News roundup: Aniplex USA licenses lots of things I want

It looks as though I'm going to be buying the TYPE-MOON Fes. -10th Anniversary Event- Blu-Ray set in the near future, since it's been announced that another episode of Carnival Phantasm will be included. Honestly, they really know how to ride their popularity. Seki Tomokazu was involved so it will probably be worth a watch even if the geekier TYPE-MOON references fly over my head.

I read Anime News Network's summary of an interview with the Psycho-Pass staff too. It's loaded with flamebait, and bizarre assertions such as an anecdote about the staff rallying against the producers trying to force them to make the series appeal to female viewers. Who can believe that, after looking at the character designs - courtesy of the creator behind one of Shounen Jump's biggest fujoshi hits in recent memory?

Hey, Seki's in that too. Sadly I can't watch it because nobody's licensed it for streaming here and Funimation hates foreigners. Nevermind.

Media Blasters have continued to worry fans by announcing a bunch of delays, including a big one for Ai No Kusabi which has been moved from December to March next year. It was on the same order as Steins;Gate part 2 (which was pulled from Funimation's schedule for a while) and the Blu-Ray set for Heaven's Lost Property Forte (which has been bumped back to next summer). Everything on that particular order of mine seems to be having difficulties...

Finally, and related to corporate hatred of filthy foreigners like myself, Aniplex USA announced that they have licensed three of the best shows current airing for the US - Magi, Sword Art Online and Zetsuen No Tempest. I'm happy that they're coming out and this early announcement is helpful (and most likely, it means these three great shows will receive decent premium releases) but it's frustrating to know that I'm going to have to pay a substantial premium again to have them smuggled into the country, just because Aniplex thinks that making it slightly inconvenient will brainwash me into purchasing a terrible Manga UK edition in a few years. Grr.

This news roundup was very pessimistic!

I've spent the evening catching up on Kintama, K and Zetsuen No Tempest via their simulcasts; each of them had excellent second episodes (Kintama's was technically the 254th episode). K in particular has improved greatly since its confusing initial outing, and Kurou is making my moe senses tingle dangerously.