In our coverage of the anime, we will not only go over the plot points, but will also go into detail regarding the jazz pieces featured in the anime as well as put the pieces within the historical context of jazz as a whole. So for those who want to follow our episodic posts, you can use the episodic category.

Also, the soundtrack for Sakamichi no Apollon will be released on April 25, 2012 and can be pre-ordered through CDJapan. There’s also a collection of jazz pieces that have been compiled together. That disc was released in 2009 and can also be ordered through CDJapan.

The tour itself is set to begin in late June with a visit to the Key Club in Los Angeles on June 21 where she’ll perform with a live band and sign autographs for VIP ticket holders. From there, she’ll proceed to go to Yoshi’s in San Francisco on June 23 before departing to Germany, France, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

Further information about ticket sales and concert venues outside the United States can be found on the Resonance website.

LiSA’s debut in anisong came with Angel Beats’ “Thousand Enemies” single where she shows off her generic rock sound while giving us a feel for her ability to sing at lower registers. She would go on to sing the opening theme to Fate/Zero, titled “Oath Sign,” which managed to enter the Japanese Oricon weekly charts at #5, and went on to capture the #2 spot on the daily charts.

No information on the exact day of the concert has been announced yet, but do stay tuned on the Anime Expo website for further news.

Last year saw a curious 4-episode anime titled Houkago no Pleiades, a joint work between Gainax (Evangelion, Gurren Lagaan) and the carmaker Subaru. The plot consists of Subaru, a young girl, and four other girls who become magical girls and are tasked with finding engine fragments. Its execution was a bit silly all in all, with a bit of product placement in the sound effects and the logo.

Well, it looks like Toyota is also getting into the action, partnering up with Studio 4°C to create an anime short titled PES: Peace Eco Smile. The plot centers around PES, a humanoid alien accompanied by beings called NaSuBi. Both have found Earth to be pleasant and seek to learn more about people. To find out more, the trailer has already been released and you can see it after the jump.

The most interesting part about this work is that there will be about 6 musicians working on the soundtrack. Most of them tend to slant towards various forms of electronica, but Seiichi Yamamoto has done work on the movie Genius Party. The entire package, as least, based on the trailer, does suggest a pleasant, bubbly electronica experience and it will be interesting to see how the music will turn out for this anime short.

More information can be found on the official website. If you’re looking to keep up to date on this whole thing, check out their twitter account.

Much thanks goes out to Ben, one of our readers who alerted us to this!

The album, as one might expect, covers a lot of artists (Nana Mizuki, Minori Chihara, and Yukari Tamura are but a few of the artists featured) and many prominent anime series (included are themes to Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Toradora and even Hyadain no Kakakata☆Kataomoi-C from Nichijou and “Magia” from the recent Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime).

Those who are interested can order the album over at CDJapan. If you just want to find out more about this collection, you can check it at the source at the main J-Anison Shinkyoku Matsuri website.

Source: https://twitter.com/#!/ottocycle/status/164371066167377920

So with that in mind, we’re delighted to announce that the Platina Jazz series still continues with the release of Volume 3 on February 8, 2012. The tracklist features such themes from series as Clannad, Trigun, Spice and Wolf, and Wolf’s Rain. A preview of one of the pieces, “half” from Rurouni Kenshin has been posted to the Platina Jazz Youtube page and is featured below. People looking to preorder the album can do so at CDJapan.

Although Kanako Itou has performed live concerts at events such as Anime Festival Asia and various years in attendance at the Animelo concerts, this will be her first appearance in the United States.

Currently, no schedule has been announced for meet and greets or concerts, but do pay attention as we will update you when we have any news about Kanako Itou’s appearance.

But perhaps more importantly, Kanno has been assigned to compose the opening to NHK’s 62nd Kohaku Uta Gessen, a music show that takes place every year on New Year’s Eve. The piece itself is set to play when hosts Arashi and Mao Inoue are introduced as well as when artists are introduced, artists which include the likes of Ayumi Hamazaki, Nana Mizuki, and L’Arc~en~Ciel.

Source: Oricon via Tokyohive.

Finally, Aniplex has gotten their act together and have made a belated release of Bakemonogatari’s soundtrack compiled alongside the opening and ending themes we love so much. The entire package is spread across two discs and will be released on December 21, 2011. Those of you interested in ordering the soundtrack can do so through CDJapan or Play-Asia.