Today's acquisitions (30th May 2014)

After a series of disasterous mistakes by the courier kept diverting the shipment to the wrong town, I finally received my copy of Sengoku Basara Magazine issue 5 today!

It came at the same time as the Sengoku Basara 4 Dengeki Comic Anthology manga. Time to start reading...

Since I didn't get to read the magazine yesterday as hoped, I spent the time doodling on my old iPad instead and this was the outcome. It was supposed to be lighthearted but somehow anything involving Naotora seems to end up looking more serious than planned.

Thoughts about Dot Kareshi -We're 8bit Lovers!- I ~Densetsu No Otome~

After some annoying problems getting the game to actually run in the first place, I passed a few idle hours playing through the silly Dot Kareshi -We're 8bit Lovers!- I ~Densetsu No Otome~. It's a Japanese otome game from Rejet which came out last year for Windows PCs.

The premise of the 'Dot Kare' series is that you are a typical female gamer who has spent many hours playing a traditional console-style roleplaying game. Unfortunately, your careless treatment has turned your party members into twisted parodies of the usual RPG staples with major personality flaws.

One day, you find yourself trapped inside the game, where you have to complete a quest with your disgruntled (and rather flirtatious) party in order to find your way back to the real world.

Dot Kareshi's release format is unusual; it's a series of three drama CDs packed with individual visual novels. Each CD/game set includes four different characters - the party in this first volume is composed of Hero (Yuusha), Mage (Mahoutsukai), Priest (Souryo) and Thief. I'm going to use simple English renderings of their names for this mini-review instead of the literal Japanese titles to make it easier to understand. Outside of a single joke the guys don't have names of their own and are referred to exclusively by their job titles.

News roundup: The newest volume of Sengoku Basara Magazine is now on sale

Sengoku Basara Magazine issue 5 goes on sale in Japan

Sengoku Basara Magazine issue five is now out in Japan and the first rumours are spreading online about its content. I'll post a full review once my copy arrives but here's a summary of what I've heard so far, starting with the official information now the magazine's website has updated. First of all, there's a new cover illustration.

A novelisation of Sengoku Basara 4 is coming on 10th July 2014 priced at ¥680 titled Sengoku Basara 4: Ryuuou-Kamewari-hen ('Dragon King/Urn-Splitter Arc'). The plot is said to focus on Date Masamune and Shibata Katsuie and it will be packed with original stories. Takase Mie is handling writing duties and illustrations will be provided by the talented Haibara Yak.

The magazine's sixth issue will be dated 'Summer 2014' and feature Mouri Motonari on the cover, rubber strap and character profile. The main article will cover the Sengoku Basara: Judge End (Sengoku Basara -Judgement-) anime and there will be a photo report from the last stage play. The manga chapters will be Sumeragi's Mame Sengoku Basara 4 (Shucchouban), Yoshihara Motoki's Sengoku Basara 4: Bontenmaru-hen and Tane Jugou's Wan-Nyan Sengoku Basara. Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu) and Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari) will return for the Showgeki Basara Talk! Ieyasu & Mitsunari No Maki Vol. 2 bonus CD.

A rerelease for Sengoku Basara 4 will be coming in July?

A listing has appeared online at retailer Nojima which appears to announce a rerelease for Sengoku Basara 4. The new 'Sengoku Basara 4 Special Package' will come out on 24th July 2014 for ¥4,849 and include the game, all nine of the DLC costumes and a special video DVD. In addition, the game will have the option to unlock all characters right from the start (this feature is currently available separately as paid DLC).

Since this hasn't yet been formally announced there's no word on which videos the DVD will include. The pack is timed to match the month of the anime's release so Capcom must be hoping to attract some new fans.

More artwork revealed for the new Sengoku Basara Complete Box

Amazon has posted a small picture showing how the items inside the new Japanese Blu-ray box set will look when it's released this July. Very nice!

News roundup: The new Sengoku Basara anime may be arriving sooner than expected

Sengoku Basara: Judge End has been dated for July 2014

The new anime adaptation Sengoku Basara: Judge End (also known as Sengoku Basara -Judgement-) will apparently be airing sooner than I'd thought - the official website has now updated to confirm that the broadcast will begin this July!

There's not much more news to found on the site (they added a picture of the promotional mug that was available back in March). However, Mantanweb has posted a report from a press event held today in Japan. The four previously-announced seiyuu were present and as usual they all had some comments to make: Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune) confirmed that they've already recorded up to the second episode, Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura) is pleased that Yukimura is one of the main characters again, Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu) described it as having a tense - but fun - atmosphere and Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari) implied that the pacing of the anime will accommodate quite a few cliffhangers - like a shounen manga.

They don't have much time left to promote the new series so let's hope for lots of news soon! The details should be cleared up a little better next week once the newest Sengoku Basara Magazine has been released.

Edit 22/05/2014 22:15: Dengeki Online now has the event coverage online too and there are a few more tidbits. Among other things, the anime's subtitle 'Judge End' was explained; while the meaning of 'judge' is quite clear the 'end' is supposed to evoke the Japanese word shuen, which has a deeper feeling of finality to it than 'end' on its own. It all sounds rather dark, though the article is careful to point out that it might mean that something is resolved once and for all (rather than that a character is going to die).

Hoshi observed that anime-only viewers will see a different side of 'Basara' since the plot is based on Sengoku Basara 3 this time. Ookawa said that the story is based on Ieyasu being the one who defeated Hideyoshi this time and teased that people should look forward to what kind of 'Judge End' there will be at the conclusion.

Edit 23/05/2014 08:00: And now 4Gamer has posted even more details. KobaP explained that the anime's subtitle would be correctly rendered 'End of Judgment' in English; they made up the abbreviated phrase 'Judge End' as it's shorter and 'Sengoku Basara-like'. He also confirmed that a number of additional characters would be appearing in the anime (Nakai supported this in a later comment).

Hoshi said that there were still things even he didn't know about the story's conclusion and whether it would match the game or go with an anime-original ending, while Seki said the thirty-minute episodes would fly by in an instant with Sengoku Basara's trademark flashiness.

Edit 23/05/2014 23:30: I should have waited before reporting since Famitsu and Gamer have now added their coverage, and of course, both contain a little more information. All four of the leads are said to be facing up to their respective 'Judge Ends'. Also, KobaP wants to give this version of Ieyasu a more human side as seen in the recent Butai Sengoku Basara 3: Togakuruwashi Kizuna stage play which just ended its run.

Hoshi's longer responses in Famitsu's article were very cute, and the stories about the rough times they share during recording sessions are always fun (Ookawa: "It's tough to talk about this without mentioning the names of the other cast members!"). Nakai participated in voicing some of the background characters in crowd scenes this time, so that's something else to look out for.

Series director Yamamoto Makoto asked the seiyuu a question during the event: "Which warrior would you personally like to have as a subordinate, or form an alliance with?"

Nakai: "I might choose Sarutobi Sasuke. He's dependable, and someone with whom you could discuss your true thoughts without feeling tense."

Hoshi: "For me, it's Masamune! Wouldn't it be incredible for Masamune to actually be beneath someone else (*laughs*)? Strong and reliable; if things go well I might be able to achieve unification by saying "Subdue this land!" (*laughs*)."

Ookawa: "I don't want to form an alliance with Mitsunari. Being around that guy would probably cause trouble (*laugh*)! Rather than an alliance, I'd like to become friends with Keiji. He might take me to a few fun places."

Seki: "The one I want to have as a subordinate is Capcom's YamamotoD. Asking a question at a time like this! The one I'd want to ally with is KobaP; maybe he'd give me steady work for a while (*laugh*)."

They were then asked whether there were any roles they'd like to play other than their own characters.

Nakai: "If possible, a character who is less tiring and doesn't burn so many calories would be good (*laughs*). Someone like Oichi or Sasuke?"

Hoshi: "I'd like to gain Nakai-san's voice and play Masamune. Isn't it cool?"

(He then apparently performed an impromptu impersonation with an "Are you ready guys!?" which sounded quite a lot like Nakai's.)

Ookawa: "A character I definitely wouldn't usually play; so perhaps Saika Magoichi. She's cool and also powerful, in the games."

Seki: "I want to play Tsuruhime - with Nakai-san's voice."
Nakai: "You too!? (*laughs*) Why Tsuruhime?!"
Seki: "Um, because I want to humiliate Nakai-san's voice? (*laughs*)"

KobaP reportedly ended by saying that more information might be coming out around the 10th June. That's when the big monthly anime magazines go on sale so it would make sense for the next batch of announcements to appear then.

Please be advised that all of the reports have phrased things slightly differently and then this summary is my own interpretation of their words. No matter how the anime turns out, I feel excited already seeing how seriously the voice cast is taking it!

Chara-Forme figures are coming for Sengoku Basara

It looks as though Empty will be adding Chara-Forme figures of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari to its range in the future. I love the way that their Hoozuki figure looks so I'll definitely be snapping both of the Sengoku Basara models up when the time comes. There aren't many details yet aside from that snapshot of the concept artwork for Ieyasu, the artist details and the price (¥3,500).

Cover artwork revealed for the final volume of Sengoku Basara 3 Bloody Angel

Capcom's official store has been updated with the cover illustration for the eighth and final volume of Itou Ryuu's gloomy Sengoku Basara 3 Bloody Angel manga. It fits well with the rest of the books in the series.

DVD preorders open for Butai Sengoku Basara 3: Togakuruwashi Kizuna

As expected, the Dais shop has updated with the leftover merchandise from the recent stage play. The DVD can also be ordered at the same time; it will come in the usual ¥6,700 special edition (with photo booklet) and ¥6,200 standard edition formats. The DVDs will ship at the end of September 2014.

Fans who don't have the ability to order through Dais can expect preorders to appear in regular stores shortly too.

The 'Sengoku Basara boom' features in a Japanese book

A tourism-themed book titled Ikinari Miyagi: Miyagi-kenjin No Shiranai Miyagi-ken was recently released in Japan to highlight little-known facts and tips about the area. However, one of the features of this 'comic essay' book is a chapter on the 'Sengoku Basara Boom' drawing people to the Miyagi area. I'm almost tempted to pick it up to see what they say...

The book can be ordered from all good bookstores like Amazon Japan (Kindle link).

Dengeki posts updated sales figures for Sengoku Basara 4

Thanks to their top 100 list for games sold between 1st April 2013 and 30th March 2014, Dengeki have given us a glimpse into how Sengoku Basara 4 has been performing since its release on 23rd January. Ranking at a very respectable 40th place, the total sales are listed as 234,487 copies. I'm not sure exactly how the figure was calculated and it's important to note that download sales are not included in the totals. If we compare with the wildly varying first week sales figures (Dengeki's own chart reported 167,089 copies at the time), it seems that the game has continued to sell gradually. It's such a shame that download copies aren't counted too to give a better picture of how well each title is doing.

Today's acquisitions (20th May 2014)

Just one delivery today, though it contained something I had been quite anxious about: my 'Chouzou Kakumei (Super Figure Revolution) Special Version Jonathan & Dio' figure from Medicos. It was a special gift sent to fans who purchased all nine volumes of the recent JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime adaptation and posted in their proof of purchase tokens before the tight deadline.

It was a nerve-wracking process since I only had a few days between receiving the final volume by international post and sending the application form back to Japan. Anyway, the figure arrived safely in the end so my long-suffering partner took some photographs to commemorate the moment.

I then threw away the box in triumph, instantly devaluing my figure forever.

The photographer seemed fond of Dio, though he wasn't sure why he's posed as though he's JoJo's stand.

Manga review: Gakuen Basara: Gakuen Sousei-hen (Gakuen Basara 7)

The 164-page Sengoku Basara 4 Official Anthology Comic Gakuen Basara: Gakuen Sousei-hen would have been Gakuen Basara 7 if the original numerical order had been retained. Instead of the usual volume number, the creators chose a title this time to give the long-running spin-off series a fresh start.

There's a stronger sense of the overarching storyline in this volume rather than focusing on a single theme. At the same time, some older, less popular characters like the regional warlords are pushed into the background in order to make room for the seven newcomers from Sengoku Basara 4.

Gakuen Sousei-hen was released back on 27th March 2014 priced at ¥980 before tax. The book can be purchased from all good import bookstores such as Yesasia, Amazon Japan (also available on Kindle) and CD Japan.

Nari has drawn another beautiful wraparound cover illustration showing all of the new characters scrambling for attention next to old favourites. Inside there's a textless version as well as colour artwork by regular contributors Kyuugou and ENU. Kyuugou's shows Sakon chasing after Mitsunari with Katsuie sadly watching the Azai couple in the background, while ENU's depicts the ladies of the series together in a cookery class.

The following chapter-by-chapter descriptions contain mild spoilers but I'll try not to give away any endings or jokes.

Gakuen Jihen Ha Totsuzen Ni (Sudden Campus Incident)
Sanorin
There's a major shift in the balance of power when school chairman Oda Nobunaga gambles with Ashikaga Yoshiteru - and loses. After being forced to hand the school over to the eccentric man known for ruling the underworld as its 'Emperor', Nobunaga vanishes in search of Nouhime and Ranmaru. Yoshiteru wastes no time in introducing himself to the student body with a inspirational speech, triggering the usual frenzied battles and character introductions.

News roundup: A new stage play is on the way - Butai Sengoku Basara 4!

The next Butai Sengoku Basara stage play has been officially announced

Today was the final performance of the current stage play, Butai Sengoku Basara 3: Togakuruwashi Kizuna. As part of the grand finale, the assembled fans were treated to the long-awaited announcement of a stage adaptation for the Sengoku Basara 4 story!

Title: Butai Sengoku Basara 4
Dates: From late October to early December 2014
Venues: Tokyo Dome City Hall (Tokyo), Canal City Theatre (Fukuoka), Morinomiya Piloti Hall (Osaka), Chuunichi Theatre (Nagoya)
Cast: To be announced at a later date

Early bird tickets will go on sale on 31st July 2014, with general sales to follow from 13th September.

I can't wait to see the new cast members!

In the meantime, overseas fans waiting for the opportunity to order merchandise from Butai Sengoku Basara 3: Togakuruwashi Kizuna should keep an eye on the new category that has been added to the Dais Shop website. The preorder for the DVD version should appear very soon alongside any unsold goods from the theatres.

New Gakuen Basara merchandise is on the way

A wave of brand new Gakuen Basara goods is due to arrive in Animate stores in late July 2014. Foreign buyers will probably have to use a proxy buying service if they want to get their hands on these items since no general release has been announced. The artwork is a mixture of character portraits and colour illustrations taken directly from the Gakuen Basara books.

A range of sixteen randomly-packed clear files for ¥200 each (¥3,200 for a box):

A range of collectible stickers for ¥400 each (¥6,400 for a box):

Acrylic key holders for ¥600 each:

Two different sets of IC card stickers for ¥800 per set:

A set of collectible Sengoku Basara 4 rubber mascots will be released this summer

The Sengoku Basara 4 Rubber Mascot Collection will receive a general release in late July 2014, priced at ¥5,400 before discounts. A box of ten mascots can be purchased at all good collectible stores such as AmiAmi, CD Japan and Otaku Republic.

Today's acquisitions (12th May 2014)

Yesterday was another day of deliveries. At the top of the picture are the second and third volumes of Dot Kareshi -We're 8bit Lovers!- and an overpriced copy of Black Wolves Saga -Bloody Nightmare-. I'm making up for lost time and playing all of the PC games I've missed over the last few years. The sole audio CD is Tadaima by Kurahashi Yoeko. A small pile of doujinshi from the recent Super Comic City event arrived too and was omitted from the picture.

I couldn't afford to buy all five mainstream anime magazines which contain Sengoku Basara: Judge End content this month so I settled for the June issue of Otomedia. Sengoku Basara: Judge End received a two-page spread to highlight last week's news. I'm not going to make a habit of publishing content from inside magazines but here's a terrible phone snapshot as a sample.

Most of the information was the same as on the official website aside from a very short Q&A with Itou Kouhei, one of Telecom Animation Film's producers and the same person who left a comment in last month's PASH! magazine.

Q. What's the appeal of this anime project?
A. I think that this is an anime which interprets the Sengoku Basara 3 source material from a new perspective. The story incorporates a large number of original elements.

Q. Other than the four characters that have already been revealed, please tell us whether the 'key characters' who featured in the original game will remain.
A. Date Masamune, Sanada Yukimura, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Ishida Mitsunari; while it was inevitable that these four would appear, the unique individuals who stand firmly by their sides all have roles to play too. I think of all of them as having become 'key characters'. One of the attractions is seeing how they'll feature, and in which scenes.

Q. What will you do about fans who already have their own impressions of Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura?
A. That's a tough question... But I think that even these guys (Masamune and Yukimura) must have sides to them we don't know about. There could be some completely unexpected, unbelievable surprises. While it's unfortunate that I can't say any more about this, I think that we've taken care to look after the mental image that everyone has of each character.

Apologies for my shabby late night translation. Hmm, Itou-san always makes a point of listing Mitsunari last and the key artwork seems to set him aside from the other three as well. I'm really feeling as though he'll be positioned as the main 'villain' this time for most of the show. It's interesting that the female-orientated Otomedia coverage really isn't hiding its bias towards Masamune and Yukimura.

Finally, the second volume of the Basara Club newsletter arrived this morning too for a double-dose of Sengoku Basara excitement! It revealed that there's going to be more club-exclusive merchandise very soon to hurt my wallet. Since everyone loves rankings, here are some of the fan club's favourite things...

Best Sengoku Basara 4 alternate costumes (excluding DLC):

1. Ishida Mitsunari
2. Date Masamune
3. Mouri Motonari (all of the reasons people gave were full of mirth)

Most tear-jerking Sengoku Basara 4 scenes:

1. Shibata Katsuie's anime route ending
2. Shima Sakon's anime route ending
3. Takenaka Hanbee's drama route ending (it says 'anime route' but it has to be a typo)

DVD review: Butai Sengoku Basara 3 Utage II - Kyouou Tanjou x Shinen No Utage

It's been a while since I watched the last Butai Sengoku Basara stage play.

A lot has changed for this instalment of the Butai Sengoku Basara series. It's the first time that the play has been split into two different parts instead of telling a continuous story and there's also been a major change in the lineup. This is the first time that the series has had anyone other than Kubota Yuuki in the role of Date Masamune, and the first time since 2009 that anyone other than Hosogai Kei has played Sanada Yukimura. Kubota and Hosogai have earned a great deal of respect for their performances over the years and taking over from such perfectly cast actors must have been daunting. For some reason Hanbee was recast as well though as he's only appeared in the series once before this isn't as big a shock.

Butai Sengoku Basara 3 Utage II - Kyouou Tanjou x Shinen No Utage ('Birth Of The Dark King x Feast Of The Abyss') originally ran for 21 performances between 1st November 2013 and 24th November 2013 in Tokyo (Tokyo Dome City Hall), Nagoya (Chuunichi Theatre) and Osaka (Mielparque Osaka). The usual 'live viewing' events were held in 26 cinemas across Japan for those who hadn't been able to make it to one of the theatre performances.

The DVD release was released at the end of March 2014 as a ¥6,500 first press limited edition and a ¥6,000 regular edition; for once the limited edition is still available at the time I'm writing this review. Overseas fans who cannot use the official Dais shop can pick up their copy at Amazon Japan (limited edition) or Yesasia (limited edition). The limited edition is the version I bought and it comes with a slim photo book as well as a 60-minute bonus disc and the usual chipboard slipcase to hold the DVD case. The main show runs for a total of 172 minutes.

Since I couldn't find a picture of the limited edition slipcase, here's a photograph of mine:

The full cast list for this play is as follows.

News roundup: A little news and a lot of Sengoku Basara: Judge End speculation

Today's roundup is a few very short updates and then a lot of overexcited speculation about the new anime adaptation.

Artwork revealed for the new Sengoku Basara Complete Box packaging

One of the exclusive bonus features of the upcoming Blu-ray box set is a three-sided artbox illustrated by Ookubo Tooru (the anime's character designer). The preview pictures have now been released and it's rather attractive.

This rerelease is also being promoted with limited cinema screenings in Japan for fans who want to watch Sengoku Basara -The Last Party- on the big screen one last time.

Pianists can now learn to play music from Sengoku Basara and other Capcom games

Yasashii Piano Solo: Capcom Game Collection ~30th Anniversary~ is a 72-page book that will be released in Japan on 30th May 2014 for ¥2,000. It's a collection of music from classic Capcom games arranged as gentle piano solo pieces. The tracks that were chosen to represent Sengoku Basara were the series' self-titled theme song and Under Pressure.

Stage actress and singer AKIRA will be performing the new Kuroshitsuji ending song

While this has nothing to do with Sengoku Basara directly, I want to note that the upcoming Kuroshitsuji: Book Of Circus (Black Butler: Book Of Circus) anime is going to have an ending theme performed by AKIRA of DISACODE. Fans of the Butai Sengoku Basara series might recognise AKIRA as the actress behind the beautiful stage play version of Uesugi Kenshin.

She's great in her role as Kenshin; I'm pleased to see her career going so well!

Sengoku Basara: Judge End is now also known as Sengoku Basara -Judgement-

Thanks to NTV's English-language website we now know that Sengoku Basara: Judge End is planned as a 12-episode television series. It also has a new official English title: Sengoku Basara -Judgement-. This slight change will be quite confusing, especially since the abbreviated name used in Japan is still Sengoku Basara JE. I'll try to remember to be consistent about how I refer to the show in future.

I thought it might be fun to speculate about the content of the new anime and clear up some questions people have been asking at the same time. Here's an impromptu one-person Sengoku Basara: Judge End Q&A session...

Thoughts about Jooubachi No Oubou: Kaguya-hen

This post refers back to my previous mini-review of the first title in the 'bee game' series, Jooubachi No Oubou: Menou-hen. There will be spoilers for both games as well as remarks about the games' adult content. Please don't read any further if you're uncomfortable with that.

Jooubachi No Oubou: Kaguya-hen is the second half of the Jooubachi No Oubou story. While Menou was raised in her hive as a princess, her sister Kaguya was cast out and left for dead by those she trusted most. This is the story of Kaguya's struggle to reclaim her birthright no matter how many setbacks she has to face along the way.

First and foremost, I should warn that the game is full of adult content and a considerable number of distressing situations. Sensitive gamers are advised to avoid the series entirely; Kaguya's game is noticeably worse than Menou's and there's a great deal of gore on top of the usual abusive undertones. I can't even begin to list the unpleasant themes which crop up this time around. The official website has demos and sample artwork to give gamers an idea of what to expect.

Rumour: Creative staff revealed for upcoming Sengoku Basara: Judge End anime

I haven't been able to personally verify this but I think the latest Sengoku Basara: Judge End rumours coming out of Japan are worth mentioning. According to an anonymous poster on 2ch, the staff list for the upcoming anime is going to be as follows:

Director: Sano Takashi
Series composition: Takahashi Natsuko
Character design: Chiba Michinori
Lead animation director: Tokuda Yumenosuke/Kobayashi Toshimitsu
Art director: Jinba Daisuke
Colour design: Ootsuka Masumi
Animation production: Telecom Animation Film

Telecom had already been officially confirmed as the production studio and the rest of the list is certainly plausible.

Since I've seen a few people voicing concerns about the voice actors, I want to confirm that initial seiyuu cast is on the official website and unchanged from the original announcement:

Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune)
Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura)
Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu)
Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari)

There's still no date confirmed for the anime's debut other than '2014'. The story will be based on the Battle of Sekigahara from Sengoku Basara 3.

The next official media coverage will be on 10th May 2014 when the June issues of Monthly PASH! and Otomedia magazines hit store shelves in Japan. I'm not sure which of the two is the source of the rumoured staff list, but either way we should have conformation this weekend.

Edit 08/05/2014: This has all now been confirmed via an update to the anime's official website. In addition to the new key visual, character designs and confirmations, the site reveals that Sengoku Basara: Judge End's sound direction will be handled by Iwanami Yoshikazu. The newly-released character profiles show that this is going to be a much more faithful retelling of the Sengoku Basara 3 story than The Last Party was, with references to Masamune's defeat at Odawara, Shingen's illness and Mitsunari's seething hatred for Ieyasu.

Today's acquisitions (3rd May 2014)

It's been a few weeks since I did one of these so here's what came in the post over the last few days. My wallet is already hurting from the effects of this weekend's Super Comic City event in Japan, too...

At the top of the first picture are the most recent issues of Monthly PASH! and Dengeki Girl's Style magazines, purchased because there was supposed to be a little coverage for Sengoku Basara: Judge End in each. Thankfully I wasn't expecting any actual news - the series only received a tiny space in each magazine. The coverage in PASH! was most interesting as it included a special message from 'animation producer' Itou Kouhei; he's been attached to Telecom Animation Film before and it's implied that he'll be working on the series. His comment went as follows:

"A highlight of the upcoming Sengoku Basara: Judge End will be that the anime combines new elements with the intense drama from the original game. There's Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura, with the score they both want to settle, and then there's Tokugawa Ieyasu - who seeks to unify the country with the power of bonds - and Ishida Mitsunari, who has sworn to get revenge on Ieyasu. The feelings of these four men will cause many more warriors to become involved as they head towards Sekigahara. What kind of outcome will this magnificent drama hold? Since this is a series which both fans and first-time viewers can enjoy, please check it out."

Now that I have the magazines in my hand the anime feels closer than ever. It looks as though this month's anime magazines are going to be confirming more details properly - hurrah!

Dengeki Girls' Style came with a bonus smartphone pouch featuring Okita from Hakuouki. I'm not sure what I'll do with the garish blue/pink pouch even if he's my favourite character from the series...

The other six items are all US Blu-ray/DVD imports from Amazon USA. The package contained Lupin III: Bye Bye Lady Liberty, Magical Angel Creamy Mami part 1, Jormungand, AKB0048 Next Stage, Berserk: Golden Age Arc III - The Advent and the second half of Eureka Seven: AO. A nicely diverse selection of titles to keep me entertained on this bank holiday weekend.

The next picture shows the smaller items. Now that I've got a solution set up for light PC gaming it seemed sensible to pick up the first Dot Kareshi (We're 8-bit Lovers!) CD/game pack. It's becoming a little annoying to find these days, which could mean that it's heading out of print for the time being. It's been a while since I played a game which didn't involve death and sadness so it might provide a pleasant change of pace.

Joining it is the first of the new Diabolik Lovers 'Versus' CDs featuring Ayato and Laito. The content had been spoiled quite heavily for me by fan discussion before it arrived, but it was still worth every penny for over an hour of vampires and dummy head microphone recording. It came with a bromide of the two brothers and a randomly packed trading card of Subaru. Why do I keep getting Subaru goodies lately?

The last item is a freebie for ordering the two magazines above from Yesasia - a 'frosty candy mascot' strap featuring Ai from Uta No Prince-sama.