CRUNCHYROLL HAS PREMIERED "ULTRAMAN ORB" 50th Anniversary Ultra Series Is Now Streaming!

新シリーズ『ウルトラマンオーブ』が日本と米国に放送スタート！


Here's the main English image art for the all-new ULTRAMAN ORB.

Crunchyroll, the mighty anime streaming service, which announced its aim to expand into more live action titles (or tokusatsu, the term for special effects productions), has already unleashed a plethora of Ultraman upon the US, Europe, and Latin America over the last two years. And on July 8th at 7:00 pm PDT, will begin simulcasting the latest series, ULTRAMAN ORB, in a tandem with the series' premiere on Japanese television for the 50th Anniversary of the franchise.


Orb's Spacium-Zephyrion form combines Ultraman & Ultraman Tiga.

Bowing on July 9th in Japan, ULTRAMAN ORB, produced by Tsuburaya Productions and broadcast on TV Tokyo, will be the first of the recent "Ultra Series" to not produced under the "Ultraman Retsuden" banner. Returning is director Kiyotaka Taguchi (Ultraman X), who promised in an Uchusen magazine interview, that the new series would return the franchise's roots and the themes of traveling a noble path, while still being a fun story. ORB is slated to run 25 episodes.


The Hurricane-Slash form combines Ultraman Jack & Ultraman Zero.

Once upon a time, the Earth was saved from total destruction when Ultraman and Ultraman Tiga sealed away a horde of demonic beasts. Since childhood, Naomi Yumeno, has sensed these terrible monsters, and as a young woman launches the SSP investigation site. When she is threatened by one of the kaiju, and is saved by Gai Kurenai, who is in reality the warrior known as Ultraman Orb! But, a mysterious, evil figure is lurking in the shadows to challenge Orb...


The Burn-Mite form combines Ultraman Taro & Ultraman Mebius.

Be sure start watching ULTRAMAN ORB tonight on Crunchyroll at 7:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time, and then join them each and every week for this special simulcast presentation of the latest in the Ultraman franchise — available worldwide (excluding Asia) — same Ultra Time, same Ultra Channel!

Check out the official Ultraman Orb wesbite (Japanese only), here.

PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION (2014) The Legendary Anime Series Goes Live!

2014.4.5 この現実＜リアル＞に参加せよ

The just-unveiled advance poster for THE NEXT GENERATION!

Originating in the late 1980s, MOBILE POLICE: PATLABOR, is a long-running animated series created by a collective calling themselves Headgear, consisting of director Mamoru Oshii (GHOST IN THE SHELL), writer Kazunori Ito (GAMERA 2), mecha designer Yutaka Izubuchi (YAMATO: 2199), character designer Akemi Takada (GATCHAMAN), and manga artist Masami Yuki (BIRDY THE MIGHTY). The extremely popular story has spawned several OVAs, television series, feature films, and manga, centering on the exploits of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Special Vehicle Section 2, Division 2 — which use the titular Patrol/Labor robots against crime and terrorism. Now, these beloved characters will come to life in an all-new series of live action films, which take place in 2013, several years after the original PATLABOR adventures took place.

Initial teaser poster unveiled earlier this year at the Anime Fair.

During the Tokyo International Anime Fair on March 21, 2013 at the, Tohokushinsha Co. Ltd., made the announcement of a live action PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION for 2014, which was followed by a press conference streamed over the Nico Nico Live website on September 25, 2013. In a similar distribution style to SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199, there will be seven theatrical films released through Shochiku, made up of twelve 48-minute episodes, plus a ten-minute prologue (Episode Zero), commencing on April 5, 2013 in six-week intervals (May 31, July 12, August 30, October 18, November 29, and January 1). While the cast and crew have been announced, there has yet been no listing for a visual effects director.

Crew prepping to shoot one of the full-scale Ingram AV-98 props.

Produced on a budget of ¥2 billion (approximately $19,222,000 USD), PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION began shooting in June 2013 under the watchful eye of Supervising Director Oshii, who also wrote all of the episodes with Kei Yamamura (THE IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR), while individual episodes are being helmed by Oshii (directing 0, 6, & 12), Takanori Tsujimoto (BUSHIDO MAN) directs 2, 4, & 8, Kiyotaka Taguchi (NEO ULTRA Q) directs 9 & 10, and Hiroaki Yuasa (MOON) directs 3, 5, & 11. And fans can rejoice that the original PATLABOR composer, Kenji Kawai (GUNHED), is also returning for this new production. To insure realism, two impressive, full scale AV-98 Type Ingram Labors, standing a full 8 meters tall (approximately 27 feet), along with their heavy towing equipment, built for in-camera interaction with the cast.

Director Oshii (far right) with the main cast of the new PATLABOR.

Actress and singer Erina Mano (KAMEN RIDER × KAMEN RIDER WIZARD & FOURZE: MOVIE WAR ULTIMATUM) headlines as Akira Izumino (taken from Oishii’s “parallel world” Patlabor novel published in 2011), Seiji Fukushi (ASK THIS OF RIKYU) as Yuma Shinobara, Rina Ota (BRAIN MAN) as Kasha, Toshio Kakei (BAYSIDE SHADOWN: THE FINAL) as Captain Keiji Gotoda, Shigeru Chiba (DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF GODS) reprises his role as Maintenance Chief Shigeo Shiba, and Yoshikatsu Fujiki (KAMEN RIDER BLACK-RX) as Yoshikatsu Buchiyama. Principal Photography on PATLABOR: THE NEXT GENERATION is set to wrap this month. Additionally, an all-original live action feature film, written and directed by Oshii (with a running time of 100 minutes), will follow during the Golden Week holiday in 2015.

Watch the first teaser trailer, here!

Please visit the official Japanese website, here!

Stateside fans can also catch up on the phenomenon as US-based anime label, Maiden Japan recently scored the license for the animated MOBILE POLICE: PATLABOR television and OVA series — check out their website, here!

GREAT HAIRY BEAST! Shinji Higuchi Unleashes GEHARA!!

樋口真嗣が製作総指揮『長髪大怪獣ゲハラ』新登場!


Mock movie poster for GEHARA in Old Skool-style. ©NHK 2009

Cult writer/Artist/Painter Master Jun Miura has teamed up with visual effects wizard Shinji Higuchi to create a 15-minute monster short for the NHK network's late-night series PLAY TV: PERFORM! (Tereasobi Pafoo!). The mini-movie, entitled GEHARA: THE LONG-HAIRED GIANT MONSTER (Chohatsu Daikaiju Gehara), will be broadcast as part of a 50-minute special on February 24th at 12:10 AM (Japan time). Over 325 entries were submitted to the producers when the project was announced last year.

Miura's plot features the monster-beleaguered nation of Japan being invaded by a bizarre colossal beast, with flowing black locks, and a newspaper reporter following the unfolding story. What makes this creature unique among Godzilla kith and kin, is that Gehara’s origins are rooted in traditional Japanese ghost stories, such as “The Black Hair” (Kurogami) featured in Masaki Kobayashi’s KWAIDAN (1964) and Sion Sono’s EXTE (2007).

But, this will not be a straight monster movie, rather, this mini-movie is yet another parody of the genre — on the heels of Minoru Kawasaki’s MONSTER X STRIKES BACK (2008) — in fact, one of the Self Defense Force plans to stop Gehara is called "Operation: Perm" (!), which features a Maser Cannon-like mobile weapon, looking suspiciously like a giant hair dryer on tank treads. Even though this is not being played straight, the involvement of Miura, who created and wrote the film, and Higuchi, who was the visual effects wizard behind the 1990s Gamera trilogy, should prove for interesting viewing.


Gehara raises it's shaggy head. ©NHK 2009

Directing his first professional feature is visual effects designer Kiyotaka Taguchi, whose low-budget indie kaiju eiga, simply titled “G”, has been wowing Youtube viewers with several clips and trailers, and is now on its way to make rounds at film festivals, starting next week at the world-renown Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in Hokkaido, Japan. While the jury hasn't come in on the relative directorial talents of Taguchi, apparently, Higuchi, Miura and NHK are banking on him with GEHARA, which will also be screening at Yubari.

In the original treatment, the mysterious creature Gehara (the name is an anagram from the Japanese word “hige” or “beard” and “Ra” from “Gojira”) comes ashore during a monstrous typhoon, and begins to wreck havoc upon Tokyo. Eventually, the hairy beast is seemingly stopped by the Self Defense Forces’ Operation: Tokyo Drain. As a result, the beast is sucked into the city’s sewer system, but it begins to clog the works with its long hair, and ends up in a culvert. Left for dead, Gehara begins to revive, absorbing massive amounts of water beneath the streets of Tokyo’s fashionable Shibuya Ward, and it's long hair begins to grow… In the film, the monster attacks the city of Kanezawa.


Gehara tangles up Tokyo's usually reliable train system. ©NHK 2009

Higuchi and Miura have assembled an impressive cast for GEHARA: Ken Osawa (SAMURAI FICTION) as Newspaper Reporter Hideo Akihara, San Diego-born Mina Fujii as Momoko Akihara, Mitsuko Oka (VIRUS) as Tsuruko Akihara, Shiro Sano (GODZILLA 2000) as Professor Mikami, Tomorowo Taguchi (BULLET BALLET) as the Shrine Priest, Kanji Tsuda (GAMERA THE BRAVE) as Kubo the Fisherman, Hiroyuki Watanabe (ULTRAMAN GAIA) as JSDF Commander, Pierre Taki (ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET) as the Tank Commander and producer/commentator Terry Ito. While the film's score is credited to Akira Ifukube!

Will GEHARA: THE LONG-HAIRED GIANT MONSTER grow to become a fan favorite, or will it be cut to ribbons by critics?

• UPDATE 03/06/09: Watch the first eight minutes of GEHARA here! Then watch the last thee minutes (plus previews for the "next episode") here!

Link: NHK’s Official GEHARA Website
Link: Clip from NHK's 『テレ遊び　パフォー！』(Play TV: Perform!)