Animax Kicks-off 2017 with 2 Same-day Telecasts

Still reeling from the brilliantly illustrated anime movie Your Name? Animax Asia has lined-up a series of exceptionally strong and compelling anime – from hit blockbusters that is close to our hearts to brand new anime series airing on the same day as Japan’s telecast – that will satisfy the desires of all anime fans in the Philippines.

The latest anime right after its broadcast in Japan: Gabriel Dropout and BanG Dream!

First to premiere is supernatural series Gabriel Dropout, a comedy series guaranteed to entertain audiences with its unconventional plot revolving around a delinquent angel! Having graduated at the top of her class, ace angel Gabriel White descends to earth to learn more about humans in order to show them the right path in life. Unfortunately, during her time in the human realm, she picks up bad habits including video game addiction and utter laziness – to the point that this former angel-role-model skips school to play video games. Will she ever find her way back to her angelic roots again?

Gabriel Dropout airs every Monday at 11pm, on the same day as Japan.

Also premiering in January on same day as Japan is idol anime BanG Dream!. The 14 episode explosive anime series is part of a bigger franchise, which has multiple adaptions including manga, CD singles, music videos and games. Be inspired to follow your dreams with the aspirational musical series BanG! Dream! All her life, Kasumi has been searching for the “beat of the stars”, a rhythm she heard one night as a child looking up at the sky. Just after entering high school, she chances upon a star-shaped guitar in a pawn shop, which excites new hidden feelings in her! When she meets with four other girls who have been searching for a similar feeling, she discovers that together they can produce magical sounds unlike anything she could be capable of on their own. Will they be able to find a stage for them to stand on and perform?

Follow the dream and unleash the star qualities when BanG Dream! premieres on 22 January, airing every Sunday at 8.30pm, on the same day as Japan.

Fans can also look forward to other popular anime series, which will premiere first and exclusively on Animax:

Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World-

The highly-acclaimed anime that has topped anime polls and charts is set to make its television debut on Animax. It is no ordinary action and fantasy anime; it has become a worldwide phenomenon with over 2 million copies of its light novel sold. The series follows Subaru Natsuki who is stranded in an alternate world. Subaru will soon realize that the only way to survive in this new world is to reverse time, an ability that can only be activated when he dies.

Premieres 13 January, airing every Thursday and Friday at 10pm

Fairy Tail (Season 6)

Dubbed as the most intense season yet, the anime will continue from where it left off the last season. This time, Natsu, Lucy and friends will find out that Tartaros, a dark guild, and its team of mages known as the Nine Demon Gates is behind some of the recent chaos and destruction. Will they be able to stop the mayhem restore the peace? This season will also unfold the untold story behind the beginnings of the Fairy Tail guild as young Mavis Vermillion, the first guild master and co-founder of Fairy Tail goes on a journey and meets friends and foes alike.

Premieres 17 January, every Monday and Tuesday at 10pm

Handa-kun

The much anticipated prequel and spin off the heartwarming anime series Barakamon, Handa-kuntells the tales of SeiHanda, a handsome high school student who is worshipped and deeply respected by his classmates due to the aloof yet charismatic aura he gives out. To them, he is perfect and out of their league and no one dares to approach him carelessly. However, for Sei and his inherent negative personality, he constantly mistakes such respect as hatred and hostility towards him, leading to unexpected hilarious situations.

Premieres 18 January, every Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm

Animax is available on SKYCable Channel 46, Cignal Digital TV Channel 73, and Dream Channel 07.

Read more @ The Ultimate Fan

HOT KATHNIEL IN INDONESIA: BARCELONA, A Love Untold, Got 2 Believe & CRAZY BEAUTIFUL YOU soon on MNCTV Indonesia

Well, as if we needed stronger proof to doubt that Kathryhn Bernardo & Daniel Padilla have touched the heart of Indonesians. After the success of Pangako Sa'Yo, MNCTV Indonesia just announce they were releasing 2 films, Barcelona, Love Untold & Crazy Beautiful You, & a teleserye, Got 2 Believe, soon.

Read more @ PINOYISTICS

Assassin’s Creed Movie Review: Another Unsuccessful Action Flick Adapted From A Popular Video Game

BASED ON A popular video game, "Assassin's Creed", its fans are hoping it will be a good adaptation on the big screen. Most video games-turned-movies are flops, like "Super Mario Bros." in 1993 (the very first one), "Mortal Kombat", "Street Fighter", "Doom", "Silent Hill", "Need for Speed", "Max Payne" and "Warcraft". The more successful ones are "Pokemon" (which had three sequels), "Lara Croft" (one sequel), "Resident Evil" (several sequels).

You'd think "Assassin's Creed" would be a success since it has a budget of $130 million and stars Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and Marion Cotillard, plus the very talented Michael Fassbender who's been nominated for the Oscar twice. But it isn't.

"Assassin's Creed" is about an ancient cult of killers whose creed is the protect the original Apple from the garden of Eden who members of the Knights Templar (remember them from Da Vinci Code?) want to get hold of it to remove dissent and free will from human kind.


The movie starts in 1492 during the era of the Inquisition in Spain when the assassins assign Aguilar (Fassbender) to protect the Apple of Eden from various fanatics who want to possess it. From there, we jump to the 1980s in Texas when a little boy, Callum Lynch, sees his mother being killed by his own dad. That boy grows up to be a convicted criminal (Fassbender) who, in present times, is about to die from execution through lethal injection.

When Callum regains consciousness, he's already in a secret research laboratory under the care of a scientist, Sophia (Cotillard), who works for an organization led by her dad, Alan Rikkin (Irons). He is said to be genetically predisposed to kill because of his aggressive genes because he is connected to the assassin Aguilar we first saw in the 14th century. Callum is then strapped to a huge machine called the Animus that will enable him to travel back in time and experience the genetic memory of his ancestor Aguilar so they can locate where the lost artifact Apple of Eden is hidden.

The movie is helmed by Australian director Justin Kurzel who also did Fassbender's updated version of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (with Cotillard as Lady Macbeth). We see Aguilar going through fight scenes and parkour chases where they jump and somersault through various rooftops while Callum in the present relives the same sequences strapped in his machine and while scientists monitor him.

Fassbender obviously prepared hard in the gym for this movie to be sure he's in good shape as he's shown shirtless in many scenes. We've always like him as an actor ever since we saw him as Magneto in "X-Men: First Class". He has since gained acclaim as the slave owner in "12 Years a Slave" and in the title role of "Steve Jobs". Here, he gives Callum his own brand of incipient madness while singing the Patsy Cline hit song, "Crazy". But despite giving all his powerful intensity in his dual roles of Callum and Aguilar in the movie, everything comes out quite dull. Maybe if we've learned to care for Callum, it would have been more exciting. But as it is, he's supposed to be the lead protagonist but we don't really know much about him other than he's a recidivist. Was he just a victim of their justice system?

The basic trouble is in the screenplay, which demonstrates once again how hard it is to make a good film out of a hit video game. We don't know if it's trying to be faithful to its source or what, but the fact remains that the narrative, which switched back and forth in time, is never really that involving or absorbing. We don't really get to sympathize with any of the characters. There seems to be an interesting character in Aguilar's co-assassin, Maria (Ariana Labed), but we aren't told anything much about her until she suddenly just died.

Maybe it would help if you're really a fan of the original computer game. But even the fight scenes are not engrossing for us, simply because they keep on jumping between the period point of view and a virtual perspective where the same fight scenes are repeated. Visually, it's exciting to watch because the camera really swoops and soars to follow the characters, but all the exciting scenes belong to the distant past, none in the present.

We are introduced to a whole bunch of other characters inside the research laboratory but what their significance to the story is not fully explained and they seem to be wasted until the climax. The ending is really so unsatisfying (so bitin) and it's presumably because they're thinking franchise here and viewers should just watch out for the sequel which will explain all the missing parts and elements in this first movie. The trouble is that it's a flop at the U.S. box office and is listed down as one of the biggest flops of 2016, along with Spielberg's "The BFG", "Allied" and "Ben Hur". We doubt if there would be a part 2, unless the movie does better at the box office worldwide.
Read more @ Showbiz Portal

Kantar Media National TV Ratings (January 6-11, 2017) - The Greatest Love hits new all-time high rating

ABS-CBN's afternoon drama The Greatest Love has hit a new all-time high rating on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, based on Kantar Media's data.

The Sylvia Sanchez-starrer gripped viewers as it aired the episode where her character lost memory of the people around her during her birthday. She had kept her Alzheimer's disease a secret and it was a shock for her children to see their mother clueless of who they were for the first time.

The Greatest Love got 20.4% national TV rating for the Wednesday episode, beating GMA-7's Sa Piling Ni Nanay which only scored 13.1%.

Check out the Top 20 TV Programs and Comparative Ratings from Friday to Wednesday, Jan. 6-11, 2017, according to Kantar Media Total Philippines (Urban and Rural) Household TV Ratings:

Jan. 6, 2017 (Friday):

O Shopping (0.4%)  / Red Alert (Replay) (0.9%) vs. Born To Be Wild (Replay) (0.9%)
Umagang Kay Ganda (4.4%) vs. Unang Hirit (3.7%)
Magandang Buhay (6.7%) vs. Ghost Fighter (6.7%) / Yo-Kai Watch (7.4%) / Bleach (8.3%) / Mako Mermaids (8.3%)
“Kapamilya Blockbusters ‘The Legend Of Hercules'” (13.8%) vs. Heart Of Asia Presents (6.8%) / “Kapuso Movie Festival ‘The Nutty Professor'” (6.5%)
Langit Lupa (14.6%) vs. Trops (7.5%)
It’s Showtime (15.9%) vs. Eat… Bulaga! (11.4%) / Ika-6 Na Utos (13.7%)
Doble Kara (18.0%) vs. Hahamakin Ang Lahat (11.8%)
The Greatest Love (16.3%) vs. Sa Piling Ni Nanay (13.0%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky 7 Ang Mga Kwento Ng Housemates Ni Ku (11.8%) / Minute To Win It Last Man Standing (16.2%) vs. Wowowin (16.9%)
TV Patrol (26.3%) vs. 24 Oras (21.3%) vs. Aksyon (2.5%)
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (34.8%) vs. Encantadia (22.4%) vs. 2017 Oppo Pba Philippine Cup (Live) (3.1%)
Magpahanggang Wakas (27.0%) vs. Alyas Robin Hood (18.2%)
Till I Met You (13.7%) vs. Someone To Watch Over Me (13.6%) vs. The Vampire Diaries (2.3%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 (9.3%) / Tonight With Boy Abunda (4.3%) vs. Bubble Gang (8.0%) Aksyon Tonite (1.1%) / Reaksyon (0.8%) / History With Lourd Tsismis Noon Kasaysayan Ngayon (0.6%)
Bandila (2.6%) vs. Saksi Liga Ng Katotohanan (3.4%) vs. Juan Direction (0.2%)
TNT Tapatan Ni Tunying (1.8%) / O Shopping (0.6%) vs. The 700 Club Asia (1.2%) vs. Shop Japan (0.1%)

Jan. 7, 2017 (Saturday):

O Shopping (0.6%) vs. “Adyenda ‘Pangako Ng Pagbabago Balik Tanaw Sa 2016′” (0.5%)
“Sa Kabukiran ‘Ka Louie Tabing At Ang Pangkat Kaunlaran'” (1.2%) vs. Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko (1.0%)
Salamat Dok (2.4%) vs. Pinoy Md Mga Doktor Ng Bayan (2.9%)
Swak Na Swak (3.4%) vs. My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (4.9%)
Angel Wings (2.9%) vs. Shaman King (7.1%) / Larva (9.6%)
Why Not? (2.9%) vs. Grab & Play Wonder Balls! (10.8%)
“ABS-CBN Nba Sabados (Via Satellite) ‘Minnesota Timberwolves Vs Washington Wizards'” (5.4%) vs. Bakugan Mechtanium Surge (9.6%) / Bleach Memories Of Nobody (10.7%) / “Maynila (Larawan Ng Bansa) ‘My Familys Secret'” (9.2%)
“Kapamilya Blockbusters (Saturday) ‘Underworld Evolution'” (13.3%) vs. Sarap Diva (7.1%)
It’s Showtime (Saturday) (16.5%) vs. Eat… Bulaga! (Saturday) (12.9%)
Ipaglaban Mo (17.8%) vs. #Like (9.9%) / Karelasyon (9.2%)
S.O.C.O. (A Scene Of The Crime Operatives) (15.4%) / Mga Kwento Ni Marc Logan (11.5%) vs. Wish Ko Lang! (9.5%)
Family Feud (12.9%) vs. Imbestigador (12.6%) vs. 2017 Oppo Pba Philippine Cup (Live) (3.6%)
TV Patrol Weekend (19.3%) vs. 24 Oras Weekend (16.4%)
Home Sweetie Home (23.2%) vs. Pepito Manaloto Ang Tunay Na Kuwento (19.5%)
Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids (31.4%) / “MMK 25 ‘Makeup'” (26.2%) vs. Magpakailanman (18.8%) vs. Sine Squad (5.7%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team (12.6%) / Failon Ngayon (4.3%) vs. “Kapuso Movie Night (Saturday) ‘Iskul Bukol 20 Years After The Ungasis And Escale” (14.4%) vs. Catfish The Tv Show (0.8%) / Ex On The Beach (0.5%) / Ridiculousness (0.6%)
The Bottom Line With Boy Abunda (1.7%) / O Shopping (0.7%) vs. I-Witness The GMA Documentaries (4.7%) vs. Shop Japan (0.2%)

Jan. 8, 2017 (Sunday):

O Shopping (0.9%) vs. In Touch (0.2%) / Jesus The Healer (0.6%)
The Healing Eucharist (4.5%) vs. “Kapuso Sine Klasika ‘Diegong Tabak'” (1.5%)
Swak Na Swak (3.7%) vs. Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures (4.0%) / Shaman King (6.7%)
Salamat Dok (3.5%) vs. Magic Kaito (8.6%) / Aha (7.9%)
Spongebob Squarepants (5.5%) / Avatar The Legend Of Aang (6.3%) vs. Born To Be Wild (9.8%)
Oyayi (6.6%) vs. I Bilib Featuring: Discover Science (10.4%)
Matanglawin (7.6%) / “Kapamilya Kiddie Blockbusters (Sunday) ‘Toy Story'” (13.0%) vs. “Kapuso Movie Festival (Sunday) ‘The Hunchback Of Notre Dame'” (9.1%)
ASAP (11.7%) vs. Sunday Pinasaya (11.4%)
Banana Sundae (12.7%) vs. Dear Uge (10.3%)
“Kapamilya Mega Blockbusters ‘You’re My Boss'” (13.4%) / Family Feud (12.9%) / TV Patrol Weekend (16.2%) vs. “GMA Blockbusters ‘Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen'” (13.6%) vs. 2017 Oppo Pba Philippine Cup (Live) (3.1%)
Goin’ Bulilit (23.9%) vs. 24 Oras Weekend (17.2%) vs. 2017 Oppo Pba Philippine Cup (Live) (6.5%)
Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids (33.2%) vs. Tsuperhero (16.2%)
“Wansapanataym
‘Santi Cruz Is Coming To Town'” (29.4%) vs. Hay, Bahay! (15.6%)
Rated K Handa Na Ba Kayo? (17.8%) / Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team (10.8%) vs. Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (18.4%) vs. Ridiculousness (1.6%) / Ridiculousness (1.3%) / UFC Classics Upsets (0.9%)
Gandang Gabi Vice (7.4%) vs. “Sunday Night Box Office ‘300’” (8.4%) vs. Ufc Now (0.3%)
“Sunday’s Best ‘From Prada To Nada'” (2.4%) / O Shopping (0.9%) vs. “Diyos At Bayan ‘Balik Tanaw Sa 2016, Pagtanaw Sa 2017′” (0.5%) vs. Shop Japan (0.0%)

Jan. 9, 2017 (Monday):

O Shopping (0.5%) / Mga Kwento Ni Marc Logan (Replay) (1.0%) vs. “Reporter’s Notebook (Replay)
‘Banig Ng Karamdaman'” (0.9%)
Umagang Kay Ganda (6.0%) vs. Unang Hirit (4.7%)
Magandang Buhay (6.2%) vs. Ghost Fighter (6.1%) / Yo-Kai Watch (5.9%) / Bleach (7.2%) / Mako Mermaids (8.1%)
“Kapamilya Blockbusters ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides'” (10.4%) vs. “Heart Of Asia Presents ‘Came To Me And Became A Star'” (6.1%) / Kapuso Movie Festival ‘Speed Racer'” (7.1%)
Langit Lupa (13.1%) vs. Trops (7.4%)
It’s Showtime (16.5%) vs. Eat… Bulaga! (11.5%) / Ika-6 Na Utos (13.1%)
Doble Kara (16.9%) vs. Hahamakin Ang Lahat (11.6%)
The Greatest Love (15.6%) vs. Sa Piling Ni Nanay (11.3%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team Mga Kwento Ng Dr (11.3%) / Minute To Win It Last Teen Standing (19.1%) vs. Wowowin (16.4%)
TV Patrol (29.9%) vs. 24 Oras (22.8%) vs. Aksyon (2.5%)
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (37.0%) vs. Encantadia (23.0%) vs. Arrow (2.6%)
A Love To Last (25.0%) vs. Alyas Robin Hood (19.8%) vs. The Flash (2.3%)
Till I Met You (11.0%) vs. Meant To Be (14.1%) vs. The Vampire Diaries (1.9%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team (7.3%) vs. Code Name Yong Pal (8.4%) vs. Aksyon Tonite (1.0%) / Reaksyon (0.7%)
Tonight With Boy Abunda (4.2%) vs. Saksi Liga Ng Katotohanan (3.4%) vs. History With Lourd Tsismis Noon Kasaysayan Ngayon (0.5%)
Bandila (2.6%) vs. “Front Row ‘Batang Kabalyera'” (1.8%) vs. Disaster Date (0.2%)
Maniwala Ka Kaya Mo Mission Possible (1.8%) / O Shopping (0.7%)vs. The 700 Club Asia (0.8%) vs. Shop Japan (0.1%)

Jan. 10, 2017 (Tuesday):

O Shopping (0.6%) / Tnt Tapatan Ni Tunying (Replay) (1.0%) vs. “I-Witness The Gma Documentaries (Replay) ‘Kuwentong I-Witness'” (0.7%)
Umagang Kay Ganda (5.5%) vs. Unang Hirit (4.2%)
Magandang Buhay (6.8%) vs. Ghost Fighter (5.5%) / Yo-Kai Watch (6.2%) / Bleach (7.5%) / Mako Mermaids (7.8%)
“Kapamilya Blockbusters ‘The Last Stand'” (12.8%) vs. Heart Of Asia Presents (6.6%) / “Kapuso Movie Festival ‘Rush Hour 3′” (8.7%)
Langit Lupa (14.4%) vs. Trops (8.3%)
It’s Showtime (16.7%) vs. Eat… Bulaga! (12.5%) / Ika-6 Na Utos (13.7%)
Doble Kara (17.4%) vs. Hahamakin Ang Lahat (12.5%)
The Greatest Love (18.2%) vs. Sa Piling Ni Nanay (12.9%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team Mga Kwento Ng Dr (14.8%) / Minute To Win It Last Teen Standing (21.3%) vs. Wowowin (17.8%)
TV Patrol (30.7%) vs. 24 Oras (22.2%) vs. Aksyon (2.0%)
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (39.1%) vs. Encantadia (23.7%) vs. Scandal (1.5%)
A Love To Last (26.1%) vs. Alyas Robin Hood (21.6%) vs. Nikita (1.7%)
Till I Met You (13.0%) vs. Meant To Be (14.4%) vs. The Vampire Diaries (1.6%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team (8.6%) vs. Code Name Yong Pal (8.0%) vs. Aksyon Tonite (0.8%) / Reaksyon (0.5%)
Tonight With Boy Abunda (4.3%) vs. Saksi Liga Ng Katotohanan (3.8%) vs. Kaya. (0.3%)
Bandila (2.8%) vs. Alisto! (2.3%) Disaster Date (0.3%)
My Puhunan (2.0%) / O Shopping (0.6%) vs. The 700 Club Asia (1.0%) vs. Shop Japan (0.1%)

Jan. 11, 2017 (Wednesday):

O Shopping (0.5%) / Matanglawin (Replay) (0.7%) vs. Alisto! (Replay) (0.9%)
Umagang Kay Ganda (5.7%) vs. Unang Hirit (3.9%)
Magandang Buhay (7.4%) vs. Ghost Fighter (5.8%) / Yo-Kai Watch (6.2%) / Bleach (7.1%) / Mako Mermaids (8.0%)
“Kapamilya Blockbusters ‘Riddick'” (12.8%) vs. “Heart Of Asia Presents ‘Youth'” (6.8%) / “Kapuso Movie Festival ‘Malibu Shark Attack'” (9.2%)
Langit Lupa (15.7%) vs. Trops (9.2%)
It’s Showtime (17.4%) vs. Eat… Bulaga! (12.6%) / Ika-6 Na Utos (13.4%)
Doble Kara (19.7%) vs. Hahamakin Ang Lahat (11.6%)
The Greatest Love (20.4%) vs. Sa Piling Ni Nanay (13.1%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team Mga Kwento Ng Dr (15.2%) / Minute To Win It Last Teen Standing (20.1%) vs. Wowowin (17.6%)
TV Patrol (30.5%) vs. 24 Oras (20.9%) vs. Aksyon (2.3%)
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (40.5%) vs. Encantadia (21.8%) vs. 2017 Oppo PBA Philippine Cup (Live) (4.5%)
Till I Met You (12.7%) vs. Meant To Be (14.5%) vs. The Vampire Diaries (1.7%)
Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 Dream Team (8.2%) vs. Code Name Yong Pal (8.3%) vs. Aksyon Tonite (0.6%)
Tonight With Boy Abunda (4.8%) vs. Saksi Liga Ng Katotohanan (4.3%)
Bandila (3.3%) vs. Tunay Na Buhay (2.4%) vs. Reaksyon (0.4%) / Insider (0.2%)
Red Alert (1.8%) / O Shopping (0.5%) vs. The 700 Club Asia (1.0%) vs. Disaster Date (0.1%) / Shop Japan (0.1%)

Read more @ The Ultimate Fan