Gwave game music brand, Studio Deen launch Cosmic Record with Taishi, QP:flapper

A preview for episode 2 of Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi, which will begin simulcasting on Crunchyroll this April 15, following this new series' debut this week. This TV anime adaptation is created by Studio Deen, based on a boys-love manga authored by (...)

The TV anime series Kore wa Zombie Desu ka is adapted by Studio Deen, based on a comedy ecchi harem light novel series authored by Shinichi Kimura, and illustrated by Kobuichi Muririn The story revolves around a lazy high school boy named Ayumu Aikawa who loses his life to a serial killer and is later resurected as a zombie by a necromancer girl named Yuu (Eucliwood Hellscythe) Ayumu then finds himself in a world of mahou shoujo where he is ordered by a magical girl warrior named Haruna to fight against the anti-mahou shoujo system "Megalo" (based on moetron synopsis)

The TV anime series Kore wa Zombie Desu ka is adapted by Studio Deen, based on a comedy ecchi harem light novel series authored by Shinichi Kimura, and illustrated by Kobuichi Muririn The story revolves around a lazy high school boy named Ayumu Aikawa who loses his life to a serial killer and is later resurected as a zombie by a necromancer girl named Yuu (Eucliwood Hellscythe) Ayumu then finds himself in a world of mahou shoujo where he is ordered by a magical girl warrior named Haruna to fight against the anti-mahou shoujo system "Megalo" (based on moetron synopsis)

Medium: TV Anime (24 episodes)
Genres: Fantasy, Action, Romance, Supernatural, Thriller
Adapted from: Fate/Stay Night (2004 game)
Director: Yuji Yamaguchi
Studio: Aniplex/Studio DEEN
Release Date: Jan. 6 – Jun. 16, 2006 (JP), Dec. 19, 2006 (Geneon/FUNimation – NA)
Rated: Not Rated

Ed. Note: Welcome to the first of our four "Anime Secret Santa Reviews." Our reviewers were given review requests as gifts from their Secret Santas, and are now unveiling their opinions of the shows they chose. For more information, check out our 2010 Anime Secret Santa introductory post.

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Fate/Stay Night tells the story of Shirō Emiya, sole surviving civilian of a local holocaust, ten years after said event. The man who rescues Shirō becomes his adoptive father and instills in him a sense of pacifist justice before passing away. Having taken this philosophy to heart, Shirō embodies self-sacrifice and lives as a doormat for his classmates' inconsiderate soles. He does not turn down any request and is always willing to sacrifice his own well being for the welfare of others. As a result, Shirō's philosophy is challenged one day after summoning the world's most capable warrior (Saber) via latent magical abilities in a knee-jerk response to a mortal threat. By doing so, Shirō inadvertently enters an exclusive tournament known as "The Holy Grail Wars," in which all participants – pairs comprised of masters (magi, or magic users) and servants (warriors) – must either kill or be killed until only one magus and his or her warrior remain.

While the overall presentation of said story is awash with harem elements, the main conflict of the story, pacifism in the midst of battle, is aptly personified via the assignment of Saber to Shirō. Furthermore, implications are deepened via the introduction of Shirō's inability, caused by his lack of study in magic, to make Saber properly materialize. Thus Emiya and Saber, respectively as magus and servant, portray two incomplete parts that leverage each other to form a whole in the hopes of competently fighting against multiple pairs of complementary wholes. This setup is rife for conflicts, and the execution does right by exploring the main theme of action vs. inaction. However, the weaving of romantic tension turns too many scenes into boring and (for the most part) inconsequential harem tropes.

That's not to say that romantic tension doesn't serve some purpose. Rather, the execution of its repeated influence only weakens the story. I'd maintain there are two instances of romantic tension aptly serving the story: that of Emiya's falling for Saber and Rin's unexplainable interest in Emiya. While the latter only serves as a reason why a fellow magus would not kill, and instead might even protect, a competitor, Emiya's falling for Saber further lends credence to why he constantly puts his life on the line for what he views as his responsibility. Really, there's an essay waiting to be written on Emiya and Saber, and that fact alone makes the anime a worthwhile watch, but other aspects deserved to be touched upon as well. Art in Fate/Stay Night is standard fare but of above average quality (budget). Really, its only fault would be the showcasing of CG alchemic circles, the animation of which seems a little too out of place. Fight scenes are well orchestrated and, for the most part, fully animated, and the overall ambience is set rather perfectly. Deep hues of night, the only time during which combat is permitted, are foreboding and bloodthirsty, while days offer a palate more complimentary to the harem walls and the associated tension break. Character designs are also quite Romantic, especially concerning the servants' attire/armor.

Writing is a tad overly dramatic, except, surprisingly, for the harem aspects. Instead, I found myself actually liking how statements by the majority of the female characters never (or rarely) said anything directly. In retrospect, I also greatly enjoyed the underlying and understated theme of regret that manifests not only within the warriors throughout the series but which also resonates as the drive behind the warriors – each a mythical figure of ancient origin.

If you have time to kill, there are far worse anime to help you pull the trigger. It's pretty, the pacing of the main plot is quick, and general subtext is nothing that requires much thought. There is even decent potential as fodder for analysis, which is surprising given the series' origin as an “eroge” (erotic game). What I can only guess to be a successful anime translation (best to ask Elliot Page) manages to eliminate all hentai aspects, save the annoyingly omnipresent harem elements (beware the first half of the date episode!!!), and deliver an enjoyable watch akin to a more grown-up Zatch Bell.

[Recommended]

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This review is based on rental copies obtained via the reviewer's personal Netflix account.

59-year-old president of Studio DEEN Hiroshi Hasegawa is moving forward with his plans to self-finance an anime feature film that adapts folk stories from his birthplace, western Tottori Prefecture, and his late wife’s birthplace, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. The production is the fulfillment of a promise that Hasegawa made to his wife, Michiko, before she [...]

Hiroshi Hasegawa animates folklore from late wife's hometown

There was a time, around the middle of the last decade, when there were few people alive who could stack up against the radiant sexuality of Scarlett Johansson. Between Ghost World, Lost in Translation and Match Point, it seemed as if she would be the kind of husky-voiced siren who would be a silver screen staple for many moons to come. However, over the last five years or so, something shifted and Scarlett lost a significant amount of her luster. So much so, in fact, that she doesn’t even have a project to promote this holiday season which, oddly enough, didn’t proclude SNL‘s bookers from giving her a third chance to host the show. Sadly, as Michelle pointed out this morning, it didn’t exactly go over like hotcakes those awesome looking new pancake/sausage bites from Dunkin’ Donuts. Multiple sketches resulted in her falling back on her Bronx by way of New Jersey accent, and her performance in “Stars of Tomorrow” nearly derailed an excellent performance by Vanessa Bayer. The only good news is this: Now that she’s only two hosting gigs away from joining the illustrious Five Timers Club, we’re guessing that Lorne won’t give her another chance to host until she’s done something to earn it. But how did the rest of the cast fare? Follow along for our weekly look at who’s in and out of Lorne’s doghouse, Bwe.tv’s SNL Power Rankings. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE POWER RANKINGS: 11/13/10 (Host: Scarlett Johansson; Musical Guest: Arcade Fire) 1. Fred Armisen (41 points): Yes yes, it wasn’t necessarily the funniest week of Fred Armisen’s long and storied SNL career, but he did carry a bulk of the workload this evening. His Obama impression remains the comedic equivalent of an old man who refuses to trim his nose hairs — sure, he’s earned the right to do whatever he wants, but it would probably be better for all parties involved if they were judiciously trimmed — but you can’t help but love his character Mike, who’s constantly trying to impress his worldly knowledge of chandeliers, marble columns and now ceramic busts upon the television viewing public (not to mention showcase his lovely if thickly accented daughter). 2. Kristen Wiig (39 points): For the first time this season, I didn’t find myself wanting to stab my eyes out and plug my ears with industrial-strength cotton (that’s a thing, right?) when Wiig came on screen. Her Paula Deen sketch contained her most well-crafted celebrity impression since she debuted Suze Orman almost three years ago, and I remain impressed with Wiig’s dogged determination to never break character, even when she is under attack from Slurpees and bowls of spaghetti. 3. Bill Hader (29 points): Has there ever been anyone better in the history of the show at delivering the perfect facial expression at the right time? I’d be hard pressed to name one. Hader is a treasure and an integral part of the show’s backbone, someone who consistently delivers the funny every time he’s on screen. Whenever he decides to leave, it will be a sad day for us all. 4. (tie) Vanessa Bayer, Andy Samberg (27 points): As viewers, we’re all still getting to learn about the four new cast members that entered the fray on SNL this season. Now that we’re approximately 1/3 of the way through the season, it’s looking more and more like Vanessa Bayer will be the breakout star of the bunch. A few weeks back, Bayer’s Miley Cyrus killed, and this week, she took leading roles in two sketches — the aforementioned Millionaire Matchmaker and “Stars of Tomorrow” — and knocked out two excellent performances. Plus, she finally got a chance to strut her stuff during Weekend Update! The crowd might not have “got” it, but viewers at home certainly did. As for Samberg, what was that? (In a good way!) 6. Jay Pharoah (20 points): Gabe “Videogum” Delahaye said it best: “Saturday Night Live has wildly over-estimated the American public’s hunger for Denzel Washington impersonations this season.” 7. Taran Killam (17 points): He hasn’t really delivered a signature performance yet, but he has managed to steal a lot of Jason Sudeikis’ screen time playing supporting characters in sketches. 8. Nasim Pedrad (15 points): Her main appearance of the night as Chinese presiden Hu Jintao’s translator, which was a note-for-note repeat of the performance she gave last year. 9. Abby Elliott (13 points): Any way you slice it, Elliott is struggling. Her Ke$ha was basically her Brittany Murphy impression with glittery face paint and, three seasons in, she has yet to create a memorable character. 10. Bobby Moynihan (12 points): Not much to say here except BRING BACK MARK PAYNE! 11. Paul Brittain (11 points): Brittain didn’t really do anything of note this weekend, so instead, we’ll point you in the direction of his performance as “Sex” Ed Vincent back in his Second City days. 12. Kenan Thompson (9 points): His work as the middle school student who kept breaking his knee because of his susceptibility to peer pressure was original, but didn’t really register as “funny” in studio or at home during repeat viewings. 13. Jason Sudeikis (8 points): How disinterested was Sudeikis this weekend? He didn’t even bother to PUT ON A PAIR OF PANTS when he came out on stage as George Bush. Then again, maybe he was being Method? [via Interesting Stuff] SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE POWER RANKINGS: SEASON 36 TOTALS 1. Kristin Wiig (188 points; Last Week: #1) 2. ⇑ Fred Armisen (182 points; Last Week: #4) 3. ⇓ Bill Hader (174 points; Last Week: #2) 4. ⇓ Andy Samberg (170 points; Last Week: #3) 5. Kenan Thompson (140 points; Last Week: #5) 6. Jason Sudeikis (106 points; Last Week: #6) 7. Bobby Moynihan (95 points; Last Week: #7) 8. Nasim Pedrad (94 points; Last Week: #8) 9. Taran Killam (89 points; Last Week: #9) 10. ⇑ Vanessa Bayer (85 points; Last Week: #11) 11. ⇑ Jay Pharoah (77 points; Last Week: #13) 12. ⇓ Paul Brittain (72 points; Last Week: #10) 13. ⇓ Abby Elliott (71 points; Last Week: #11) Reference Materials: Need a refresher on the Scoring System? Here’s this week’s sketch-by-sketch breakdown: Also, did you know that we’re showing classic episodes of SNL every night on VH1? It’s true!

Giant Killing (ジャイアントキリング jaiantokiringu?) es un manga de fútbol creado por Masaya Tsunamoto y adaptada al anime por Yuu Kou. El anime adaptado por Studio DEEN comenzó a transmitirse en Japón el 4 de abril de 2010. A partir del 2007 Giant Killing es publicado por la editorial Kodansha en su revista Morning. Este manga ganó el Premio Kōdansha al mejor manga, en la categoría "mejor manga en general", en su versión número 34. Sinopsis: Takeshi Tatsumi (達海 猛 Tatsumi Takeshi?) fue un jugador de fútbol en las épocas de gloria del equipo japones East Tokyo United, dejando gratos recuerdos a la fanaticada de aquel equipo, sin embargo, al momento de que emigra del club, el equipo comienza a debilitarse hasta el punto de descender de categoría. Tiempo después, nuevamente el East Tokyo United, vuelve a la primera categoría del fútbol japones, sin embargo, no han logrado grandes resultados y buscan a un entrenador capaz de cambiar esta situación, para esto, personal del club viaja a Inglaterra, para dar con el paradero de un entrenador japones que ha dejado a un equipo de aficionados entre los primeros 32 equipos de la FA Cup, considerado por los fanáticos ingleses como el responsable del fenomeno "Giant Killing"(Matanza de Gigantes), aquel hombre es Takeshi Tatsumi.

Moments later, these people were making love on the studio floor. Last night on the foundering good ship Lenopop, elderly Southern vixen Paula Deen appeared on the show to teach elderly unfunny roué Jay Leno how to make a...

The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

Medium: TV Anime (26 episodes)
Genres: Drama, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural
Sequel to: Hell Girl
Director: Takahiro Omori
Studio: Aniplex/Studio DEEN
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2006 – Apr. 6, 2007 (Japan), May 25, 2010 (Sentai Filmworks – N.America)
Rated: Not Rated

Collection 2 of Hell Girl: Two Mirrors (HGTM C2) continues the second season’s attempt to make Ai Enma’s sidekicks — Wanyuudo, Hone Onna, and Ren Ichimoku — into well-rounded characters, but succeeds in doing so much more. These 13 episodes, in fact, completely make up for the seemingly unfocused meandering of Collection 1. Specifically, these episodes regain some of the series’ iconic condemnation sequences, give the Hell Correspondents’ some convincing emotional back-stories and bait with which to justify the betrayal of their duties, as well as develop and leverage a strong story structure that parallels first season while making its own point.

All of the Hell Correspondents, Ai Enma included, are getting tired of frivolous and unwarranted requests for vengeance, which they have had no choice but to carry out for the past 400 years now in hopes of achieving their own salvation. Instead of flippantly throwing out lines to the effect of “I can’t believe so-and-so is doing this,” the Hell Correspondents are directly involved in stories that touch each of them so deeply — due to likenesses to either themselves or their past lives — that each correspondent is moved to direct and active intervention. This introduces (mild) tension betwixt the group’s members. Everyone gets to point a finger, however, so fallibility pretty much evens out.

Instead of being some randomly instituted loli ratings booster, Kikuri turns out to be a poignant addition to the Hell Correspondents. More or less the embodiment of the will of their master, Kikuri's antics grow from passive-aggressive playfulness into full-blown antagonism. While there seems to be no reason to her actions in the first collection, her actions in HGTM C2 serve to spur on the vengeful to supply Ai with more work and hell with more souls. This makes Kikuri the foil to Ai’s wavering commitment to consigning souls to hell.

Speaking of which, damnation starts to get its Dante back in episode 15 but abandons it until regaining those progressive tracks of surrealistic comeuppances in episodes 19 and 21. When ironic tortures are not applied, the very ferry to hell is used to illustrate the nature of the damned. It is the return of these sequences as well as the return of stories that concern people who actually have serious problems that give more meat to these episodes than those of the first collection, but the morality and circumstantial twists lend to something greater.

Just as the strength of season one lies in the threaded plot that develops from reporter Hajime Shibata’s investigation into Hell Girl’s consignments, HGTM C2 uses Detective Meshiai’s investigation into the rash of disappearances attributed to “devil’s child” Takuma (episodes 14 and 22–26) to define its purpose. These episodes, so well done that they bring to mind The Twilight Zone’s “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” make HGTM C2 about Ai Enma bucking the proverbial system by standing up for one person undeservingly sentenced to hell, just as she had been sentenced to death. This parallels the first season, where Ai breaks the rules to release her pent-up fury and avenge herself through the direct descendants of the same traitorous bloodline responsible for her unwilling sacrifice and accursed death.

HGTM C2 succeeds in tying the previous collection’s seemingly flippant content into a story both poignant and well orchestrated. While its skill at enhancing supporting characters is questionable, the collection further rounds out Ai Enma and more importantly restores faith in the series’ signature bite while using it to accomplish something new. Instead of being pushed to the breaking point by hate as in the first season, the Hell Correspondents are broken by the conflict between mercy and their cursed duty. Taken by itself, HGTM C2 is a change of course for the series that seems to be tackled with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. However, this collection shows its strength by knowing how to effectively leverage similar and contrasting content from pasts both distant and recent.

[Highly Recommended]

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This review is based on a Sentai Filmworks DVD set purchased by the reviewer.

Another TV anime series set to begin airing in Japan from January 2011 is Dragon Crisis!, according to a recent Moon Phase Diary update. The strange bit is that this, too, is being created by Studio Deen, just like that other anime starting (...)

The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

'Iron Chef' fans may be surprised to know that the 'secret' ingredient isn't entirely a secret. Chefs are given a list of possible ingredients 45 minutes earlier and know one is the true 'secret' ingredient.

The Chairman begins each battle by shouting 'Allez cuisine!' which loosely translates to 'Go cook!'.

Every week, the resident Iron Chefs face competitors. Last night, 'The Next Iron Chef' winner Jose Garces challenged Chef Naomi Pomeroy.

Find out more about this popular Food Network show, including why Mario Batali loves his orange shoes and which Iron Chef has won the most battles.

Top Searched 'Iron Chef' Questions:
1. Who is the Chairman on 'Iron Chef America'?
2. Is the secret ingredient on 'Iron Chef' really a secret?
3. Where is 'Iron Chef' filmed?
4. How do you get into the 'Iron Chef' studio audience?
5. When does the third season of 'The Next Iron Chef' premiere?
6. Why does Mario Batali always wear orange shoes?
7. Which Iron Chef has won the most battles?
8. Was Cat Cora the first female Iron Chef?
9. Who was the first American chef to beat a Japanese Iron Chef?
10. Who designed the 'Iron Chef' jackets?
11. What French phrase calls the Iron Chefs to battle?
12. How is 'Iron Chef' scored?
13. Who hosts 'Iron Chef America'?
14. What was 'Iron Chef USA'?
15. Why does 'Iron Chef' dub the voice of chef Masaharu Morimoto?

Who is your favorite Iron Chef? What was the best secret ingredient?

For more on today's hottest stories, check out our top searched list. Also check out AOL News Search for breaking news around the world. What other big stories happened today? Let us know! Come back for tomorrow's Hot Searches and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates.

Related Questions: Who is Cat Cora's wife? | What grill does Bobby Flay use? | How did Alton Brown lose weight? | Was Paula Deen on 'Iron Chef'?

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The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

The TV anime series Nurarihyon no Mago is adapted by Studio DEEN, based on a supernatural manga by Hiroshi Shiibashi. The original story revolves around Rikuo Nura, a kid that is part human and part demon (youkai). He lives in a house full of (...)

The TV anime series Nurarihyon no Mago is adapted by Studio DEEN, based on a supernatural manga by Hiroshi Shiibashi. The original story revolves around Rikuo Nura, a kid that is part human and part demon (youkai). He lives in a house full of (...)

The TV anime series Nurarihyon no Mago is adapted by Studio DEEN, based on a supernatural manga by Hiroshi Shiibashi. The original story revolves around Rikuo Nura, a kid that is part human and part demon (youkai). He lives in a house full of (...)

Medium: TV Anime (26 episodes)
Genres: Drama, Horror, Supernatural
Sequel to: Hell Girl
Director: Takahiro Omori
Studio: Aniplex/Studio DEEN
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2006 – Apr. 6, 2007 (Japan), May 25, 2010 (Sentai Filmworks – N.America)
Rated: Not Rated

It is widely acknowledged that the death knell for a sitcom produced in the USA is the adoption of a new child character into the cast’s fold. Whatever season he/she pops into — reason be damned — is destined to be one of the show’s last. Although the tasty moral crimes committed consistently throughout Hell Girl in season one (and happily expected of season two) only served to make my inner beast spread its depraved smile, I cannot describe the surprise of absolute and gripping horror which arrested the very palpitations of my heart when I saw a new hell correspondent child, Kikuri, debut in Hell Girl: Two Mirrors (HGTM). But Hell Girl is not an American sitcom, and, let’s face it, little children are creepy. So I continued to chapter skip through the 13-episode offering despite hearing bells in the distant background.

Ignoring the ambiguity of said child’s presence, HGTM rolls along with the same premise instituted in the first season: people want revenge, go to a rumored website, and summon the hell correspondents to get rid of the antagonist. Unfortunately, the latter happens all too hastily and almost entirely without the surrealist imagination of the first series. Then the protagonists get a nifty tattoo to show that they are damned to hell for their decisive actions over which they’ve anguished. My main issue with season one was that the formula used in episode after episode — people pushed to the brink of sanity, upon which ledge they damn their tormentors and selves to hell — only began to be played with in terms of sequence and morality towards the very end of the series. HGTM definitely continues to play with sequencing and morality, but most of the time the attempts are gratuitous or superfluous.

This time-trickery also does something far more detrimental to the series — it takes away the building of truly tormented characters that made the first season so much fun to watch and justified viewer sympathy. Of course the reason behind not getting to know many of the episodic characters in the first 13 stories of HGTM is to showcase their unjust or frivolous use of the hell correspondents. Such are the protagonists' motivations that, in the end, most feel totally unidentifiable or unsympathetic (sometimes more sympathy is felt for the hell correspondents for having to put up with such summoners, which is more the point). Maybe this is karmic retribution for their taking more active roles in season two (CSI: Hell on Earth) versus their behind-the-scenes role as divine sword of justice from season one, but either way the hell correspondents remain flat despite their foray into the spotlight, which only serves to make their attempted breakthrough naught but arduous viewing that detracts from the vignettes which make the series.

FUNimation picked up the original Hell Girl, and its failure to pick up the second season might be saying something. It definitely says there’s no dub support — a shame given the great dub of the first season. The Japanese voice cast is fantastic though, so there are no real audio drawbacks, and the background music is as divinely chosen as ever. Also, the original season one DVD releases came with a bunch of cool extras, including some live-action Hell Girl re-imaginings, but Sentai Filmworks’ Two Mirrors discs offer only the standard trailers and opening/closing credit options, an unfortunate choice given the new direction this season is obviously taking. Would director interviews or commentary really be too much to ask?

Overall, I’d have to say this is worth checking out from Netflix or streaming. If nothing else, it highlights the merits of the original series by comparison and just might have something good going for itself somewhere further down the line.

[Recommended]

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This review is based on the Sentai Filmworks DVD release of the series, acquired through the reviewer's personal Netflix account.

Filed under: Exclusives, Interviews, Music, Gospel

He's the Chicago-bred singer/songwriter best known for hits like 'My Worship Is For Real,' 'No Way,' and 'It's Only A Test,' but now VaShawn Mitchell is back with his first CD on EMI Gospel, 'Triumphant,' which debuted at number two on the Billboard Top Gospel Chart.

The former Tyscot Records artist - he released two CDs 'Promises' (2007) and 'Believe in Your Dreams' (2005) on that label - is racing up the gospel radio charts with his new single, 'Nobody Greater.'

"I want listeners to realize that there is 'Nobody Greater' and I want people to focus on the source, and not the resource, through being and living triumphantly," Mitchell told BV Buzz about the song.

Having penned hits for Smokie Norful, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Bishop Paul Morton, and Karen Clark Sheard, Mitchell said he aims to make "timeless music" that will "meet you right where you are and help you get to your 'Triumphant' place."

'Triumphant,' Mitchell's best first week overall debut, is even being touted by gospel greats like Donnie McClurkin.

"VaShawn Mitchell has captured the heart and sentiment of every Christian, in his powerful interpretation of 'Nobody Greater," shared McClurkin. "I sing the song at every service and concert -- VaShawn is remarkable! I am a fan!"

BV Buzz caught up with the rising gospel star and had him take our Buzz Blitz.

*****

What's the biggest misconception about those who work in ministry?

That we don't have any problems and that we have it all together, when realistically, we go through just as much, if not more, because we are on the front lines of ministry.

What's one of the most memorable things someone has said about your music that has stuck with you?

I remember singing the song 'Sound of Praise' when I was on tour in Switzerland and after we exited, one of the young ladies said that while we were singing she felt Jesus take her sins away! It was a "wow" moment for me!

If you could cast yourself on a television show, which one would you chose?

It would definitely have to be 'Law & Order!' It's my favorite show.

If you had to chose between Paula Deen, Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart preparing dinner for you, who would you chose and why?

Paula Dean! I secretly use her recipes all the time but my mine never look the same as hers look in the pictures.

What current celebrity would you like to have dinner with and why?

I would love to have dinner with John Legend. First, because I am truly a fan and secondly, as a songwriter I would love to have a writing session together one day.

If you could have three dream artists to be on your next CD, who would you chose and why?

I would have to be Karen Clark Sheard, just because she's amazing! CeCe Winans because she has a true heart and passion for worship. Lastly, John P. Kee because he just got it!

*****

For more information on VaShawn Mitchell, visit www.vashawnmitchell.com.

*****

Read also, ''Sunday Best' Winner Y'Anna Crawley Takes the Buzz Blitz'

& 'Music Matters: Fred Hammond Re-Launches Record Label.'

Follow JAWN MURRAY On TWITTER

*****

VIDEO: Watch this video of VaShawn Mitchell performing 'Nobody Greater' live.

 

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The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

Films by Eva creator Anno, Studio Deen, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time director Hosoda

A spokesman says a dozen armed men have attacked and torched offices of a private television and radio station in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo.

Jimmy Deen, a spokesman for Voice of Asia Network, says about 12 men carrying assault rifles and handguns entered the offices about 1:30 a.m. on Friday and assaulted a security guard before throwing petrol bombs.

Deen says the attack seriously damaged the network's TV control room, studio and library, and that a security guard and another employee were injured.

He says network's TV channel has been forced to shut down but that its three radio channels are still operating.

Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody has confirmed the attack, but says police are still confirming details.

Associated Press

...

Filed under: Hair Care, Cuts & Style, Hair, Hair Color

From the infectious joy of Paula Deen to the statuesque beauty of Helen Mirren, one thing's for sure: gray hair has never been more fabulous.

Recently, factors like a rough economy have made frequent trips to the salon seem too indulgent for many. Combine that with the perpetual frustration of having to keep up such a high maintenance hair regime plus a bevy of popular celebs who are sporting silver strands, and you have the latest trend: more women are tossing aside bottles of eye and expensive salon bills in favor of going gray naturally.

And they're loving it.

"I stopped dying my hair two years before a class reunion. And not only that, I let it grow past my shoulders -- two things that older women seldom do because the so-called experts tell us not to do that. I knew I had done the right thing when men started to compliment me. Never too old to get a compliment...especially from younger men. My favorite compliment was being told 'you've aged beautifully,'" says StyleList reader Suzanne.

Many experts today have modernized their opinion on gray hair, saying that the shade can look effortlessly chic and stylish if you take good care of it.

Certain women should even welcome gray strands with open arms, says Mike Van Den Abbeel, owner of Mosaic Hair Studio in Florida.

"There are several professions for women that we recommend not get 100% gray coverage. Any woman working in law or dealing with money shouldn't try to cover up all her gray hair. In these cases, a little gray will help give a sense of experience of authority," says Van Den Abbeel.

GRAY HAIR CAN MAKE YOU LOOK YOUNGER!
For women who are nervous about taking the gray plunge, the most common reason is the fear of looking older. For what seems like forever, the traditional thinking is that gray instantly adds ten years to your look. Yet StyleList reader Marcia Ramsey has had a very different experience.

"I quit dyeing my hair when I was in my late 40's, and I had people ask me if I had a face lift," says Ramsey.

Some women actually do find that too-deep color can look harsh against mature features, and the levity of well cared-for gray can actually brighten and enliven the face.

We asked a handful of stylists whether gray hair can ever make a woman look younger, and the answers were completely mixed, from "Absolutely never!" to "You bet!" However, there was one thing everyone did agree on: a beautiful head of gray hair coupled with a quality hair cut and chic styling can look positively striking, no matter how old you are.

It can even be your trademark, much like a favorite fragrance or distinctive feature.

"I'm one of the first wave of baby boomers, so you can do the math on the age. I've never colored my hair and like it gray. I think it makes my face look younger because it's soft. I wear it very short in a pixie style, and since I'm petite, everyone says it flatters me. It's my signature look - everyone remembers me by it," says Miriam Silverberg, who owns a boutique publicity firm in New York.

THE BEST CUT FOR GRAY HAIR
"Gray hair can be gorgeous! The cut makes a huge difference. Don't give in to 'old lady hair.' Do something fresh and maybe even a little trendy. A graduated bob is always in, and is complementary to any woman," says Houston, Texas stylist Lauren Zabaneh.

Color Director Frank Friscioni at New York's Oscar Blandi salon agrees.

"Keeping your hair chin length or shorter is key. Putting yourself together, keeping cognizant of skin tone, complexion and chic-factor is vital to making gray hair gorgeous."


TEXTURE CHANGES IN GRAY HAIR
Many women complain that gray strands are prickly and unmanageable, and that attempting to tame them is akin to doing battle in front of the mirror everyday. There are scientific reasons behind the change.

"Texture changes when hair turns gray because the outer cuticle layer can become more coarse, giving gray its wiry look and feel. As the follicle of the hair shuts down its color production, it uses those amino acids to build more cuticle. This can lead to difficulty in coloring or a rough texture," explains Van Den Abbeel.

Funny enough, the latest Brazilian keratin straightening craze has been shown to smooth coarse gray hair through the experiences of women who were curious about trying the service, without the original intention of treating their gray hair.

"We've had brilliant results with the keratin straightening system on coarse, porous gray hair. It makes the hair smooth as silk and as straight as baguettes," says stylist Vikkie Foxe at Lefore's Spa in Washington.

Another instant texture changer? Highlights.

"I recommend a woman try highlights, since they'll have an instant new look for themselves, plus the added benefit of good texture again. I usually introduce white highlights into the hair to 'match' the gray. It may sound counter-intuitive, but this actually makes the hair look more vibrant and bright, as well as increasing body and texture," says Friscioni.

There's one group of women who can actually benefit from the texture change in gray hair: those with fine hair. The rougher cuticle and denser feel of strands produces a thickening volume that thin-haired types most likely ached for in their youth. With an application of shine serum, you'll be able to enjoy your now thicker mane in all its gray glory.

GRAY HAIR GROWTH PATTERNS
As for how the gray strands come in, everyone's experiences can differ -- from a salt and pepper-like spread all the way to skunky streaks. Front hairlines are often the first to go, with white hair working its way back to the nape. Yet women tend to be "blessed" with more white growth where you can see it first, and, if they decide to keep it, where it frames the face beautifully.

"Most women tend to have more concentration on the top of the hairline, where as men tend to have more concentration on the sides," says Dimitrios Tsioumas, creative color director for New York's Mizu salon.

If you're not super gray yet, you can check out mom's roots for a preview of what's to come. According to Friscioni, your personal graying pattern is hereditary. Thank your parents.

HOW TO PREVENT BRASSINESS
For women who embrace gray, one of the most common fears is the threat of brassiness -- that embarrassing yellow tinge that can make your gorgeous silver strands look drab. Experts say the biggest culprits of the staining are all environmental.

"Smoking or sitting in a smoke-filled environment can lead to a yellowish cast, which is very hard to remove. Iron-laden water is another source, as is pollution. Some hair is just more porous and will absorb or stain more easily," says Melissa Koebler, stylist at Secrets of Hair Design Spa, just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Fortunately, there's a slew of shampoos that can help treat and prevent brassiness, and stylists who work with products day in and day out know what really works.

"A clarifying shampoo can be used to remove any mineral deposits from the hair. A blue-based shampoo such as Clairol's Shimmer Lights can be used to eliminate the yellow hue," advises Van Den Abbeel. For best results, thoroughly cleanse with a treatment shampoo at least once a week.

Another option is to try a glaze, which you can purchase at a beauty supply store to try at home, or you can ask to have done at a salon.

"The best way to tackle brassiness is to get a glaze. This adds shine while toning the hair to keep the brassiness away from the gray color," says Nicholas Penna, Jr, owner of SalonCapri in Massachusetts.

HOW TO HANDLE GRAY BROWS
So say you've decided to grow in an all-gray mane. How should you handle the eyebrows?

We asked another handful of experts if you should keep gray in the brows or color, and responses interestingly varied by region.

Experts from hot city spots like New York and Los Angeles overwhelmingly recommended color brows for added definition to the face, whereas other non-metropolitan area experts from the midwest and south voted for full embracement of gray with matching gray brows.

Our advice? Figure out whether you personally want the natural look of gray brows, or the glossier look of color-enhanced brows.

Then put down those tweezers.

Eyebrow hairs evolve into a state of gray much slower than the head. People have a tendency to tweeze grays in an attempt to tame brows or preserve color, but it's a big mistake that could destroy the hair follicle that supports hair growth.

While it may not be your desired hair color, gray brow hairs still provide a bridge in the continuity of the brow line, says Renee Gilanshah, brow specialist and owner of Virginia's Salon Amir.

If you want colored brows, choose a shade in the lighter side of your natural color palette for the most attractive results.

"The most common error that I see is that women choose a brow color that is too reddish brown. The warmth from red tones is too great of a contrast with the coolness of gray, silver and platinum hair colors," says Gilanshah.

"Pencils will work best on shading sparse growth and powders are good for bulking up fine hairs, but neither product will adhere to the texture that gray hair develops. Opt for a tinted brow product such as a gel, cream or wax instead," advises Gilanshah.

BEST MAKEUP FOR GRAY HAIR
As for the rest of your face, makeup choices should also change to enhance gray hair -- or else you risk washing out your complexion, says beauty expert Bobbi Brown.

"It's important to pick brighter shades of makeup to give your face a lift. Sweeping a soft pink or coral blush on the apples of the cheeks will help to instantly brighten the face, as will brushing a pretty rose, pink or coral lip gloss on the lips. Define your brows with a color-correct powder eye shadow or pencil, and apply a dark brown or black liner to open up your eyes and polish off your look," suggests Brown.

For a photographic example, check out our coverage of Brown's Pretty Powerful campaign, which includes a makeover of a gray-haired beauty.

BEST CLOTHING FOR GRAY HAIR
And did you know that wearing certain clothing colors could take years off your look by making your gray strands pop?

"Stick to black, navy, pure white -- never ivory -- and all the jewel tones like sapphire, royal blue, ruby, fuchsia, magenta, purple and violet," says image consultant Sandy Dumont, who has wardrobe-advised individuals and corporations for over 30 years.

You'll also want to stay away from certain shades. Avoid going matchy-matchy with gray clothing, as it can age you. Greens can also be tricky, as they can actually make your hair look green when you're standing in the sunlight, says Dumont.

Convinced gray is for you? Use StyleList's tips to pull the hue off fabulously -- and have a blast saving or spending all that extra cash you'd otherwise spend fighting your hair color.

Gray Hair How To: Secrets to Being a Silver Fox originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

"Lonelygirl15" started out as a simple web video series about a girl with a webcam. The first video starring "Bree" was uploaded onto YouTube on June 16, 2006, and it was portrayed as the 16-year old's first attempt at video blogging.

Less than three months later, it was revealed that lonelygirl15 (also known as LG15) was a professionally produced show and that Bree was really an actress named Jessica Lee Rose. Even as people were upset that lonelygirl15 was a fictional video blog, people kept on watching and the creators turned LG15 into a multi-million dollar company.

The creators of lonelygirl15 consist of an attorney (Greg Goodfried), a former plastic surgery intern (Miles Beckett), and a screenwriter (Mesh Flinders). Beckett and Flinders first met at a karaoke bar for a mutual friend's birthday party in April 2006. Flinders told us via email that Beckett "wanted to tell a story about a videoblogger on YouTube."

"I saw that the most popular content on YouTube was stolen content from major networks or video bloggers," Beckett told us over the phone.

The two met regularly and came up with a story centered around a character – Bree/lonelygirl15. Within a matter of six weeks, Beckett and Flinders teamed up with Greg Goodfried for his legal expertise, cast actors Jessica Lee Rose and Yousef Abu-Taleb to star in the series, shot the first video in Flinders' bedroom, and uploaded it onto YouTube.

Beckett, the former surgeon-in-training, tells us that the original plan was for the YouTube videos to serve as a prequel leading up to a DVD release. They would have shot the DVD in the style of "The Blair Witch Project" in which "fans" of Bree search for their beloved video blogger. However, as lonelygirl15 gained more and more followers, the creators saw a real opportunity to turn Bree's online musings into a web series.

"In those days YouTube was much more of a community than it is now," Flinders told us. "And it felt like we were part of something that was growing every day."

Then came the big revelation that Bree was actually a fictional character and read lines from a script. Any press is good press however as Beckett tells us "viewership numbers actually went up" with the most views coming in the Spring and Summer of 2007.

After the reveal, Flinders, Beckett, and Goodfried were afraid that people would stop watching a video blog centered around a fictional teenage girl. Flinders told us that they "felt compelled to take the show out of Bree's bedroom and amp up the mystery elements... I was also tired of my bedroom being the primary set for the show."

At the same time, Beckett and Goodfried were able to create a profitable digital production studio called LG15 Studios/Telegraph Ave. Productions. From a 5-figure deal with Ice Breaker's gum to a 6-figure Neutrogena deal, the LG15 writers would incorporate these products into Bree's life in certain episodes. Other product integration and licensing deals easily turned lonelygirl15 into a profitable web video series.

Beckett and Goodfried also created a lonelygirl15 spin-off in England called "KateModern" on Bebo. The British web series would include more product integration and sponsorship deals overseas. Mesh Flinders left the show at the end of 2007 to pursue his own ambitions of becoming a feature film maker.

In 2008, Goodfried and Beckett renamed their company to EQAL and focused more on creating web properties and communities. EQAL received $5 million in funding led by Spark Capital in 2008, but earlier this year, they bought out their investors.

Beckett and Goodfried still run EQAL to this day, and they have partnered with the likes of Paula Deen, Alicia Silverstone, and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

As for Mesh Flinders, he's still writing screenplays and is a social media consultant. "Lonelygirl has opened a ton of doors for me and made things possible that wouldn't have been possible otherwise," Flinders told us. "I can't imagine my life without it."

The first lonelygirl15 video starring Jessica Lee Rose

Read More About Your Favorite Viral Video Stars Here >

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• WHERE ARE THEY NOW? "Charlie Bit My Finger" Family Earned "Tens Of Thousands" From Video
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The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

Copyright Studio Deen & Geneon. Used only for the purposes of commentary, criticism and review under fair use. (Originally released on Halloween 2009) Karto, Halohunter, Jason & the others return to the horrors of anime.

The TV anime series Giant Killing is produced by Studio Deen, based on a soccer manga written by Masaya Tsunamoto and illustrated by Tsujitomo Giant Killing follows the story of the down on their luck East Tokyo United (ETU) professional soccer club and their legendary former player, Takeshi Tatsumi Having abandoned the team in Japan during his prime to make it big in Europe, ETU's prodigal son returns to try and restore his old team to its former glory Can Takeshi overcome the odds, the competition and his own team's moral to keep this team going

The premium edition of the fifth volume of Shungiku Nakamura’s boy-love manga Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi ~Onodera Ritsu no Baai~ (World’s Best First Love ~The Case of Ritsu Onodera~) will include a bonus 20 minute anime on DVD. Studio DEEN will animate the exclusive episode with Chiaki Kon (Hanasakeru Seishounen, Junjo Romantica) directing and Yoko Kikuchi (El [...]

Posted on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:49:37 GMT at http://www.freshwap.net/forums/anime/159...ghost.html

Architect, designer, historian, teacher and dedicated defender of the environment

Dennis Sharp, who has died aged 76, was well-known as an architectural historian, teacher and active defender of the environment. However, his reputation in those fields rather overshadowed his considerable success as a working architect and his long-term commitment to environmentally friendly building.

Much of his work involved the renovation of historic – particularly 20th-century – buildings, on which Dennis was a recognised authority, and included Norman Foster's Renault Distribution Centre in Swindon, Wiltshire. But Dennis was passionate about environmental problems as well, and he was particularly proud of Strawdance studio, the smallest and cheapest national lottery-funded project to date, which seemed a miniature sum of his many concerns. It was built in Hertfordshire in 1999 at a cost of not much more than £5,000, of rough timber and clear plastic, its walls made up from bales of the straw for which a neighbouring meadow had been mowed.

Born in Bedford, he went to Bedford Modern school, where he stood out as an excellent draughtsman. At Luton Art School, he studied drawing and painting, which turned out to be a formative experience. His father, Henry, who was a builder, had other ideas, and persuaded the architect Albert Richardson (later Sir Albert) for whom he had built some houses in nearby Flitwick, to accept the teenaged Dennis as an articled pupil.

He committed himself to architecture when, at 21, he moved to the Architectural Association School in London, with which he was to be connected throughout his career, eventually becoming its vice-president (as he would later be of the Royal Institute of British Architects, between 1991 and 1993). On graduating, he moved to a postgraduate stint at Liverpool University where he met Joanna Scales, a drama student, whom he married in 1964; their daughter, Melanie, was born two years later.

Dennis's first engagement was for the Civic Trust of the North-West, in Manchester; he taught at the university at the same time, until he was called back to the AA in 1968 to take over the teaching of history from Sir John Summerson. By then, Dennis had already edited and published a festschrift, Planning and Architecture (1967), for his teacher and much older colleague, Arthur Korn, who had been a heroic figure in the first years of modern architecture in Berlin.

While teaching at the AA, Dennis produced its quarterly journal, which published some of the more thoughtful contributions to the architectural debate during the 15 years of its existence. He also worked on the translation and editing of a monumental but neglected masterpiece, Hermann Muthesius's three-volume account of The English House, which appeared in 1979 and has recently been reissued – it had originally been published in Berlin in 1904-05. Such activities did not distract him from teaching, however, and it was a real vocation for him, as the many students who remained in touch with him can testify.

By the time he returned to the AA, Dennis had also established himself as chronicler of the much undervalued aspects of 20th-century building. His Modern Architecture and Expressionism (1966) situated neglected but crucial figures such as Erich Mendelsohn, Bruno Taut and Hans Poelzig (but also more marginal ones – Hermann Finsterlin notably) in the mainstream of 20th-century architecture, and this led to a re-examination of the more conventionally "rationalist" accounts of the Modern Movement.

All this made Dennis sympathetic to those architects who developed an expressive formal language while exploring new structural techniques, notably the Japanese Kisho Kurokawa and, more importantly, the Swiss-Spanish Santiago Calatrava, on whom Dennis wrote an authoritative monograph and with whom he occasionally collaborated. He was a generous supporter of others he thought neglected, including the Roman Manfredi Nicoletti and the Maltese Richard England.

Recent years were devoted to reviving the reputation of the brilliant 1930s architects Amyas Connell, Colin Lucas and Basil Ward, who were perhaps the most radical rationalists working in Britain. His book about them, Connell, Ward and Lucas (1994), will remain the classic account of their achievement. He was therefore deeply involved in the English Heritage effort to save one of their best private houses, Greenside, in Surrey, whose demolition in 2003 by its defiant owner resulted in an exemplary punitive fine. It was part of a much wider campaign to give the best work of Modern Movement architects the same recognition as was accorded to the "monuments" of previous centuries.

Dennis almost inevitably became an active member of the quaintly acronymed Docomomo (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement), now a powerful international body, of which he co-chaired the British branch; and he was a founder member of the International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA) of which he became the chairman in 1993. CICA was established as a wing of the International Union of Architects to provide a code of conduct and protect critics assailed by the criticised. Dennis himself became a prolific chronicler, often acerbic in his comments, of the architecture of his own time, all the while maintaining a stream of scholarly publications – books and articles – dealing mostly with late-19th and 20th-century architecture.

As a working designer, he had set up a first studio in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1969. His marriage to Joanna ended in divorce, and in 1983 he remarried, to Yasmin Shariff. She had left Nairobi, Kenya, in 1975 to study at the Architectural Association, the Bartlett School of Architecture and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London before joining Dennis Sharp Architects as a partner in 1992. Their son, Deen, was born the following year and they moved to Epping, in Essex, where they worked as a design partnership until Dennis's death.

He is survived by Yasmin, Deen and Melanie.

• Dennis Charles Sharp, architect, writer and historian, born 30 November 1933; died 6 May 2010

We decide to try our hand at a scene from the Fruits Basket anime, enjoy. Cast Sonicfiend-Yuki, Shigure modbz-Kyo, Ayame, Tohru (sort of...) Fruits Basket (フルーツバスケット, Furūtsu Basuketto?), sometimes abbreviated Furuba (フルバ?), is a Japanese manga series by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The series was also adapted into a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro Daichi. Directed by Akitaro Daichi, the twenty-six episode Fruits Basket anime series was animated and produced by Studio DEEN. It premiered on TV Tokyo on July 5, 2001, with the final episode airing on December 27, 2001. The series aired in France on France 4, in Spain on Buzz Channel, and in Vietnam on HTV3. FUNimation aired the series, in dubbed English, on their anime television channel as well as on Colours TV.[50]

Another trailer shown at the 2010 Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) was this one, promoting the upcoming TV anime series Nurarihyon no Mago. Set to begin airing in Japan from July 2010, the anime is adapted by Studio DEEN, based on a (...)

From a thatched cottage to a castle outhouse, seaside retreats to an historic city pad, we've picked 20 fantastic self-catering properties available over the Easter holiday

Wales

Capel Pennant, near Llangollen

Capel Pennant is a cosy converted estate chapel in the gardens of one of Wales' most handsome manor houses, Plas Pennant, on the Chirk Castle estate near Lllangollen. It has been elegantly furnished, but the chief delight is the wonderful open view down the famous Ceiriog valley. You can enjoy access to the gardens of the manor, or great walking in the area, and visit the charming heritage towns close by, of which Llangollen and Chirk are just the start.

• Sleeps up to two people in one bedroom. Arriving Easter Monday, five nights costs £355 or stay seven nights for £533. Under The Thatch, +44 (0)1239 851410.

Cragside, near Caernarfon

An unusual rustic, mountain cottage standing on its own on a hillside surrounded by fields. It's close to several beaches, inspiring castles and amazing views. It is offered by Sheepskin, which launched last month, with 10 stylish self-catering properties in remote and beautiful locations in north and south Wales. Sheepskin keeps prices the same all year round and has a special launch offer giving guests a 20% discount on an Easter break and all subsequent stays for the rest of their lives. (The discount applies to week-long Easter breaks completed by 11 April.)

• Sleeps two adults and and three children. Cost £888 (with 20% discount) for seven nights over Easter. Sheepskin; +44 (0)1865 764087.

Scotland

Easter Steading, Near Cupar, Fife

Converted from old farm buildings, the Steading forms two sides of a secluded walled courtyard with a backdrop of the rolling hills of north Fife, exactly half way between Perth and St Andrews (16 miles from both). Includes sitting room with wood-burning stove and piano, fully equipped kitchen/dining room, two ensuite bedrooms and gallery games area with table football and broadband connection.

• Sleeps four. A seven-night holiday starting on 3 April costs £475. unique-cottages.co.uk; +44 (0)1835 822277.

Delgatie Castle, Aberdeenshire

Mary Queen of Scots once slept in this historic Scottish castle in Aberdeenshire. Home to some of the finest 16th-century painted ceilings in Scotland, parts of the building date back to 1030. You'll stay in apartments in the castle coach house, from where you can explore the estate and Delgatie Woods, go flyfishing for rainbow and brown trout in the castle lake or tuck into cream teas and home-cooked food in the Laird's Kitchen. It's a good base for exploring the Highlands; Speyside and the Cairngorms are easily accessible and some of the world's best known whisky distilleries are nearby.

• A week's stay costs £409 (was £503), sleeps five/six in an apartment in the castle coach house. delgatiecastle.com/; +44 (0)1888 563479.

Achleek Cottage, Argyll

Save £80 on a seven-night stay in this snug former tackman's house on the south side of Loch Sunart. Recently refurbished it sleeps five in three bedrooms and has an open fire and wonderful views down the loch and across to the mountains of Moidart and Sunart. There are few roads in the area (but lots of wonderful walking) and less in the way of human settlement - the nearest village is peaceful Strontian three miles away. Drive to the end of the Ardnamurchan peninsula, the westernmost tip of mainland Britain, with its glorious beach at Sanna and boat trips from Kilchoan.

•  A week's stay costs £495, sleeps five, valid from 3 April. Pets welcome by arrangement. unique-cottages.co.uk; +44 (0)1835 822277.

The Hill House, Helensburgh, near Glasgow

This is the perfect stay for lovers of architecture and design. The Hill House - including much of its interior, from fireplaces to furnishings – was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for publisher Walter Blackie, and is considered to be his domestic masterpiece. You will stay in the top floor flat, where you can still find the toy cupboards of what once was the schoolroom of the Blackie family. The house is very close to Glasgow, where art enthusiasts can learn more about Mackintosh and visit his famous School of Art.

• Five nights from £957, sleeps six. landmarktrust.org.uk; +44 (0)1628 825925.

England

West Leas Farm cottages, Yorkshire

Archway, Granary and Byre cottages are housed in a converted barn on peaceful West Leas Farm in the Yorkshire Dales. All have countryside views and access to enclosed gardens which lead directly to open fields and footpaths – the owners can provide you with a map showing their favourite local walks. See new-born calves ('Snowdrop' was born last month), ponies and Easter lambs. Nearby are the cathedral city of Ripon and the market town of Masham, famous for its Black Sheep and Theakstons breweries. The villages of Kirkby Malzeard and Galphay are both within walking distance, with local shops, pubs and tea rooms.

• £460 a week for a family of four from 5-18 April. iknow-yorkshire.co.uk; 0844 453 6648.

The Miller's House, Shropshire

This snug conversion is in part of the original Birches Mill, by the River Unk. The mill dates back to 1640 and corn was ground here right up until the second world war. Artists Gill and Andrew live next door and will happily provide you with a locally-sourced home-cooked meal from their freezer if you arrive exhausted on a Friday night (or you can order a welcome box of local produce for £22). Downstairs is a living room with low, beamed ceilings and wood-burning stove; a wildlflower garden sits behind the cottage. Offa's Dyke can be reached by foot, and the gastonomic town of Ludlow is a short hop away.

• A week's stay, from 2 or 3 April, costs from £405, sleeps four. special-escapes.co.uk; +44 (0)1588 640409.

The Spinney, Cumbria

Set in the countryside between Ennerdale Water and the market town of Cockermouth in west Cumbria, this new-build house has under-floor heating, wood flooring, a four-poster bed, a great dining/kitchen and a real fire in the large living room. The house is surrounded by glorious countryside for walking or cycling – the Coast-to-Coast Cycle Route goes past the front door.

• Sleeps up to six. A week's rental starting April 3 is £780 (reduced from £890). Arrive 10 April for seven nights and the cost is £680. Cumbrian Cottages; +44(0)1228 599960.

Kendal cottages riverside apartment, Cumbria

Be the first to stay in these new luxury suites with riverside balconies looking out over the River Kent to picturesque Stramongate Bridge and on to Kendal castle. The apartment is bright and spacious with open-plan kitchen, living room and dining area and super king size beds. There's a free welcome bottle of champagne for Easter guests.

•  A week's stay costs from £650, sleeps four. kendalcottages.com; +44 (0)1539 736611.

The Granary, Forest of Dean

Set between the River Wye and River Seven this 18th-century cottage has been sensitively converted into a rural getaway in the heart of the Forest of Dean. There are 180-degree views of open countryside and forest walks starting right from the back door. Horse riding, canoeing or mountain biking are also available nearby. The owner, an award winning photographer, is able to offer individual tuition or you can play drums, keyboard and guitars in the fully equipped music studio under the guidance of professional musicians.

• A week's stay costs £325, sleeps two. holidaylettings.co.uk; +44 (0)1594 860476.

Stonechat Cottage, Worth Matravers, Dorset

Worth Matravers is often cited as the prettiest village in Dorset. This Grade II-listed, Purbeck stone, quarryman's cottage dates back to 1772 and retains many original features. Just a mile from the beach and four miles from Swanage, Stonechat Cottage is found on a no-through lane leading to a path down to the sea at Winspit. It has accommodation over three floors with a small rear decked courtyard with barbecue. Or, if you can't be bothered to cook, pop into the Square & Compass pub for a pint and a pasty and great views down to Chapman's Pool beach. Easter also sees the start of the nearby Bridport Film festival (3 – 9 April). From Page To Screen (+44 (0)1308 424204) celebrates film adaptations of new and classic books with daytime screenings and talks at Bridport Arts Centre and evening screenings at The Electric Palace cinema.

• Sleeps four. Available week commencing 2 April and costs £420, a saving of £50 off the brochure price of £470. Dorset Coastal Cottages, 0800 980 4070.

Little Barn, Polperro, Cornwall

Backing on to the river that flows down to the harbour in Polperro, this delightful property has two bedrooms set in the eaves. The cosy lounge has beams and rough stone walls with deep-set windows and window seats from which to watch and listen to the river as it hurries down to the sea.

• Costs is £473 for Easter week, sleeps four. toadhallcottages.co.uk

St Hilary, West Cornwall

Spend Easter in a cosy three-star 18th-century, Grade II listed, thatched cottage. Inside are ancient oak beams and an inglenook fireplace. There's a tree-sheltered garden at the front and meadows at the back; a track alongside links to several foot paths and cycleways. The attractive village of Goldsithney, with two good pubs is within walking distance. Mounts Bay and St Michael's Mount on the coast are two miles away. Or head down to Porthcurno for the Cornish premiere of Disney's Beauty and The Beast at open-air Minack Theatre (2-5 and 10-12 April).

• A week's stay costs £545, sleeps five. Available Saturday 3 and 10 April. Pets welcome. Reference: Z101. Helpful Holidays; +44 (0)1647 434063.

Sea Wall Cottage, Porth, Cornwall

As the name suggests this cottage is built right on the sea wall at beautiful Porth beach in north Cornwall. Enjoy the sea views from your own sun terrace or walk out on to the sand for some rockpooling, bodyboarding or surfing. Warm up after a spring swim in front of the fire in the living room. Dogs are welcome.

• £650 for a week, from 3 April. Sleeps four.beachretreats.co.uk; +44 (0) 1637 861005.

Swallow Tail Houseboat, Devon

Swallow Tail barge is permanently moored on her own tranquil jetty in the heart of the Westcountry. The boat is surprisingly spacious and comes with its own woodburning heat system. Watch the busy wildlife right outside the galley window – spot wetland birds, deer, rabbits and silently swooping barn owls. Land organic rainbow trout for dinner and in the evening watch the sun setting from the aft deck knowing that it has given its solar energy to power your lighting for the night ahead.

• Available for the week over Easter for £385 and sleeps four-six. responsibletravel.com.

The Mill House, Lee Bay, Devon

A Grade II listed 16th-century property right on the water's edge in Lee Bay. Many period features have been retained including the original milling room (now the dining room, with a grand table seating 10), inglenook fireplace, bread ovens, woodburning stove, boathouse and the drawbridge over the mill race.  French doors open on to the garden with sea views; at the front is a terrace enclosed by a stone wall.

• A week's stay from 3 April is £1,340 (reduced by £200), sleeps 10. marsdens.co.uk; +44 (0)1271 813 777.

Magenta, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Step into this pretty cottage right off of the sea front in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast. Both living room and main bedroom have uninterrupted sea views; downstairs there's an open plan kitchen and dining room. Located just a couple of minutes' walk away from the town where there's plenty of restaurants and pubs – including, renowned The Fish and Chip Shop. Freshly caught fish is sold daily at the fisherman huts on the beach. 

• Sleeps four. A week from 2 April costs £765. Alternatively, Mariner's cottage (sleeps four), a few streets back from the sea costs £560 for a week arriving on 2 April and comes with a chocolate hamper. bestofsuffolk.co.uk; +44 (0)1728 638962.

Coach House, Heathfield, Sussex

This organically run smallholding has been turned into a creative escape for those who want to write, read or paint. The Coach House – oceans of daffodils to one side, a country road to the other – has been designed as an open-plan, lofty, two-room retreat. The living area has contemporary Scandinavian-style furniture and kilims on a sweep of maple parquet running through folding doors to the bedroom on the other side. Owner Julia is committed to conservation, so the fabrics are natural, the water for the main house solar-heated, and the sheep rare-breed. Extra guests or friends can stay in the farmhouse or the Studio a flexible project space.

• Four nights for £300, full week for £400, sleeps two adults plus one baby up to two years or child over seven years. Alastair Sawday's Special Escapes; +44 (0)1435 830203.

Barn Cottage, Mersley Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight

This two-bedroom cottage is housed in one of the traditional outbuildings of rural Mersley Farm. As the name suggests it's a garlic lovers' haven – the onsite shop farm shop stocks elephant garlic, smoked garlic and even garlic honey, as well as fresh local produce. Nearby are the towns of Sandown and Shanklin and the surrounding area is good cycling and walking territory. Guest have free WiFi and use of a tennis court.

• £512 a week, sleeps four. Departing on 9 April, the price includes seven nights' self-catering accommodation and return Wightlink car ferry crossings from Portsmouth or Lymington. Wightlink Green Getaways; 0871 376 0013.

A year after Idol, what are Season 8’s top 13 up to now?

As American Idol’s new top 12 rises, last year’s finalists are launching their post-Idol careers: Danny Gokey and Scott MacIntyre both just released new albums. Find out what the rest of last year’s finest have been up to and hear samples of their post-Idol recordings.

USA Today

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…keep checking back for more…

Matt Giraud And Scott MacIntyre Lighten Up A Shocking ‘American Idol’

Amid the carnage and genuinely confusing results on Thursday night’s (March 11) “American Idol” (Aaron Kelly? Katie Stevens? Paige Miles?!?), two of last year’s hopefuls took the stage to lighten the mood with a sunny, dueling-pianos duet.

Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre — who just released a brand-new album called Heartstrings — joined forces on an upbeat version of Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It,” trading verses and runs up and down the keys. Backed by the “Idol” house band, the duo muscled their way through the song, with Giraud hitting a few falsetto spots, each ripping off rocking, fleet-fingered solos.

MTV.com

Andrew Garcia Profile: Can He Break Out Of The ‘Straight Up’ Straitjacket?

If the “American Idol” judges are to be believed, this season is all about the girls. Yet Andrew Garcia has quickly established himself as a contender for the “Idol” trophy with unexpected stripped-down acoustic interpretations of pop songs, ranging from a Fall Out Boy hit to a Paula Abdul classic.

Best Performance: Garcia’s Hollywood Week spin on Abdul’s “Straight Up” was a rare highlight for this year’s unimpressive cast of boys. He’s never been more playful or imaginative on the show. Three weeks into the live episodes, “Straight Up” is still one of the most talked-about performances of the season.

MTV

Colonie bakery makes birthday cake for Underwood

Coccadotts Cake Shop in Colonie was commissioned to make a birthday cake for country singer and former “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, who performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany. Underwood’s 27th birthday was Wednesday.

The cake made for Underwood is chocolate with butter-cream frosting decorated with blue fondant and polka-dots. It’s topped with a platinum-toned bow and “Happy Birthday Carrie.”

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=910573#ixzz0hyZ8022g

KATHERINE MCPHEE’S “COMMUNITY” CANOODLING

Katharine McPhee is guest starring on Community tonight and though she’s primarily known for her singing, the former American Idol contestant is on the hunt for a good sitcom of her own.

Now that’s she’s gotten a taste of comedy, McPhee is ready to fly solo, although she knows it’s not quite as easy as a one-shot appearance on an established series.

Hollywood Outbreak

Community, ‘Basic Genealogy’: Katharine McPhee is Pierce’s stepdaughter

As for the comedy, Troy trying to talk while crying has now become one of the show’s most reliable laugh-getters, and the unlikely Troy/Britta partnership again yielded great dividends, with Britta’s more-enlightened-than-thou whiteness getting her a good switchin’. Katharine McPhee was fine as Pierce’s grifter stepdaughter (and certainly much more lifelike than fellow “American Idol” alum Carrie Underwood was on “HIMYM” last week), and it had been a while since we got some good Pierce/Jeff interaction. Early episodes had established that Pierce is who Jeff will become if he’s not careful, and it was nice to see Pierce himself recognize this and for once have the self-awareness to try to talk Jeff out of it. (And that also had a good talking-while-crying gag, with Jeff venting about “Glee.”) And the Pictionary/swastika/Rabbi Chang gag was wonderfully set-up.

NJ.com

‘American Idol’ Winner Taylor Hicks In Pittsburgh With Broadway Musical Tour ‘Grease’

PITTSBURGH — “American Idol” season 5 winner Taylor Hicks is in Pittsburgh with the Broadway musical tour “Grease.”

Hicks stopped by WPXI-TV on Thursday for an interview. He was charming and warm, just the way he appears on television and stage.

Hicks plays Teen Angel in “Grease,” the character who tries to guide Frenchy when she drops out of beauty school.

“This is my first Broadway role, so it’s pretty exciting,” said Hicks.

WPXI

‘American Idol’: Syesha Mercado on Todrick Hall, ‘Dreamgirls’ and her debut album

Two years off her “American Idol” journey, Syesha Mercado is playing the glamorous Deena Jones in “Dreamgirls” and working on her debut album.

Deena Jones is the “Dreamgirls” role played by music superstar Beyonce, which must be some pretty big shoes to fill for Syesha.

“It was a little scary at first when I started thinking like that. It’s a lot of pressure,” Syesha tells Zap2it. “But once rehearsals started I just tried my best to focus on who Deena Jones was and playing it as honestly as I could. I definitely pay homage to Beyonce, but at the same time I can only do what I can do.”

Zap2it.com

Clarkson ‘at home’ in South Africa

At a media briefing ahead of her three-concert tour of the country which begins today, Clarkson said that, unlike other first-time visitors, she had “no false expectations of South Africa” because long-time back-up singer Kate Rapier was born here.

Clarkson said: “I know about South Africa through one of my back-up singers and friends who grew up here . her dad has several non-profit organisations.”

The 27-year-old Grammy Award winner and winner of the first season of American Idol in 2002, added that she would be visiting tourist spots she had heard of.

Times Live

Flint native Sophia Taylor is ‘Rehabin’ da Hood’ with local reality home improvement show

The local public access program chronicles Flint native Sophia Taylor and her business partner Andre White as they encounter the obstacles of flipping homes in Flint — from thieves stealing the electrical wiring (again) to plumbing-gone-berserk.

In the third episode, she gets a scolding from her father for painting the outside of a brick home — a definite no-no in his mind.

Along with Taylor’s father and 90-year-old grandmother, Flint’s former American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones also makes a cameo appearance on the show. Taylor cowrote a couple of songs on Jones’ album, “So Glad I’m Me.”

MLive

Clay Aiken Talks About Concert Special, Wake Co. School Board

Dressed in a blue button down shirt and blue jeans, Clay Aiken sat down for an interview with NBC17 Thursday at the Progress Energy Center.

Aiken announced in February that he will perform a one-night only special event to help kick off the release of his new album “Tried and True” and that this concert will be taped which will air sometime in June on PBS.

Within minutes of tickets going on sale, they sold-out. Many of those tickets were bought by some of Aiken’s most loyal fans who said they will travel across the country to see him perform. Something he hasn’t done in quite some time.

“It’s always a surprise when folks are willing to put so much effort forth,” said Aiken.

My NC.com

A classic move

RALEIGH — When Clay Aiken hits the stage tonight at Memorial Auditorium, he will be performing for the couple of thousand people in the crowd, as well a future audience that could be much, much larger.

The concert, which will feature the first live performance of his coming album, “Tried and True,” will be taped for a PBS special that will air this summer. It’s a one-time-only deal, and Aiken, the Raleigh native and “American Idol” runner-up, will sing each song from the new album.

“Tried and True,” scheduled for a late May release, is Aiken’s first album for Decca Records. It’s also the first in which he didn’t feel record-company pressure to go in a pop-friendly direction. Working with Decca, he and longtime manager Simon Renshaw charted a different course for Aiken’s career.

Newsobserver

Simon Cowell To Walk Down the Aisle This September?

Simon Cowell’s “Mr. Mean” persona seems to be a thing of the past. But, is it his newfound engagement to longtime ‘American Idol‘ makeup artist Mezghan Hussainy or something of the greener persuasion?

“Is it love or is it because he just got a billion dollar deal for ‘X Factor’?,” jokes Miles Siggins to Fancast. “Is it for love or is it for the money or is it for the love of money? I don’t know,” confessed the ‘American Idol’ stylist and friend of Hussainy at today’s Fox Mid-Season junket in L.A.

Fancast

The ‘American Idol’ Judge Power Rankings: Sorting out the Top 12

Kara fights hard to keep her seat — and produces genuine tears! Meanwhile, Randy settles into his usual interchangeable phrases (this week: “I dunno, man. It was just aiight for me”). Simon’s weariness begins to show, to which I say, “You’ve only got yourselves to blame for this ho-hum lineup!” And Ellen still can’t do anything except make Kara and Simon look that much better.

LA Times

‘American Idol’ EXCLUSIVE! Discover Kara DioGuardi’s Diet Secrets!

Ever since Kara DioGuardi strutted her stuff in a two piece on American Idol last season (take that, Bikini Girl!), we’ve been minorly obsessed with getting the 39-year-old judge’s sexy bod. Luckily for us, we ran into the always gracious Kara at APCH’s forth annual Stars & Strikes celebrity bowling and poker tournament in Los Angeles March 10, and she dished on how to achieve her fabulous figure.

“What really helped me get over any eating issues I had in the past was to figure out what I love to do in life and am passionate about and get focused on that, instead of focusing on what I look like, the calories I was eating — all of that nonsense,” Kara told HollywoodLife.com exclusively.

Hollywood Life

On the Scene: ‘American Idol’ host Kara DioGuardi thinks ‘Bikini Girl’-inspired stunt saved her job

“I kept saying no! I mean, what crazy nut is gonna go out there in a bikini at almost 40 years of age?” she tells April’s Women’s Health mag, on stands Tuesday.

But she admits the stunt “probably saved [my] job.”

Says Kara: “It was a defining moment, like, ‘She’s … as kooky as everyone else on this panel.’”

NY Daily News

Simon’s engagement was a surprise to many

Simon Cowell went from bachelor to betrothed before most people knew he was even dating his fiancee, Mezhgan Hussainy. Just how did this happen? According to recording artist Sinitta, one of Cowell’s friends, Hussainy patiently waited for the “American Idol” judge to come around.

MSNBC

Shane Sparks Pleads Not Guilty to Child Molestation Charges

‘America’s Best Dance Crew’ judge Shane Sparks has entered an official plea of not guilty to the eight counts of child molestation he was charged with back in December.

The Emmy nominee, who has worked with Aaliyah, Lindsay Lohan and Monica, was arrested on December 18. He was held on $590,000 bail in a Van Nuys, California, jail, and was released the following day.

Popeater

Derek Hough Sustains Cut During ‘Dancing’ Rehearsals

LOS ANGELES, Calif. –

Derek Hough got a little more than he bargained for with his new “Dancing with the Stars” partner Nicole Scherzinger.

The Pussycat Dolls singer left Derek with a cut on his face after accidentally kicking him during rehearsal for the show’s Season 10 premiere on ABC on March 22.

Derek told Billy Bush, who stopped by the studio for an interview with the ballroom pair on Thursday, that Nicole’s kick barely missed his eye.

Access Hollywood

Danny Gokey’s ‘Days’ Starts Strong

Season eight American Idol finalist Danny Gokey claims the best first-week sales showing on Country Albums by a rookie male country act in 18 years, and the best opening week digital sum for any country newcomer, as “My Best Days” opens at No. 3 on the chart with 65,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album also opens at No. 4 on The Billboard 200.

Gokey’s start is the best debut for a male country solo artist since Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Some Gave All” blew in with 90,000 copies in June 1992, and bests fellow “Idol” alum Bucky Covington’s May 2007 self-titled debut, which started with 61,000 units.

Gokey’s digital tally is 19,000, and inks a new benchmark for first-week digital sales by a new country artist, previously set when Gloriana’s self-titled debut album sold 9,000 downloads last summer.

Billboard

Thursday’s TV Highlights: Katharine McPhee in ‘Community’

FAMILY DAY: Katharine McPhee guest stars in a new episode of ‘Community’ at 8 p.m. on NBC.

American Idol: Scott MacIntyre and Matt Giraud perform in this new episode when four more contestants are eliminated, revealing the 12 finalists (8 p.m. Fox).

LA Times

Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift And Sugarland Added to the List of Performers for ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn — The Last Rodeo All Star Concert

ENCINO, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ — The Academy of Country Music announced today that Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, and Sugarland will perform at the television taping of the all-star concert special, ACM PRESENTS: BROOKS & DUNN – THE LAST RODEO on Monday, April 19, 2010 to air Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will be produced for television by dick clark productions. Tickets are available now for the live concert event.

These country music superstars will join the previously announced performers Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

PR Newswire

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Idol Tracker Buzzmeter, version 9.0

With the Top 12 soon upon us, it’s a fitting time to announce the 2010 IdolTracker Buzzmeter panel. This is our pool of the country’s top “American Idol” pundits who will try and predict which Season 9 finalist will be going home after each performance episode; and on the last week, who will win. The tally, along with individual results, will be posted every Wednesday morning for all to see. Check out last year’s results here.

LA Times

PHOTOS: We Are The Fallen’s “Bury Me Alive” Video Set Pics

After months of online buzz that has drawn both hard-rock fans and American Idol fanatics, new band We Are The Fallen is ready to rise. Led by Irish belter (and onetime Idol contestant) Carly Smithson and featuring former Evanesence rockers Ben Moody, John LeCompt and Rocky Gray, along with bassist Marty O’Brien, the band has been kept much of its music under wraps. But we have a special first look at the video for the band’s first single, “Bury Me Alive”. The video, co-directed by Kyle Newman (of 2008’s Fanboy) and wife Jaime King (yes, the model), will lead viewers through the grim ritual of burial, but with a vintage Victorian twist. Dig through the pics from the set of “Bury Me Alive”, take a listen to the single on the band’s site, and you’ll see why people are falling for them.

Idolator

Adam Lambert: Simon Cowell didn’t appear to me during acid trip

Adam Lambert, 28, came second in the last series of American Idol. He then came out as gay and caused a stir with a saucy performance at the American Music Awards. Single For Your Entertainment and an album of the same name are released next month.

Metro.co.uk

Jennifer Hudson — Monster Engagement Bling

Jennifer Hudson proudly showed off her Neil Lane diamond engagement ring to anyone who’d look yesterday at LAX.

The “Dreamgirl” has been engaged to her WWE wrestler fiance David Otunga, AKA “Punk” from the VH1 show “I Love New York 2″, since September 2008.

TMZ

‘Community’: ‘American Idol’s’ Katharine McPhee joins the family

Katharine McPhee is guest-starring on “Community” Thursday (March 11), but had things broken a little differently you could have seen the former “American Idol” runner-up on an different NBC series this season.

McPhee tells Zap2it that earlier this season she talked with NBC about a role on “Trauma”: “It was after the show had already started to air,” she says. “They were going to add a new character, and I was going to go to network and test for the part, but I really wasn’t ready to sign on for a show. … It just didn’t work out.”

Zap2it

A Dinner for Badgley and Mischka… Carrie Underwood on Stage…

CARRIE ON STAGE: There won’t be any telephone-shaped hairpieces or Kermit the Frog minidresses for Carrie Underwood when the singer takes the stage during her “Play on Tour,” which kicks off today in Reading, Pa. Instead, the “American Idol” winner and country superstar will wear a series of slightly more refined — though still dramatic — looks by costume designer Soyon An, who won an Emmy for the beaded numbers she whipped up for contestants on “So You Think You Can Dance.”

An’s ensembles for Underwood include a button-down shirt paired with a full-length fringe skirt bejeweled with Crystallized-Swarovski Elements and a strapless gown with a bottom that detaches midperformance to become a playsuit.

WWD.com

Back in the glare

Syesha Mercado is catching her dream.

With a debut album on the way, the onetime “American Idol” finalist is keeping herself in the spotlight, in the glamorous role of Deena Jones in a production of “Dreamgirls.” It has been nearly two years since she was dismissed from “Idol,” an experience Mercado said prepared her well for the show business career she is now enjoying, as part of a touring company of the Broadway classic.

LA Independent

‘Idol’ favorite Jason Castro to seranade Manila and Cebu fans

This month, get mesmerized while Jason Castro belts out colorful summer lovin’ tunes in Manila! His Filipino fans are in for a sweet summer and post-Valentine treat from Warner Music Philippines and the Ayala Malls when Jason serenades his Manila and Cebu fans on March 18 at Trinoma, March 19 at Glorietta 5, March 20 at Ayala Center Cebu, and March 21 at Market! Market!

MB.com

Cast of BALLROOM WITH A TWIST to Offer Master Class; Announce Dance-Off Contest, 3/18

The cast of Ballroom With A Twist, conceived and choreographed by Dancing with the stars Louis van Amstel, including American idol Singers David Hernandez and Treynece as well as Allsion Holker from So You Think You Can Dance, will offer a Master Class to local dance enthusiast. There will also be a dance off with the cast, in which the winner will not only receive two free VIP Tickets, but the opportunity to appear on stage in the production of Ballroom with a Twist at the Parker Playhouse Theatre.

The master class will be held on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 – 8:30pm -10pm at the Goldcoast Ballroom – 1415 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek – 954-979-0770.

Broadway World.com

Disney Channel, Disney XD Present Programming Plans For 2010-11

“Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension” – The #1 animated series for the past two years among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 has inspired a television movie to premiere in summer 2011 on Disney XD and Disney Channel. In the movie, Phineas and Ferb discover that their beloved pet platypus, Perry, is really a secret agent who battles the forces of evil daily. The boys team up with Perry on a grand adventure through a parallel universe where they must ultimately thwart an even more evil version of Dr. Doofenshmirtz. The feature-length movie is another boon for the animated comedy which will also lead an all-summer 2010 initiative on Disney XD and Disney Channel, including an hour-long episode guest starring Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan. The series continues to create opportunities for other Disney lines of business: the “Phineas and Ferb” characters are at Disneyland Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products debuted a toy line at Toys R Us, and “Phineas and Ferb” is a top selling apparel line at Walmart and Target. Other items include books and comics from Disney Publishing, the #1 Nintendo DS game at Game Stop and BestBuy from Disney Interactive Studios, episode compilation DVDs from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and a soundtrack on Walt Disney Records which ranked #10 on the Billboard children’s album chart for 2009.

RealityTVWebsite

Is The iTunes LP Sinking?

Has the iTunes LP performed sluggishly in its first few months on the market? GigaOm’s Paul Bonanos took a hard look at the digital album format and found record label disappointment over sales so light they may not cover developer costs that can run upwards of $60,000 per title.

When the iTunes LP format was launched in September 2009, it was touted for its ability to offer a deeper experience with album artwork, lyrics, videos and other media. Wrote Bonanos:

Six months later, however, iTunes LP doesn’t prompt much consumer recognition, and none of the industry sources with whom I spoke said they viewed it as being anywhere close to game-changing from a format perspective. Rather, it’s considered more of a curiosity.

Billboard.biz

Sensitive Simon Cowell shows his soft side as he comforts fellow American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi

He may sometimes come across as Mr Unemotional but Simon Cowell really does have a soft side.

Millions of Americans watched last night as he gently consoled his fellow American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi after she was reduced to tears by a contestant.

He hugged her close after former American football player Michael Lynche moved DioGuardi and wowed the panel with his rendition of the Maxwell song ‘This Woman’s Work.’

Daily Mail.co.uk

Hey, Ryan, Talk to the Dress

RYAN, Ryan, Ryan. It’s Journalism 101: who, what, when, where and why, as in, “Who are you wearing?”

Did Ryan Seacrest, 35, let down the fourth estate — or at least the fashion slice of it — when he failed to ask that question while interviewing many of the arriving celebrities on E!’s pre-Oscar show last Sunday?

Yes, according to the bloggerati, many of whom were dissing him even as the two-hour show “Live from the Red Carpet: The 2010 Academy Awards,” was being broadcast.

NY Times

Lythgoe tabbed for Philanthropy Award

Nigel Lythgoe is set to receive the Philanthropy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation.

Kudo is part of the College Television Awards, which recognizes work by students around the country in the fields of video, digital and film production.

Event, held April 10 at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, will be hosted by “Dancing With the Stars” emcee Tom Bergeron.

Variety.com

Bravo teams up with Mia Michaels, Darren Star

Former “So You Think You Can Dance” judge/choreographer Mia Michaels could be getting her own show on Bravo.

Michaels will be the subject of a docuseries that’s in development at the cable network, which on Wednesday (March 10) announced a slew of new projects and the return of several current shows. The new projects also include a couple of scripted shows — including one from “Sex and the City” creator Darren Star — a new “Real Housewives” franchise and a pair of food competition shows.

Zap2it.com

Adam Shankman’s (conflicted) Oscar Twitter thoughts

Throughout awards season, this year’s Oscars co-producer Adam Shankman kept his nearly 55,000 Twitter followers amused by sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits about working on the telecast, making up with enthusiasm what he lacked in punctuation and spelling.

It began in December: “Had dinner last night with Oscar cohosts steve martin and Alec Baldwin. Laughed so hard I almost passed out. This is gonna b goooood…”

LA Times

“American Idol” Alum Scott MacIntyre Pulls “Heartstrings” On New Album

Los Angeles, CA, United States (CNS) – Scott MacIntyre inspired millions when the near-blind 24-year-old made it all the way to the Top 8 of American Idol’s season eight. He’s now the fifth Idol from that season to release a full-length album, “Heartstrings,” which finds the classically trained performer taking a surprisingly radio-friendly pop-rock route.

“On ‘Idol,’ we did disco, Michael Jackson, country, and all this different stuff and we all tried to make it contemporary,” MacIntyre said. “But once I got on tour, I started to move more towards where I wanted to be musically.”

“Heartstrings,” which is available now on iTunes and on his website, finds MacIntyre leaning towards piano-heavy pop, experimenting for the first time with crunching guitars, heavy drums, and even some beats on the title track. “There’s moments where I pull back as well and have intimate moments, but I’ve always been captivated by sounds that really move you,” he says.

All Headlines

EXCLUSIVE: Adam Lambert Gets “Unplugged”… and We’re On The Scene!

When you hear the name Adam Lambert, plenty of words come to mind. Glamorous. Larger than life. Talent explosion. Cod piece. But perhaps one word that has never been previously associated with Lambert is “Unplugged.” In fact, if there’s one thing the guy is, it’s “Plugged.”

So when our boss broke the news that Adam would be the first of many musicians to headline the resurrection of VH1’s Unplugged series, mere days before the actual taping, and that I would be the only member of the press allowed past the rhinestoned curtain, well… looks like someone unplugged my enthusiasm for life and living and simply being.

Best Week Ever

‘American Idol’ Experts Predict Who’s Going Home Tonight

This year’s “American Idol” top 12 will be revealed on Thursday night’s (March 11) show, but not before the final four semifinalists are shown the door. Unlike previous weeks, when it was fairly obvious which two guys and two girls would be leaving the show, the competition has finally begun to get tighter, and making the call this week is a bit harder.

The decision seems pretty clear, though, to MTV News’ “Idol in 60 Seconds” honcho Jim Cantiello. “Paige Miles blew it,” he said of the singer who has been touted as having the strongest voice in the competition by the judges during the live shows after getting next-to-zero screen time in Hollywood. “For two weeks, we’ve heard the judges go on and on about her big voice. Then she finally tries to share it with America and chokes!”

MTV

Simon Cowell admits he’s ‘absolutely appalled’ at the way he has treated some contestants

“There’s many, many times where I’ve watched the show back and I’m absolutely appalled,” Cowell, 50, says during an upcoming interview on “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.” “You do the show, you’re not aware of what’s happening in the room outside. You know, somebody just said, ‘My dog Lassie died yesterday,’ I’m in a bad mood and, you know, awful, and you see it in that context, it’s very, very difficult to watch.”

NY Daily News

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Ellen DeGeneres needs to bring her A-game to ‘American Idol’

In other words, for all her chirpy “I’m just a gal who’s happy to be here” persona, DeGeneres is a force to be reckoned with, a woman with as much ambition and chutzpah as Harvey Weinstein or, for that matter, Simon Cowell.

So what’s with the shrinking violet act on “American Idol”?

LA Times

Hinder singer on Lee DeWyze: ‘A front-runner with a great voice’

Last night, “American Idol” Top 24 contender Lee DeWyze proved his vocal might when he took on Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel.” Though the judges pointed out some minor pitch problems and a terrified look on his face, for the most part, their reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Kara DioGuardi told the 23-year-old Mount Prospect, Ill., native that his voice was a good fit for “radio right now,” Ellen DeGeneres called his performance “great,” while Simon Cowell declared that Lee was “head and shoulders above everyone else” and “may be the one to beat.”

LA Times

Adam Lambert: Sydney Stud

Enjoying some time down under, Adam Lambert was spotted hamming it up at the media call for Sydney, Australia’s Mardi Gras Party today (March 4).

The “American Idol” alum looked handsome in a black zip-up vest over a shiny black shirt with black jeans and black boots.

celebrity-gossip

American Idol’s Adam Lambert explains how he wants to be a positive role model

IT STARTED with a kiss.

Unfortunately for homophobic America, it was a kiss between gay singer Adam Lambert and a male bandmate on live TV as part of the American Music Awards last November.

The kiss lasted seconds but the fallout lingered.

Overnight, Good Morning America axed a planned Lambert performance citing the AMA “controversy” that received 1500 complaints.

Heraldsun.com

‘American Idol’: Katharine McPhee’s advice to the top 20: ‘Pick a direction’

Katharine McPhee hasn’t caught a lot of “American Idol” this season, but she can still feel the show’s impact.

Granted, the season 5 runner-up has had a few things on her plate. In addition to touring in support of her album “Unbroken,” she has a guest-starring role on NBC’s “Community” next week and was just cast in an NBC comedy pilot called “The Pink House.”

Zap2it.com

Syesha Mercado and the original Dreamgirls celebrate opening night at the Ahmanson

“Tonight was really scary,” “American Idol” alum Syesha Mercado said after “Dreamgirls” opened Tuesday night at the Ahmanson Theatre. Season 7’s second runner-up had just arrived at the after-party at downtown L.A.’s J Restaurant and Lounge shortly before the divalicious hour of 1 a.m.

“I’m having a little trouble breathing,” she said. “I was backstage hyperventilating, so during the second act, they had to bring an oxygen tank backstage. It was amazing just to get through tonight. With everybody who was out there, it was very nerve-wracking.”

“Everybody” also included Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance, “High School Musical 3’s” Monique Coleman, Nia Long, “Paranormal Activity’s” Ashley Palmer, “Lincoln Heights’” Eric Hubbard and America’s newest “it” girl, Betty White. Of course, Mercado had her “Idol” peeps in the audience too – David Hernandez and Jordin Sparks, who tweeted, “Syesha killed it as Deena Jones. Amazing job, girl!”

LA Times

Theater review: ‘Dreamgirls’ at the Ahmanson Theatre

Powerhouse singing is hardly in short supply in the bluntly entertaining touring production of “Dreamgirls,” Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger’s groundbreaking 1981 musical loosely based on the career of the “Supremes,” which opened Tuesday at the Ahmanson Theatre.

Residents of downtown Los Angeles may have heard the sonic boom that nearly short-circuited a swath of the city when Moya Angela delivered the first act finale, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” — Effie White’s anthem of heartbreak denial that turned two Jennifers, Holliday and Hudson, into instant national treasures.

LA Times

Just Jason

The first thing you notice about Jason Castro is that he’s totally real. But when he opens his mouth to sing, it’s like watching a different person. “I really think music is an extension of one’s self,” he says. ”One can’t go without the other, so my personality and character are a huge part of the music and that’s what people have told me they love about it – just the realness and that they can feel my heart and the emotion in the songs when I perform them.”

Kidzworld.com

inPhotos: Lil Mo, Williams Record ‘Song’ For Haiti

Lil’ Mo, Michelle Williams and Tye Tribbett were all on hand for the recording of “Prayer Song,” a record benefiting “Hope For Haiti” Tuesday.

Also featuring Krishnar Lewis, Anwar Robinson, Nikki Ross and more, the recording went down at MSR Studios in Time Square (NY). At this point there is no word as to when the single will be released.

Both Michelle Williams and Lil’ Mo tweeted from the event, writing:

Singersroom

‘Dancing with the Stars’ Casting Secrets Revealed

Can you imagine Bill Clinton on “Dancing with the Stars”? How about Jennifer Aniston? Both celebrities would be dream “gets” for Deena Katz, the senior producer on ABC’s hit show.

“I would kill to have Bill Clinton,” Deena tells ET. “I’d love Jennifer Aniston….There’s always the fun Sarah Palins of the world…”

But assembling the celebrity cast for the dance competition is not as easy as it looks. You can’t just say yes to everyone who wants to participate.

“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle — they have to fit in with whatever the cast is,” says Deena.

ETOnline

Chester Gregory (James Early), Syesha Mercado (Deena), Moya Angela (Effie) and Adrienne Warren (Lorell) in “Dreamgirls.” Photo by Joan Marcus / Center Theatre Group.

"Dreamgirls," the 1981 musical about those who controlled the soul charts of the 1960s with payola and charm, clearly has staying power.

The play first debuted only months after MTV was launched, but at a media conference last week the young cast members proudly that YouTube was their research tool of choice while looking to channel the performances of 60s soul singers.

Even in the digital age, though, the show delivers. Unlike the scoundrels that dare to displace the lead diva, the performance running through April 4 at the Ahmanson Theatre keeps its promise to bring excitement to the stage.

With nearly 30 years of productions and the 2006 film as reference, the story is well known. The girl group known as the Dreamettes are lead by the driven Effie Melody White (Moya Angela), Deena Jones (Syesha Mercado) and Lorrell Robinson (Adrienne Warren) who step off the bus directly to the Amateur Night stage at the Apollo Theater (also the venue in which this touring production began its run). Taken in by the smooth Marty (Milton Craig Nealy) and less suave Curtis Taylor Jr. (Chaz Lamar Shepherd), the trio is renamed the Dreams and tapped to be the label's major crossover stars.

The moment when Effie is pushed aside to be replaced by Deena as the lead singer, the Diva is stricken. Her "I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" is a lamented demand to stay front and center of her stage, as much as it is to keep her man. She nails it, and her force of voice and emotion are as chilling as her displacement by the large monitors that whisk her away from the revamped trio.

Like the show, it leaves no chance for subtle moments, often overpowered to move forward high style.

Those monitors are high LED screens that become a backdrop for locations; studio monitors at televsions appearances, backstage wings, Las Vegas after dark and closeups of singers. The staging updates Dreamgirls for a generation that measures success by being sighted on video.

Mixed-media on a stage is a reminder of the very medium that displaced live performances as the measurement of culture. Here, towering monitors spin in and out with the same fury as costume changes.

Chester Gregory takes the role of James "Thunder" Early, channeling a long line of soul men who worked their audience directly. Along with the expected James Brown-esque presence, there is character sampling of Little Richard, Jackie Wilson (who Gregory portrayed on Broadway), Prince, and another 80s connection: Prince and Morris Day. It pains Thunder to leave his royal rawness to croon sad ballads just to appeal to a larger ( read: white) audience. That leads to another show stopping scene, rebelling in front of a large electronic flag, offering his own wardrobe malfunction. Seems Thunder also was the original gangsta.

No matter how many times the audience has seen it, the story is still well-crafted, and the R&B Operetta has singing performances that do not betray what was the original boom box: the human voice pained by lost promises and recovered by redemption.

"Dreamgirls" / Ahmanson Theatre / 8pm Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 8pm Saturdays, 1 and 6:30pm Sundays (Call for exceptions) / Ends April 4 / (213) 972-4400 / Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes with intermission

By Ed Fuentes.

Madrid.- Llamar la atención de una hembra en amplias llanuras cerealistas y estepas no es tarea fácil.

Un estudio liderado por el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) concluye que los machos de avutarda, la mayor ave voladora del mundo con más de quince kilos de peso, dirigen sus colas levantadas hacia el sol para que éste incida sobre el plumaje blanco haciéndolo más brillante y visible a las hembras.

"Las avutardas se comportarían un poco como girasoles", según el director del Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (centro mixto del CSIC, la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha y la Junta de Castilla-La Mancha), que coordina el estudio.

Este cortejo es tan llamativo que los humanos pueden verlo desde más de un kilómetro de distancia en las extensas y llanas estepas o campos de cereal donde vive la especie, según ha informado el CSIC en un comunicado.

El trabajo, publicado por la revista Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, propone que este comportamiento es un modo de mejorar la eficiencia de la comunicación sexual incrementando la visibilidad para atraer a hembras distantes o marcar la posición del macho en cuestión.

Los investigadores realizaron el estudio en Los Oteros, al sureste de la provincia de León, con unos 250 machos en total, en siete lugares de apareamiento diferentes, donde se exhiben los machos y donde van las hembras para elegir con quién copulan.

La tasa de reproducción de la especie es muy baja, pero mantienen una alta longevidad (de hasta 14 a 16 años).

El equipo de biólogos, en el que también ha participado la IE University, en Segovia, y la Aberdeen University, en Escocia, observó que los machos preferían orientarse al sol sólo por la mañana, mientras que por la tarde se orientaban más hacia donde estaban las hembras.

"Por la mañana las hembras parten de sus lugares de dormidero hacia las áreas donde los machos exhiben sus cortejos nupciales y es en ese momento cuando es importante atraerlas desde lugares distantes. Por la tarde, las hembras ya se habrían acercado a los machos a lo largo del día, y éstos se orientarían hacia ellas".

Según los autores, existen muy pocos artículos que demuestren que los animales orientan sus ornamentos sexuales según el sol para maximizar la señal, y éste es el primero en especies de espacios abiertos.

Para el investigador del CSIC, este sistema observado en la avutarda podría funcionar de forma similar en otras especies como la hubara canaria y la avutarda kori.

"Se trataría de maximizar la señal para que el mensaje llegue mejor y lo antes posible al receptor. Comunicarse con los demás es importante a lo largo de la vida, pero es crítico en el momento de la reproducción, ya que hay que convencer a la pareja para llevar a cabo la cópula", señala Viñuela.

El nombre de avutarda vendría de 'ave tarda' (en latín Otis tarda), por la reticencia que a veces muestra este ave a iniciar el vuelo, dado que se halla en el límite de la capacidad física por su alto peso.

Las poblaciones de avutarda han sufrido marcadas regresiones en las últimas décadas, aunque España mantiene las poblaciones más importantes del mundo gracias a que se prohibió su caza a principios de los años 80.

No ano passado, foi anunciado que a série de aventura e fantasia Nurarihyon no Mago (mais conhecida como Nuramago para os íntimos) iria ganhar uma versão animada em 2010. Agora a edição 13 (deste ano) da revista semanal para garotos Shonen Jump, da Shueisha, traz finalmente mais informações: a série ficará sob os cuidados do Studio Deen - cujo currículo inclui séries como Ranma ½ (nos idos dos anos 80, é claro), Blade of the Immortal, Ou Dorobou Jin, Rave Master e vários outros. Além disso, a série animada já ganhou o seu website, que poderá ser visto AQUI (se bem que como oficialmente o anúncio será feito no dia 1º de Março, não deverá ter nada neste site até o dia chegar). Divirtam-se e... ah, sim, para quem ainda não sabe: Nurarihyon no Mago, o mangá original de Hiroshi Shiibashi, conta a história de um garoto parte humano, parte youkai (os demônios/ diabretes/ duendes locais; eles estão presentes em diversos mangás no Japão e tivemos contato com eles aqui no Brasil através da série Inu-Yasha, cuja versão animada passou na Globo e cujos quadrinhos originais foram publicados neste país via JBC), que vive com seu avô em uma casa repleta de espíritos. Seu avô quer que ele se torne o grande mestre dos Youkais do clã Nurari, mas ele quer evitar a todo custo se tornar uma dessas criaturas - praticando várias boas ações para tentar deter o processo. Tem tudo pra emplacar dentro e fora do Japão, e ocupar o nicho comercial do citado Inu-Yasha ao redor do mundo. Além de potencialmente fazer a série deixar de ser um peso-médio dentro da atual grade da Jump e colocá-la nas cabeças.
A série estreará na tv japonesa em Julho e o elenco de dublagem será o mesmo do CD de Radionovela lançado ano passado.



Ofertas: Casio AW-80, The Sims 3, God Of War 2, The Beatles 1, Britney Spears In the Zone

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The first anime film Fate/stay night reunites the core of Studio DEEN's team that did the earlier anime series, along with its voice actors. The movie covers the Unlimited Blade Works storyline from Type-Moon's original games (...)

From office blocks to shopping streets, Moore's sculptures are part of the fabric of Britain – so much so that we no longer notice. A new Tate retrospective wants to make us look again

As a new Tate retrospective prepares to open, it can be difficult to judge the reputation of Henry Moore, in his own lifetime one of the most famous and wealthy artists in the world. It's not that Moore has vanished from the public stage in the years since his death in 1986 — far from it, in fact. Moore's problem is that he has become so ubiquitous as to become near-invisible.

Stand on London's Bond Street, just beneath a massive work by Moore – the four-panel Portland stone Time-Life Screen, installed in 1953 as part of the building of the same name – and you guess that of the thousands of people who pass by every day, barely one looks up, still less admires. The nice American couple I found waiting to have their photograph taken on a park bench between a bronze Churchill and bronze Roosevelt looked startled at being asked what they thought of the Henry Moore. "But that's not by him, is it?" the man said in surprise. "Isn't Moore the guy who punches holes through everything?" If only they'd looked up. Like so much of Moore's work, the Time-Life Screen has become so familiar as to disappear into the background texture of 20th-century British urban life.

It's the same story just down the road in Millbank, where smokers shelter behind the gigantic bronze Locking Piece, and use it as a windbreak. Half a mile away there's another thumping great bronze, the two-section 1962 Knife Edge, opposite the House of Lords – a site chosen by Moore for its high visibility. Half a mile again, and you find Moore's very first public commission, made when he was a teacher at the Royal College of Art, the singularly un-airy West Wind high on the facade of the London Underground block over St James's Park tube station. Take a train to Stevenage and you can locate his first family group – one of many made after the death of his mother and the birth of his only child, Mary, named after her – outside a school, and another that used to be out in the precinct but now takes refuge in the civic centre in Harlow.

An elegant interactive website maintained by the Henry Moore Foundation lists scores more works on public display across 30 sites in Britain alone, from the 1944 Family Group in Aberdeen Art Gallery to the memorial to his friend Christopher Martin in the grounds of Dartington Hall, and even more all over the world, in stone, plaster, bronze, wood, on paper, in tapestries – around 800 works in all.

As the Turner prize-winning artist Simon Starling writes in the catalogue to the new Tate show: "From the beginning, Henry Moore seemed omnipresent – a state-endorsed, global player, the first of his kind perhaps. His huge bronzes seemed to drop from the sky in great meteor showers and felt to my young mind rather clumsy and anachronistic, even provincial." Starling, who won the Turner in 2005 for pieces including Shedboatshed – the shed he dismantled, built into a boat, paddled down the Rhine to a museum and reconstructed as a shed – has also made work directly responding to Moore's, and not necessarily with an admiring eye.

In 2006–07, Starling created a work called Infestation Piece for the Toronto Art Gallery of Ontario, a museum and a city with a complex relationship with Moore. In the late 1950s, a go-getting mayor, Philip Givens, commissioned a major Moore sculpture, The Archer, for its new City Hall. Starling's Infestation Piece is a Moore replica, lowered into the lake until it became encrusted with an invasive species of mussels: a hint that the sculpture itself is a form of alien in the landscape.

The Toronto Art Gallery is the Tate's partner in organising this exhibition. Both museums have world-class collections that were acquired in Moore's lifetime, but Toronto's is much the larger – and the story of how that happened is a fascinating insight into attitudes to Moore in his lifetime. Moore donated major sculptures, drawings, maquettes and other works to the Tate, of which he was a trustee. In the late 1960s, there was discussion of creating a special Henry Moore wing at Tate Britain, which would certainly have attracted many more donations – but the project was seen by some artists as memorialising Moore himself, and attracted bitter criticism. One of the show's curators, Chris Stephens, has written of the episode in an article for the Tate magazine, and of what he terms the "final insult" when in 1968, the year of Moore's 70th birthday, a letter appeared in the Times condemning the proposed wing. It was signed by 41 artists, including his former studio assistants Anthony Caro and Phillip King; not much of a birthday present. Moore donated more than 900 pieces – including some of the works he must have intended for the Tate – to Toronto in 1974, before eventually making another donation to the Tate with no strings attached.

In much the way that his public art now seems commonplace, it is easy to see Moore as invincibly nice and decent: the seventh of eight children of a Yorkshire mining engineer, a scholarship boy who never forgot his working-class roots, whose work speaks of home and family, peace and plenty, a man with socialist sympathies and a pacifist heart. When their London home was damaged in the Blitz, the Moores moved to a modest two-storey rented farmhouse, Hoglands, at Perry Green in Hertfordshire – still a surprisingly remote and rural corner of the home counties. They eventually bought the house and the surrounding fields. Moore added workshops no grander than his neighbours' farm sheds, and extended the house slightly, but it has none of the grandeur you might expect of an artist who became a millionaire many times over while he lived there. Indeed, the Henry Moore Foundation, which now maintains the estate as a museum, archive and outdoor sculpture park, was established not just to ensure his legacy but to mop up some of the millions he would otherwise have spent in tax.

Visitors to Perry Green can tour the house, the handsome antique-filled dining room, the bright drawing room with Scandinavian-design modern furniture where grander visitors were received – and the claustrophobic sitting room where the Moores actually spent most of their leisure time, a space filled with rickety furniture that you wouldn't be surprised to see in a charity shop. The house reflects the popular image of the artist as "an easygoing, avuncular figure who produced an equally easygoing form of modern sculpture", as Stephens says – an image which the exhibition will attempt to destroy. There is, the curators aim to show, a lot more to Moore than monumental decency, despite his undergoing the national beatification which befell John Betjeman and has almost smothered Alan Bennett.

The exhibition will bring together more than 150 works, from the early white marble Dog carved in 1922, to a Reclining Figure in seductively polished elm, completed in 1978 when Moore was 80. There will be works in stone, bronze and plaster; working drawings and finished works on paper – including the famous Blitz sleepers in London's Underground – and his cramped and contorted miners, who are given an archaic grandeur by the artist. Stephens sees anger, darkness and violence in many of these works – born, he believes, from the first-world-war experience that marked Moore for life: the artist was gassed at Cambrai and was among just 52 survivors from a 400-strong battalion. There is a sinister edge to many pieces, he argues, and a raw sexuality in all those holes and protruberances.

The elm reclining figures are exceptional. Moore himself never saw them together: the first was begun in 1935, and in his lifetime they were scattered across different collections. The surrealist painter Gordon Onslow Ford, who bought the 1939 version of the sculptures, wrote: "I felt that I was in the presence of the mother earth goddess." The critic David Sylvester was one of many who saw something almost menacing in its form – "the sacrificed and resurrected god of a fertility rite". Such views are a timely reminder that the artist was once seen as so threateningly modern that Roland Penrose's neighbours reacted in outrage when he put a Moore Mother and Child in his Hampstead front garden. And when an Essex new town commissioned a work entitled Harlow Family Group, it provoked a public demonstration by people fearful that the sculpture was an obscene jeer at Harlow's "pram town" nickname.

"In contrast to the dominant idea of Moore, we propose that he presented the body as abject, erotic, vulnerable, violated and visceral," Stephens writes. "They are part of a wider challenge to reason, of the redfinition of the human body as discontinuous, fluid and driven by deep unconscious forces, and of a world characterised by apprehension and anxiety, the uncanny and the absurd. Moore's is a troubled and troubling art that digs into the very essence of modern experience." That would be news to the tourists in Bond Street and the Millbank smokers – but maybe it is indeed time they looked again.