For fans of manga and anime, announcements from both Aninplex USA and Viz Media at Fanime 2012 were sure to please, though both definitely cause a bit of hurt on their wallets. With upcoming releases that will excite old and new fans, both Aniplex and Viz have a little something for everyone.

Being unprepared in general is an unpleasant experience, but when your enjoyment of a convention is at stake, having key items means the difference between a satisfying experience and utter misery. What will you do if a swarm of bees attacks the convention and you’re left without something as basic as Benadryl? That may sound funny and implausible, but it has happened. If your convention is farther than you can reach within an hour or two and you’re staying at a hotel, you’ll definitely need to pay close attention to this list.

As a recurring Guest of Honor at FanimeCon since 1997, GAINAX founder Hiroyuki Yamaga has been entertaining and informing attendees for fifteen years. Currently serving as the executive producer and project planner for EA's Rock, the company’s first live-action sentai comedy series, Yamaga-san's extensive resume includes serving as executive producer for FLCL as well as the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth movie. This year is of particular interest as it marks the company’s 25th Anniversary since their commercial debut of the film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise.

Are you a big fan of the Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: the Sacred Star of Milos movie and want to hear "Good Luck My Way" live at a location near you? Then you're in luck as the Japanese rock group L'Arc-en-Ciel is currently taking votes for where they should play at for their next World Tour. To vote, simply visit the website located after the jump.

JAST USA, the leading publisher of Japanese PC games in English, has announced the Golden Master status of School Days HQ, a collaboration between JAST Densetsu, Japanese developer 0verflow, and translation group Sekai Project. Golden Master is the final master before printing, putting the release of the game mere weeks away.

Dragon Age: Origins is one of BioWare's bestselling titles  and continues their rich tradition of creating gritty worlds, complex characters, and mature plots. When I first heard about Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker and that FUNimation was going to be working closely with BioWare and Oxybot to produce it, I felt cautiously optimistic. Could this possibly be the first step towards properly adapting Western intellectual properties (IPs) into a Japanese medium? With too many flops and not enough solid, let alone exceptional, titles of this breed out in the world, it was hard to be too excited. Does Dawn of the Seeker finally turn the tide? Hit the jump to find out.

I am a sucker for cute things. Even worse off I am also a sucker for Accel World goodies, so as soon as Good Smile Company released their version of Nendoroid Kuroyukihime. I was INSTANTLY sold.

Just look at dress! How elaborate and detailed it is! It has everything from the butterflies climbing up the dress, to the the folds on the fabric. Even the umbrella is embellished a little.

More info and photos inside.

As someone who started the Atelier series when I first played Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis on the PlayStation 2, the ninth title of Gust's flagship series, I’ve since been enamored with the franchise. Although the series has always been known for its alchemy system, the character development in the game has always been top-notch and included deep, rich backgrounds and succulent designs. Atelier Meruru: the Apprentice of Arland is a wonderful representation of this. It’s a throwback to the time when a game didn’t have notable "different" endings that were actually the same, wasn’t bogged down by battle after battle involving superfluous moral messages, and companies weren’t trying to one up competitors with awe-inspiring shiny high-def graphics. In other words, Atelier Meruru is a JRPG enthusiast's delight.