All posts tagged: animelab

The Break Up – SK8 the Infinity (Episode Seven) – Season’s Writings

Published by Luke Halliday

Well, it had been teased in the previous episodes, and everything comes to an ugly head here: Reki and Langa have officially broken up. What does this mean for our favourite skater-boy duo? I, for one, hope this is only a temporary separation because I love seeing these two skating the streets of Okinawa together. It just doesn’t seem right for them to skate alone. This week’s episode was rather significant in its goings-on compared to last week’s breather beach episode. A lot the focus here is on the slow but sure divide growing between our two leads, as Langa improves and surpasses Reki as a skater. Reki feels jealous and like Langa is leaving him behind. Langa, of course, is just having fun and loving skateboarding, blissfully unaware that the more he improves the more distance he is creating between himself and Reki. Reki goes into a bit of a depression spiral over the course of the episode trying to replicate tricks Langa had done and even chooses to not attend the reopening of …

A Beach Episode – SK8 the Infinity (Episode Six) – Season’s Writings

Published by Luke Halliday

I must say, it has been quite a while since I’ve seen the classic “beach episode” anime trope pulled out by a series. SK8 the Infinity does just that here in its latest episode, which (despite feeling like a bit of a filler episode) did manage to include a few moments of importance and progression. The premise behind this week’s episode is that after the S race had been discovered by the cops, no one has been able to hit the trail since. This leads our crew to decide to go on a bit of a vacation while, hopefully, the heat on the S race and its participants dies down. They decide to head to an island off the coast of Okinawa and, as expected, some beachy shenanigans unfold. There isn’t too much remarkable to comment on here. The guys try to pick up chicks and fail spectacularly, they play beach games, mess around in the water, and just have some fun in general. However, there was a really pivotal moment in this episode. Reki …

Love Thugs – SK8 the Infinity (Episode Five) – Season’s Writings

Published by Luke Halliday

Last week’s episode of SK8 the Infinity ended with Reki being hit by Adam’s brutal Love Hug technique and being seriously injured. We open up this week’s episode with the aftermath of that chaotic S-race beef: Reki has been hospitalised and suffered head trauma and an apparent broken arm. He won’t be able to skate for the foreseeable future and, after witnessing the Love Hug firsthand, he is begging Langa to not skate against Adam. While Langa acknowledges the danger presented by Adam, there is a part of him that feels an inescapable desire to skate with him. Reki recounts that his best friend in the past was seriously injured while skateboarding and gave up skating forever, leaving behind his friendship with Reki in the process. Langa promises that, even if he falls victim to Adam, he will not stop skating. The majority of the episode from here was really about Langa training for his S race against Adam. Cherry, Joe, and Miya all chip in to advise Langa on how to potentially survive the …

Skating Uphill – SK8 the Infinity (Episode Four) – Season’s Writings

Published by Luke Halliday

Let me begin by saying, fuck you Adam. Not in recent memory have I felt such immediate disdain for a bad guy in anime as I do for Adam. That just makes the events of episode four of SK8 the Infinity hurt all the more. Last week’s episode ended with Reki challenging pro-skater Adam to a beef on the S race to avenge Miya, whom Adam merciless mocked. We pick up right where we left off, as both skaters agree to the terms of their S race. If Reki wins, Adam must apologize to Miya; if Adam wins, then Langa must skate with Adam. Since Langa defeated Miya in the previous episode, Adam was immediately interested in the prospects of Langa. Langa agrees to the terms, showing his confidence and faith in Reki. We learn, over the course of the episode, a few things about Adam. He is the founder of the S race and is infamous for hospitalising any skater who dares to challenge him. How does he hospitalise them, you ask? Well, he …

Skating for Fun – SK8 the Infinity (Episode Three) – Season’s Writings

Published by Luke Halliday

Skating should be fun. That is the message that is drilled home by the latest episode of SK8 the Infinity and, as a skater myself, there is no greater truth than that. Picking up where we left off last week, Langa has accepted the challenge of Chinen, the National Championship hopeful. Chinen is immediately presented as on another level, as he easily out skates Reki and Langa in a freestyle skating session. Chinen tells Langa to get his board sorted because he doesn’t want any excuses when he defeats him in the S race. After some training at a local parking garage—which I can attest is just a great spot to skate in general—Langa and Reki are chased away by local security before Reki trips over some garbage, which included a broken piece of an office chair, and he is struck with some inspiration. Reki decides to redesign the trucks on Langa’s board to have full rotational spin like the office chair wheels do. We see that Chinen is a bit stuck up and considers …

Fun at a March Convention – Anime Festival Sydney 2020

Published by Kane Bugeja

-Mattiese- Saturday the 7th of March started out real poopy. I ripped my pants, just barely made the train, and the camera ran out of storage half way through our first interview; Kane and I had to walk to buy a new SD card, and then walk all the way back to the convention, and boy was I already tired. None of this was ideal, and I started worrying what else would happen to me throughout the rest of the day. It was about 12pm when we finally stepped foot into the convention, and I already felt as if my worries were lifted. Cosplayers, stalls, and panels are what made up Anime Festival Sydney 2020; and man was it enjoyable. The first thing we did was head to the “Live Drawing with Shingo Adachi” panel, and boy is that guy talented. Adachi drew a few popular Sword Art Online characters (as he was character designer on the series), while answering questions related to his work. At the end of the panel, they let fans ask …

Madman Entertainment Announce Their Very Own Anime Festival For 2016

Published by Frank Inglese

Madman Entertainment are THE leading distributor for both Anime and Manga across our great land; Australia. It only makes sense that, now in 2016, they will be hosting their very own Anime Festival to celebrate all things Japanese pop culture, focussing on, as you have already guessed, Anime as well as Manga, Video Games, Cosplay, and everything else pop culture fans absolutely adore. Originally founded in 1996, Madman Entertainment quickly rose to an incredible level of popularity thanks to it’s absolute dedication to all things Anime. After dominating the market, Madman Entertainment moved on to bigger and better things as they added Manga, and international movies to their already extensive catalogue in a successful attempt to corner the market. Now that it’s the company’s twelfth birthday, a celebration must be had to not only honour the company but the media that made it the juggernaut it is today. Set to be held on across the 3rd and 4th of September this year, the festival will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition centre. Madman …

So I Can’t Play H! – Review

Published by Bailey Runholm

I’m normally a big fan of the harem genre, with quite a few over the past few years really standing out in our massive bag of anime goodness and setting the path for other franchises of their kind to follow. I’m talking about the shows like Grisaia and Nisekoi, Henneko and OniAi, and of course DxD and Monster Musume, with them either having great comedy, interesting backstories and/or just enough fan service to satisfy our otherworldly desires. With the good comes the bad however, big examples being IS, Testament of Sister New Devil and the infamous School Days, where you ponder big questions like “Why am I even watching this?” and/or “What was the creator of this even thinking!?” because the story is going nowhere, the characters are bland and boring and the shows, especially in the last two shows listed, are borderline hentai. In which case, you’ll probably have more fun watching hentai seriously then watching shows that are just continuous teasers just to try and rake in a quick buck. So out of …

First Thoughts: Girls Beyond the Wasteland – WHAT A LOVELY DAY!

Published by Bailey Runholm

ANOTHER ROMCOM!? So we’re going to start this off with me being completely honest about how I felt prior to the 2016 winter season of anime starting: originally I didn’t much care for it. Besides fangirling over another new anime release from KyoAni with Myriad Colours Phantom World, “KyoAni finds a way!”, nothing else stood out too much to me. Erased sounded alright, but I was going to wait until the show had finished just in case this seasons “saviour of anime” turned out to be ANOTHER flop, I didn’t even give BBK/BRNK a second look until Frank said I should go check it out, Dagashi Kashi was in the same boat until the internet went into an uproar about it and I haven’t even seen GATE yet, so checking out season 2 was pointless. Here come the torches and pitchforks Of course, now that the season has actually started my opinion has changed drastically to what was previously mentioned. However there is one show that has seemed to have gone mostly under the radar that, personally, …

First Thoughts: Charlotte – Tissue Boxes to the Left, Pizza Sauce to the Right

Published by Bailey Runholm

Baz is comin’ to get’cha, boy! I’m not exactly sure what kind of driving force pushes me onto the school-based anime hypetrain, but ever since late 2012 I’ve loved watching these kinds of shows. Of course as a kid I started with the entry anime big guns, Dragonball, Sailor Moon, One Piece and Naruto, along with Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! among other shows, however it was school-based anime, K-On! to be exact, that got me so into this wonderful, lively world and even now, 3-4 years later, I love watching them just as much as I did back then. So, to continue on from my recent trend of ‘big anime that we missed from 2015’ I decided to move onto a show that the community had mixed feelings for and a show that I’ve been holding onto in my back catalogue ever since it was announced, Charlotte. Now let me start off by saying I have never seen or played Angel Beats!, Kanon, or Air and I’ve never seen all of and never fully completed the …

First Thoughts: Bubuki Buranki (BBK/BRNK) – Confusing But Intriguing

Published by Frank Inglese

Often, I can follow a fairly complex Anime storyline. I don’t find it too hard, and so long as you let your imagination run wild while watching it, chances are you’re going to pick up what a series is laying down fairly quickly. Bubuki Buranki, oddly shortened to “BBK/BRNK“, is a series about, well…I kind of have no freaking idea. It has something to do with magic, or magic items, or magic monsters, or robots, or monsters, or robot monsters, or even magical robot monsters…I literally have no idea. A majority of the first episode takes place in the past, set as somewhat of a prequel to the events of the series as future episodes come out. In this “flashback” we follow a small family living, I don’t know…in the past? Kind of. They have modern clothing, but not modern commodities, apart from the gargantuan mech that is revealed, spoiler, by the end of the episode to belong to the magically-powered mother of the twins who I’m lead to believe will serve as the protagonists of …

First Thoughts: “Prince Of Stride Alternative” – Sprinting Ahead Of The Rest

Published by Frank Inglese

There are certain specific features that make a Sports Anime great…but so long as a series has pretty boys with homoerotic tendencies, those other features can jump out the window! Just ask every single fan of every single modern day Sports Anime. Obviously I’m kidding, but there is something to be said about the Yaoi-driven fanbase of most contemporary Sports titles, and you’ll find that the closer characters are in these shows, the more popular they are with the fanbase because, regardless of whether or not they’re “together“, the Anime-loving community enjoys a little thing we call “Shipping“, and it alone can make or break the popularity level of an Anime…like you absolutely wouldn’t believe. Now, I’m totally cool with that because, at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what makes you happy, and if it’s imagining two characters romantically embracing (amongst other things) than, by all means, enjoy it! For me…it’s not really at the top of my “likes” list, and I often steer clear from fanbases that are driven by this …

First Thoughts: KanColle – World of Warships The Animation

Published by Bailey Runholm

It begins I’m just going to start off by saying that I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into when I started watching Kantai Collection. I have obviously seen images of the show flying around the internet, seen the now infamous “Poi” quote and I’ve seen that if you search up a majority of the real ships names on Google you’ll get images of the girls…and not the original warships. But for the story itself I honestly knew nothing about it. So, I went into this world completely blind and watched the first 3 episodes in this 13 episode series, and in all honesty… It was worth it. Kinda. For people who have been either living under a rock or haven’t seen the show for themselves yet but have seen these ‘boatgirls’ everywhere, Kantai Collection, often abbreviated to KanColle, is based off of the Japanese internet game of the same name. The show features anthropomorphism, try saying THAT really, really fast, girls that do battle with the ‘abyssal fleet’, some form of …

First Thoughts: Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid – Beautiful Girl Sexy Battle Action

Published by

Marvelous has made quite a name for itself lately with the Senran Kagura franchise, and whether you’re in love with the gratuitous fan service or are offended by it because of reasons, Senran Kagura is here to stay and localisations have become more timely and frequent for the pleasure of Western fans. In an attempt to further their Ecchi escapades, Marvelous has launched a new franchise called Valkyrie Drive, a project that consists of an anime series followed by a few games, and not surprisingly, the first game is headed to the PlayStation Vita. To set the scene the anime, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, has started airing and is two episodes in, with AnimeLab doing the simulcast honours. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid takes place in a world where women born with abnormalities are taken out of normal society and placed into a mysterious island populated by women alone. Within the island is a fighting academy sorts, and each abnormal mutant woman falls into one of two classes: Exters and Liberators. Exters have the ability to transform into weapons that …

First Thoughts: Attack On Titan: Junior High – School’s Out!

Published by Frank Inglese

Attack On Titan is one of the most popular modern Anime adaptations of recent times, which is completely justified considering not only how well it was animated by also how interesting a story it features. Now that it has become as popular as it is now, the market has flooded and the over-saturation of Attack On Titan media has finally set in. That’s why things like Attack On Titan: Junior High exist; because people can’t seem to get enough, and they’ll take anything they can get. Fact is; there’s no reason Attack On Titan: Junior High should exist, by any means. AOT: Junior High is simply a comedic parody of the original series, but labelling it as such is already false considering it isn’t at all funny. The premise is simple; the main cast of the series are younger and they attend a school literally called Attack On Titan: Junior High that, I assume, teaches them how to kill Titans. I only assume because, even in the first episode, it’s not detailed whatsoever. The Titans, …

Small Screen, Big Screen, All Screens – AnimeLab Now Available On Sony TV

Published by Frank Inglese

Let’s be honest, people, you all have some pretty flashy television sets. Television sets? Do they even call them that anymore? Ugh, it doesn’t matter. The point of what I’m saying is that, chances are, if you own a TV…it’s a damn good one. Sony, who love making advances in technology, have their own line of televisions, how crazy is that? Amazing right?! Well a lot of their new televisions have some wonderful features, with most allowing users to some of their favorite apps like YouTube so that they can watch their favorite videos on the big screen, that is…unless your computer monitor is already big. Do you know what’s just as exciting as Sony televisions? Madman Entertainment’s Anime streaming service AnimeLab. Surely you know what AnimeLab is, right? No?! You’re clearly lying, but allow me to explain regardless: It’s an online service that allows us Australians to watch the latest and greatest Anime without having to reach into the darkest depth of the internet for a worthwhile torrent file. So, yeah…it’s pretty damn good! …

The Blood Blockade Battlefront Anime Is Finally Coming To An End

Published by Frank Inglese

Hey, do you guys and girls remember that Anime Blood Blockade Battlefront? The adaptation of Yasuhiro Nightow’s hit Manga series? Yeah, yeah, it had the young guy with the glowing eyes, and the sock monkey. You know which Anime I’m talking about, and I’m sure you know that it’s final episode has been on delay for quite a while now. Everyone was incredibly excited to see the end of Blood Blockade Battlefront and, considering just how damn good an Anime it is, it’s very much justified…then the depression set in, after hearing that the final episode would be put on delay indefinitely. We waited, and waited, and waited some more, but the episode never came. The Blood Blockade Battlefront production staff ensured us that it will be long worth the wait, with a double-length episode and a finale to blow our heads off…but it felt like an eternity away. Some of us came to believe that we’d never bare witness to the final episode of this masterpiece of an Anime. Some even thought it was …

Jailhouse Rock – FUNimation Announces Prison School English Dub Cast

Published by Frank Inglese

I’m sure the humour of an Elvis reference in the article title will be lost on many of you reading this but just know one thing…the warden will throw no parties at this jail. Another one, probably lost on many of you. That’s okay though, because it’s not the main point of this article, the main point of this article is that FUNimation have just revealed the cast and crew who have been working on the Prison School English dub which is set to premier tomorrow night in North America at 8:30/7:30pm CT. I seem to be one of the only people I know who is actually watching Prison School which is fine because I’m not sure it’s a series I exactly want to take the time to dissect episode by episode like I usually do with a lot of other simulcasts. The story is simple: Five boys attending a school filled entirely by female students are sent to an on-campus prison for trying to perve on their lady classmates. This prison, run by some …

Kuroko’s Basketball, Yowamushi Pedal and More Announced by Madman at SMASH! Yes, You Read That Right

Published by Luke Halliday

Brace yourselves sports anime fans, Madman just made a colossal slew announcements during SMASH! con at Rose Hill Gardens in Sydney. The Australian anime industry’s number one distributor announced the long anticipated and fan requested Kuroko’s Basketball and Yowamushi Pedal. It is truly the era of the sports anime and following Madman’s release and subsequent streaming of Haikyu on AnimeLab, it has proven that series like this do have a place in the West and fans that will support it. This is a particularly special announcement considering that both series have not been released anywhere else in the world in English and no plans appear to be in place outside of Australia for a Western release, making these releases the first of their kind. On top of those two massive title announcements, Madman also announced that they had acquired the rights to all seasons of To-Love Ru and Amagi Brilliant Park. Both To-Love Ru and Amagi Brilliant Park look set to hit AnimeLab for streaming as well as physical mediums. These are some huge announcements …

5 Hidden Gems Available For Streaming On AnimeLab

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman’s streaming service AnimeLab is only a little over a year old but it sports a catalogue of series that is not only filled with titles currently airing in Japan but also a plethora of hidden gems of the past. While the current ongoing seasons of anime are always very exciting, sometimes there are some lesser known or previously overlooked series that are shining brightly waiting for you to discover them. These are a few of the special hidden gems streaming on AnimeLab: Robotics;Notes From the team behind hit series Steins;Gate (which is also available on AnimeLab), Robotics;Notes follows a group of friends as they attempt to build a robot. It’s a simple premise that is underpinned by a complex government conspiracy plot involving a precised solar flare induced apocalyptic cataclysm, not unlike Steins;Gate’s deeper story beneath its intriguing time travel premise. While Steins;Gate is highly regarded and considered by many a modern classic, Robotics;Notes didn’t quite receive the same fanfare for reasons I cannot begin to fathom. Robotics;Notes is a delightful science adventure in the …

First Thoughts: Gangsta – Sharp Eyes And A Silver Tongue

Published by Frank Inglese

This is the Anime adaptation I’ve been waiting for…and within one episode it has reached my incredibly high expectations. There aren’t many Anime series’ out there that can do THAT! If you can’t quite tell what Anime I’m talking about, you’ve clearly not read the article title. We’re talking about Gangsta, dammit! The Anime adaptation of Kohske’s hit gangland Manga series by the same name. As a man who’s read and reviewed all the available Manga volumes to date, loving each and every one of them, my excitement for this Anime series was almost uncontrollable…but then so were my expectations which, funily enough, didn’t lead me astray. I was assured, by the series itself, that it would translate into Anime well, and…holy crap, it did! By now you really should know the story of Gangsta but for those of you who don’t; the series revolves around two men living in a city populated by criminals, scumbags, hitmen, gangsters, and everything else you could imagine from a town run entirely by four different mafia families. The …

AnimeLab Just Announced A Bunch Of New Titles Both Old and New, Everyone Wins!

Published by Luke Halliday

During their Periscope streamed AnimeLab press conference at Supanova Perth, AnimeLab announced several brand new titles being added to the popular streaming service. Titles are being added both to the back catalogue of the site as well as some upcoming Summer season simulcasts. As far as adding to the backlog, AnimeLab announced several oldschool and newschool series. Rather interesting was the announcement that the wildly popular shojo series Cardcaptor Sakura would be hitting the service. The series was a huge hit down under and remains a fan favourite all these years on. The series will hit the service in its entirety in sub only with potential for the films at a later date. Also announced is the Rumiko Takahashi fantasy epic, Inuyasha. A classic title in every regard, Inuyasha’s first 165 episodes are hitting the service with the rest to be released periodically until its completion. Again this is another big get for AnimeLab. Sports anime fans also had reason to be excited with the announcement that Haikyuu and Free! Eternal Summer will be joining …

First Thoughts: “Blood Blockade Battlefront” – Get That Monkey!

Published by Frank Inglese

Where the hell do I start with this Anime? You know, reader, I’ve been thinking about this article for a while now but I can’t seem to figure out just what it is that I should write about when it comes to the new Anime adaptation of Yasuhiro Nightow’s Blood Blockade Battlefront which, incase you have no information on this series at all, is also known as B3. Now as soon as you read Yasuhiro Nightow you probably think Trigun. For you to do so wouldn’t be unjustified but for your own sake and for the sake of this new series…I’d toss that thought out the bloody window. This is not Trigun. This is…look, I don’t even know what this is. It’s just…it’s just…it’s…just…magnificent…Blood Blockade Battlefront is, without a doubt in my mind, simply magnificent. Let’s talk about the story for just a little bit: Johnny Landis…I mean, Leonardo Watch is a young man who’s just moved to the city formerly known as New York. A few years back, this huge portal to another world opened up …

First Thoughts: “Triage X” – They Don’t Make Cup Sizes This Big

Published by Frank Inglese

I urge you to go and have a conversation about Anime with someone who has never experienced any Japanese pop culture media. I, in fact, dare you to do so. The talk you’ll have with that person will not only be enlightening for both sides but it’ll be funnier than any other conversation you’ll have all week. Chances are they’ll talk about how Anime is gory, violent and overtly sexual. You’ll probably disagree for the most part because, come on, not ALL Anime is like that…but some are! If you’ve just watched the first episode of Xebec’s new Anime adaptation of Shoji Sato’s Manga series “Triage X” you’ll probably be a little more lenient on the opinions of the person you’ve just spoken to because, if you think about it properly; “Triage X” is the Anime people who don’t watch Anime think of when you ask them about it. It’s violent, it’s sexual and, well…it’s kind of utter mayhem. Fact is; sex sells and so does violence, which means “Triage X” is looking to a smash …

Final Thoughts: “Death Parade” – Life Isn’t A Game

Published by Frank Inglese

It all started with a small project, a story about life and death being laid out onto the felt of a billiards table. That turner into so much more with the eventual beginning of the series we now call “Death Parade”. Knowing not what to expect besides the playing of bar games in contention for ones life, “Death Parade” immediately grasped the attention of audiences the world over not only wity the nature of its story but with the varying directions each episode followed. To say the very least…”Death Parade” was truly the stand out series of the season. In twelve episodes the series managed to introduce us to a pretty sizeable cast while detailing to us just why it is that we should like or hate them without being to overt or obvious about it. Every episode was wrapped in an air of mystery and you never truly knew who’s side you were on until the very last minutes but as those final moments rolled in it was finally made clear just who these …

Final Thoughts: “Tokyo Ghoul √A” – Remember Who I Am

Published by Frank Inglese

“Tokyo Ghoul”, when it first started, wasn’t exactly my most favoured Anime series. Within one season all it seemed to accomplish was something I believe we, the greater pop culture audience, has seen countless times. It had a very well-rounded and structured foundation that was weakened by what I consider to be unnecessary plot points and developments. The first season left me wanting so much more from the series that people ranted and raved about. “Tokyo Ghoul” was an instant hit, especially with the Tumblr crowd, but it never piqued my interest in the same way it did many others. That is…until season two came along; “Tokyo Ghoul √A”. The first episode blew me away. It hit me so much harder than the entire first season did and I was left in a state of pure awe. Read about it here. What surprised me even more was that the rest of the season continued to get better and better. I can’t even think of an episode I was remotely upset with or bored by and, …

AnimeLab now on iOS, time to finally uninstall Candy Crush

Published by Luke Halliday

Do you like anime? I do. Well as I like to say, Madman knows best. They know best so well in fact that they are bringing their anime streaming service AnimeLab into the palm of your candy crushed hands. That’s right, you can now download the AnimeLab app on iOS devices. With the AnimeLab app you will finally be able to kick your Candy Crush problem to the curb and refocus on your anime addiction with hundreds of hours of anime content literally at your finger tips. I think if AnimeLab were on Tinder right now we would all be swiping right hard and fast. So what are you waiting for? Uninstall that pesky Candy Crush app and download AnimeLab and get streaming like you know you want to. -30-

First Thoughts: ‘Maria the Virgin Witch’ – How To Train Your Virgin Dragon

Published by Luke Halliday

So that was pretty much what I had expected it to be, but at least there was a dragon right? Maria the Virgin Witch is a series which you can probably tell if you will enjoy it or not based solely on your reaction to its title. The show follows a virgin witch named Maria who exists in the middle ages during a time of war between the French and English but you know who cares about that because can you believe this chick is a virgin?! Like wow who would have thought that a girl in her teens could possibly not have had sex? How bizarre and definitely a point worth repeatedly addressing throughout the span of 23 minutes of television. All that aside I actually enjoyed Maria the Virgin Witch to some degree. The setting of the Hundred Year War is a fresh one at that and definitely makes for some interesting narrative possibilities. The only problem is that the series is so obsessed with the idea of virginity that is struggles to …

First Thoughts: “Death Parade” – Taking Bar Sports To The Extreme

Published by Frank Inglese

On the 11th of January, 2015. Melbourne, Australia. Three people were injured at a darts tournament when the crowd became rowdy and began throwing the chairs they once sat on into a pile. Some began hurling themselves at the pile while others cheered on from the sidelines. While there were no casualties and only three people suffered minor injury, the riot squad was called to quell the storm that these darts fans had conjured up. Soccer (Football) games have always been known for the hooliganism of fans but I think it’s time for soccer to sit this one out because it seems as though darts produce a lot rowdier of a crowd than we thought. As I’m reading this news I’m thinking to myself; “Surely this is the oddest darts-related thing I’ll come across today”…but then I watched the very first episode of “Death Parade”. Having watched “Death Billiards” some time ago, I have been anticipating “Death Parade” for a fairly long time. Watching through the short film that would eventually lead to the creation of …

First Thoughts: “The Rolling Girls” – Girls And Bikes And Lots Of Fun

Published by Frank Inglese

There are bikes, there are girls and there are a whole bunch of fight scenes. What more could you want from a contemporary Anime? It’s the start of 2015 and, for us here at SnapThirty, it’s been a damn good one. Making a sweet beginning of the year even sweeter is the arrival of the latest Anime season; Winter. With the Winter Anime season comes a few series’ that havn’t quite been on my radar but that I’m glad to have taken the time to watch. One of those Anime’s is “The Rolling Girls” which has just begun streaming through the official FUNimation site and is set to start airing through AnimeLab, Madman Entertainment’s official streaming service, now! I’ve been sitting at my desk for quite some time now, pondering, wondering, typing and deleting, finding it very difficult to start this article. “Why?”, I ask myself. Most of my other impression articles come through seamlessly but for some reason my thoughts on “The Rolling Girls” is jammed up somewhere in my head. “Maybe a good slap …

First Thoughts: “Tokyo Ghoul √A” – Do You Feel The Winds Of Change?

Published by Frank Inglese

Well done, “Tokyo Ghoul”, Well done. It took you exactly thirteen episodes but you’ve finally earned my adoration. Let me be honest: I’m not one to judge things like this so heavily. I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt but the first season of “Tokyo Ghoul” was, for me, one of the worst things about the Anime lineup of 2014 and here’s why: It had a really solid first episode that lead me to believe it was going in a direction that it never did…until the final episode of the first season. I stuck to it because I had some sort of hope that it would win me back and now, after an entire season, it has proven to me that this is exactly the Anime I thought I was signing up for. Well done, “Tokyo Ghoul”. “Tokyo Ghoul” season two, or simply “√A”, picks up exactly where season one left off which is, in my books, the absolute greatest thing the series could have done. The end of season end arrived with …

AnimeLab adds 6 new Winter 2015 anime titles for simulcasting, yahoo!

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman is the kind of friend that surprises you with gifts, for no reason at all. I like that friend and I like Madman. I also like AnimeLab, Madman’s anime streaming service that is giving us 6 brand new Winter 2015 anime series for our simulcasting pleasure. The new AnimeLab line-up features some rather highly anticipated titles. The list is as follows: Death Parade Absolute Duo Assassination Classroom Rolling Girls Yuri Kuma Arashi Maria the Virgin Witch No date has been locked in for these titles just yet but they are sure to debut sometime close to the Japanese broadcast time. So stay tuned for more information on the premiere dates for these upcoming anime series and be sure to bow down to our almighty leaders Madman Entertainment. Praise be the man who is mad about anime. -30-

AnimeLab adds 13 more titles!

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman Entertainment have just sent through a press release with some rather massive news. That news being that they have added a whopping 13 anime series onto their anime streaming service AnimeLab. Looks like it’s time for an anime binge. The following series are now available on AnimeLab: Psycho-Pass II Sword Art Online II Soul Eater NOT! Lord Marksman and Vanadis Unbreakable Machine Doll Hyperdimension Neptunia The Animation Persona 4 The Golden Animation D-Frag! Mekaku City Actors Nisekoi False Love World Conquest Zvezda Plot Mushi-Shi: The Next Chapter Nanana’s Buried Treasure Wow, now that is what you call a blockbuster line-up. There is more than a fair share of hit anime on this list and some pleasant surprises as well. It is definitely great to see these anime available for streaming in Australia and it can only be presumed at this point in time that a physical release is somewhere down the pipeline for all of these titles. Stay tuned for more information on that as it comes to light of course. -30-

AnimeLab line-up gets 5 new titles simulcasting including ‘Your Lie in April’ and ‘Fate/Stay Night’

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman’s online anime streaming service AnimeLab has quietly increased its simulcast line-up with 5 new titles added to their Fall 2014 anime season line-up. The line-up already featured Garo: The Animation, Gundam Reconguista in G and Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Demons but now features 5 more series simulcasting straight from Japan. The following series are now available for streaming on the service: Your Lie in April Trinity Seven Girl Friend Beta When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works I must say this is a superb line-up from Madman for AnimeLab. Be sure to check out some of these series as they simulcast each week. Stay tuned for further information on AnimeLab’s expanding catalogue of anime titles as it becomes available. -30-

First Thoughts: “Garo: The Animation” – Long Live The Kink

Published by Frank Inglese

I’ll be honest with you, reader, until the news came up on my daily surfing, I had no interest in watching this show. After seeing that one of my favorite new online Anime distributors, AnimeLab, was simulcasting this series I decided to go ahead and watch the first episode…lucky I did otherwise I would have missed out on one hell of an engaging series opener. Knowing absolutely nothing of what the series had to offer, I jumped in mostly blind. So blind, in fact, that I was a bit surprised when I finally figured out that the series is set entirely in what looks to be medieval times. ‘Garo: The Animation’, from what I’ve read, is an Anime series that is actually based upon a tokusatsu television show of the same name though I don’t believe it is set in the exact same time as the Anime. I am only judging by the screenshots I’ve seen, so if you’re a fan of the television show and have some information that can prove me wrong please, …

Garo: The Animation Now Available To Watch On AnimeLab

Published by Frank Inglese

Madman Entertainment are absolutely destroying it when it comes to simulcast Anime streaming. Between the dubbed ‘Space Dandy’ and the brand-new ‘Gundam’ series ‘Reconguista In G’, they’re quickly rising far above the rest when it comes to online distribution. The latest addition to their catalogue is a little Anime series called ‘Garo: The Animation’ which, for those of you not in the know, is based on a tokusatsu television series of the same name. Madman have snapped this one up and the first episode is now available to watch through their AnimeLab service of which you can get to by Clicking Here. From the studio that brought you Terror in Resonance. The King’s close advisor implemented a large-scale witch-hunt. The tragic victims of this hunt were not witches, however, but Makai Knights and Makai Priests. One Makai Priestess gave birth to a child while being burned at the stake. That child carried the bloodlines of the Golden Knight. Although he was saved by his father, a Makai Knight himself, the newborn, León Luís, suffered greatly …

Siren Visual brings ‘Angel Beats’ to AnimeLab Streaming Service

Published by Luke Halliday

Following their announcement that The Devil is a Part Timer would be streamed on Madman’s AnimeLab service, Siren Visual are back again with another anime series from their rich catalogue of titles. This time they are bringing the modern anime classic that is Angel Beats to the AnimeLab service. Angel Beats is considered by many anime fans as one of the medium’s finest series ever made and has received critical acclaim on a global scale. From the creators of CLANNAD, Angel Beats explores the concept of the afterlife. It is a thought-provoking anime series that is held in high regard by the anime community and it is now free to stream on AnimeLab here. Be sure to check out Angel Beats on AnimeLab in its entire 14 episode run and let us know what you think in the comments section below. -30-

‘Cross Ange’ simulcasting on AnimeLab – Mecha VS Dragons, What More Could You Want?

Published by Luke Halliday

Sunrise’s latest anime epic is Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons, a series that pits mech pilots against dragons in a clash for the ages. Following their announcement of the simulcast for the latest Gundam anime series, Gundam Reconguista in G, Madman have quietly announced through the AnimeLab Facebook page that they are also simulcasting Cross Ange. The first episode of Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons is already live on AnimeLab free to view. You can jump right on in and check out the exciting first episode of Cross Ange here. Be sure to let us know what you think of Cross Ange in the comments section below. Are you ready for the destined battle between mechs and dragons? I know I am! -30-

‘Gundam Reconguista In G’ simulcasting on AnimeLab, Gundam Mania Running Wild!

Published by Luke Halliday

Gundam maniacs stand up now because you might just fall off the edge of your seat in anticipation for Madman Entertainment’s simulcast of the upcoming installment in the legendary mecha anime franchise, Gundam Reconguista In G. Fear not Gundam fans, the series is crash-landing to the AnimeLab streaming service on October 3rd, 2014 at 8AM AEST. Gundam Reconguista In G is the next stage in the ultimate mecha anime franchise. The anime is made in celebration of the Mobile Suit Gundam series 35th Anniversary and looks to take the series back to its roots while introducing some fresh new concepts. Also a brand new mobile suit is said to be introduced by the name of G-Self, the latest and greatest mobile suit. Be sure to check out the brand new series on AnimeLab.com each and every Friday, with new episodes launching at 7.30AM from October 10th onward. Madman has also confirmed they plan to release the series on DVD and Blu-Ray down the line. What else needs to be said? Gundam mania is at a …

Soul Eater now streaming on AnimeLab

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman Entertainment have announced that after huge fan request they have officially begun streaming Soul Eater on their AnimeLab streaming service. The series is of course wildly popular and has an incredible fan following particularly in the West. The series follows Soul Eater and Maka, Weapon and Meister respectively as they attend Death Weapon Meister Academy and take on supernatural enemies all in the goal of collecting 100 evil souls. You can check out all 51 episodes of Soul Eater in Japanese with English subtitles over at AnimeLab here. What other series do you think should begin streaming on AnimeLab? Let us know in the comments section below. -30-

‘Space Dandy’ Final Thoughts – Staying Dandy, Baby

Published by Luke Halliday

I expected Space Dandy to go out with a bang, but with its series finale it did more than that, it went out with a big bang – literally. Over the course of 26 fantastic episodes, broadcast over just under a year, we have gone on many adventures with Dandy and his faithful space crew in space. It was only fitting that Space Dandy saved its biggest and most ambitious adventure for last. After spending the entire series raising questions about whether all of this nonsense actually mean something, we finally get a definitive answer here from Space Dandy. Yes it does. In retrospect it is hard to have imagined where Space Dandy would journey as a show, but it has explored both philosophical and humorous territory over its run, but it has always been at its best when it manages to find common ground between the two like it does in this series finale. The finale revolves around the idea that the Gogol Empire has finally captured Dandy after spending the entire series playing Team …

Kill La Kill won’t lose its way on AnimeLab

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman Entertainment have just announced that the wildly popular sexy action anime series Kill La Kill has made its way onto their AnimeLab streaming service. You can check out the series on AnimeLab in its entirety here. Kill La Kill follows Ryuko Matoi a high school delinquent girl on a quest to avenge the murder of her father. That quest begins at Honnouji Academy a school ruled by the iron fist of the Student Council President Satsuki Kiryuin. The sexy action begins when these two ladies bear it all in unbridled hyper violent conflicts. Madman have released a trailer for Kill La Kill on AnimeLab which you can check out below. Don’t lose your way, watch Kill La Kill now to see why the series has been so critically acclaimed. -30-

‘The Devil is a Part Timer’ gets a job at AnimeLab, streaming now

Published by Luke Halliday

In a rather unprecedented turn of events, Siren Visual have in collaboration with Madman Entertainment, begun streaming an anime series on Madman’s AnimeLab streaming service. What anime series might that be you ask? Well it is none other than the hilarious supernatural comedy The Devil is a Part Timer. Siren Visual of course hold the license to distribute The Devil is a Part Timer and in conjunction with Madman, the series is now streaming in both English and Japanese language on AnimeLab here. The Devil is a Part Timer follows the exploits of an exiled Demon King who takes up a part time job at MgRonalds in order to make ends meet. This collaborative effort between Madman and Siren Visual looks to be the beginning of a major partnership, with potential for more Siren Visual licensed anime to have a streaming home in AnimeLab. Stay tuned for more information on this partnership as it comes to light. For now be sure to check out the hilarious anime that is The Devil is a Part Timer …

Black Butler is at your service now on Anime Lab

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman Entertainment have heard your shouts into the void, they know that you want Black Butler on AnimeLab and they are going to give it to you. That’s right, following high demand requests for the series to be added onto Madman’s AnimeLab streaming service the series is now available in it’s entirety for viewing. The series follows a demon butler by the name of Sebastian who makes a contract with Ciel Phantomhive to serve as his personal butler. Ciel hopes to use Sebastian in order to avenge his parents death. The catch however for Ciel is that Sebastian is allowed to consume his soul once the mission is complete. But damn, he sure is one hell of a butler! You can jump on AnimeLab and check out both seasons of Black Butler here. Stay tuned for more AnimeLab updates as they surface.

Fairy Tail brings the magic to AnimeLab streaming service

Published by Luke Halliday

After receiving an incredible amount of requests, Madman Entertainment has begun streaming the wildly popular shonen anime series Fairy Tail on their streaming service AnimeLab. They have launched the series on AnimeLab with a whopping 48 episodes, with promise to release more in the future. The series popularity speaks for itself and has forced Madman’s hand with it being the highest requested series on their feedback system. Fairy Tail revolves around a world full of magic and follows the titular ‘Fairy Tail’ guild on their various adventures as they get into scrapes with powerful mages an fight for the values and beliefs their guild stands for. You can check out the first 48 episodes of Fairy Tail now over at AnimeLab here. Let us know what you think in the comments section below. -30-

Japan Cracks Down On Illegal Distributors With The Anime and Manga Anti-Piracy Initiative

Published by Frank Inglese

The internet is a wonderful tool, one that fortunate enough people can utilize in many different ways, many of which has proven to make life much easier for individuals across globe. It is an invisible force that connects the world and, for the most part, it is used for good rather than evil but sometimes, well…sometimes people abuse what they have instead of appreciating it for what it is. Piracy is a huge contemporary issue that seems to plague this generation moreso than any other before. Publishers are distributing their products digitally now so you can watch the latest episodes of your favorite shows or listen to the most recent albums of your desired artists without even getting out of your chair. This is fantastic, but it seems like a bunch of people tend to want more than that…they want it for free. This is where the theoretical problem of new-age piracy becomes a reality. Anime and Manga, one of Japan’s biggest industries, is by far the most affected by digital banditry and the government …

‘Terror in Resonance’ First Impressions

Published by Luke Halliday

Whenever the name Shinichiro Watanabe is attached to an anime project you know that it will no doubt be something that you should be watching and after the first episode of his latest work Terror in Resonance, it isn’t any wonder why Watanabe and the series that he directs are so critically acclaimed. It is because they resonate with viewers. These series find a way of burrowing into the deepest reaches of our hearts and striking a chord with our souls. Watanabe understands human feeling better than any anime director and he puts on show for the world to see. Terror in Resonance kicks things off with a bang (literally in fact) and it feels like a Watanabe series from the get go. There is a lot of questions raised in this first episode and little to no answers given, but that is just fine, because Terror in Resonance looks to take its time exploring its world and characters before it hits the nitty gritty, which is of course a staple of Watanabe’s work. His …

Madman licenses Tokyo ESP, simulcasting on AnimeLab

Published by Luke Halliday

Madman Entertainment have acquired the license for the brand new anime series Tokyo ESP, a series from the creator of GAI-REI-ZERO, Hajime Segawa. Madman further confirmed that they will be simulcasting the series on their AnimeLab streaming service starting at 3.30am July 11th, 2014. Tokyo ESP follows a girl named Rinka who through a fateful bizarre encounter with a penguin awakens psychic powers known as ESP. She quickly discovers that there are more people in Tokyo who have ESP, some who use it for good and some who use it for evil. A home video release for Tokyo ESP has been confirmed with details to come in the future. Be sure to stay tuned to AnimeLab.com to catch the first episode of Tokyo ESP when it drops tomorrow.

Exploring Madman’s AnimeLab Streaming Service, The Future of Anime is Now

Published by Luke Halliday

On May 28th, 2014, just about a month ago, Madman Entertainment launched their official anime streaming service AnimeLab. The service has made major waves in the anime industry all the while still being in beta phase. It has emerged as a true contender to the colossus that is Crunchyroll and it is arguably the first true dedicated Australian anime streaming service. While in the past Madman had their Screening Room, it was not without its flaws. A somewhat difficult navigation system and the fact that the service was tucked away in Madman’s website made it a difficult service to follow along with. There was always the feeling that it should have been its own website, its own thing separate from the Madman online store. Now here we are with AnimeLab, the next stage in the evolution of anime simulcasting and streaming. Upon signing up and jumping into the site, I found myself wowed by the impressive design of the site. It is very streamlined and robust, with a an appealing colour scheme to boot. But that …