News roundup: Catching up on Sengoku Basara news right before this weekend's Basara Matsuri

Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote one of these! The Sengoku Basara series has been reasonably quiet over the last few months, so I've been catching up on real life (and playing lots of Final Fantasy XIV). Thank you all very much for the notes/corrections/suggestions on my Sanada Yukimura-den guide; I'll update that very soon but the comments section has a lot of great information from the community. I also need to update it to reflect the changes to the DLC pricing, and the expanded availability of the mascot costumes for Benmaru and Bontenmaru which are now available for purchase.

I'm going to make this news roundup less detailed than my old ones since there's a lot to get through.

Announcements are expected tomorrow at the latest Basara Matsuri event

I never got around to announcing it at all but the big Basara Matsuri 2017 ~Mononofu Katari~ celebration is taking place this Sunday 5th February 2017 at the Maihama Amphitheater in Chiba! There will be two separate events on the same day, one at 14:00 and the other at 18:00. Tickets cost between ¥7,200 and ¥8,200 each depending on the seat.

The theme of this event, which was originally revealed several months ago, is loosely a celebration of the Yukimura collaborations we had throughout 2016. Mononofu is a fairly specific word for a brave warrior which has a very strong association with the historical Sanada Yukimura in Japan, so he's the star attraction this time. I bet Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune) turns up as a secret guest at the end though; it happens so often now that it's no longer really a surprise! The main attraction is being advertised as live voice performances by the star-studded seiyuu cast including a special story created just for the event, and we can also expect some brand new information from KobaP.

Sadly I can't attend in person this year - which is upsetting as Noto-san will be there and I would have loved to see her - so I won't be writing up a detailed report, but any announcements made at the event should receive full press coverage (and of course, attendees will be updating on social media). Given the silence since the last game was released and the lack of information from the fan meeting events late last year, I'm excited (and more than a little nervous) to learn where the series will be going in future.

The guest list is great, as always:

Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura)
Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji)
Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari)
Miki Shinichirou (Gotou Matabee)
Okiayu Ryoutarou (Toyotomi Hideyoshi)
Okamoto Nobuhiko (Shibata Katsuie)
Oohara Sayaka (Saika Magoichi)
Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki (series producer)

Afternoon show only:

Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu)
Genda Tesshou (Takeda Shingen)
Hayami Shou (Akechi Mitsunari)

Evening only:

Ishino Ryuuzou (Chousokabe Motochika)
Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari)
Kuroda Kanbee (Koyama Rikiya)
Noto Mamiko (Oichi)

As usual, there's exclusive merchandise available at the venue for fans to scramble to obtain.

Event pamphlet (¥2,800):

Seven double-sided oversized uchiwa fans (¥700 each):

Two batches of seven tradable kanji acrylic charms (¥500 each), separated into 'heaven' and 'brave' sets to help fans increase the chance of getting the charm they want:

A muffler towel (¥2,000):

A denim tote bag (¥3,000):

And an IC card case (¥1,500):

They have also announced the details for the home video version of the event, and I was delighted to see that there will be a Blu-ray option!

The Blu-ray version will cost ¥7,800 while the double DVD set will be ¥6,800 before tax.

Both versions will be released on 26th May 2017 and the first press bonus will be a booklet. Those who preorder at the event venue will receive an A3 poster as an extra incentive:

Reports from the newest Sengoku Basara stage play

The absence of the usual stage play guests at Basara Matsuri has a very simple explanation: the new stage play has just begun its run. Zangeki Sengoku Basara: The Battle Of Sekigahara is being performed from 3rd February to 12th February 2017 in Tokyo then moving to Osaka for the shows from 17th February to 19th February 2017.

There are a number of special treats lined up for attendees, such as a live performance of the series' anniversary theme song by band SOLIDEMO after Sunday's show and cast appearances from seiyuu Miki Shinichirou (Matabee), Ishino Ryuuzou (Motochika) and Ookawa Tooru (Ieyasu) on certain dates.

The cast of the current stage play is as follows (bold names are new to the roles):

Nakao Kenya (Tokugawa Ieyasu)
Okino Kouji (Ishida Mitsunari)
Mashima Shuuto (Date Masamune)
Matsumura Ryuunosuke (Sanada Yukimura)
Shiina Taizou (Sarutobi Sasuke)
Shiramata Atsushi (Chousokabe Motochika)
Sueno Takuma (Fuuma Kotarou)
Ooyama Masashi (Ootani Yoshitsugu)
Kawamura Yui (Ii Naotora)
Mamoru Asana (Saika Magoichi)
Shiozaki 'IRE' Airu (Gotou Matabee)
Itou Yuuichi (Kuroda Kanbee)
Matsuda Kenji (Matsunaga Hisahide)
Video footage appearance only: Inoue Masahiro (Katakura Kojuurou)

I'm interested in the new actors, especially since most of the leads have been replaced, but I'm also interested to see how well Naotora survives the transition to live action. It's good to see her appearing at last.

There are also some special appearances by characters who aren't part of the main play for a few of the shows, where they'll have extra scenes exclusive to those performances! Kotani Yoshikazu (Mouri Motonari), Inoue Masahiro (Katakura Kojuurou), Saitou Shuusuke (Shima Sakon), Nakayama Yuuki from SOLIDEMO (Hisahiko) and Yamaguchi Tomoya from SOLIDEMO (Takezou) will appear on certain dates, and in some cases they'll come back on stage for an 'after talk' chat after the finale. I hope that these extra scenes make it to the DVD so everyone can enjoy them.

In the meantime, we will have to make do with the early reports from news sites such as 4Gamer, Famitsu, Gamer, iLIP and Stage Natalie, as well as this illustrated version.

A new stage play means new merchandise, and this one is no different in that respect. As well as a food and drink tie-in at the Karaoke Pasela store in Shinjuku, fans who go to see a live performance can purchase the following goods at the venue.

The official pamphlet (¥2,000):

A set of two A4 clear files (Eastern Army and Western Army versions) with all of the other characters on the reverse (¥1,000):

Thirteen sets of three large cast photographs (¥500 per set):

One of thirteen blind-packaged 54mm badges (¥300 each):

A B2 poster with the main visual for the play (¥800):

Or you can simply buy the 'complete set' bundle for a cool ¥10,000...

On the topic of the stage plays, Lumi noted that fans are no longer being forced to order the DVD versions through the Japan-only Ace Store, as Amazon Japan now lists Butai Sengoku Basara 4 for direct purchase. This is a much more convenient (and less costly) way for fans outside Japan to support the stage play series. Let's hope that the new play DVDs will eventually begin arriving on Amazon in a timely manner!

Brighten up your home with three new Sengoku Basara 4 wall scrolls

Three new B2 tapestries (wall scrolls) will be released on 27th March 2017 with illustrations by Sengoku Basara 4 manga artist Yoshihara Motoki. The designs were originally sold as exclusives in three Japanese regions but have now been made widely available within Japan on the Dengekiya store and Amazon Japan: Masamune/Kojuurou (Sendai), Yukimura/Sasuke (Nagano) and Mitsunari/Sakon (Kinki).

The Sengoku Basara Retsuden Series returns - in manga form

The Sengoku Basara series will be returning to monthly manga anthology magazine Dengeki Maoh this spring with a series of three all-new Sengoku Basara Retsuden manga focusing on specific characters from the Sengoku Basara universe.

The first of the new stories will be drawn by Sengoku Basara 4 artist Yoshihara Motoki, and it will be about Date Masamune. It will be followed by a story about Ishida Mitsunari from Sengoku Basara 3 -ROAR OF DRAGON- artist Ooga Asagi, then finally there will be a story focusing on Matsunaga Hisahide from frequent collaborator Tsutsumi Yoshisada. All three artists have worked on the series in the past so it's good to see them returning with this new project. In addition, Capcom's Yamamoto Makoto will be overseeing all three of the new manga so we can expect to see his input in the brand new stories.

The second volume of Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN can now be preordered

The alternate universe Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN manga is already up to its second collected volume, which will be released on 17th March 2017 under Akita's Young Champion Comics label for ¥562 before tax. It will be widely available from all good import bookstores as usual.

Speaking of Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN, I never had the chance to show off the cover artwork for the first volume which went on sale last October! Here it is.

Boost your Sengoku Basara music collection with a new compilation CD

The Sengoku Basara Complete Best 2011-2016 CD is a limited edition release which came out (AmiAmi) on 30th November 2016 for ¥3,000 before tax. The CD will only remain in print until March 2017.

The track list features the most recent opening and ending theme songs from the series, gathered together for the first time:

1. FLAGS (T.M.Revolution) - from Sengoku Basara -The Last Party-
2. The party must go on (T.M.Revolution) - from Sengoku Basara -The Last Party-
3. Chikai (Do As Infinity) - from Sengoku Basara Chronicle Heroes
4. UTAGE (T.M.Revolution) - from Sengoku Basara 3 Utage
5. Tasogare (Do As Infinity) - from Sengoku Basara 3 Utage
6. WE aRE (abingdon boys school) - from Sengoku Basara HD Collection
7. Count ZERO (T.M.Revolution) - from Sengoku Basara 4
8. Runners high (SCANDAL) - from Sengoku Basara 4
9. DOUBLE-DEAL (T.M.Revolution) - from Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi
10. Heavenly Blue (Ishikawa Chiaki) - from Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi
11. Hokkyokusei ~ Polaris (Ishikawa Chiaki) - from Sengoku Basara Judge End
12. Committed RED (T.M.Revolution) - from Sengoku Basara Sanada Yukimura-den

A few other miscellaneous merchandise announcements

To avoid my computer exploding from including too many images in this post, I'll recap some of the more commonplace new merchandise more briefly. There have been several new types of merchandise released in Japan over the winter, ranging from Sanada Yukimura-den metal straps to paid in-app decorations for ubiquitous transport planning app NAVITIME. The Capcom x B-Side Label sticker collaboration continued with additional designs for Yukimura, Masamune, Benmaru, Bontenmaru, Masayuki and Nobuyuki.

There was also a batch of Sanada Yukimura-den goods including five magnets (¥300 each), a clear bookmark set (¥500) and a 2017 A5 desktop calendar (¥1,000) with art from the latest game:

It's odd that Naotora is included in the magnet and bookmark roster as one of the main characters, partly because merchandise for female Sengoku Basara characters is rare in general and partly because she has very little to do with the game the merchandise relates to in the first place! A preemptive sign that there were plans to boost her popularity to tie in with this year's taiga drama in Japan?

The Capcom Cafe has updated its menu to add new dishes.

Like this amazing beef stew...

...and at the same time, the cafe has updated its merchandise list with a whole host of new items incorporating the Sanada Yukimura-den cast:

From January 2017, fans in Japan can visit amusement arcades to try to win one of six 15cm nesoberi mascot plushies from Banpresto based on Masamune, Yukimura, Ieyasu, Mitsunari, Motochika and Motonari:

Lastly, Japan-only official merchandise store e-Capcom has also been offering a unique ¥2,130 calendar which collects some of the quirky illustrations that Itou Ryuu has been creating for the Sengoku Basara LINE account. The account has continued to send strange new pictures to its subscribers on a regular basis, so it would be nice to see them all collected into an art book eventually. Until then, this calendar is the only way to have a high quality physical copy of those illustrations. Preorders close on 8th February 2017 with delivery estimated for 10th March 2017. The calendar starts in April and runs for twelve months, so including the cover there are thirteen images included in total. For those of us who can't afford the calendar via a deputy service, following the official LINE account is a free alternative with images like this appearing on a regular basis.

A few autumn/winter event updates, many of which have now ended

While I wasn't updating, we've had collaborations with Hacka Doll, and mobile game Senran No Samurai Kingdom. We have had a Yukimura-themed tour running alongside the promotions at the Tokyo Game Show, and the Sweets Paradise Sanada Cafe relocated for another campaign.

The Bali Tower hotel in Tennouji (Osaka) is letting guests stay in special Sengoku Basara Yukimura or Masamune themed rooms up until 28th February 2017, and gorgeous Christmas cupcakes and macarons were made available across Japan by mail order through Priroll.

Meanwhile, there is currently a major real world campaign heavily featuring Ii Naotora (along with Ieyasu) to capitalise on the increased interest she's expected to be receiving in Japan throughout 2017. The main purpose of the campaign is promote tourism in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, a region with strong historical ties to the Sengoku period. A full announcement is available in English already courtesy of Capcom and the Japanese website for the promotion shows off the various attractions, from the standees used in the stamp rally to the stunning Sengoku Basara train decorations. The free Sengoku Hamamatsu Stamp Rally smartphone application is available for iOS and Android devices and lets visitors unlock digital wallpapers and frames. You can also earn exclusive merchandise by travelling around the Hamamatsu area.

Visiting 15 locations earns you an oversized badge:

While visiting 30 (!) locations earns acrylic key holders or labels:

There are also additional benefits to travelling around the Shizuoka area, with the Tenryuu Hamanako Railroad x Sengoku Basara campaign offering exclusive Naotora-themed ticket designs, smartphone cases and collectable model trains for its customers to buy.

I would love to get my hands on that little train!

Still waiting to see Judge End? It's now available in English on Blu-Ray and DVD

Funimation have finally released (RightStuf link) the 2014 spin-off anime Sengoku Basara: Judge End under its official US title Sengoku Basara: End Of Judgement on 27th December 2016. It's a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack priced at $64.98 SRP; with online discounts it can usually be found around the $40 mark before shipping.

There are no special editions this time around, though the first press comes with an o-card (a thin cardboard slipcase). Special features include an episode 3 commentary, textless songs, and trailers. The series is presented with a choice of the original Japanese audio with English subtitles, or the brand new English dub (which is being discussed here; thank you to Mewshuji as always for spreading the word!)

I doubt a UK license is imminent - Manga UK reported that the previous Production I.G. anime sold poorly here and they actively avoid licensing titles popular with women (!), so it all depends on whether Funimation and Anime Limited decide to relaunch the series in the UK themselves. Given that Judge End isn't all that popular even amongst fans, I decided not to wait and picked up a copy of the US set for my collection. I'll try to write a comparison with the Japanese discs when there is time.

To accompany the release of Judge End, Funimation has also rereleased the previous anime at a rock bottom price in its S.A.V.E. range. You can get both seasons of the Production I.G. anime television series (including the OAV episodes and extras) bundled together on Blu-Ray and DVD for under $25 which is an amazing deal. The rerelease of the movie is priced similarly. S.A.V.E. releases usually come towards the end of a product's life cycle before the series goes out of print entirely, so if you have been waiting before picking up a copy of the anime this rerelease might be your last chance.

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Whew, writing all of this took so long that it's already Basara Matsuri day in Japan! I'm praying that we get some good news.

News roundup: Golden Week events, various updates and plushies

Reports from today's in-store Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi event in Sapporo

With the Golden Week holiday in Japan, official announcements have been scarce for the last few days. However, today was the first of the five big in-store demo events where Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi will be tested by members of the public across Japan. This one was in a TSUTAYA store in Sapporo; here's what people have been reporting so far.

• The demo sessions were ten minutes long.
• Players could choose to try either Sen No Rikyuu or Kyougoku Maria.
• Their battle partner was always Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
• The demo stage was the Kawanakajima Intrusion battle we've seen a few times already.
• KobaP was wandering around watching everyone playing the demo version carefully.
• Maria feels slow compared to the others, but she's easy to pick up and play.
• Rikyuu moves slowly but when you use his triangle skill it really speeds things up.
• Battle Roulette is great fun.
• The Basara Gauge seems to fill more slowly than it did in Sengoku Basara 4.
• One person thought they heard confirmation that all characters will be playable from the start (i.e. no unlocking required).
• The existence of a 'Three-bee' (Hanbee/Kanbee/Matabee) stage was confirmed in the stage presentation.
• Each of the five events will debut a new promotional video.
• Sapporo's seems to be a very short 'Kenshin and Shingen' promotional video. It seems the five new event videos are based on specific characters.
• There's also a new PV showing off the previously-announced DLC costumes. Ieyasu's segment was apparently a highlight. This might have been attached to the end of the other video; I'm not sure.
• One fan recognised Hoshi Souichirou (Yukimura) playing some of the background soldiers.

KobaP has been posting snapshots on Twitter, too.

There's another demo event tomorrow in Nagoya, which is more centrally located meaning that there should be more reports with the possibility of official coverage from the various gaming news sites. It's likely the new videos will start appearing on the official Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi website at any time - possibly as early as Monday.

Highlights from last weekend's Machi★Asobi event

There doesn't seem to have been anything new revealed at last week's event so here are the summaries from Dengeki Online and Famitsu, for those who want to see pictures from the stage presentations and booths on offer. The only actual information reported seems to be:

• While Sen No Rikyuu seems ridiculous from his general design, his story is serious and the ending might make people cry.
• Ieyasu was selected for the T.M.Revolution costume because the singer's character in Sengoku Basara Judge End was affiliated with the Tokugawa army.
• The NJPW collaboration is the first time characters like Yukimura and Nagamasa have worn outfits which exposed their bare thighs. The staff who work on the character modelling at Capcom were worried about getting them right!

Once again, KobaP has shared a bunch of photographs on his Twitter account.

Want the new Keiji and Ieyasu plushies? Preorders are now open!

AmiAmi are now accepting orders for the June Sengoku Basara 4 plushies: Tokugawa Ieyasu and Maeda Keiji. Those who have already been collecting the plushies know that they often sell out well ahead of their release (and sometimes within a matter of hours) so please don't delay if you want one of these two, just in case!

Both have already sold out at the official Gift online shop so distributors are the best chance of securing the plushies now.

The next issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine can now be preordered

Amazon Japan is listing the ninth issue of the official Sengoku Basara Magazine for 29th June 2015.

Sasuke will be featured on the cover, rubber strap and lead article this time and it will be Sakon and Katsuie on the bonus CD. There's also going to be a lot of Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi coverage so I can't wait to receive my copy!

New Sengoku Basara Judge End merchandise appears

Another set of listings which have recently appeared on AmiAmi is four acrylic mobile phone stands for Masamune, Yukimura, Ieyasu and Mitsunari. They're priced at ¥2,052 each and scheduled for release in mid-July 2015. This kind of stand is usually made from two flat slabs of acrylic plastic which can be slotted together and used to hold your phone; they're useful for watching videos when you don't want to hold the phone up and you can disassemble them for travel. But mostly, they just look cute.

FUNimation start streaming Sengoku Basara Judge End outside the US

It's only the first two episodes so far, but I was pleased to see that FUNimation have opened up their YouTube stream of Sengoku Basara Judge End (Sengoku Basara - End of Judgement) for fans outside the US. The regions are limited to a scattering of illogically-selected countries so not everyone will be able to watch without using third party tools to avoid the region lock, but this is a great way to support the official release. FUNimation use streaming figures to decide which titles receive dubs, Blu-ray editions and special bonuses and the foreign distributors reuse FUNimation's materials; therefore the more people who can support the official streams the better the chance of a decent home video release later on.

The countries included in YouTube's filter seem to be Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Suriname, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the Virgin Islands.

A few of those regions were already able to watch the region-locked Viewster stream, but this is my first chance to see the official English subtitles!

More cast members are announced for the next stage play

Capcom have finally revealed the last two main cast members for the Butai Sengoku Basara VS Devil May Cry stage play, which was announced at the recent Nico Nico Choukaigi 2015 event. Lady will be played by Shiba Konona, while the role of Trish has gone to Shinato Ruri.

On the subject of the stage play series, Japanese fans were dismayed to learn that the Butai Sengoku Basara 4 DVD release is still uncertain. Amado sent Capcom a message to ask when it would be released only to receive a rather alarming response indicating that Capcom were also waiting to hear the same thing from their partners. It's been a long time since the official Dais shop went offline; I hope the Butai Sengoku Basara 4 play isn't lost forever.

Update on the Sumeragi ID situation

Capcom keep emphasising that the four special Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi early reservation exclusive weapons are not going to be made available for purchase at a later date, so I think it's a good idea to keep talking about them until the early reservation deadline passes.

Customers who placed their preorder through e-Capcom (or a deputy service which is buying from e-Capcom, or import specialists which are offering the towel bundles like Nippon Yasan and NCSX) should be able to claim their Sumeragi ID codes and register for the exclusive weapons the Tuesday after the order is placed with e-Capcom.

Customers who live in Japan or asked a relative to place the order in a shop there will receive the Sumeragi ID with their preorder receipt.

Everyone else has to wait until the shop they used sends out their batches of codes. Amazon Japan has been telling customers that they are sending all of the codes out together on 29th May 2015. HMV haven't given a date yet, but I can personally confirm they haven't sent out any codes so far. They're probably going to use the same schedule as Amazon Japan.

The most important thing is to ensure your deputy service or online store understands that you need the code before the registration deadline, so don't be afraid to ask them if it seems to be taking longer than expected. Good luck, everyone!

News roundup: Cover artwork for Sengoku Basara Judge End volume 4 on DVD/Bluray

The cover art is revealed for the final volume of Sengoku Basara Judge End

I have very mixed feelings about the illustration.

On one hand, I like Masamune and Yukimura and it's a cool picture. On the other, what a missed opportunity to showcase more characters from Sengoku Basara Judge End! Masamune and Yukimura already had their chance to be on the covers of earlier volumes so I was hoping to see Magoichi and Keiji, or something like that...

More Judge End merchandise appears on the horizon

The official merchandise page also added a handful of new items recently.

A mini Sengoku Basara Judge End 'artket' (decorative blanket) with its own case. It will be priced at ¥3,500 and released on 19th February 2015. AmiAmi is already listing it so it should appear on other import sites soon.

Next, there's a set of 66 different trading cards including 'SP' (special) rare cards, 'SP' (special) cards, story cards, character cards, mini character cards and more. Each pack of 9 cards will cost ¥500, or you can buy a box containing 8 packs for ¥4,000. They'll go on sale in late February 2015.

There will also be a Sengoku Basara Judge End A4 storage folder priced at ¥1,200, due for release on 31st January 2015. AmiAmi, Otaku Republic and CD Japan already have their preorder listings ready.

I know this looks very similar to the Sengoku Basara Judge End photo folder from the other day, but it's a different item, I promise!

Magazine review: Sengoku Basara Magazine issue 7

Autumn's issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine was released a few days ago with Sengoku Basara 4 newcomer Shima Sakon taking the honour of appearing on the cover and on the cute Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap. For Sakon fans, this book is likely to be indispensible; it's the first time since his debut that he's been the star of an entire publication.

Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 7 went on sale on 27th November 2014 priced at ¥2,500. It can be purchased from most Japanese bookstores which offer international shipping, such as Amazon Japan, HMV, Yesasia, CD Japan and Manga Oh. Prices will rise once stock starts to become scarce and the last issue is already out of print; given that this particular issue seems to be quite popular thanks to character designer Ookubo Tooru's anime-style cover illustration, it may sell out more quickly than usual.

With this being an odd-numbered issue it means that there's a new pair of characters featured on the CD. Showgeki Basara Talk! Motochika & Motonari No Maki Vol. 1 features two of the most beloved seiyuu of the series, Ishino Ryuuzou and Nakahara Shigeru. They're both lovely and tend to work as a natural comedy duo even during the unscripted parts of the show.

Their 'Basara Challenge' skit requires that Motochika and Motonari try to look after some children, which ends up being Motochika looking after the children while trying to prevent Motonari treating them as pawns in his army. The whole thing is greatly enhanced with childish background music and prerecorded sound effects of the children cheering at comical moments. No matter how much fun Aniki has trying to instil his values in his young charges, Motonari is always ready with a joyless insult of some kind to darken the mood.

The other special activity on the disc is a quiz where both seiyuu talked about their characters' more challenging lines. Overall, it's a pretty good Basara Talk CD.

My usual run-through of the rest of the magazine's contents follows.

Event report: Animate Girls Festival 2014

This weekend, the Animate Girls Festival 2014 (AGF) event was held in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City entertainment complex. AGF is a gaming convention solely targeted towards female fans - in other words, it's a feast of otome games and bishounen-filled anime which don't have to share billing with the big-budget mainstream games aimed at a male audience.

There are a few big brands in the otome gaming world which tend to dominate (e.g. Uta No Prince-sama, Hakuouki, Diabolik Lovers and Starry Sky) but one of the best things about female-orientated gaming is that it tends to be full of obscure titles which don't need huge budgets to generate a loyal fan base. To an outsider, the booths were probably full of similar-looking male hosts sporting colourful hair, ridiculous costumes and sexy poses, but to a fan this was as diverse a concentration of female-orientated content as you could possibly get.

The festival was split into two separate events on the 8th and 9th November 2014, each of which had a staggering amount of special merchandise, stage events and light hearted attractions on offer. With this being the event's fifth year everything was run in a professional way without too much queueing once the early morning crowd began to clear.

News roundup: Preorder details - and another lottery is coming next year

The Sengoku Basara series will feature in a new Ichiban Kuji prize draw next year

The smaller Ichiban Kuji V: Sengoku Basara Judge End ~The Battle of Sekigahara~ prize lottery isn't even going to begin for another couple of weeks, and already eagle-eyed Japanese fans have spotted something even more interesting scheduled for February next year.

The excitement began when it was discovered that the Kujimap website had posted details for an event titled Ichiban Kuji: Sengoku Basara Part 2. This hasn't been formally announced yet, but these early reveals tend to be accurate and there's already a detailed list of proposed prizes which has been updated over the course of the day.

A rank prize: Date Masamune 'real' figure
B rank prize: Date Masamune 'Kyun-Chara' figure
C rank prize: Ishida Mitsunari 'Kyun-Chara' figure
D rank prize: Shima Sakon 'Kyun-Chara' figure
E rank prize: Shibata Katsuie 'Kyun-Chara' figure
F rank prize: Hand towel (four different designs)
G rank prize: Notelets (four different designs)
H rank prize: 'Stylish' rubber strap (seven different designs)
I rank prize: 'Extreme' rubber strap (seven different designs)
Last One prize: Date Masamune 'real' figure (Last One version)

This could just be me reading too much into the timing and the choice to feature the Sengoku Basara 4 leads again, but the first Ichiban Kuji: Sengoku Basara lottery was held during January 2014 to coincide with the game's big release. This one is planned for late February 2015, and once again it seems game-related. Given that Basara Matsuri is going to be held at the beginning of February, could this be part of a media push to highlight a new game - perhaps the expansion to Sengoku Basara 4 that many of us have been hoping for?

If so, it's possible we'll be hearing the first news about a new game in the next couple of months so that Capcom can build up the hype ready to give the audience a preview at Basara Matsuri.

It's nothing more than my gut feeling but I don't think that the series is popular enough right now to justify another countrywide lottery event without it being part of a bigger plan. With the curtain rising on the Butai Sengoku Basara 4 stage play this weekend, I'm going to be keeping my fingers crossed for new announcements soon.

And in the meantime, I'm going to be worrying about how to get my hands on those Sakon and Katsuie prize figures...

(If you want to know more about Japan's Ichiban Kuji draws, I once posted a short description here which explains how they work.)

Preorders open for the next issue of Sengoku Basara Magazine

The next volume of Sengoku Basara Magazine can now be preordered through Amazon Japan, so we can expect the listing to appear elsewhere very soon. Volume seven of the magazine will be released on 27th November 2014. Amazon currently has it mislabelled as volume six but the dates all match up to the next issue, which is supposed to be featuring Shima Sakon as its cover star.

Even more Mame Sengoku Basara goods will be released next month

According to Japanese fan @yukimurabo, this month's issue of Dengeki Maoh has confirmed that there will be more Mame Sengoku Basara and Sengoku Basara Magazine merchandise coming from Dengeki on 27th November 2014.

On the Mame Sengoku Basara side, there will be wooden straps (¥600) and chirimen crepe mirrors (¥800) featuring a choice of Masamune, Mitsunari, Yukimura, Ieyasu, Keiji, Sakon, Katsuie, Shikanosuke and Matabee illustrations. The new CG illustrations from Sengoku Basara Magazine are going to feature on acrylic pass cases with Masamune, Mitsunari, Motochika and Motonari designs (¥1,200).

More details appear for the next Sengoku Basara Judge End Blu-ray/DVD

The VAP website has updated to confirm more about the specifications of the Sengoku Basara Judge End discs. I'm going to take the opportunity to recap everything we know so far about the individual volumes since the information is spread out over so many different posts.

Sengoku Basara Judge End: I

Release date: 24th September 2014
Catalogue number: VPXY-71336 (Blu-ray) / VPBY-14329 (DVD)
Price: ¥5,800 (Blu-ray) / ¥4,800 (DVD)
Blu-ray specification: Colour, Stereo, Linear PCM 2.0, 16:9 1080p HD
DVD specification: Colour, Stereo, 16:9 LB, Dolby Digital 2.0ch
Run time: 70 minutes (not including extras)
Contents: Sengoku Basara Judge End episodes 1-3, textless opening/ending videos, and an audio commentary with Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune), Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura) and Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki.
First press bonuses: Exclusive Masamune/Kojuurou keychain and episodes 1-3 of Hoshi Souichirou and Seki Tomokazu's 'Sengoku Basara: Judge End' Radio show on CD, with a bonus episode featuring seiyuu Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune).

Sengoku Basara Judge End: II

Release date: 22nd October 2014
Catalogue number: VPXY-71337 (Blu-ray) / VPBY-14330 (DVD)
Price: ¥5,800 (Blu-ray) / ¥4,800 (DVD)
Blu-ray specification: Colour, Stereo, Linear PCM 2.0, 16:9 1080p HD
DVD specification: Colour, Stereo, 16:9 LB, Dolby Digital 2.0ch
Run time: 70 minutes (not including extras)
Contents: Sengoku Basara Judge End episodes 4-6, and an audio commentary with Ishino Ryuuzou (Chousokabe Motochika), Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari) and animation producer Itou Kouhei.
First press bonuses: Exclusive Yukimura/Sasuke keychain and episodes 4-6 of Hoshi Souichirou and Seki Tomokazu's 'Sengoku Basara: Judge End' Radio show on CD, with a bonus episode featuring seiyuu Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu).

Sengoku Basara Judge End: III

Release date: 26th November 2014
Catalogue number: VPXY-71338 (Blu-ray) / VPBY-14331 (DVD)
Price: ¥5,800 (Blu-ray) / ¥4,800 (DVD)
Blu-ray specification: Colour, Stereo, Linear PCM 2.0, 16:9 1080p HD
DVD specification: Colour, Stereo, 16:9 LB, Dolby Digital 2.0ch
Run time: 70 minutes (not including extras)
Contents: Sengoku Basara Judge End episodes 7-9, and an audio commentary with Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji), Hayami Shou (Tenkai) and sound director Iwanami Yoshikazu.
First press bonuses: Exclusive Ieyasu/Tadatsugu keychain and episodes 7-9 of Hoshi Souichirou and Seki Tomokazu's 'Sengoku Basara: Judge End' Radio show on CD, with a bonus episode featuring seiyuu Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji).

Sengoku Basara Judge End: IV

Release date: 24th December 2014
Catalogue number: VPXY-71339 (Blu-ray) / VPBY-14332 (DVD)
Price: ¥5,800 (Blu-ray) / ¥4,800 (DVD)
Blu-ray specification: Colour, Stereo, Linear PCM 2.0, 16:9 1080p HD
DVD specification: Colour, Stereo, 16:9 LB, Dolby Digital 2.0ch
Run time: 70 minutes (not including extras)
Contents: Sengoku Basara Judge End episodes 10-12, and an audio commentary with Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari) and Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu).
First press bonuses: Exclusive Mitsunari/Yoshitsugu keychain and episodes 10-12 of Hoshi Souichirou and Seki Tomokazu's 'Sengoku Basara: Judge End' Radio show on CD, with a bonus episode featuring seiyuu Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari).

Every volume will come packed in an illustrated Digipak with a booklet. Whether you loved Judge End or hated it, these discs are a great deal for seiyuu fans.

For those more interested in the visual side, there's also a preview of the exclusive keychain featuring Tokugawa Ieyasu and Sakai Tadatsugu. It will be included with the third volume as a first press bonus item.

Mini-Ieyasu's tiny eyebrows are the best!

News roundup: T.M.Revolution is confirmed for the next Basara Matsuri

More guests are announced for February's big Basara Matsuri event

The second wave of announcements appeared on the official Basara Matsuri website this morning. Headlining the announcements is the first music guest: T.M. Revolution. I was reasonably sure he'd be appearing but it's good to have confirmation!

As for the other guests, Okamoto Nobuhiko (Shibata Katsuie) has been added to the list of seiyuu who will be attending the event. The first group of Butai Sengoku Basara 4 stage play actors has also been announced:

Yamaguchi Daichi (Date Masamune)
Matsumura Ryuunosuke (Sanada Yukimura)
Kubodera Akira (Oda Nobunaga)
Taniguchi Masashi (Akechi Mitsuhide)
Amano Kousei (Ashikaga Yoshiteru)

The next ticket lottery will begin accepting applications on Friday 10th October and this time it's open to the general public. Basara Matsuri is getting a lot of media attention already!

Sengoku Basara Judge End sells poorly on home video, people act surprised

The first week sales for Sengoku Basara Judge End have now been revealed and it's suddenly being discussed by the wider anime community for all the wrong reasons after having been thoroughly ignored during its actual broadcast.

The first week total sales were 569 copies on DVD and 669 copies on Blu-ray for a total of 1,238 copies, a substantial drop from the previous Production I.G. adaptation. Please note that these statistics don't include exports or shops which don't report their sales, but they're still interesting for comparison.

I think anyone seriously expecting the show to do any better than that with its budget and the amount of promotion it's had would have been crazily optimistic. I know the actual content has proven divisive but the bigger problem that Judge End has faced is that hardly anyone seemed to know it was even airing outside of the hardcore audience. Many of the buyers were probably more interested in the bonus radio CDs than the show itself.

I'd be interested to know how well its merchandise is selling in comparison. Speaking of which...

Even more Sengoku Basara Judge End merchandise is on the way

The CafeReo website has updated to show a generous amount of new merchandise planned for late November.

Sengoku Basara Judge End triple keyrings (two designs, ¥880 each):

Sengoku Basara Judge End die-cut stickers (four designs, ¥350 each):

Sengoku Basara Judge End pouch (¥980):

Sengoku Basara Judge End Japanese teacup (¥980):

Sengoku Basara Judge End reflective keyrings (four designs, ¥650 each):

Sengoku Basara Judge End face towels (four designs, ¥1,500 each):

Cover artwork is revealed for the newest Sengoku Basara art book

The Gekijouban Sengoku Basara -The Last Party- Official Illustration Collection II should be on its way to fans of Production I.G.'s anime adaptation very soon, and the cover has started to appear on online shopping sites. It's quite plain considering that the book is supposed to contain rare illustrations, so I guess we have to wait a little longer to glimpse what's inside.

Today's acquisitions (28th September 2014)

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted pictures of new goodies that weren't magazines. Some nice things arrived this weekend so it seemed like a good opportunity to take a few pictures.

To start off, here's the first Japanese Blu-ray set for Sengoku Basara Judge End.

I purchased through Amazon Japan so the set included an exclusive oversized Yukimura badge. I'm never sure what to do with things like this; at least it looks cool.

The wraparound paper obi keeps everything together until you open it up. First of all, I looked inside the Blu-ray slipcase. It contains a full-colour booklet with character designs and basic information about the series.

The slipcase also contains the colourful Digipak which holds the Blu-ray disc. It's certainly eye-catching!

The other side of the Digipak is dedicated to Masamune. Since there will be four volumes in total, I guess each will be themed around one of the four leads.

Pressed up against the Blu-ray slipcase is a thin cardboard box which contains the first press bonus items: a Masamune/Kojuurou keychain and two bonus audio CDs for the radio show. I'll listen to the exclusive episode on the way to work this week.

As for the Blu-ray disc itself, it's wonderful to be able to watch these episodes properly instead of in the poor quality that my online stream provided. The Blu-ray version looks so much better. I hope FUNimation use the same video materials when they create the US edition instead of messing with things.

The on-disc extras are limited to textless opening/ending sequences and an audio commentary for the first episode.

--

My shipment also included a few CDs, starting with the Sengoku Basara Judge End Original Soundtrack. I've become rather fond of Tokuda Masahiro's score. It's different to Sawano's sweeping masterpiece used in the old anime, and it's less action-packed than the game soundtracks. In spite of this, it's very pleasant to listen to.

Kimi Janakya Dame Mitai by Ooishi Masayoshi was the chipper opening to Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, and Namae No Nai Kaibutsu by EGOIST served as the first ending to PSYCHO-PASS. The latter isn't exactly new, but I watched the show for the first time recently and fell in love with the song.

Kalafina's heavenly blue and Sawano Hiroyuki's A/Z | aLIEz CDs covered the opening and closing songs from last season's Aldnoah Zero anime. I'd like to pick up the full soundtrack as well when I get the chance since the insert song BRE@TH//LESS is gorgeous.

The heavenly blue single included a pamphlet with storyboards for the opening, which was an interesting bonus. A/Z | aLIEz featured a bonus DVD with the textless end credit sequences from the anime.

The last items on the list are a pair of drama CDs. Diabolik Lovers do-S Kyuuketsu CD: VERSUS II Vol. 5 came with Animate's special bromide as a bonus while the first Dark Fate CD's extras were a bromide and short story pamphlet from Stellaworth.

I've been trying to save money recently but I ordered all of this quite some time ago. It was difficult waiting for the new CDs after hearing the themes playing each week as part of their anime broadcasts.