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AnimeLab Adds More Titles to 2015 Summer Simulcast Season

posted on by Jon Hayward
Over three announcements AnimeLab's Summer Simulcast Season has grown by another ten series;

On Tuesday the 30th of June AnimeLab announced the following additions to their Summer Simulcast Season, they include;

  • Bikini Warriors
  • Gangsta [Watch Now!]
  • Hetalia: The World Twinkle
  • Prison School
  • Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace [Watch Now!]
  • Seiyu's Life
  • Snow White with the Red Hair

Then between two more announcements over the weekend another three titles were announced;

  • Aoharu x Machinegun (Aoharu x Kikanjū) [Watch Now!]
  • Chaos Dragon
  • To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness 2nd

All of these new announcements can also be found on AnimeLab's blog. The first episode of several series are already available to watch on AnimeLab for Premium members.

These three announcements of ten titles, along with the three previous announcements brings AnimeLab's summer simulcast season up to 20 titles. The previously announced titles are as follows;

Aoharu x Machinegun (Aoharu x Kikanjū)

Hotaru Tachibana (Mikako Komatsu) finds herself in strange circumstances at school when Masamune Matsuoka (Tomoaki Maeno), a host of the Orion Host Club, invites Hotaru to form a team with ero-manga artist Tohru Yukimura (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) to enter airsoft survival games in order to take on the best teams in Japan.

Aoharu x Machinegun (Aoharu x Kikanjū) adapts NAOE's manga of the same name. Hideaki Nakano (Baccano!, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Golden Time episode director) is helming the anime series at Brains Base (Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends), with scripts by Kenji Konuta (Library War, Ace of Diamond). Junko Yamanaka (Detective Conan films, You Are Umasou, Kamisama Kiss 2) designed the characters and is also serving as chief animation director.

Doi☆Gangan (a unit made up of voice actors Tomoaki Maeno, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, and Mikako Komatsu) will perform the show's opening theme song "The Bravest Destiny." Komatsu will also perform the ending theme song "Gunjō Survival" (Ultramarine Survival).

NAOE began the series as a two-part short and then premiered the full series in Square Enix's GFantasy magazine in January 2013. Square Enix published the manga's seventh compiled book volume on June 27.

Aoharu X Machinegun premiered on TBS and CBC on the 2nd of July in Japan and Crunchyroll will stream the series in the United States and Canada.

If you wish to know more about Aoharu x Machinegun, ANN's reviewers have already watched the first episode as part of the Summer Anime Preview Guide.

Bikini Warriors

In a RPG world of swords and sorcery, Fighter is the daughter of a legendary warrior who now leads Paladin, Mage and Darkelf on a quest to save the world from destruction at the hands of the demon king. In order to achieve the goal they have to barter with villagers and fight against numerous monsters in their sexy and scantily-clad bikinis.

The anime adapts Hobby Japan and Megahouse's fantasy figure line of the same name, each figure is designed by a different artist, you can view the characters and which artists are involved here. Naoyuki Kuzuya (Bus Gamer) is directing at the studios feel. and PRA with series composition and scripts by Go Tamai and character designs adapted for animation by Kosuke Murayama (Resort Boin). The figure line's official website is posting short dialogue stories that chronicle the bikini warriors' adventurers. The website notes that a manga and a game are also planned alongside the television anime series.

The series will premiere in Japan on Tokyo MX on Tuesday the 7th of July and Funimation will stream the series in North America as it airs in Japan.

Chaos Dragon

In the sparkling era year 3015, the great nations Donatia and Kōran divide the world in a cold war as they fight for supremacy. In the middle of this standoff is island country Nil Kamui which has lost its independence after a guardian god known as Red Dragon spiraled out of control. Desperate to put a stop to Red Dragon's rampage, a small group of heroes rise up to bring peace back to their world.

Chaos Dragon is based on the table-top role-playing fiction project Red Dragon, a story which was created by five notable character designers: Gen Urobochi (Fate/Zero), Kinoko Nasu (Kara no Kyoukai), Iduki Kougyoku (Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou), Ryohgo Narita (Durarara!!), and Simadoriru (member of the Stripe Pattern doujin circle). The results of their tabletop role-playing game sessions over six days created material for a seven-volume light novel series.

The project is based on Red Dragon, the "role-playing fiction" story born from the "table talk role-playing game" sessions by five prominent anime, game, and art creators. The five Red Dragon participants were Gen Urobuchi (Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero), Kinoko Nasu (Kara no Kyōkai - the Garden of sinners, Fate/stay night, Lunar Legend Tsukihime), Izuki Kōgyoku (Mimizuku to Yoru no Ō, Mama, Garden Lost), Simadoriru (illustrator), and Ryohgo Narita (Baccano!, Durarara!!). Each participant created a character to guide through six nights of tabletop role-playing game sessions devised by "fiction master" Makoto Sanda (Rental Magica, Record of Lodoss War) which later created material for a seven-volume light novel series.

The website Sai-zen-sen serialized the compiled transcripts of the Red Dragon role-playing sessions.

Sanda was once part of Group SNE, the famous creative unit that made the Record of Lodoss War franchise. Like Red Dragon, Group SNE initially created Lodoss as a series of role-playing game sessions. The creators then turned their campaign transcripts into a series of novels that spawned anime, manga, and more.

Sanda designed the Red Dragon world with Kiyomune Miwa (Fate/stay night, Rental Magica collaborator) and Ukyō Kodachi (Macross Frontier novels). Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII, Tactics Ogre, The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk) is composing the music. Katsushi Ota, the editor best known for Kodansha's literary magazine Faust, is producing the project.

Masato Matsune (Fate/Prototype CG supervisor, Meganebu! opening storyboarder and animation director) is directing the television anime at SILVERLINK./CONNECT. Team Barrel Roll's Ukyō Kodachi (Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road, Macross Frontier novels) is in charge of the series scripts with assistance by Shou Aikawa (Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost Slayers Ayashi, EUREKA SEVEN AO).

Also as part of the project, there is a board game titled Chaos Dragon: Haō Shunjū. The "story-telling game's" plot revolves around seven heroes (controlled by the players) who fight in an endless war. The smartphone game Chaos Dragon: Konton Senso (Chaos Dragon: Chaos War) is scheduled to begin service this summer for iOS and Android devices. Scenario-writers for the game include Carlo Zen, Yoichiro Koizumi, Ukyō Kodachi from Team Barrel Roll, Makoto Sanda, Ryohgo Narita, Jin Haganeya (Guilty Crown episode scripts), and Shunsaku Yano, among others. Participating illustrators include Cheese Gouda (Gundam: Reconguista in G designs), Shimadoriru, sime, Take, Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King), Peach-Pit (Shugo Chara!), and minoa from nitroplus. Sakimoto is composing the game's music.

Funimation has licensed Chaos Dragon in North America. Chaos Dragon premiered in Japan on Tokyo MX on the 2nd of July.

Gangsta

In the city of Ergastulum, a shady ville filled with made men and petty thieves, whores on the make and cops on the take, there are some deeds too dirty for even its jaded inhabitants to touch. Enter the “Handymen” Nic and Worick, who take care of the jobs no one else will handle. Until the day when a cop they know on the force requests their help in taking down a new gang muscling in on the territory of a top Mafia family. It seems like business (and mayhem) as usual, but the Handymen are about to find that this job is a lot more than they bargained for.

Gangsta is based on a manga written and illustrated by Kohske, the series was first published in 2010 within the pages of Shinchosha's Monthly Comic @ Bunch magazine and to date has been collected into six volumes. Viz publishes the manga in North America.

Shukou Murase (Ergo Proxy, Genocidal Organ, Witch Hunter Robin) is directing the anime at Manglobe (The Unlimited - Hyōbu Kyōsuke, Hayate the Combat Butler! Cuties) with series composition from Shinichi Inotsume (Hayate the Combat Butler, Ristorante Paradiso, Sket Dance) and Koichi Hatsumi (Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King, Deadman Wonderland) is credited as series director. Yōichi Ueda is designing the characters for the anime and Tsutchie (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) will compose the music for the soundtrack. Annabel will perform the ending theme "Yoru no Kuni" (Country of Night).

Gangsta premiered on the 1st of July in Japan and the show will air on Asahi Broadcasting, Tokyo MX TV, TV Aichi, BS 11, and will stream on the Bandai Channel and niconico. Funimation will stream the series in North America as it airs in Japan.

ANN's Summer Anime Preview Guide has already gazed it's eyes over Gangsta, you can read the reviewer's thoughts on the first episode here.

Hetalia The World Twinkle

Forget everything you learned in history class, and imagine all the nations of the world as cute guys hanging out on a wildly inappropriate reality show. Now, toss in every stereotype ever and prepare to pledge allegiance to your favorite superpower in Hetalia!

Hetalia The World Twinkle will be the sixth anime season inspired by Hidekaz Himaruya's Hetalia manga. The manga takes the archetypal characteristics of countries and regions throughout the world, and anthropomorphizes them as (mostly) bishōnen characters.

The previous anime season, Hetalia The Beautiful World, premiered in Japan on January 2013. Both Funimation and Madman Entertainment have released all the previous anime seasons and the film "Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint it, White!" in North America and Australia / New Zealand respectively. Right Stuf has been releasing the manga in North America in collaboration with its former English-language publisher, Tokyopop, and its Japanese publisher Gentosha Comics.

The series will premiere in Japan on the 3rd of July and Funimation has already announced streaming the series in North America.

Prison School

There was a time when the Hachimitsu Private Academy was a revered and elite all-girls' boarding school on the outskirts of Tokyo but a recent policy revision is allowing boys into the student body. On his first day, Kiyoshi Fujino discovers that he's one of only five boys enrolled at the school. Completely overwhelmed by the thousands of girls on campus, the few boys find that their situation is less than ideal.

Tsutomu Mizushima (Girls und Panzer, Shirobako) is helming the project at J.C. Staff working off of scripts supervised by Michiko Yokote (Valkyria Chronicles, Shirobako). Junichiro Taniguchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica films, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun) designed the characters and is also serving as chief animation director.

NARASAKI composed the show's opening theme song "Ai no Prison" with lyrics by Kenji Ohtsuki, while Ryuji Takagi composed the ending theme song "Tsumibukaki Oretachi no Sanka" with lyrics by Kiyomi Kumano. The five main male cast members are singing both songs under the group name "Kangoku Danshi" (Prison Boys).

Created by Akira Hiramoto and serialised in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine since Febuary 2011, Prison School has been collected into 17 volumes to date. North American publisher Yen Press has licensed the series and will release the first volume this month.

The series will premiere in Japan on the 10th of July and Funimation will stream the series in North America as it airs.


Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace

Kobayashi is a model student, quiet and detached from his surroundings, so when he wakes up in homeroom to discover the disembodied corpse of his teacher and himself holding the murder weapon Kobayashi is quickly declared the top suspect. This strange case grabs the attention of the genius young detective Akechi who soon arrives to investigate and stranger still has Kobayashi asking to be his assistant.

Inspired by acclaimed late author Edogawa Ranpo's works, Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace has been created to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Seiji Kishi (Persona 4, Devil Survivor 2) is directing the anime at the studio Lerche (Re:␣Hamatora, Assassination Classroom). Makoto Uezu (Yumeria, Yuki Yuna Is a Hero) is writing the scripts. Masaru Yokoyama (Your Lie in April, Freezing, Queen's Blade: Rebellion) is composing the show's music.

Rampo Edogawa (born Taro Hirai) was a Japanese author whose work includes many mystery novels, such as Black Lizard, The Devil's Crest, and Dark Star. He passed away in 1965 at the age of 70.

The series premiered in Japan the 3rd of July and Funimation will stream the series in North America as it airs in Japan.

AnimeLab already has the first episode of Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace online and you can watch it here. Also ANN's Summer Preview Guide has several reviewer's thoughts already available for your perusal here.

Seiyu's Life! (Sore ga Seiyū!)

Seiyu's Life! follows Futaba Ichinose (Rie Takahashi), Ichigo Moesaki (Yuki Nagaku) and Rin Kohana (Marika Kōno), three rookie voice actresses, observing their daily lives as they work as part of the voice actor industry in Japan.

The Seiyu's Life! anime is based on the manga by voice actress Masumi Asano (.hack franchise's Black Rose, Hayate the Combat Butler's Risa Asakaze) and manga creator Kenjirou Hata (Hayate the Combat Butler) who together make up the duo Hajimemashite. They launched the manga at the winter Comiket event in 2011 and since then Hajimemashite have continued to release new issues at Comiket events.

Hiroshi Ikehata (Robot Girls Z) will direct the anime at Gonzo (Rosario + Vampire, Dog & Scissors) with series composition by Michiko Yokote (.hack//GIFT, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches). Masakatsu Sasaki is designing the characters, and Yukari Hashimoto (Toradora!, Yuri Kuma Arashi) will compose the music. The three voice actresses will also perform both the opening and ending theme songs under their unit name Earphones.

Hata's Hayate the Combat Butler manga already inspired the first Hayate the Combat Butler television anime (2007-2008) and its Hayate the Combat Butler!! follow-up (2009). The Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You (Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You) television anime aired in 2012, and the Hayate the Combat Butler! Cuties television anime aired in 2013. The manga also inspired an anime film and two OVAs. Viz Media is releasing the manga in North America.

Asano has worked on other various manga such as Partner, Hiyoko no Arukikata, and Uru wa Sorairo Majo. Her voice acting credits include Ikki Tousen's Hakufu Sonsaku, Blood-C's Yūka Amino, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou's Ayano Iida, Yumeria's Mizuki Agatsuma, and Zettai Karen Children's Oboro Kashiwagi, among many others.

When asked if Asano herself will voice a character in Sore ga Seiyū!, she replied that she could not say if she would or not. However, she added that fans would probably understand what she is talking about when they see a certain scene within the anime.

The series will premiere in Japan on Tuesday the 7th of July and Funimation will stream the series in North America as it airs in Japan.


© Sora Akiduki,
Hakusensha / Akagami no Shirayuki-hime
Production Committee

Snow White with the Red Hair

Sorata Akiduki's original shōjo manga Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair) revolves around Shirayuki, a beautiful girl working as a medicine woman who has red hair, which is very rare in her country. When she is proposed and chased after by the prince of her country, she runs away, only to meet Zen, the prince of a neighboring country. Finding respect for the young man, she decides to serve at his side as his court doctor.

Masahiro Ando (Hanasaku Iroha - Blossoms for Tomorrow, Blast of Tempest) is directing the anime at the studio BONES.

Masahiro Ando (Hanasaku Iroha - Blossoms for Tomorrow, Blast of Tempest) will direct the series off scripts by Deko Akao (Noragami, Arakawa Under the Bridge), and Kumiko Takahashi (Card Captor Sakura, Ouran High School Host Club) is designing the characters. Michiru Oshima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Patema Inverted) is composing the music and Kazuhiro Wakabayashi (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ouran High School Host Club) is serving as sound director. Studio Bones (Fullmetal Alchemist, Noragami) is producing the animation.

eyelis, a musical unit consisting of composers Satomi Kawasaki (The World God Only Knows), Takeshi Masuda (Zettai Karen Children, The World God Only Knows), and Wataru Maeguchi (Zettai Karen Children, Hayate the Combat Butler), will perform the anime's ending theme song, "Kizuna ni Nosete" (Riding on Bonds). Hayami will perform the opening theme song "Yasashi Kibō" (Kind Hope).

Sorata Akiduki began the manga in LaLa in its September 2006 issue and Hakusensha has since shipped the 14 compiled volumes of the series.

The series premiered on July 6 in Japan and Funimation is streaming the anime in North America as it airs.

To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness 2nd

To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness 2nd is the second season of the To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness television anime series.

The new season will reunite the main cast and staff from the first season. Ray (To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness, Waiting in the Summer, A Lull in the Sea) will perform the opening theme song and Mami Kawada (Jormungand, A Certain Magical Index, Please Twins) will perform the ending theme song.

Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America and Crunchyroll stream the series as it airs.

Kentaro Yabuki and Saki Hasemi's To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness manga, a sequel of the first To Love-Ru -Trouble- series, launched in Jump Square in 2010. The series has 14 million copies in print. Sentai Filmworks licensed the 2012 television anime series, and The Anime Network streamed the series in North America.

To Love-Ru -Trouble- Darkness 2nd will be the first To Love-Ru series that Madman has licensed for Australia and New Zealand and the first To Love-Ru series on AnimeLab.

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