Planet Morton

D.Gray-man Season Two #1

2010-09-07T07:00:00+00:00

Allen is back, and as the Black Order gears up to fight what seems to be a major offensive by the Millennium Earl he and Lenalee have been sent in search of Allen's mentor, General Cross. Which would be find, except that no-one has the faintest idea where he might be...

Mitsudomoe Gets 2nd Season

2010-09-06T17:23:15+00:00

One of my favourite simulcast shows this season - and rather unexpectedly so - has been gag anime Mitsudomoe, which follows the comic adventures of the seriously deranged Marui triplets Mitsuba, Futaba and Hitoha. I'll almost be quite sad when it comes to an end in a few weeks time (at which point there'll be a review posted). Via ANN, though, comes word that a second season of the show has been given the go-ahead, to be aired as part of the Winter 2010/11 season. The announcement was made via a wrap-around on the latest volume of the manga to be released in Japan. Already I can't wait.

Sekirei

2010-09-06T07:00:00+00:00

If you're a fan of anime that feature copious amounts of T&A, then this could be the show for you, as the 10 Sekirei - who are mainly rather attractive women with a bad habit of having their clothes ripped off in combat - do battle for an as-yet unspecified prize. Please check your brain at the door before reading further...

Campbell Brands Scotland's Refusal to Tour "An Insult"

2010-09-04T14:32:30+00:00

Alastair Campbell, Zimbabwe's Chairman of Selectors (amongst other hats) has branded Cricket Scotland's decision not to tour Zimbabwe "an insult", according to CricInfo. That decision was made based on advice from the UK and Scottish government, but Campbell points out that there is no shortage of Englishmen plying their trade in Zimbabwe at the moment, not least of which is the national coach:

We have ten Englishmen playing cricket and coaching in Zimbabwe, including our national coach Alan Butcher, and apart from anything else the decision is an insult to them.

Quite right, too.
Cricinfo - Scotland's refusal to tour is an insult - Campbell

ZC Cricket Awards Winners

2010-09-03T21:00:04+00:00

Zimbabwe Cricket held their annual awards this evening, with Brian Lara as the guest of honour. Here's the full list of winners:
Cricketer of the Year: Elton Chigumbura
Bowler of the Year: Graeme Cremer
Batsman of the Year: Vusi Sibanda
Female Cricketer of the Year: Sharne Meyers
Coach of the Year: Stephen Mangongo
Most Promising Cricketer: Tendai Chatara
Rookie of the Year: Tendai Chatara
Best Administered Franchise: Southern Rocks
Franchise Team of the Year: Mountaineers
Umpire of the Year: Russell Tiffin
School Cricketer of the Year: Tino Mutombodzi

Vandread #1: Enemy Engaged!

2010-09-03T07:00:00+00:00

To the archives, Batman! Although to be fair, I can't see the dark and moody one watching this one. Hailing from way back in 2000, Vandread was one of the first of the new generation of shiny CG-animated shows, and with FUNimation re-releasing the series now, it's a good excuse for me to indulge again. Let's see if time has been kind to Hibiki and Dita...

Pretty Cure Comes to UK TV

2010-09-02T20:34:37+00:00

UK satellite channel Pop Girl (Sky channel 626 / Freesat channel 604) will begin airing the English dub version of Pretty Cure on Monday 6th September. Daily showing will be at 7:00am, 5:30pm and 8:30pm (with the channel's +1 variant screening them one hour later, as you'd expect). My love for the Japanese original means I'll probably only watch out of a morbid sense of curiosity as to how bad the adaptation can be (memories of Tokyo Mew Mew's hackjob still pain me), but at least one channel is giving anime a decent outing...

Scotland Loves Anime Announces Guestlist

2010-09-02T20:32:23+00:00

Scotland Loves Anime have now released their guestlist for their upcoming events in Glasgow (8-10 October) and Edinburgh (15-17 October), with Jonathan Clements, Satoshi Nishiura and Shigeru Kitayama all appearing. Read on for full details..

Brian Lara Arrives in Harare

2010-09-02T18:42:59+00:00

West Indies legend Brian Lara arrived in the country this afternoon to attend the CBZ 2010 Cricket awards as the guest of honour. The awards will be held in Harare on Friday evening.

“It was a very easy decision for me to come as a guest of honour to the awards, I am happy to be out here and Zimbabwean cricket is very close to my heart. I know the chairman well Peter Chingoka and I just looked forward to being here again, obviously in a non-playing capacity, still it is going to be a very exciting three days,” said Lara.

Lara’s first visit to Zimbabwe was in 1989 as captain of the West Indies team, before he started playing international cricket for the West Indies.

“I recall great memories from the tour and a couple of tours since then. I enjoyed playing in Harare, Bulawayo, Triangle and different areas of the country; I have very fond memories of the place.”

“Zimbabwean cricket is close to me because I started here before I even started playing international cricket. I know it has been an uphill struggle for the Zimbabwe team but obviously everybody has been optimistic about Zimbabwean cricket and we want to see them back in the test arena,” said Lara.

Lara is by far one of the most decorated cricketers of all time and grand ambassador of the spirit of cricket. His last visit to Zimbabwe was the West Indies national team visit in 2004 when he officially opened Takashinga Sports Club in the Highfields suburb of Harare.
[Source: ZC]

Bleach Season Five #1

2010-09-02T07:00:00+00:00

I think the Shounen Jump shows are out to get me at the moment, as between Bleach and Naruto Shippuden I seem to be stuck in some sort of Eternal Battle Hell. Ichigo's battle with the Bounts kicked off in episode 69 - the two discs in this release take us up to episode 99, and there's still no end in sight. With the battle having moved to Sereitei, though, at least the scenery has changed...

Paniponi Dash #6: Chaos Cum Laude

2010-09-01T07:00:00+00:00

End of the line for Paniponi Dash, and according to the instructions that Becky's alien observers have just received, it may well be the end of the line for the Earth, too. Fortunately, there are a myriad of genre references on hand to help the girls of 1-C save the day. How convenient...

Manga Brings Hetalia to the UK

2010-09-01T01:11:46+00:00

Ah, Twitter, how you trump other news sources. For some subjects, anyway. Manga UK have confirmed, via their Twitter feed, that they'll be bringing Hetalia: Axis Powers to the UK, with the DVD release appearing "hopefully, just after Christmas". The show, which has become something of a fandom sensation over the past year or so, takes the various countries of the world, anthropomorphises them, and then has some (often politically-incorrect) fun at their expense. If you can't wait until the DVD release for a taster, the series is currently available (legally) via YouTube. So far at least they'll just be releasing season one - presumably subsequent seasons will depend on how that fares.

ZC Rule Out Playing Scotland at Neutral Venue

2010-08-31T17:59:16+00:00

ZC have issued a statement regarding Cricket Scotland's decision not to tour Zimbabwe for their scheduled Intercontinental Cup match, and in doing so have ruled out playing the match on neutral territory:

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has confirmed receiving official notification from Cricket Scotland about the Scottish governments directive not to tour Zimbabwe for the scheduled ICC Intercontinental Cup matches against the
Zimbabwe A team.

"The decision is regrettable," said ZC managing director Ozias Bvute. "We have consulted with our various authorities who have all ruled out the possibility of these matches being played in a neutral venue," he added.

"I remain of the belief that sport can build bridges and I have confidence that it can also act as a catalyst for healing and national unity. It is with this in mind that we hope that in the not too distant future, all the strained sporting relations will be restored for the common good of all," said Bvute.

Emphasis added. That puts the ball back in the ICC's court as to how the match should be handled, and with the two boards apparently unwilling to compromise they'll be left with a difficult decision as to what sanctions should be taken for failure to honour the fixture, and against which side.

Mountaineers Sign Mark Vermuelen

2010-08-31T11:38:39+00:00

Troubled cricketer Mark Vermuelen, released by Tuskers at the end of last season after disciplinary issues, has been signed for the new season by Mountaineers, according to the Daily News. The deal was confirmed by Mountaineers spokesman Godfrey Koti:

"He has his history, but he is a good man and a good player. We want to give him another chance. If you have noticed, we are more of a bowling side. A batsman of his calibre will add value to the team."

Even in light of Vermuelen's talent, you do have to wonder if this is his final chance. Hopefully he makes the most of it.
Daily News - Manicaland rescues bad boy Vermeulen