Hey, everyone!

Here’s what’s going in the world of Anime today:

• Otakon is Hosting FLOW as Part of the Rock Band's World Tour

• Brazil, Japan, & Korea Execute Anti-Piracy Raid on 11 Homes

• Crunchyroll Adds '80s Classic to Its Mecha Anime Lineup

• Limited-Edition Attack on Titan Anime Metal Art Collection Releasing in 33 Countries

Meme of the Day

Otakon is Hosting FLOW as Part of the Rock Band's World Tour

Otakon convention's staff announced that rock band FLOW will perform at this year's event on August 2nd as part of their FLOW World Tour: Anime Shibari 2024-2025. This tour will exclusively feature songs the band has performed for anime. The tour visuals even depict the band members as anime characters.

The tour will begin in Sydney, Australia, in July and then travel across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Some tour dates include stops in Portland, San Jose, Anaheim, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Kansas City, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. More dates will be announced later.

The band is known for various anime theme songs, including Eureka Seven, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, The Seven Deadly Sins, the Naruto series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Heroman, Samurai Flamenco, Tales of Zestiria the X, Durarara! ×2 Ketsu, and Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods.

Otakon 2024 is scheduled for August 2-4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Tickets can be purchased here.

Brazil, Japan, & Korea Execute Anti-Piracy Raid on 11 Homes

Anime pirates, beware! The Ministry of Justice and Public Security in Brazil. Reported on April 25th, 2024, the successful execution of the second phase of Operation Animes, aimed at combating internet piracy related to Japanese and Korean animations and webtoons. This operation, conducted in collaboration with the Japanese anti-piracy unit CODA and the Korean equivalent COA, led to the arrest of several operators of piracy sites.

Japan and Korea have been proactive in combating piracy both domestically and internationally. Notably, Japan recently prosecuted an overseas anime piracy site for the first time, demonstrating a significant step in its fight against piracy. Japan's CODA has also renewed agreements with Netflix and major film studios to address the growing piracy issue. You can read more here.

Crunchyroll Adds '80s Classic to Its Mecha Anime Lineup

Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, a science fiction/mecha anime series by Artmic and Tatsunoko, is making its way to Crunchyroll, offering fans a chance to rediscover this forgotten gem. Originally airing from 1983 to 1984, MOSPEADA is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, where humans battle alien invaders known as the Inbit. Central to their fight are transforming armored bikes called Mospeada.

Despite its brief 25-episode run, MOSPEADA's legacy was overshadowed mainly by franchises like Macross and Robotech. Interestingly, footage from MOSPEADA was used in Harmony Gold's Robotech series alongside Macross and Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross.

The release of MOSPEADA on Crunchyroll coincides with the announcement that several Macross anime will be added to Disney+ later in 2024. This move allows MOSPEADA to shine anew and find its place among other classic mecha anime available on streaming platforms like Crunchyroll, alongside entries from the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. You can watch a trailer here.

Limited-Edition Attack on Titan Anime Metal Art Collection Releasing in 33 Countries

FANitem has unveiled its latest series of metal artworks inspired by the iconic dark fantasy series Attack on Titan. This collection features stunning animation stills printed on solid tin plates with a monochrome finish. Similar to previous releases, Series Three includes black-and-white and full-color pieces, each in a sleek black aluminum frame. With 17 designs in total, capturing scenes from Seasons 1-3 of the anime, these artworks are incredibly limited. Only 100 prints are available for each design, priced at $73.00 per piece.

Fans of Attack on Titan's diverse cast will appreciate the inclusion of main characters such as Eren Yaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Levi Ackerman, Historia Reiss, and Reiner Braun, among others. Notable highlights from the collection include a heartwarming image of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin laughing together, symbolizing their strong bond, and Design No. 43, featuring an infant, Eren Yaeger, with his parents. These metal artworks offer fans a unique opportunity to commemorate their favorite moments and characters from the beloved anime series. Purchase the prints here.

Did you know?

Eren's Titan form in Attack on Titan is said to be inspired by a Japanese MMA fighter.

Eren's Titan form draws inspiration from the physique of Yūshin Okami, a Japanese martial artist and former UFC fighter. Isayama noted Okami possessed the "ideal physique of a middleweight mixed martial artist."

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