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Sentai Filmworks Adds Ebiten, Sakurasou, Say I Love You Anime

The North American anime licensing company Sentai Filmworks announced at its panel at Nekocon on Friday that it has licensed the Ebiten, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Say I Love You, Kamisama Dolls, and Battle Girls: Time Paradox television anime series.

The anime adaptation of SCA-ji and Kira Inugami's Ebiten: Kōritsu Ebisugawa Kōkō Tenmon-Bu comedy manga centers around Itsuki Noya (played by Mariya Ise), a new student who wishes to join the school's astronomy club (tenmon-bu). However, Itsuki actually entered the similarly named Tenmon-bu — a club for fujoshi (female otaku) interests. The show premiered in Japan on October 3, and Crunchyroll is currently streaming the series in various countries as it airs. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for simulcast and home video.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou adapts Hajime Kamoshida's Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo light novel series. The school romantic comedy revolves around a high school sophomore named Sorata Kanda (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) who lives in Sakura-sou, the dormitory for problem children at Sorata's school. One day, Mashiro Shiina (Ai Kayano) — a cute girl who happens to be also a cosmopolitan, brilliant artist — moves into Sakurasou.

Sorata thinks to himself that he should protect Mashiro from the weirdos at Sakurasou, but Mashiro has a surprising secret: she has no idea how to take care of herself. She gets lost if she goes out, and her room is a complete mess. Sorata's dorm mates designate him as the "master" of Mashiro, and thus, an ordinary boy and a brilliant girl must live like "a master and his pet." Atsuko Ishizuka is directing the anime at J.C. Staff, and Mari Okada is in charge of the series scripts. The series premiered in Japan on October 8 and Crunchyroll is streaming the series in various countries as it airs. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for simulcast and home video.

Suki-tte Ii na yo. (Say, "I Love You".), based on Kanae Hazuki's manga, tells the story of Mei Tachibana, a girl who has never made friends or had a boyfriend in 16 years. One day, she accidentally injures Yamato Kurosawa, the school's most popular boy. For some reason, Yamato becomes interested in Mei and starts a one-sided friendship with her. He even protects her from a stalker — by kissing her.

Takuya Satō (Steins;Gate, Strawberry Marshmallow) is directing the series and is also handling the series composition. Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (episode director for Kimi ni Todoke, Minami-ke) is serving as series director, and Yoshiko Okuda (animation director for Casshern Sins) is handling the character designs. Junko Watanabe (NANA, Blood-C) is serving as chief animation director and Yuuji Nomi (Whisper of the Heart, Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise) is handling the music. ZEXCS is animating the series. The anime premiered on October 6 in Japan, and Crunchyroll is streaming the series in various countries as it airs. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series for simulcast and home video.

Hajime Yamamura's original Kamisama Dolls supernatural action manga centers around Kyōhei (Nobuhiko Okamoto), a college student who grew up in a village that deified figureheads named kakashi as gods. Kyōhei abandoned his hometown when he moved to Tokyo and immersed himself in college life. However, he learns from his younger sister Utao (Misato Fukuen) that a fugitive named Aki (Ryohei Kimura) from his hometown has also arrived in Tokyo (with his kakashi in tow) and is responsible for a horrific crime that Kyōhei had just witnessed.

Director Seiji Kishi and Brains Base's anime aired last year, and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired. Sentai Filmworks will release the series on bilingual DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

The original 2008 game Battle Girls-Time Paradox re-imagines Japan's tumultuous sengoku jidai (Era of Warring States) with all of the warriors as female characters. The series' protagonist is Hideyoshi, a modern-day middle school girl who unexpectedly finds herself in this alternative-historical setting.

Hideki Okamoto (D.C. II: Da Capo II, Nagasarete Airantou) directed the anime at TMS Entertainment, and Touko Machida (Ōkamikakushi, GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class, Lucky Star) supervised the scripts. Koji Yamakawa (chief animation director of Strike Witches, Strike Witches 2) adapted Shirogumi's original game designs and oversaw the animation process. The series aired last year, and Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired. Sentai Filmworks will release the series on bilingual DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Update: Sentai Filmworks also revealed its February 2013 release slate. The company will release both Waiting in the Summer and Listen to Me, Girls. I Am Your Father! subtitled only on home video.