned vampire Yue, and later is joined by the bunny-eared Shea, the perverted dragon Tio, and others.”
As D-Rezzed previously reported, Shirakome placed a note to fans at the conclusion of the twelfth volume that the next entry would be the final one, bringing the isekai series to an end.
‘My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X’ English Dub Announced
‘My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X’ is an OVA sequel to the romantic isekai anime from the Japanese animation production company Silver Link. The series is based on a light novel and manga series written by Satoru Yamaguchi and illustrated by Nami Hidaka.
Crunchyroll announced that they would be streaming an English dubbed version with most of the original voice-over talent returning from the original show.
Jeannie Tirado (Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash) will portray the protagonist Katarina Claes, a former otaku who died and found herself reincarnated in her favorite video game ‘Fortune Lover,’ but this time as a villainess. Along the way, she picks up some minions who help her in her quest.
The rest of the cast includes Griffin Burns (Aggretsuko) as Geordo Stuart, Bryce Papenbrook (Sword Art Online) as Alan Stuart, Nicolas Roye (Digimon Fusion) as Nicol Ascart, Griffin Puatu (Monster Girl Doctor) as Keith Claes, Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Naruto) as Mary Hunt, Kira Buckland (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure) as Sophia Ascart, Melissa Fahn (Cowboy Bebop) as Maria Campbell, Cherami Leigh (One Piece) as Anne Shelley, and Chris Hackney (Gundam SEED Destiny) as Sirius Dieke.
You can watch the trailer for the OVA here:
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows,
“With no more death flags in sight, personable but dense Catarina Claes is finally able to lead a peaceful life surrounded by all of her friends and family. For that reason, she is determined to enjoy the school festival to the fullest without any concern on her mind.
Unbeknownst to her, however, the story of “Fortune Lover”—the game she used to play—has yet to end. Even more characters make an appearance, each with their own agenda to fulfill, and new mysteries await Katarina and those she loves. Will there be any way to avoid a bad ending when Catarina cannot remember what happens next?”
The dub is set to kick off on Crunchyroll on February 18, 2022.
Doc, You Built A Time Machine Out Of An Electric DeLorean?!
The DeLorean Motor Company is still around, in case you did not know. While the business has not been producing new cars for decades, it has been refurbishing the classic stainless steel gull-winged door vehicles for several years. Recently, DMC pivoted towards something a bit more modern.
We spotted this teaser video over at PC Mag. So it would appear that after nearly forty years since the last DeLorean rolled off of the assembly line, DMC may be ready to move into the 21st Century with a new electric car.
There’s not much more news, but DMC is asking people to sign up for future information. I would expect we’ll see more info surface during the Summer.
If you’re looking to get a classic DeLorean, check out the sales side of the DMC website. Expect to pay a good chunk of change if you want a refurbished one of these unique silver-colored vehicles. On the private market, you can typically get a decent 1981 or 1982 model for around $50k. However, if you buy through DMC, expect to pay over $90k.
“Quality” is defined by experienced DeLorean-specific technicians using the correct parts, while “Quantity” means that the right things were done, and done completely. For example, a fuel-system overhaul is more than simply replacing a fuel pump and filter. Attention must also have been given to the fuel tank, fuel injectors, fuel sender, fuel distributor, control pressure regulator, accumulator, fuel lines, and more. With this in mind, always demand written documentation of the work professed to have been completed on any DeLorean you are considering for purchase.
Right now, the company’s stock isn’t overflowing, but DMC and the company’s dealers will sell models that fit into the following categories:
- “As-Is” DeLoreans
- Daily Driver DeLoreans
- Premium Pre-Owned DeLoreans
- Live the Dream…Again™ (LTDA) DeLoreans
- “Museum Quality”
The Live the Dream models are total restorations specific to a customer’s order. I’ve seen one of these in person, and they look like they just rolled out of the factory in the early ’80s. The Museum models have very low mileage and have been kept in near-pristine condition.
What do you think of the DeLorean Motor Company getting back into the game after all this time? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: PC Mag]
[Source: DeLorean Motor Company]
Oban Star Racers Far Surpasses Initial Goal on Kickstarter
On February 1st, Sav! The World Production, based in Paris France, began a Kickstarter campaign to bring Oban Star Racers to blu-ray for the very first time. The initial goal of €30,000 ($34,052 USD) was reached in just one hour. By the 7th day of the Kickstarter campaign, all initial stretch goals had been reached. It has now passed €227,000, with the next goal being at €300,000. The Kickstarter ends on March 8th.
Oban Star Racers is a French-Japanese anime created, written, and directed by Savin Yeatman-Eiffel. It was also co-directed by Thomas Romain, who is best known for creating Code Lyoko. After working as a screenwriter within the animation industry, Savin began to feel as though recent productions of the time did not evoke the same kind of emotions he had experienced as a kid. Savin wanted to give back to kids the same kind of emotions he felt at their age when he watched shows such as Future Boy Conan, Candy Candy, and Captain Harlock. Beginning in 1997, Savin was determined to create his own original series which would require a sequential story, a female heroine, and a real emphasis on emotional content. As a first step in his creation, he started his own company he called Sav! The World Productions.
Molly, Star Racer short film:
After building up a small team, the pilot film was released in 2001. Despite Youtube and similar streaming services not being around at the time, Molly, Star-Racer had become an instant hit on the internet. The film went on to win the LAEF Award (London Animation and Effects Festival 2001), as well as being nominated for best editing Imagina Awards 2002. All of the success was still not enough to gain the kind of support and confidence of investors to back the young team on an ambitious project that included a mixture of traditional and CGI animation. Especially since Savin refused to negotiate with anyone who wanted to change the artistic choices (such as a North American company wanting to turn the main girl into a boy). Undeterred by the setbacks, the close-knit team decided to “lock itself up” in Savin’s apartment-turned-studio, only accepting work when absolutely necessary, as they fine tuned the world of Oban Star Racers down to the smallest details. In 2003, the teams’ dedication and hard work paid off, gaining the attention of several major international partners.
At the end of 2003, the team moved to Tokyo to work alongside an impressive amount of well-known creators of the Japanese animation industry. They would end up staying in Japan for 2 1/2 years as they worked closely with their Japanese collaborators, while the CGI production took place in Paris. At the time, it was very rare for a full team of artists to come to Japan to work and collaborate with the Japanese artists at the level of experience either side had.
Some notable names of people the indie company worked with in Japan include story boarders Kiyoko Sayama (Blood+, Death Note), Yoshimitsu Ohashi (Planetes, Michiko to Hatchin), Soichi Masui (Samurai Champloo, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai); animation director Tetsuya Kumagai (Spriggan, Jin-Roh); and movie editor Takeshi Seyama (Princess Mononoke, Tokyo Godfathers).
Oban Star Racer opening, featuring “Chance to Shine”, composed by Yoko Kanno and sung by Akino:
For the music, the opening and ending was composed by Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Macross Plus) as well as the orchestral BGM tracks composed by Taku Iwasaki (Rurouni Kenshin, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn).
Winner of an Animeland Award and a Polymanga Award and nominated for a British Academy Award, it aired very successfully in more than 120 countries including ABC Family & Toon Disney (US), NHK BS2 & Disney Channel (Japan), France 3 (France), Super RTL (Germany), GMTV (UK), RAI2 (Italy) and Jetix/Disney XD.
When the 26-episode series aired on Jetix in 2006, the show had a different, more upbeat rocky opening, performed by a band called After Midnight Project, with a song called “Never Say Never”:
If the Oban Star Racers Kickstarter continues to be a great success, there is potential for a sequel story, with the characters aging up to young adults. During a special 15th anniversary in-person fan event in Paris last year, Sav! The World Productions shared artwork of the character designs for the sequel and spinoff they would love to create.
If you would like to learn more about the Kickstarter click here:
Isekai Anime ‘In the Land of Leadale’ English Voice Cast Revealed
‘In the Land of Leadale’ is a fantasy isekai series of light novels and manga written by Japanese author Ceez with illustrations by Tenmaso and Dashio Tsukimi. Tokyo-based animation studio Maho Film picked up the series for an anime that was released in January 2022. Crunchyroll had announced that they were releasing an English version of the show and has announced the voice cast.
Xanthe Huynh (Sword Art Online) portrays the protagonist known as the ferocious firepower Cayna, a gifted magic-user. She was originally the gamer Keina Kagami, a hospitalized girl who died during a power outage and found herself reborn in her favorite RPG video game Leadale.
The rest of the cast includes Chris Niosi (Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle) as Skargo, Veronica Taylor (Pokemon) as Mai-Mai, and Keith Silverstein as (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir) with more announcements coming.
You can watch the trailer below:
‘In the Land of Leadale’ is directed by Takeyuki Yanase and is written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu. The character designs were handled by character designs handled by Toshihide Matsudate, Eri Kojima, and Kaho Deguchi. Kirstie Simone will serve as the voiceover director.
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows,
“The previously bedridden Keina Kagami finds herself in the world of her favorite VRMMORPG—titled Leadale—after the life support keeping her alive fails. Reincarnated in the body of her high-level character, “Cayna,” she notices that the world of Leadale is different from what she remembers playing.
As she comes to learn, two hundred years have passed since she last interacted with the world. However, this does not sadden Cayna—as it means that a new journey awaits her, filled with exciting prospects and unfamiliar faces all waiting to be discovered.”
Yen Press is currently handling the English translations for the manga and the light novel versions of the story.
Crunchyroll Drops ‘Odd Taxi’ English Dub
‘Odd Taxi,’ sometimes stylized as ‘ODDTAXI’ is a mystery manga written by Kazuya Konomoto and illustrated by Takeichi Abaraya that is published by Shogakukan through their Big Comics imprint. Similar to ‘Zootopia,’ the plot features anthropomorphic animals living everyday life. The manga was picked up by the Japanese animation studio OLM for an 2021 anime adaption which Crunchyroll announced they are releasing an English dub.
Mike McFarland will play the middle-aged Walrus taxi driver Hiroshi Odokawa. The series will also star Lauren Landa as alpaca Miho Shirakawa, Daman Mills as gorilla Ayumu Gouriki, Lucien Dodge as gibbon Eiji Kakihan, Jenny Yokobori as calico cat Shiho Ichimura, Kayli Mills as black cat Yuki Mitsuya, Brandon McInnis as meercat Kenshiro, Bryce Papenbrook as meercat Koshiro, SungWon Cho as boar Kensuke Shibagaki, Zeno Robinson as hippopotamus Taichi Kabasawa, and Caitlin Glass as kangaroo Taeko Harada.
The show also released a promotional poster featuring most of the main cast of characters.
MyAnimeList describes the plot as follows,
“Eccentric and blunt, the walrus Hiroshi Odokawa lives a relatively normal life. He drives a taxi for a living, and there he meets several unique individuals: the jobless Taichi Kabasawa who is dead-set on going viral, the mysterious nurse Miho Shirakawa, the struggling comedic duo “Homo Sapiens,” and Dobu, a well-known delinquent.
But Odokawa’s simple way of life is about to be turned upside-down. The case of a missing girl the police have been tracking leads back to him, and now both the yakuza and a duo of corrupt cops are on his tail. Set in a strangely familiar city filled with unusual individuals, Odd Taxi is a bizarre story about a humble taxi driver and the mystery of a lost high schooler.”
‘Odd Taxi’ originally aired on TV Tokyo and AT-X in Japan. A movie adaption is in the works through OLM, P.I.C.S, and Asmik Ace.
Interview: Channel Awesome’s Cinema Snob Talks Bad Film and YouTube
Having been a horror genre journalist for nearly twenty years now, I’ve come to love the community. Horror fans are a breed of their own and have luckily not been infected by whatever the hell got into the science fiction, superhero, and fantasy fandoms over the past decade.
Horror films bring out the best and worst in cinema. For every Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street, there are dozens of House of the Deads, Troll 2s, and The Oogieloves in The Big Balloon Adventure films. That … that last one was a horror movie, right? It sure felt like it.
To help sort through the good and the god awful, we have The Cinema Snob. Played by actor, writer, and filmmaker Brad Jones, The Cinema Snob, has spent many years curating the tasteful and trash from several genres, most notably from our beloved horror library.
Today I talked to Mr. Jones about his character, how it all began, and how he has been able to keep a YouTube career sustainable throughout all the ups and downs the platform has put content creators through. Check it out below:
Check out his website, Stoned Gremlin Productions’ YouTube channel, Patreon, and Channel Awesome page for more on Brad Jones and the Cinema Snob.
To see other interviews we’ve done with The Cinema Snob and the Channel Awesome crew, check out the playlist below:
What do you think of Channel Awesome and The Cinema Snob? Let us know all your well-thought-out and mature thoughts in the comments section below.
