Appliya Inc. has announced the availability of the first in a series of Evangelion applications in the iTunes app store!

Here’s a link to the Evangelion Clock app on iTunes, and here’s the link for the Evangelion Picture Stamp app

You can also learn more about Appliya’s Evangelion app series at: http://appliya-inc.com/en/special/evangelion/

“The Evangelion Clock makes checking the time an exciting event! This app is designed to fit the unique style of the NERV headquarters timer screens that monitored the remaining battery life of the Evangelion mecha. The app includes graphics that are faithful to the movie, optional sound effects, and there’s also an exciting timer mode that switches to “emergency” red countdown stage with ten seconds left.”

“Integrate the Evangelion anime movies into your photos with Appliya’s new Evangelion Picture Stamp application. Find out what your classmate might look like with Rei’s signature blue hairstyle, or add NERV military vehicles over that picture of an aircraft carrier you just took. The Picture Stamp app allows you to make any picture more interesting with the inclusion of vehicles, character elements, and mecha from the highly popular anime movie, Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone. ”

Technorati Tags: anime, Evangelion, appliya, iPhone, iPod Touch

Popularity: 15% [?]

I’ve been keeping some exciting Evangelion-related news from you guys. I’ve been doing some work with Appliya Inc., a Japanese iPhone developer, and the first good news can now be announced. Evangelion apps coming to the iPhone!

We put out a press release yesterday, but the real juicy part is the special promotional page we put up on the Appliya site at : http://appliya-inc.com/en/special/evangelion/

Splash screen from an Appliya Evangelion application…more to come!

Some stuff from the press release:

Tokyo-based Appliya Inc., a leading publisher of Japanese mobile applications, has obtained a license to provide anime fans with the world’s first iPhone and iPod Touch applications based on the highly popular Rebuild of Evangelion films produced by Khara Inc. The apps will be the result of a joint production effort between Appliya and Japanese game publisher BROCCOLI Co., Ltd. Their first Evangelion-related products are planned for submission to Apple in February 2009.

Appliya’s initial offerings for Evangelion will be “casual” apps that utilize the visual style, characters, and storyline from the Rebuild of Evangelion movies. These applications will take advantage of the innovative touch screen on the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as the device’s camera, calendar functions, and clock.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to release! If you’d like to know more about the upcoming apps, just add a comment to this post with your email address and I’ll get back to you.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Japanese iPhone developer Appliya Inc. has just released a Katana app on the iTunes app store. It’s kind of cool. It’s normally priced at $2.99, but you can grab it for $1.99 until the end of February. Below is a vid of the app in action.

You pull the sword by dragging the scabbard on the touch screen, and as you swing your iPhone/iPod Touch, you’ll hear sword-fighting sounds.When you put the blade back in its scabbard it makes sounds like enemies falling to the ground. Users can experiment with different swinging movements for various sound effects, and also simulate real samurai sword techniques from iaido—the traditional Japanese sword-fighting art.

You can buy it using this link to the iTunes store or visit the Appliya site for more information and other apps

Technorati Tags: Appliya, katana, samurai, iPhone

Popularity: 9% [?]

Due to a technical error, the comments script for the giveaway was busted. It’s fixed now. Sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll be extending the contest until Wednesday to make up for it.

The Naruto Shippuden Giveaway post is still up!

Popularity: 7% [?]

As promised in my first post about the contest here, here’s the latest episode of Naruto Shippuden from VIZ, directly from Hulu.com. If you can’t see the video below, you’re probably in a country that Viz doesn’t license to, and are unfortunately ineligible. For everyone else, leave your reviews in the comments section, and good luck! If you have no idea what’s going on, read below for the contest details.

Listen up, all you Naruto fans. Want some free Naruto swag? Over the next few days I’ll be holding a contest to promote Viz’s efforts to bring you free streaming episodes of Naruto Shippuden on Naruto.com. For the first time ever for U.S, audiences, subtitled versions of all of the past Naruto Shippuden episodes are streaming on Naruto.com. Additionally, the latest subtitled episodes are being posted on the site every Thursday for U.S. audiences - just one week after they premiere in Japan. All of these episodes are available on Naruto.com, and there is absolutely no cost to watch.

To help remind you all of how AWESOME this is, myself and the generous folks at Fanscape will be having a little contest.

Since I’m a big fan of Twitter and short, funny text messages, we’re gonna have a mini-review contest. Here’s the lowdown:

• This Thursday, January 29th 2009, I’ll post the newest episode of Naruto Shippuden on this site in a blog post.
• You, the fan, will post a mini-review of this episode in the comments of that post, using 140 characters or less! (Twitter-style). The more creative, the better, and don’t forget to include your email address in the comment form, and a Twitter account in your comment if you have one.
• On Monday, February 2nd, 2009, I’ll announce the reviews that I liked the most, and send the winners an email with details on how to claim your prize from VIZ.

Simple, right?

So here’s the totally sweet prizes:

Konoha Hoodie ($49.00 value)

Akamaru plush small messenger bag ($36.99)

Gaara’s gourd bag ($36.99 value)

Orange specialty bag ($36.99 value)

And there’s Naruto DVD set available too! (value TBD). Prizes will be given at my discretion (I’ll be fair, I promise). This is a sweet deal, for just a little bit of work, so get your short and sweet ideas ready and comment on this post below!

Technorati Tags: anime, Naruto, Fanscape, giveaway

Popularity: 13% [?]

Update: The contest has started! Click here for the official contest page

Listen up, all you Naruto fans. Want some free Naruto swag? Over the next few days I’ll be holding a contest to promote Viz’s efforts to bring you free streaming episodes of Naruto Shippuden on Naruto.com. For the first time ever for U.S, audiences, subtitled versions of all of the past Naruto Shippuden episodes are streaming on Naruto.com. Additionally, the latest subtitled episodes are being posted on the site every Thursday for U.S. audiences - just one week after they premiere in Japan. All of these episodes are available on Naruto.com, and there is absolutely no cost to watch.

To help remind you all of how AWESOME this is, myself and the generous folks at Fanscape will be having a little contest.

Since I’m a big fan of Twitter and short, funny text messages, we’re gonna have a mini-review contest. Here’s the lowdown:

• This Thursday, January 29th 2009, I’ll post the newest episode of Naruto Shippuden on this site in a blog post.
• You, the fan, will post a mini-review of this episode in the comments of that post, using 140 characters or less! (Twitter-style). The more creative, the better, and don’t forget to include your email address in the comment form, and a Twitter account in your comment if you have one.
• On Monday, February 2nd, 2009, I’ll announce the reviews that I liked the most, and send the winners an email with details on how to claim your prize from VIZ.

Simple, right?

So here’s the totally sweet prizes:

Konoha Hoodie ($49.00 value)

Akamaru plush small messenger bag ($36.99)

Gaara’s gourd bag ($36.99 value)

Orange specialty bag ($36.99 value)

And there’s Naruto DVD set available too! (value TBD). Prizes will be given at my discretion (I’ll be fair, I promise). This is a sweet deal, for just a little bit of work, so get your short and sweet ideas ready for Thursday!

Technorati Tags: anime, Naruto, Fanscape, giveaway

Popularity: 11% [?]

IGN games did a video review for the new PS3 Afro Samurai game. Their review isn’t that favorable, but looking at some of the gameplay, and the clips of Ninja Ninja’s hilarious dialogue, I think it might be worth a play through.

Here’s a great sample of Samuel L. Jackson as Ninja Ninja in the game.

Technorati Tags: anime, afro samurai, IGN, PS3

Popularity: 10% [?]

D.F. Smith over at IGN reported this interesting tidbit about FUNimation, Fullmetal Alchemist, and the upcoming convention season

Funimation, word has it, will be announcing something Fullmetal Alchemist-related when the convention season kicks off next month. They might have picked up the FMA “Premium Collection” OVAs – an array of cute action and super-deformed comedy shorts – or maybe they’re calling early dibs on the new TV series, which hits the airwaves in Japan this April. Or maybe it’s all of the above. We’ll find out in a week or two.

Mmmm, interesting. Obviously, anything that they snatch up will sell well, but wouldn’t it be amazingly awesome if they were able to pull off something like what Viz did with Naruto and announce streamed episodes within a week of their airing in Japan?

I know, I know. I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.

Read more anime stuff at the second installment of D.F. Smith’s “Ittemiyo” column at IGN DVD

Technorati Tags: anime, Fullmetal Alchemist, FUNimation

Popularity: 6% [?]

Anyone who needed confirmation that Naruto is still selling as strong as ever need look no further than the latest data for 2008. ICv2 reports that the Nielsen BookScan data for 2008 shows Naruto clearly dominated the manga sales last year.

ICv2 says:

Naruto was the top manga, with nine volumes in the top 20, led by volume 28, the first in the Shippuden series, at #2 over-all. Six of the top ten graphic novels of the year were Naruto volumes. Even volume 1 appeared in the list, a great sign that new readers are still joining the ranks of Naruto readers.

The spikey haired kid still has the goods. Which brings to mind another, long-running, shonen series that featured super-powered blonde characters. Could Naruto have as much of a lifespan as the DragonBall franchise?

Technorati Tags: manga, Naruto, Top Manga of 2008

Popularity: 7% [?]

UPDATE: Anime News Network confirmed the story with Imagi, but President Erin Corbett of IMAGI Studios U.S. told ANN that her company plans to resume production next week with new funding.

The sad news on the internet today is that Imagi Studios is out of cash, and shutting down temporarily. What this means for the upcoming Astro Boy and Gatchaman films is unknown, but it’s not looking good.

We’ve heard from one of Imagi’s Los Angeles animators that he was called at home on Saturday, Jan. 24, and told that the studio was out of cash, and that he should not report to work on Monday.

Reports of Imagi’s financial problems have been swirling around for a while, but this is a really bad sign. Hopefully the guys get back on their feet.

Anime News Network updates with info from Imagi’s President

Read more at the Animation Guild Blog

Technorati Tags: anime, Imagi, Astro Boy

Popularity: 5% [?]