New York Anime Festival 2010

Bandai Entertainment

After a late start due to technical difficulties, the Bandai Entertainment panel started, presided by marketing director Robert Napton, marketer Loy Fruel, and president Ken Iyadomi.

First up came an introduction to the Bandai Entertainment online store, launched earlier this year, followed by Gundam Unicorn volume two, which will be released on November 12, 2010. The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya and Nyorōn Churuya-san Part 1 is currently available only at the Bandai online store or at the company's booth.

The Crunchyroll-branded DVD of 5 Centimeters Per Second is available for pre-order and will be available for sale exclusively on Bandai Entertainment's online store, but its release date is still to be announced. A trailer was shown.

The Bandai store will also be selling the first part of Aniplex's Durarara!!, along with Right Stuf, along with the R.O.D. Complete Blu-Ray Box, due January 18. Napton showed trailers for both series.

Available at stores in general are Gurren Lagann the Movie -Childhood's End- and Gurren Lagann the Movie -The Lights in the Skies are Stars-.

The panel then moved into announcements:

#1 - Mobile Suit Gundam, which will feature both English and Japanese language dubs, sold in two parts as Anime Legends.

#2 - Gundam Unicorn DVD; Bandai already had the license for Blu-Ray but they have now acquired the DVD license and will release it in three parts, with two episodes per DVD. Specs and release date are to be determined.

#3 - Christina Vee, voice actress of Mio Akiyama in the upcoming English dub of K-ON!, announced two new cast members for the dub: Cassandra Lee as Ritsu and Shelby Lindley as Mugi. The series will be released in DVD, DVD Limited Edition, Blu-Ray, and Blu-Ray Limited Edition starting in spring of 2011.

#4 - The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on Blu-Ray

#5 - Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society on Blu-Ray

#6 - Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer to be released with Japanese and English dubs at an unspecified date. A video message from director Seiji Mizushima was then played hoping that everyone will enjoy the film.

The panel then proceeded to go into its question and answer session, during which Iyadomi confirmed that songs in K-ON! will remain in their original Japanese for the English dub of the series. Lucky Star manga volume 6 was delayed but should be in stores in the next couple of weeks, but volume 7 is still on schedule and will be released shortly thereafter. They will not be dubbing Turn A Gundam at this time. There will not be a new dub for Mobile Suit Gundam; it will be the series' original English dub.

Asked about the status of the industry, Iyadomi called it "very tough" and said that the company appreciates fans' support.

There is no release schedule for The Girl Who Leapt Through Space yet, but it will be sometime in 2011.

The panel ended with a schedue of Bandai-related events taking place throughout the rest of the convention.