Masaaki Yuasa-directed Adventure Time To Premiere Later This Year

A good friend of mine turned me on to Masaaki Yuasa's work awhile back. If you're an anime enthusiast, it's likely you recognize Yuasa's beautifully crazy style from such works as Kaiba, The Tatami Galaxy, Kick Heart, or that one particularly trippy episode of Samurai Champloo (you know the one).

Well it's looks like you can add Adventure Time to that list too, because the Yuasa-helmed "Food Chain" is airing this June. While the episode isn't canon (Yuasa was given full autonomy) and this isn't the first time the Adventure Time folks have completely handed the reins off to someone else (see: 'A Glitch is a Glitch'), I think that his signature eccentricities are uniquely compatible with Adventure Time's light-hearted craziness. I can't wait to see the full episode!

Taiyo Matsumoto's 'Ping Pong' Is Stylish As Hell

Those familiar with both Taiyo Matsumoto (TekkonKinkreet) and and Masaaki Yuasa's (Kick-Heart) work know exactly what to expect for the upcoming adaptation for Ping Pong. Taiyo Matsumoto's character design is some of the most original in the manga/anime industry currently and it's awesome to see more of his work getting recognized.

In 2002 Ping Pong was given a live-action movie release, but this is the first time we're getting an animated adaptation to fully portray the craziness of Matsumoto's work.

Along with the above trailer, individual trailers have been released for the series' characters, getting my fully hyped for this Spring release. I'm really digging the fluidity of the animation along with super-stylized backgrounds, a staple of Masaaki Yuasa's work.

While the initial air date has yet to be announced you can spend your time longing for the series after the break with the currently released character trailers.