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Anime, Manga, Game Creators Celebrate April Fool's Day: Part VII

[Finally, only one week behind, here is the final roundup.]

Anime, manga, and software studios marked April 1 with a slew of April Fool's spoofs and jokes. Here are the last of those that have cropped up this year - click on the thumbnail images to see the original!

Steins;Gate

For one day only, the official website for the Steins;Gate film offered an ultra-important message from the voice cast:

SuBLime

Viz's SuBLime boys-love manga imprint announced that it was starting a new line for children. The first manga is called Alpaca Silence by Shigetsu Bakasha. (The name translates to "April Fools.") The company wrote a fake story outline as well:

Al is an introverted alpaca with a longtime crush on Paca, a popular alpaca on the baseball team. But much to his surprise, Paca comes up to him and spits in his eye! Al is so overcome he can't respond. Will Al be able to get past his shyness, or will he lose his chance with the alpaca he loves?

"We're super excited to be able to release this new line of books starting with Alpaca Silence from famed mangaka Shigatsu Bakasha," says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “People often ask me, why kids books? And I say, why not?!”

Chiaki Takahashi

The Chaos;HEAd and The IDOLM@STER voice actress wrote, "I have an announcement for everyone. I, Chiaki Takahashi, married a woman from outside the anime industry."

Yukari Tamura

Voice actress and singer Yukari Tamura (Kanon, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha) tweeted "I, Yukarin, am returning home to heaven soon. I weigh as much as three apples."

Tamako Market

The front page of the website changed to Dera's Bar, a new spot that the anime's talking bird is staking out in the Usagiyama Shopping District.

Sora Tokui

Voice actress Sora Tokui (Love Live!, Robotics;Notes) revealed that she would star in a television anime adaptation of Mahō Shōjo Jitaku-chan (Magical Girl Jitaku-chan), a four-panel comic that debuted in the free Akihabara-area handout OtaPoke. Tokui had voiced the character in a web-radio series previously. Tokui went so far to say that further information would be announced in mid-April with a broadcast premiere this summer and the first Blu-ray/DVD to follow in August.

Toshiba

The United States division of electronics company Toshiba introduced a new game console, the Shibasphere. The company boasted that user's lives would "never be the same." Users would wear a dome-like helmet for personal play, while entire families can don the Shibasuit, a spandex suit that allows cameras to catch the wearers movements.

Game titles included "Pet the Dog" Pet simulator, "Contract Negotiations" where players work out contracts with their labor force, "Let's Travel," an airport security simulator, "Stare Down," a staring contest game, and more.

Type-Moon

For its latest annual spoof, the game studio offered Rojiura Satsuki Chapter Heroine Sanctuary, a mini-game homage to Saint Seiya.

Thanks to Cloud668 for the tip!

Uta no Prince Sama

The "PriQlo" (a pun on Uta no Prince Sama and the clothing retailer UNIQLO) store presents its summer collection of T-shirts modeled by the up-and-coming idols.

Valkyria Chronicles

Han Games presents Cowlick Guardian Cosette-tan or Mahō Shōjo Senshi Cosette-tan, the magical girl television anime that debuted on April 1 on NHN.

Yuruyuri

The Mofudan character created by Shiori Mikami is getting the Nendoroid figure treatment.

There are many more anime/manga/game April Fool's Day celebrations out there, so if you know of one we've missed, feel free to let us know in our forums or by email (newsroom at animenewsnetwork.com).