Anime News 17th June 2013

Day 2,037, 02:59 • Published in Japan Japan • by Aister Pendragon


In this issue:

1. Square Enix Promotes "Final Fantasy" Concert Blu-ray with a Bunch of Samples
2. "Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 2" Previews Its Features
3. Square Enix: If "Final Fantasy X HD" Succeeds, We Might See More Remasters
4. "Noragami" to be Adapted into TV Anime Series
5. "Youkai Watch" TV Anime to Kick Off in January
6. "The Witch and the Hundred Knights" Game Gets a New Promo

Square Enix Promotes "Final Fantasy" Concert Blu-ray with a Bunch of Samples

Distant worlds: Music from Final Fantasy: The Celebration is about to hit Blu-ray in Japan, and Square Enix has plenty of samples to share with fans of the classic soundtracks. The concert the footage is from took place in Tokyo on December 31, 2012, and you'll find plenty of familiar tunes to soak in, including Final Fantasy IV's "Theme of Love, " Final Fantasy X's "To Zanarkand," the main theme from Final Fantasy V, and more.

The Blu-ray arrives on June 26 for ¥6,500, and you can hear more samples on the official website and Square Enix's YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_7HtFlAQsgU#at=16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M-KLYjkmSSo

Here's the full tracklist:

1. Prelude
2. Final Fantasy I-III Melody
3. Battle with the Four Fiends (FFIV)
4. Final Fantasy V Main Theme
5. Phantom Forest (FFVI)
6. One Winged Angel (FFVII)
7. Don’t be Afraid (FFVIII)
8. Not Alone (FFI😵
9. To Zanarkand (FF😵
10. Chocobo Melody 2012
11. Procession of Heroes～Vana’diel March Medley (FFXI)
12. The Dalmasca Eastersand (FFXII)
13. Blinded by Light (FFXIII)
14. Answers (FFXIV)
15. Theme of Love (FFIV)
16. Eyes on Me (FFVIII)
17. Opera (FFVI)
18. Battle & Victory Theme Melody
19. Final Fantasy (series medley)

CrunchyRoll



"Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 2" Previews Its Features

We mentioned some of the new features in our post about Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode 2's release date, and now you can see some of them in action thanks to a new promotional movie.

Fresh additions to the expansion include the new Dumans race, the Bravers class, the planet Vopal, and the Katana and Bullet Bow weapon categories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P7vIuE9tYJM

While it's nice to get a look at what Episode 2 brings to the table, it's still a bummer that we haven't heard much about the sequel's arrival outside of Japan.

CrunchyRoll



Square Enix: If "Final Fantasy X HD" Succeeds, We Might See More Remasters

The folks at RPG Site recently posted an interview with Square Enix's Yoshinori Kitase about the upcoming HD remasters of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. It's an interesting look behind the decisions to reintroduce these PlayStation 2 RPGs to the world, and according to Kitase, we might see more if these do well enough.

When asked about the likelihood of more HD remasters, he said, "We'll have to wait and see if these remasters are going to be successful, first … If they do well, I think this will pave the way for more of the previous games to [be] remade in an HD sort of quality."



That sounds like a no-brainer, but it's pretty interesting to learn which Final Fantasy has a shot at being next in line.



"I mean, if we had to single out one of the vast number of Final Fantasy titles which we could make in HD, it would have to be Final Fantasy XII."

While he wasn't involved in XII, he'd like to see it all the same. Like most fans, however, it seems he's open to the idea of sprucing up pretty much any of the previous games. "What I can say though is that I hope the remastering of X and X-2 will trigger similar projects for more of the past games."

CrunchyRoll



"Noragami" to be Adapted into TV Anime Series

Volume seven of Toka Adachi's Noragami has announced that the Gekkan Shounen Magazine series will be adapted into a TV anime. The 2010 manga follows the relationship between a minor deity, hoping to one day attract a shrine and followers, and a bullied girl.

The author's earlier Alive: The Final Evolution was released in North America by Del Rey.

CrunchyRoll



"Youkai Watch" TV Anime to Kick Off in January

Youkai Watch is Level-5's next bet on a media-spanning franchise a la Inazuma Eleven, and the next stage of its domination of Japan has been scheduled, with the TV anime set to kick off in January, 2014.

The RPG which serves as the centerpiece of it all arrives on Nintendo 3DS in Japan on July 11, and a manga series launches in Shogakukan's Ciao shoujo magazine this December. The core of the story centers on a boy who wears a watch that allows him to see spirits, find out where they're hiding, and interact with them.



Some gameplay trailers for the 3DS game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgl-3aFREVI&feature=player_embedded

CrunchyRoll



"The Witch and the Hundred Knights" Game Gets a New Promo

NIS is getting ready to release overhead action-RPG The Witch and the Hundred Knights on PlayStation 3 in Japan on July 25, so a new promo has arrived to show off more of the cast and gameplay. NIS America will be bringing it to the west at some point, but for now we'll have to be content with the four minutes of footage below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I2SCNf-45LQ

The Witch and the Hundred Knights centers on Metallica, a marsh witch engaged in a war of supremacy with another witch, and things only heat up as Walpurgis Night approaches. Hoping to get an edge, Metallica runs into the legendary hundred knights and uses her magic to summon them into battle.

CrunchyRoll