FUNimation gets Shuffle!, My Santa
licenses two romantic comedy animes
FUNimation continues licensing more animes for North American distribution, including the romantic comedies Shuffle! and Itsudatte My Santa. FUNimation also has admitted
(Source: www.icv2.com)
FUNimation Productions continues its quest to gets its hands on every possible anime out there, by licensing two more romantic comedy animes: the 24-episode Shuffle! (directed by Naoto Hosoda) and Ken Akamatsu's 2-episode OVA Itsudatte My Santa. Both titles aired in Japan in 2005, and both are slated for a Fall 2007 release.
Shuffle! is a harem comedy anime, based on the popular computer game by Navel. The anime follows the adventures of 17-year-old Rin, who is romanced by several girls, including both the daughter of the King of the Gods and the King of Demons' daughter. Although there are plenty of "accidental" panty shots (a common feature of the harem anime genre) Shuffle! lacks the X-rated H-scenes in the original computer game (these were also removed from the Playstation adaptation).
Itsudatte My Santa is a 2-episode OVA based on the Kodansha manga by Ken Akamatsu (Love Hina, Negima!: Magister Negi Magi). It's about a hapless student at the Santa Claus Academy named Mai. Mai is sent to cheer up a young man named Santa who, due to his name and the fact that he was born on December 24th, hates Christmas.
In other FUNimation news, the company has now admitted that it has acquired the rights to the wildly popular anime Mushishi. This was one of the titles that FUNimation mentioned in its cease and desist letter to fansubbers last October. Other titles mentioned in that letter, which FUNimation has now admitted owning the North American rights to, include Ragnarok: The Animation and Suzuka.
There is as yet no word on the fate of the other titles mentioned in FUNimation's C&D, such as XXXholic TV, Sakura Taisen: Le Nouveau Paris or ATASHIn'CHI.
