…And it’s SideM, which is probably going to make a few Million Live fans a little salty.

Still, from a business expansion point of view, it probably makes sense at this point – it’s not like they particularly struggle to fill large venues for any of the other iM@S properties at this point (heck, there’s a Million Live event at the Budokan in a months time), and there’s competitors in the market like Uta-Pri are still shifting units that show there is an audience there. There’s a market to exploit there with a fairly high ceiling which isn’t going to cannibalise the audience from things this particular franchise are already selling to people. To a degree, Million Live would just be preaching to the choir.

Anyway, more details will be released about it next month. I’ll give the show a fair shake regardless, but obviously the most interesting thing about it will be the staff. The original aniM@S and Cinderella Girls both pulled in a bunch of stellar talent, and it’d be nice to see something of the same level for this. For as much as most of my bubble don’t really pay that much attention to the Guy Idol anime (though I’ve heard from more than one person that the SideM live events are a blast), there’s a surprisingly high bar in terms of doing unusual or interesting things set by shows like Shounen Hollywood in that market. As much as some folks like to look down on things they see as fujoshi-bait, it’s not necessarily a market you can be lazy about.

Also, real curious as to if, or perhaps rather how, they’ll approach the whole Akizuki Ryo thing.

(Although I’ll insert the usual disclaimer here that I don’t really follow Million Live, so I was never personally going to get salty regarding anything what goes on with that…)

From episode 18 of Bubuki/Buranki (or the sixth episode of the second cour, Gentle Giants of the Galaxy, if you’d rather) – it’s that one at the far bottom-right of the structure there, though I guess you might have to squint a little to make it out above.

Anyway, I’ve already already written about this show this week, so little else more to say about it. I have actually managed to watch an entire five episodes of New Game, though! Go me!

From Episode 11 of Magical Girl Raising Project, during Tama’s Token Inspirational/Tragic Backstory Reveal segment. Rather uncharacteristically didn’t even notice this until I was scrubbing around for a screengrab yesterday, figuring I might use something from the scene immediately before this, but I figured the Nemurin shot was ultimately funnier given the significance of the scene versus how adorable it looks on the surface.

Anyway, I had my fill in regards to writing about the show in yesterdays post, so I’ve nothing more to say at this point.

Seven years of doing these end of year posts, and I have a shocking thing to reveal : I’ve now actually watched two entire episodes of Gundam Unicorn. This was partially down to motivation spurred on by the TV broadcast version (I watched an episode of it, and decided I’d rather just watch the original edits), and partially because I decided to not let myself watch Gundam Thunderbolt until I’d finished watching the thing.

Neither point particually stuck – as is obvious from the prior statements, I’ve not finished watching the rest of Unicorn yet, and I ended up breaking down and just watching Thunderbolt a week or so ago (and, man, Thunderbolt is good). Don’t take this as a statement on Unicorns quality mind you – I enjoyed what I’ve watched of it, I’ve just found it weirdly hard to fit into my viewing schedule, especially this last season.

On the other hand, mind you, I am totally up-to-date on The Origin!

Anyway, as per usual, here’s too many uninteresting words about cartoons from the last year that aren’t really worth reading. The usual caveats apply – spoilers ahoy, and these aren’t necesasrily the best shows of the year, or things I’d necessarily recommend watching yourself, more just stuff I somehow managed to summon Words about.
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This is actually the back cover from one of the Christmas cards I sent out this year, but since I’m feeling way too lazy to throw together anything new for this post (it’s been a busy month, I’m exhausted, it’s Christmas day and I’m over-stuffed from lunch, and I have a copy of Bakemonogatari waiting to be read), I figure I may as well re-use it here…

Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or perhaps just Happy Couple Of Days Off Work if you aren’t the sort that actually celebrates anything. I should probably update more next year – lack of updates here as of late has more been to lack of time than lack of desire, honestly. Plenty of stuff I’ve wanted to write about, little time in which to actually do it. No particular promises that this is going to change in the New Year, admittedly, but I can at least maybe try a little harder to make time for it!

(Though, really, you should all probably just go and read Sakugablog or something anyway)