3rd Junjō Romantica TV Anime to Premiere on July 8

This year's July issue of the Animage magazine is revealing on Wednesday that Junjō Romantica 3, the third season of theJunjō Romantica boys-love anime series, will premiere on July 8. The series will air on Tokyo MX TV, Sun TV, AT-X, tvk,Chiba TV, BS-11, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting, TV Saitama, Mie TV Broadcasting, and Gifu Broadcasting.

The new and returning cast members include:

• Takahiro Sakurai as Misaki Takahashi
• Hikaru Hanada as Akihiko Usami
• Nana Mizuki as Kaoruko Usami
• Noriko Namiki as Eri Aikawa
• Kishô Taniyama as Takahiro Takahashi
• Hiro Shimono as Mizuki Shiiba
• Wataru Hatano as Shinnosuke Tōdō
• Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Ryō Shizukuishi
• Hozumi Gôda as Kyō Ijūin
• Kousuke Toriumi as Haruhiko Usami
• Juurouta Kosugi as Fuyuhiko Usami

Chiaki Kon is once again directing at Studio DEEN with Yoko Kikuchi designing the characters.MOKA* (Kayo Konishi, Yukio Kondoo) is also returning to compose the music with Lantisproducing. The band Fo'xTails will perform the show's opening theme "Innocent Graffiti," while the band Luck Life will perform the ending song "Kawaranai Sora."

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TMS Streams 2nd Episode of Dededen Anniversary Anime With Seibu Railways

Shorts by Kimi ni Todoke/My Little Monster animators mark studio's 50th year, railways' 100th year

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Animation studio TMS Entertainment began streaming the second short in Dededen, its new original anime with Seibu Railways, on Sunday. The anime celebrates both the 50th anniversary ofTMS Entertainment and the 100th anniversary of Seibu Railways. TMS Entertainment happens to be located near the Araiyakushimae Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line.

The studio streamed the first episode in March.

The anime follows the daily life of the main lead Amoru Tokorozawa and the railway. TMS plans to make five episodes, each 75 seconds long. The anime is running on the trains' onboard SmileVision screens, as well as on the Smile StationVision screens around major stations from February 23 to December 31.

Hiro Kaburaki is directing the anime with Norihiro Naganuma, his assistant director on Kimi ni Todoke - From Me to You, My Little Monster, and Hozuki's Coolheadedness. Kayoko Ishikawa(Aikatsu! design works) designed the characters, and S.E.N.S. (Kimi ni Todoke - From Me to You,xxxHOLiC, Ore Monogatari!!) scored the music.

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Arslan Senki x Musou Game's 1st TV Ad Streamed

Pre-orders start on June 11 for PS4, PS3 game shipping this fall

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KOEI Tecmo Games began streaming a television ad on Sunday for the Arslan Senki x MusouPlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 game.

Narrator: Experience the anime's world on the PlayStation. Arslan Senki x Musou.
Text: Planned release date: Fall 2015
Narrator and Text: Pre-orders start on June 11

KOEI Tecmo Games and Omega Force are developing the Warriors-style game based on Hiromu Arakawa and Yoshiki Tanaka's The Heroic Legend of Arslan manga. Players will be able to reenact scenes from the manga in the game. The game's story will start with the battle of Atropatene. Confirmed playable characters so far include Arslan, Daryun, Narsus, and Elam. KOEI TecmoGames plans to release the game this fall.

KOEI Tecmo's Musou action game franchise includes Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, andWarriors Orochi. Other collaborative games in the franchise have included Dynasty WarriorsGundam, One Piece: Pirate Warriors, and Hyrule Warriors.

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Delayed Blood Blockade Battlefront Finale Conflicts With Durarara!!x2 Season 2 Premiere

The Blood Blockade Battlefront television anime is delaying its final episode until the July 4-5 weekend, but the first station to air the finale had already scheduled the premiere of the second Durarara!!×2 season in the same timeslot.

Blood Blockade Battlefront will air the special compilation episode 10.5 "Soresaemo Saitei de Saikō na Hibi" (Even These Are the Worst and Best Days Ever) next week. Episode 11 "paint it black" will then premiere first on the Osaka station MBS on June 20 at 26:28 (effectively June 21 at 2:28 a.m.), followed by the final episode "Hello, world!" on July 4 at 26:28 (July 5 at 2:28 a.m.).

However, MBS had already scheduled the premiere of the Durarara!!×2 Ten season for the same 26:28 timeslot on July 4. Tokyo MX will air the final Blood Blockade Battlefront episode one day later, when it will not conflict with Tokyo MX's Durarara!!×2 Ten premiere schedule.

The Durarara!!×2 anime website has not updated its schedule to address this time conflict.

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New Dragon Ball Super Anime's Ending Storyboard, Logo Teased

The Twitter account for the new Dragon Ball Super television anime previewed the storyboards for the ending animation sequence on Saturday.

This weekend's episode of Dragon Ball Z Kai (Dragon Ball Kai in Japan) ended with a new logo art for Dragon Ball Super. The staff has not confirmed that this is the finalized logo for the series.

Dragon Ball Super will premiere on July 5 on Fuji TV and other channels, and it will run on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. This will be the first new Dragon Ball television series since Dragon Ball GT, which aired from 1996 to 1997. The story of the anime is set a few years after the defeat of Majin Buu, when the Earth has become peaceful once again.

Toriyama is credited as the original creator, as well as for "original story & character concepts."Toei Animation's Kimitoshi Chioka (Hakaba Kitarō, Kamisama Kazoku) is the series director, andNaoko Sagawa (Yomiko Advertising, Inc.) and Atsushi Kido (Toei Animation) join Osamu Nozaki as producers. Kido entered Toei just as the company was animating the Dragon Ball Z anime's Frieza arc. Masako Nozawa, the voice of Goku, Gohan, and Goten, is returning for the series.

Kazuya Yoshii will perform the opening theme "Chōzetsu☆Dynamic" (Excellent Dynamic) and rock band Good Morning America will perform the ending theme "Hello Hello Hello."

Toyotarō will draw the show's manga adaptation in Shueisha's V Jump magazine.

A new film taking place after the Majin Buu Saga, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', premiered in Japan in April. The film will eventually screen in 74 countries worldwide. Funimation hosted the North American premiere of the film on April 11 in Los Angeles. The company plans to release the film in more theaters with an English dub this summer.

Thanks to calimike1 and Austin for the news tipd

[Via Dragon Blog Z]

Logo via Ajay, Kanzenshuu

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GTO Paradise Lost Manga Goes on Hiatus Until Winter

Tohru Fujisawa's spinoff of his original Great Teacher Onizuka manga

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This year's 28th issue of Kodansha's Young Magazine is announcing on Monday that Tohru Fujisawa is putting his GTO: Paradise Lost manga on hiatus, starting in the next issue. He plans to resume the manga this winter. Kodansha will publish the third compiled volume in August.

Fujisawa launched this spinoff of his GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) manga in Kodansha's Young Magazine on April 14, 2014. Crunchyroll has been offering the manga online, including latest chapters as they come out in Japan.Crunchyroll describes the story:

The next stage for Eikichi Onizuka: Kissho Academy's Class G, a newly-established class for young celebrities. But as Onizuka soon finds out, his new teaching assignment is no superstar paradise—it's a super problem class, feared by all!

Tokyopop and Vertical published the various GTO manga titles in North America, including GTO: The Early Years. The original manga inspired a television anime, as well as several live-actionadaptations.

Fujisawa launched the manga Oishii Kamishama in Shogakukan's Shonen Sunday magazine in September. He ended his Kamen Teacher Black (the sequel to his four-volume Kamen Teachermanga series) in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine in October.

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Bloodstained by Castlevania's IGA Gets Physical PS Vita Release

Kickstarter campaign meets US$3.5-million stretch goal

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The Kickstarter fundraising campaign for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the new game by former Castlevania producer Koji "IGA" Igarashi, reached its stretch goal of US$3.5 million (including PayPal contributions) for a PS Vita version on Friday. The staff are planning both digital and physical releases for the PS Vita, as well as for the other platforms.

The creators were already planning to release the game on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Wii U. Texas-based Armature Studio (Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate) will handle development of the Wii U version and the PS Vita version. Armature said that they are thinking of adding the following to the PS Vita version:

• Music Export – We thought it would be awesome to be able to export the game's music to the Vita's music library. So we're going to do that.
• PS4 Cross Save Support – Obviously, we'll need to work with the PS4 dev team on this, but we've done cross save before and we'd love to do it again.
• Touch Screen Support – Remember how we mentioned drawing on the map on the WiiU version? Why not do that for Vita too? And scrub around the map with your finger as well.
• PlayStation TV - We'll also make sure that the game is fully playable on the PS TV. 

Additionally, the campaign met the US$3.25 million stretch goal for an asynchronous online multiplayer mode. The mode would allow players to "borrow" a friend's character stats for a certain amount of time, allow players to see a friend's "ghost data" (e.g. seeing a friend's saved character movements while fighting a boss), and more.

The remaining stretch goals will add orchestrated tracks (US$3.75 million), an online challenge mode (US$4 million), a third playable character (U$4.25 million), a prequel mini-game for PC/consoles (US$4.5 million), and a prequel mini-game for the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS (US$4.75 million)

The project met its initial goal of US$500,000 within four hours of launching on May 11. It has since surpassed several other stretch goals, including its US$850,000 goal to add voice-acting by David Hayter (Metal Gear Solid's Snake). Igarashi stated that he has partners that will provide further funding if the demand is proven.

The campaign will end on Friday, June 12 at 11:00 p.m. EDT.

Bloodstained -Ritual of the Night- will be an "action-adventure game in the gothic horror style." The game will offer single-player, collaborative, and versus modes. The Kickstarter describes the game:

You are Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes your skin. You must battle your way through a demon-filled castle summoned by Gebel, your old friend whose body has become more crystal than flesh.

Igarashi (Castlevania, Tokimeki Memorial) will helm the game, and Michiru Yamane (Skullgirls) and Ippo Yamada (Megaman) will serve as sound producers and composers.

Igarashi left Konami to form his own development studio last year.

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Uran's New Paradise of Innocence Anime Unveils Video, Cast, Staff

I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying's Baba designs characters in August DVD

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The July issue of Hakusensha's Young Animal Arashi magazine unveiled the cast and revised staff for the new original anime DVD (OAD) of Uran's seventh Mujaki no Rakuen (Paradise of Innocence) manga on Friday. The anime's official website is also streaming a promotional video.

(Warning: the video is not safe for work.)

As previously announced, Takashi Nishikawa (Strange+, Sin Strange Plus) is directing the anime, and Softgarage is collaborating on the production. (Hideki Araki directed the first anime DVD last year.) Ryuichi Baba (I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying) is designing the characters and serving as animation director.

The returning cast includes:

• Yasuaki Takumi as Shōta
• Mayuka Nomura as Konomi
• Sachie Hirai as Manatsu
• Nana Inoue as Nako
• Ayano Niina as Rio
• Kanami Satou as Sayo

In the popular "nostalgic & innocent story," Shōta is sent back in time to his elementary school days via a mysterious school pool. He see Konomi-chan, a girl who would eventually become a nationally popular actress, and other cute girls when they were innocent and defenseless.

The eighth manga volume will bundle the new OAD in a limited edition on August 28. The manga was previously adapted into an earlier original anime DVD. The DVD was bundled with the manga's sixth limited-edition volume. Uran launched the manga in Hakusensha 's Young Animal Arashi magazine in 2011.

The manga was removed from Amazon Japan in May.

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Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. Make Video Game Hall of Fame's First Class

Pong, Tetris, Doom, World of Warcraft also inducted on Thursday

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The Strong, the self-described "national museum of play" in Rochester, New York, opened the World Video Game Hall of Fame on Thursday. The hall's inaugural class of games are Pong (1972),Pac-Man (1980), Tetris (1984), Super Mario Bros. (1985), Doom (1993), and World of Warcraft(2004).

The larger field of 15 finalists also included Angry Birds, FIFA, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, The Oregon Trail, Pokémon, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders.

The museum describes the selection process:

Anyone may nominate a game to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Nominations for the class of 2016 will be accepted through March 31, 2016. Final selections will be made on the advice of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.

The museum's International Center for the History of Electronic Games is hosting a permanent display of the Hall of Fame honorees in its eGameRevolution exhibit. The museum also houses the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the Woodbury School, and the American Journal of Play.

Source: The New York Times

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Girls & Panzer Film Unveils New Teaser Trailer, Asami Seto in Cast

Show gets its Ibaraki TV premiere in July, orchestra concert in November

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The Girls und Panzer special and series marathon on the Niconico Live service debuted a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Girls und Panzer der Film (Girls & Panzer Gekijō-ban) on Saturday:

Narrator: Two years after the TV series' moving finale, your battle begins now!
Text: Two years after the moving finale
Text: That was guided by fate
Text: A story of recapturing
Text: Verlaine's "Chanson d'automne"
Voice: "Les sanglots longs / Des violons / De l'automne"
Text: Encrypted communications
Text: Operation commences
Text: The biggest tank battle ever!!
Voice: Flowers can bloom anywhere
Text: Senshadō
Text: Nishi-zumi-ryū
Text: Successor
Text: Collapse
Voice: Fate is fickle
Text: A new enemy
Text: An ally?
Text: The fateful battle
Narrator & Voice: Girls und Panzer der Film
Narrator & Voice: Take back…
Text: Advance tickets & MovieTicket cards with illustrated clear file folders now on sale at participating theaters! 13 kinds for 1,500 yen [about US$12] each

The live stream also announced on Saturday that Asami Seto will play the Chihatan Academy's unit commander Kinuyo Nishi in the film.

The first set of 13 different advance tickets and 13 different MovieTicket cards went on sale on Saturday, and each comes with one of 13 different bonus illustrated clear file folder. The second set of tickets will have an exclusive illustration, and third set will come with art by character designer Isao Sugimoto and a text story by head scriptwriter Reiko Yoshida.

The television series will run again on TV Tokyo (July 12) TV Hokkaido (July 14), TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting (July 8), Shizuoka Broadcasting System (July 7), and BS 11 (July 7). This will mark the over-the-air television premiere of the series in Ibaraki Prefecture, the real-life setting of the anime's story.

The cast members will hold a public recording of their Usagi-san Team, Chū! radio program at the Ōarai Umibiraki (Beach Opening Ceremony) event on July 11. The event will offer a "Umibiraki set" for sale:

 

The radio program will begin running on the Ibaraki Radio station on July 4 at 9:30 p.m.

The Tokyo Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will hold a Girls & Panzer Orchestra Concert at the Yokosuka Arts Theatre on November 3.

The film will open in Japanese theaters on November 21, and ChouCho will perform the theme song. The new film in the Girls und Panzer franchise with an all-original story was announced in 2013, although it was initially planned for release last year. The television anime series' Tsutomu Mizushima is returning to direct the film, and the main cast is also returning.

The anime franchise began with a television series that premiered in 2012. The story centers around high school girls who drive tanks that exist in real life, as they compete in teams.Crunchyroll and Anime Network both streamed the anime outside Japan. An all-new original video anime (OVA) titled "Kore ga Hontō no Anzio-sen Desu!" (This is the Real Anzio Battle!) premieredin Japanese theaters last July, and the anime shipped on DVD and Blu-ray later that month.

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2nd Utawarerumono Game Gets TV Anime in October

Keiji Fujiwara, Risa Taneda star in White Fox's 25-episode Itsuwari no Kamen anime

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King Records announced on Sunday that a television anime adaptation of Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen (Utawarerumono: The False Mask), the upcoming second game in theUtawarerumono series, has been green-lit. The anime will premiere in October and last 25 episodes over two cours (quarters of the year).

Weekly Famitsu magazine teased the game's story:

When I came to, I realized I was standing in the middle of a vast, snowy plain I knew nothing of. I didn't know how I got there. And to add to that, I couldn't remember anything, not even my name. I stood there, dumbfounded at my absurd situation. But then, as if to spite me further, a gigantic monster suddenly appeared, an insect-like creature that began to bear down on me. I tried desperately to run, but it cornered me into a hopeless situation. It was then that the girl appeared. Her name was Kuon. It was this beautiful girl, who bore an animal's ears and tail, who saved my life.

Keitaro Motonaga (Date A Live, ToHeart - Remember my memories, School Days) is directing the anime at the studio WHITE FOX. Masahiko Nakata (Utawarerumono, Tears to Tiara) is adapting the original character designs by Tatsuki Amazuyu (Utawarerumono, Tears to Tiara, ToHeart2franchise) and Misato Mitsumi (ToHeart2 franchise). Munemitsu Suga is supervising the scenario, and Takamitsu Kouno (ToHeart2ad, Utawarerumono OAV, We Without Wings - Under the Innocent Sky, Abnormal Physiology Seminar) is serving as series script supervisor. Naoya Shimokawa (To Heart franchise) and AQUAPLUS are credited with the music.

Some of the game's cast members are also voicing the anime:

Keiji Fujiwara as Haku. Kuon saved him and gave him a name. He has lost most of his memories, and his origins are unclear.

Risa Taneda as Kuon. A doctor with ears and tail like an animal's. Separated from her homeland, she encounters Haku while traveling along leisurely. 

Ai Kakuma as Rurutie, a princess in waiting of Kujūri, a colony of the great country Yamato

Inori Minase as Nekone, Ukon's little sister

Kentarou Tone as Ukon, who Haku and Kuon got to know at a tavern 

The adventure simulation game takes place in a world where people have animal ears and tails, and rival generals battle for supremacy. In the original game, the player commanded units in tactical combat, while also progressing the story through dialogue with the characters.

The game features several more actors from the first Utawarerumono game: Miyuki Sawashiro(Aruru), Kaya Miyake (Touka), Atsuko Tanaka (Karura), Rie Kugimiya (Camus), Tsuyoshi Koyama(Kurou), and Daisuke Namikawa (Benawi). Other new cast members include Ayane Sakura, Misaki Kuno, Takuya Eguchi, Ayumu Murase, Chinatsu Akasaki, Takahiro Sakurai, Yumi Hara, Saori Hayami, and Nozomi Yamamoto.

The second game is slated for a September 24 release for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita in Japan. Regular versions will retail for 6,800 yen (around US$56) and a premium edition will retail for 9,800 yen (around US$81). The producer also promised that the third game will be released within one-and-a-half to two years after the release of the second.

AQUAPLUS released the original Utawarerumono game in 2002 for the PC. It inspired a 2006 television anime series and a 2009 original video anime series. ADV Films released the television series in North America in 2007, and Funimation has since picked up the North American release rights.

Arō Shimakusa also launched a manga adaptation of the game in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine, which ran from Septermber 2005 to November 2006. Atlus USA released the PS3 fighting game Aquapazza in November 2013. The game contained characters from the originalUtawarerumono game, alongside other characters from the AQUAPLUS and Leaf game library.

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Aniplex USA to Release 1st Aldnoah.Zero Season on BD, DVD with Dub, Sub

English dub cast revealed, Bang Zoom! to hold open auditions at Anime Expo

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Aniplex of America announced the details of its home videorelease of the first season of Aldnoah.Zero at its panel at A-Kon on Saturday. The company will release the first 12-episode season on both Blu-ray Disc and DVD in two sets. The sets will include Japanese and English audio with English and Spanish subtitles.

Aniplex of America will release the first set on July 21, and the second set on October 27. Pre-orders for both volumes start on June 8.

Aniplex also revealed the English dub cast for the series:

Inaho Kaizuka: Max Mittelman
Slaine Troyard: Zach Aguilar
Asseylum Vers Allusia: Erika Harlacher
Rayet Areash: Cristina Vee
Inko Amifumi: Erica Mendez
Calm Craftman: Bryce Papenbrook
Nina Klein: Christine Marie Cabanos
Okisuke Mikuni: Bobby Thong
Yuki Kaizuka: Erica Lindbeck
Koichiro Marito: Matt Mercer
Soma Yagarai: Ethan Murray
Darzana Magbaredge: Julie Ann Taylor
Kaoru Mizusaki: Trina Loo
Eddelrittuo: Sandy Fox
Cruhteo: Lex Lang
Saazbaum: Kirk Thornton
Trillram: Todd Haberkorn
Vlad: Patrick Seitz
Kisaki Matsuribi: Kyle McCarley
Yutaro Tsumugi: Lucien Dodge
Shigo Kakei: Alan Lee
Femieanne: Carrie Keranen
John Humeray: Ben Diskin
Orlane: Mela Lee
Rayregalia Vers Rayvers: Geoffrey Chalmers

Aniplex of America will host an English dub premiere event at Anime Expo. The company will show the first three episodes and host a Q&A event with Mittelman (Inaho), Aguilar (Slaine), and Harlacher (Asseylum). Aniplex of America and Bang Zoom! Entertainment will also hold open auditions for additional dub cast members at Anime Expo. Aniplex of America noted that Aguilar and Mittelman were previous participants of the open auditions event.

The two companies will also host an Open Auditions Kick-off Panel at Anime Expo on July 2 to announce another title from Aniplex of America that will be getting an English dub, and attendees can also audition for that title as well as Aldnoah.Zero.

The company is also streaming an English dub trailer and a cast message video.

The first limited edition Blu-ray Disc set of Aldnoah.Zero will include the textless opening, promotional videos and TV ads, the "Count to A/Z" interview program with the cast and staff, a 36-page "Character Archives" booklet, collectable pin-ups, and a box illustration by mechadesigner I-IV. The limited edition will retail for US$94.98, but the store price will be US$74.98. The DVD will include the same video extras, and will retail for US$39.98, but the store price will be US$29.98.

The second limited edition Blu-ray Disc set will include the textless endings, the English version trailer, a 36-page "Mecha Archives" booklet, collectable pin-ups, and a box illustration by mechadesigner I-IV. The limited edition will retail for US$94.98, but the store price will be US$74.98. The DVD will include the same video extras, and will retail for US$39.98, but the store price will be US$29.98.

Aniplex of America streamed the first season on the Aniplex Channel, Hulu, Crunchyroll, andDaisuki when it premiered in July 2014.

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