News
English-Subbed Dennō Coil Anime Sold in iPhone/iOS App
posted on by Egan Loo
The Japanese media company Tokuma Shoten launched a worldwide Cyber Coil app, complete with 26 English-subtitled episodes of the Dennō Coil (Den-noh Coil) television anime series, for the Apple iPhone and other iOS devices on Saturday. Mitsuo Iso created and directed this 2007 anime about a group of children in the near future who use net-connected augmented-reality (AR) eyeglasses. The children travel throughout a city to uncover the mysteries behind the new technological advances there.
The app itself is free, and each episode costs US$2.99 as a downloadable in-app purchase. A similar app also launched in the Japanese version of Apple's App Store on Saturday. Both apps require iOS 4.0 or later. Initial testing indicates a lengthy download process that cannot be done in the background.
Tokuma Shoten's Anime World company also offers Legend of the Galactic Heroes episodes as separate apps in Apple's App Store outside Japan, but the episodes are currently in Japanese only. The company's apps have an "Anireco" feature that allows the user to dub his or her own soundtrack for selected scenes. In Japan, Anime World also offers apps for Jungle Emperor Leo (Jungle Taitei), the 1980 color version of Astro Boy (Mighty Atom), and the 2004 version of Black Jack.
Another anime that is available worldwide through an iOS app is Golden Kids, the newest soccer anime from manga creator Youichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa).
The Japanese online game company GameOn announced last October that it acquired the exclusive global license from Tokuma Shoten to make a Cyber Coil web browser game. In 2009, the pin@clip app launched an augmented-reality (AR) promotional campaign in Japan with Cyber Coil. AR is a virtual reality concept that was first explored in science fiction stories like Cyber Coil, but has now become possible through everyday modern technology. AR merges the real world with virtual computer graphics or information in real-time.
Thanks to Shiroi Hane for the news tip.
Images © Mitsuo Iso/Tokuma Shoten, Cyber Coil Production Committee
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