Metal Gear Solid Artist Opens Exhibit in France

Metal Gear and Zone of Enders character designer Yoji Shinkawa is bringing the art of Metal Gear Solid to France. The exhibit includes 10 pieces of art from the Metal Gear series of video games. The art at the exhibit is also for sale and each piece will fetch about 350 euros (~$482). The first twelve buyers will receive a signed copy of their Certificate of Authenticity by Hideo Kojima and Shinkawa.

The Art

Ground Zeroes

Additional Shōnen Hollywood Cast Announced

Anime based on popular novel to premiere in July

The official website for the upcoming anime Shōnen Hollywood revealed the names of the additional cast on Wednesday:

• Daisuke Namikawa as President
• Souichiro Hoshi as Daichi Hirosawa
• Yuuto Suzuki as Kō Ōsaki
• Daisuke Sakaguchi as Jitsu Tomii

Crunchyroll Adds Blade and Soul Anime for Spring 2014

Anime based on the MMORPG premieres today

Crunchyroll announced on Thursday that it will stream the Blade & Soul anime series as it airs in Japan. The show will premiere for members at 9:00 p.m. PDT this Thursday, April 3, and air every Thursday at 12:46 p.m. PDT. The show will be available for free one week later. The stream will be available in the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, France, Latin America, Netherlands & Scandinavia, and Turkey.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Gets Limited Edition PS4

Square Enix announced during a livestream event on Wednesday during that Sony will begin taking reservations for a limited-edition Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn PlayStation 4 variant in early April. Square Enix will reveal the price and release date for the specially-designed console at a later time.

The pack will include both the PS4 and the PS4 version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and the PS4 itself will feature a laser-engraved Final Fantasy XIV logo on the HDD bay cover. The game's producer Naoki Yoshida previewed the console during the livestream.

A-1 Pictures Makes 100th Anniversary Anime for Tokyo Train Station

Animation studio A-1 Pictures is producing a special "Toki wa Meguru ~ TOKYO STATION" (Time Flows ~ Tokyo Station) anime to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Tokyo Station City train station. A 30-second promotional video is currently streaming and features the theme song "Toki wa Meguru" (Time Flows) by Yū Sakai (Nodame Cantabile: Finale). The full-length anime will premiere in the Spring.

Sentai Filmworks Adds One Week Friends

North American anime distributor Sentai Filmworks announced on Thursday that it has licensed the anime adaptation of Matcha Hazuki's Isshūkan Friends. (One Week Friends) manga. The show will stream in North America as it airs in Japan beginning on April 7.

Love Stage!!'s Limited Edition 5th Manga Volume to Include an OVA

Manga Oh publishing company now lists on its website that the 5th volume of Taishi Zaou and Eiki Eiki's of boys-love manga Love Stage!! will include an original video animation in the limited edition release, which will ship on November 22 with a special cover photo and box.

J.C. Staff opened the official Love Stage!! anime website in January to announce the television anime adaptation. Kenichi Kasai (Major, Bakuman., Nodame Cantabile) is directing the series at J.C. Staff. Michiko Yokote (XXXHOLiC, Squid Girl) is working on the series composition while Yoko Ito (key animator for Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, Turn A Gundam) is in charge of character design.

Bandai Rolls Out Capsule Figure Cans To Counter Tax Increase

Other companies plan for tax hike with Hello Kitty promotions.

Starting April 1, for the first time since 1997, Japanese consumers are facing a rise in the national sales tax, increasing from 5 percent to 8 percent. While many retailers are worried about the slump in business, some companies have been busy finding ways to counter drops in sales.

Bandai is planning on introducing new Gashapon machines designed to dispense higher value toys in larger, can-shaped packages. According to Bandai executive officer Keisuke Okada, "we want to overcome the headwind of the tax hike by selling valuable items [at higher prices]."

Extended Anime Ad for Shinra Bansho Choco Streamed

Shinra Bansho Choco chocolate wafers come with collectible cards

The official YouTube channel for Shinra Bansho Choco, Bandai's snack and collectible trading card series, began streaming a extended promotional video on Tuesday. The trailer advertises a new set of cards for the series, Shinra Bansho Choco: Tenchi Shinmei no Shou, which debuts on April 7 in Japan.

Owarimonogatari Final Novel's Promo Streamed

Japanese publisher Kodansha began streaming a promotional video for its upcoming third and final volume of NisiOisin's Owarimonogatari novels on Wednesday. The video features narration by protagonist Koyomi Araragi (voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya).