Produced by the Japanese animation company David Production and directed by Yasuhiro Kimura, ‘2.43 Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team’ is an adaption of the light novels written by Yukako Kabei and illustrated by Aiji Yamakawa. The series was launched in January 2021 with Funimation announcing that they have acquired the rights to produce and stream an English dub of the show.
“This team is ready to serve. We’re excited to announce that the 2.43 Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team English dub is officially on its way to Funimation, and we’ve got details on the series cast and crew,” they wrote on their blog. “…all 12 episodes of the 2.43 Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team English dub will arrive on Funimation, which means your next sports anime obsession is about to begin (or begin again!).”
They continued, “The English cast of the series includes voice actors Bryson Baugus (Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya) as Yuni Kuroba, Zach Aguilar (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Kimichika Haijima, and Sarah Williams (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) as Itoko Kuroba.”
The rest of the cast includes Ricco Fajardo, Khoi Dao, Clifford Chapin, Tyson Rinehart, Stephen Fu, Matt Shipman, Aaron Dismuke, Howard Wang, Alejandro Saab, and others.
You can watch the trailer below:
Here is the synopsis as described by MyAnimeList:
“Genius setter Kimichika Haijima moves back to Fukui from Tokyo after an incident within his school’s volleyball team forces him out. There, he is reunited with his childhood friend, Yuni Kuroba, a member of the Monshiro Middle School Boys’ Volleyball Team, who is unaware of his own talents. Haijima notices Kuroba’s abilities and is determined to form a new volleyball team with Kuroba as the team’s ace. At the prefectural tournament, Kuroba crumbles under the pressure, which causes the Monshiro team to fall apart after losing. The loss also creates a rift between Haijima and Kuroba, leading the former to quit the team.
Now, as students at Seiin High School, Haijima and Kuroba find themselves on the same volleyball team once again. Having learned from his past mistakes, Haijima helps Kuroba overcome his performance anxiety to become the ace and carry the team to the prefectural championship. With support from team captain Shinichirou Oda and vice captain Misao Aoki, Seiin aim to win the prefecturals and become Fukui’s representatives at the Spring Tournament. To do this, they will need to beat Fukuho Technical High School, the reigning champions of Fukui. Will Haijima’s team defeat the odds, or are they doomed to repeat his history of losing?”
Funimation Announces English Dub For ‘2.43 Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team’
‘The Heike Story’ Is Getting An English Dub
Developed by the Japanese animation studio Science SARU, ‘The Heike Story’ is an anime that adapts ‘The Tale of the Heike,’ an epic that recounts the rise and fall of the Taira clan. It is directed by Naoko Yamada and was originally released online before airing on Fuji TV. Funimation recently announced that they had acquired the rights to release it on their streaming service with an English dub.
“Play on, Biwa! We’re excited to announce that the latest beautiful anime from Science SARU, The Heike Story, is officially getting an English dub on Funimation. And we’ve got your first details on the series cast, crew and when you can watch,” they said on their website. “The Heike Story English dub will arrive on Funimation, so if you haven’t started this mystifying feudal tale of war, found family and future sight just yet, now’s the perfect time.”
They continued, “The English cast of the series includes Xanthe Huynh (March comes in like a lion, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear) as Biwa, John Gremillion (My Hero Academia, Vampire Hunter D) as Shigemori, Suzie Yeung (Fruits Basket, WONDER EGG PRIORITY) as Tokuko and Frank Todaro (The Rising of the Shield Hero, Sword Art Online) as Kiyomori.”
You can check out the trailer here:
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis:
“The Taira clan, also known as the Heike, holds immense authority over Japan. When a young girl, gifted with an odd eye that allows her to see the future, foolishly disrespects the clan, her father pays the price of her crime with his life. Soon after, as fate would have it, Taira no Shigemori—the eldest son of the clan leader—stumbles upon the same unfortunate girl, who now calls herself “Biwa.” Biwa informs him that the downfall of the Heike is imminent. After learning of the great injustice Biwa suffered at the Heike’s hands, Shigemori vows to take her in and care for her rather than let her be killed.
In an era of rising military tension, the Heike are in the midst of a cunning struggle for power, and bloodstained war is on the horizon. Shigemori, whose eyes allow him to see spirits of the dead, is both anxious and hopeful to prevent his clan’s demise. Biwa, however, is reluctant to reveal the future to him and must adapt to her new life filled with both happiness and sorrow in this pivotal chapter in Japanese history.”
XBOX Website Receives a 20th Anniversary Layover. But Where’s Blinx?
I went over to XBOX.com today and felt transported back in time. Ah, a time before social media and amplified outrage culture. A period where games could do nearly anything they wanted without a group of men with pixie haircuts prattling off lists of what was problematic and somehow forcing developers to cut out even the suggestion that polygon women can be sexy.
The good old black and green of the original XBOX is front and center on the landing page. And that’s about it. Maybe there will be more to come when the 15th of November rolls around? Of course, when you click on the 20, it takes you to a page about celebrating the XBOX … by buying stuff.
On November 15, 2001, Microsoft what was to be their first (sort of) console. If we want to split hairs, the Dreamcast could be considered an MS system, and the original XBOX is somewhat of a Dreamcast 2. Regardless, Bill Gates’s big black box launched nearly 20 years ago and changed the gaming landscape.
Not only did it step in as a new competitor to Sony and Nintendo, but it brought with it a mascot that we all know and love. Yes, Blinx the Time Sweeper. The feisty feline who battled pigs with his vacuum. Oh, wait … his game wasn’t quite the flagship MS was hoping for.
Well, at least Bungie’s Halo managed to give gamers something akin to the fast-paced FPS action typically associated with PCs. And so it was that Master Chief went got the sloppy seconds title of Xbox’s official mascot. Yay?
Honestly, I was hoping for maybe a video about the console’s development or how MS planned to overcome the struggle of being the new kid on the block. Nope. It’s a pretty shallow celebration so far.
What are your thoughts on the original XBOX? Game changer or nah? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: XBOX.com]
‘Good Omens’ Season 2 Begins Production
Amazon Studios has announced that the second season of ‘Good Omens’ has officially entered production. The show is based on a novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Most of the cast will be returning from the first season, including David Tennant and Michael Sheen who portray the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, respectively.
The showrunners explain that “the new season will explore storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley. Having been on Earth since The Beginning, and with the Apocalypse thwarted, Aziraphale and Crowley are getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery.”
The returning cast includes Paul Adeyefa (Bancroft, Ransom), Michael McKean (This Is Spinal Tap, Better Call Saul), Gloria Obianyo (Dune, High Life), Miranda Richardson (Stronger, Rams), Maggie Service (Quiz, Red Dwarf XI), Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9, The League of Gentlemen), and Nina Sosanya (Red Joan, Killing Eve, Last Tango in Halifax, Screw).
Neil Gaiman celebrated the show going into production saying, “I am so happy to be back here on the streets of Soho, watching, every day, the glorious performances of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. I miss having Terry Pratchett’s genius, but it does feel like we are still all walking around inside his head.”
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to have the brilliant John Finnemore co-write this season’s story shenanigans with me, and to work with director and my co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon as he steers the ship, along with our astonishing crew, who have returned to do it again,” he continues. “In this season we get to have new adventures with old friends, to solve some extremely mysterious mysteries, and we encounter some entirely new humans (living, dead, and otherwise), angels, and demons. We were lucky in the first season to have so many outstanding actors taking part, so I took pleasure in inviting people back, wherever we could, some in the roles they played originally, some in new parts written just for them.”
As of the writing of this article, there is no release date for season two.
Tom Hanks Opens Up About New Sci-Fi Flick ‘Finch’
Originally titled ‘Bios,’ Tom Hanks stars in the science-fiction drama ‘Finch,’ which was picked up for an Apple TV. The movie is directed by Miguel Sapochnik and also stars Lora Martinez-Cunningham, Andrea Good, Oscar Avila, and Madeleine Dennis.
As D-Rezzed previously reported, the movie tells the story of a man named Finch who survived a cataclysmic solar event that has left the world a wasteland and has lived underground for a decade. His only companion is a dog named Goodyear, and realizing he is dying, the engineer builds a robot (played by Caleb Landry Jones) to take care of the canine after he is gone. The three are forced to go on a dangerous journey across the American West to show the robot the “joy and wonder of what it means to be alive.”
Tom Hanks recently sat down with SyFy to discuss the movie and why comparisons to his previous works need to be taken with a grain of salt.
“[Dogs] teach you what love is, ’cause you’re falling in love with these things,” said Hanks on his character’s relationship with Goodyear. “Sometimes, you gotta put them down, and it’s just the worst day of your life.”
He dismissed the comparison to ‘Turner & Hooch,’ explaining, “[Finch] had a really miserable life until about five years ago, and then suddenly his life became this brand new thing when Goodyear came into [it]. And then after that, it’s all just making sure that he stays safe.” Unlike Hooch who was a partner to a police officer.
When asked about the sci-fi nature of the movie, Hanks praised it and the director’s vision for the picture.
“And that’s what I like about [Finch],” Hanks says. “There is no spectral world, right? There’s no shape-shifters or time travel or anything like that. It just is basically one damn thing after another and the whole new world that you have to accept whole cloth right off the bat.”
Finch is set to be released on Apple TV on November 5, 2021 and will have a limited theatrical run.
You can check out the trailer here:
Baroness, Lady Jaye, and Destro Join Super7’s G.I. Joe Ultimates
Super7 just announced the next wave of G.I. Joe characters for the Ultimates action figure line. The first wave gave us Duke, Snake Eyes, and Cobra Commander. The second batch will include the Baroness, Lady Jaye, Destro, and Flint. Each figure is priced at $55, based on their animated appearance rather than the Hasbro toy line.
The Joes and Cobra operatives each come with several accessories, alternate heads, weapons, and hands. The figures are 7″ tall and come with articulation similar to Hasbro’s current line of Classified figures.
What good is the power of world domination if you don’t have someone to share it with? Super7’s latest wave of G.I. Joe ULTIMATES! features a pair of power couples on opposite sides of the struggle for global control!
With Baroness, Destro, Flint, and Lady Jaye, the battle has just begun!
These made-to-order, highly articulated, deluxe 7” scale figures all include a variety of interchangeable parts and accessories no G.I. Joe collector will want to be without, so lock them down before they’re in a committed relationship with some other collector!
I never noticed this before, but the Baroness was toned down for the cartoon. Also, the action figures over the years were a lot buxomer. The Classified ones from Hasbro are even more so. After rewatching the cartoons, she was kind of unattractive. Was the whole “sexy” Baroness thing something that came along recently?
Super7’s Ultimates is no stranger when it comes to retro cartoons. The company is also tackling Silverhawks, Spongebob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Simpsons. While these toys do command a premium price, you are getting something that isn’t mass-produced. And to be honest, where else are you going to find Silverhawks action figures right now?
What are your thoughts on paying $55 for a single 7″ action figure? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Super7]
Terminator 2’s Arcade Game Coming Soon From Arcade1Up!
Come with me … if you have $699.
Another classic arcade cabinet will soon be available for us retro gaming fans. Arcade1Up has secured the license to produce Midway’s Terminator 2 shooter, complete with two lightguns! This game was in every arcade and even hotels I stayed at in the early ’90s. You couldn’t escape the Terminator franchise to save your life!
The game itself threw a lot at you and was a quarter muncher for sure. However, it was so popular that it had several ports to home consoles, including the Gameboy.
Arcade1Up’s machine will run you $699. BestBuy has a ship date listed as 02/05/2022. Just in time for St. Valentine’s Day! Oh, my wife will be thrilled with this purchase that I’m totally not telling her about instead of buying her jewelry!
In anticipation, Midway developed T2 the arcade game simultaneously with the film’s production and release. Utilizing sleek light guns for one or two players to play the roles of T-800 cyborgs, the game featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, and Eddie Furlong reprising their respective roles in digitized footage.
The game was a blockbuster hit 1991, and now 30 years later, Arcade1Up is thrilled to produce this title in a home arcade form factor. Arcade1Up game cabinets have quickly become absolute must-haves for retrogame enthusiasts and pop-culture collectors; they play great, look great, and are instant conversation pieces. With T2, Arcade1Up fans will get their hands on one of the most requested titles ever.
So, when’s Revolution X coming out? Seriously. And Area 51? How about SEGA’s Star Wars Trilogy? Gimme!
What I’m wondering about the T2 cabinet is how two players can play comfortably. I have an MKII cab in my office, and it’s not all that pleasant to play side by side with someone. Also, I see the guns each have a length of cable connecting them to the control board. Will it be enough to keep two people from bumping guns [heh]?
Let us know your thoughts and comments below!
[Source: Arcade1Up]
There’s A New ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ Emergency Medical Hologram Figure!
When the Voyager’s doctor perished in the Star Trek show’s first episode, an emergency medical hologram was initiated to fill in the gap. The character became an icon in the franchise thanks to how Robert Picardo handled the role.
EXO-6, the company that previously made Picard, Data, and Janeway figures, is now producing the Doctor in all his black and blue uniformed glory. He can be pre-ordered for $25, with a remaining balance of $175 due later.
- Fully Articulated Body: More than 30 points of articulation allow the figure to be displayed in multiple dynamic poses, approximately 30 cm tall.
- Realistic Portrait: The Doctor’s portrait is lovingly rendered by top artists, with an excellent likeness of Robert Picardo. Each head sculpt is specially hand-painted.
- Starfleet Duty Uniform Jumpsuit: Meticulously researched, this duty uniform matches the pattern, and color of the original costume recreated in 1:6 scale. Magnets are sewn into the uniform so the holster for the tricorder can be attached. An authentically scaled communicator badge and the mobile emitter are permanently affixed to the tunic.
- Boots: Soft plastic boots sculpted to match the cut and style of the original series footwear.
- Hands: A total of seven interchangeable hands are included so he can be displayed holding the tricorder, the medical scanner or the PADD.
- Display Base: A hexagonal display base featuring the transporter pad will provide additional support for the figure. Two different inserts for the floor of the base can represent the transporter pad or the center of the transporter array.
- Autograph card: An informational LCARS card that can be used to get an autograph from the performer and displayed with your figure.
- Hypospray including 3 different vials.
- Medical Tricorder: This tricorder includes a removeable scanner that fits in the back of the tricorder. It can be folded up and worn in a holster.
- Mobile Emitter: the mobile holo-emitter that allows the Doctor to manifest outside the holodeck or sickbay is permanently affixed to his shoulder.
- PADD (Personal Access Display Device): the data display device used onboard Voyager.
If EXO-6 were feeling antsy, they’d produce the Doc as he appeared in his little daydream about becoming the Captain of the Voyager during a Borg attack. What other classic Trek characters would you like to see get the EXO-6 treatment? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: EXO-6] 
Super7’s ‘The Exorcist’ Regan Action Figure Has The Head Spinning Feature!
Your mother … shops at Dick’s and Bealls! Sadly, you’ll not find Super7 action figures at either of those stores. You will find the company’s line of ReAction toys at Target, though. And soon, characters like Leonardo, Marty McFly, and Dracula will be joined by the terrifying Regan from The Exorcist.
The little girl possessed by an ancient evil is next on Super7’s list of retro-inspired figures. This may be one of the best heads I’ve ever seen on a ReAction figure. You can’t cheap out when it comes to Regan since her eyes and deforming face were essential to the character. Super7 nailed the look.
Yes … the possessed Regan does come with the crucifix. However, super7 was tasteful enough not to put blood stains on a particular part of the girl’s nightgown.
Regan MacNeil was once a sweet, shy little girl, but demonic possession has a way of turning all that around. This 3.75” articulated The Exorcist ReAction figure of Regan features a demonically possessed face, a cross accessory, and a head that turns all the way around. You’d have to be in the thrall of a malevolent spirit not to add this head-turning ReAction figure to your collection of horror icons.
Oh, here head does indeed spin 360 degrees. I mean, that’s not a unique feature since most action figures can do that. But, at least young miss Macneil has a reason to be spinning her skull all the way around. Too bad she doesn’t come with a sound chip so she can yell obscenities at us.
Knowing Super7, we’ll probably see a convention-exclusive Exorcist bedroom playset in the future. I’m down; as long as it comes with features like a levitating/rotating bed and a steep set of steps, I can send a priest tumbling down.
Now, where are the Warlock action figures? Preferably Warlock 2 because the accessories would be amazing. Let us know which horror franchises you’d like to see Super7 tackle next.
OG Evil Dead’s Ash Gets A Statue From Dark Horse Direct
Ash Williams isn’t having a good day. His friends are turning into murderous deadites, and he just had to lock his sister in the fruit cellar. Now you can own an effigy of his sorrow thanks to Dark Horse Direct.
This stylized statue of Ash as he appeared in Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead is a testament to just how much grief the hero would have to put up within the years to come. Wide-eyed, unsure, somewhat afraid, and wielding a sharp weapon. That’s the life of Ashley Williams.
The statue stands at 13″ tall and shows Ash astride the fruit cellar door where his sister Cheryl is just dying to get out. This piece of art is up for pre-order now and is listed at $199. Ash should be arriving sometime during the third quarter of 2022.
Dark Horse Direct and Renaissance Pictures have teamed up and are proud to introduce one of horror’s most iconic characters, Ash, from The Evil Dead! Poised atop the cellar door keeping his beloved sister, Cheryl, at bay, Ash wields a trusty axe ready to fend off any oncoming deadites.
With Ash keeping his eyes peeled for danger, this statue stands at 13 inches tall to the tip of the axe, with a base measurement of 7.25 inches by 6 inches. Relive one of the most legendary horror films with this The Evil Dead: Ash Statue!
The details:
- The Evil Dead: Ash Statue (13” (330.2 mm) x 7.25” (184.15 mm) x 6” (152.4 mm))
- Certificate of Authenticity
- Edition Size: 1000
- Expected to Ship to Customers: July – October 2022*
- Materials: Polyresin
- Sculptor: Chris Dahlberg of Lone Horsemen Toys
- Prototyping and Paint: Bradley’s Paint Studio
- Ordering Limitations: 2 Per Customer
- Product Packaging Size: 12.87” L (326.90 mm) x 11.22” W (284.99 mm) x 20.79” H (528.07 mm)*
- Product + Packaging Dimensional Weight: 7lb.*
Poor Ash. It must be tough being a simpleton savior of mankind. Well, it is partly his fault that he is in this predicament. Never read a book or play an old reel-to-reel cassette player in any creepy old cabin. That’s my takeaway from the Evil Dead franchise. Oh, and always keep a chainsaw handy.
What are your thoughts on this statue? Should the original Evil Dead get more attention as far as merchandise goes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Source: Dark Horse Direct]
