Welcome, one and all to AniWeekly! Here at Herald Headquarters, snow is in the forecast once more as we hunker down with a warm blanket, a hot cup of cocoa, and a stack of anime Blu-Rays.

So, from the Herald crew to all of you readers, do your best to stay warm. Relax, and take in our weekly roundup of notable news and links!

Getting out from Under The Dog. Last month, the Under the Dog KickStarter announced that Creative Intelligence Arts would no longer be attached to the project.  The announcement came suddenly, leaving many backers feeling a bit negative on the matter.

Justin from Organization ASG explained that, due to the announcement and the circumstances around it, the project is (probably) dead to him.

Verily, it was a truly sound Euphonium. KyoAni announced new details on the Sound! Euphonium anime series last week. Specifically, we received new cast details, as well as information on the opening & closing theme songs.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Finding the waifu that’s right for you! With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, love is in the air. And where there’s love, there’s bound to be a waifu or two. For the waifu-impaired, Nendoroid Cuties prepared a handy guide for identifying and choosing the perfect waifu for any occasion.

Winter wrap-up, winter wrap-up! With February in full swing, it’s time to finish that holiday cheer and look forward to the spring shows that are on the horizon. The folks at Otaku Review took up the daunting task of judging the winter season, and highlighting the biggest winners (and losers!).

Aria the Avvenire arrives! This week, Aria the Avvenire was announced by Mag Garden. Junichi Sato was tapped to direct the series, while Aria screenwriter Reiko Yoshida will return to handle the show’s scripts. Character designs will be provided by Masayuki Onji, and the show itself will be animated by TYO Animations.

Aria the Avvenire Key Visual 001 - 20150203

Studio Ghibli’s open, but still inactive. In a recent talk show appearance, Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki confirmed that the lights were still on at Studio Ghibli, though the magic seems to be on hold. Suzuki stated that “[w]e still cannot decide what to make… Considering the present world situation, it is very difficult to decide.”

Snow Miku, please step forward! The Snow Miku display at the Sapporo Snow festival is now open, and with it comes dozens of amazing photos!

Of course, Miku’s not alone this year. There are also displays for Love Live! and Madoka Magica, as well as a truly amazing Darth Vader sculpture.

A chronicle most epic! On Friday, Nintendo pulled the curtain from their upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X. The company devoted 25 minutes to explaining the ins and outs of the game, which is due to hit Japanese retailers in April. The game will hit North America and Europe later this year.

Fans had better set aside a few days for this one! Nintendo is estimating 300 hours of play for those who want to see everything the game has to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tpzCdnCFNM

This Week’s Featured Swag

Teefury Space Cowboy Shirt - 20150208This week’s featured item is TeeFury’s Space Cowboy shirt. This sleek navy-blue tee features a tasteful profile of Cowboy Bebop‘s Spike Spiegel and his trusty Swordfish spacecraft.

In the background, each of the show’s 26 episode titles serve as a contrast to the blue-green background overlay.

All purchase from the TWFS section help to support Anime Herald.