What’s up guys, hope your day’s been going well.  It’s Ayron here, bringing you the latest in the animanga and gaming worlds!  The past week has seen some rather interesting developments, regarding some pretty big anime movies, and of course, has seen the advent of perhaps the most hyped-up video game console of all time.  Without further ado, let’s get to it!

Anime News:

Shingeki no Kyojin in US Theaters?

On Funimation’s blog on March 3rd,  it was announced that Funimation had acquired the rights to the two Attack on Titan recap movies: Guren no Yumiya, and Jiyuu no Tsubasa.  Releasing in theaters across the United States on March 27th, and March 28th-29th respectively, the two movies will serve as preparation for the release of the second season on April 1st!  With a sneak peek of the second season at the end of Jiyuu no Tsubasa, they’re certain to be events that you’e going to want to buy tickets for right away: after all, they’re only going to be out for those three days.

An obvious cash grab on the part of Funimation, it can’t be denied that these events will certainly be interesting.  Getting to see Shingeki no Kyojin in theaters will quite honestly be something- I mean, remember the show’s great soundtrack?  Its epic fights and animations?  It’ll be crazy I’m sure, great prep for the upcoming second season- not to mention, a good opportunity to get to meet up with other good fans of the show!  If you have friends you’d like to go with, this certainly sounds like quite the enjoyable time: check out the showtimes and theaters at this website, if you think you might be interested!

Hayate the Combat Butler, Coming to An End!

One of the most renowned and long-running Rom-Com, Action manga series, Hayate the Combat Butler, was announced to be ending on April 12th.  As of today, March 8th, the manga will end in 6 chapters, totaling 568 chapters altogether, and 51 volumes once the series is completed.  The series centers around the young, unfortunate Hayate Ayasaki, who finds himself saddled with huge debt, ending up becoming Nagi Sanzenin’s butler in order to work it off.  Oblivious to Nagi’s feelings towards himself, Hayate fights to protect her, fulfill his duties as a butler, and overall, gets involved in a ton of crazy adventures and shenanigans along the way.

Hayate the Combat Butler has produced four anime series, a Light Novel, video games, a live-action TV show, an anime movie, and even more miscellaneous merchandise, so its immense popularity cannot be understated.  It’s one of those series that many people have, at the very least, heard of, being around since 2004, which makes it even more significant that the series will soon be coming to an end.  However, for fans of the author, Kenjiro Hata, there’s no need to worry: he has confirmed that he wishes to start a new series later this year.  Will this new series hold up to Hayate The Combat Butler?  I guess only time can tell.

I Choose You!  Pokemon Revisiting its Anime Roots

Just last Wednesday, the newest trailer for the 20th Pokemon movie was released, and its release date, in line with previous years, is set for summer: July 15th.  However, it does not feature the newest legendaries, it does not feature the most recent iteration of Ash Ketchum: rather, it will recap the story of the bond between Ash and Pikachu!  Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the anime series, this movie was teased in December, but all we knew was that it featured the legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh, and seemed to be set in the new Alola region.  However, with this new trailer, we know a bit more: specifically, how it seems to be a direct tribute and re-imagining of the growth of Ash.

Personally, as someone who loved the original series growing up, I can’t be more hyped for this.  It’ll be quite interesting to see how exactly this new movie portrays Ash- and of course, what new content will be added that makes the story of the movie something unique.  It’s still quite a ways away, but hey, for any fans of the original series, I’m sure it’ll be something to look forward to!

Gaming News:

The Nintendo Switch’s Success!

The one big story that has overshadowed nearly every piece of gaming news, is omnipresent now, is that of the Nintendo Switch.  Released on March 3rd, the new Nintendo console has been hyped up to absurd amounts, and everyone’s been wondering, does it meet up to those expectations?   How does it hold up in the modern age?

Well, at the very least, it can be said that the hype has paid off for Nintendo in the short-term.  According to Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Amie, the first two day of sales has exceeded that of any console that Nintendo had ever released in North America.  In Japan, Famitsu has estimated that 330,637 units have been sold- an impressive number, but not quite record-breaking.  That being said, the Switch still has a ways to go before any celebration can be had- it is unknown whether or not it will be able to surpass the Wii U, much less the Wii, and only 5 days in to its life cycle, it is honestly hard to predict what will happen.

Criticism for the Switch has come from many places, pointing out a lackluster initial game library, comparatively weaker hardware, and a lack of non-gaming applications.  In response, Reggie continues to state that good titles, third-party support, and non-gaming applications will come with time, steadily, and consistently.  Noting indie developers in particular, with games like Voez, Shovel Knight, and Stardew Valley, as well as businesses like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, Nintendo has promised that the best is yet to come.

On the other hand, considering the games that are out now, there has been mixed reception to most titles, but let’s be honest, there’s only one game that has stolen everyone’s attention.  The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild has proven to meet every expectation in the eyes of almost everyone who’s had the opportunity to play it.  Garnering perfect scores from a variety of reviewers, the question has arisen whether or not it has surpassed the original Ocarina of Time, a testament to the strength of the game.  Perhaps, if Nintendo continues to release such games, as they promised, the Switch will continue to thrive.  However, we’ve still got a ways to go- so, good luck to Nintendo- here’s hoping that they’ll pull it off!