Scorching Hikozaru! is the 81st episode of Diamond & Pearl. It aired in Japan on May 29, 2008.

Satoshi and friends are running after Gligar who has been blown away by a gust, and promptly run into Shinji. After a huge argument about their different ways of treating Pokemon, Satoshi challenges Shinji to a battle...



DP81 Episode Screenshots: Click Here

Nintendo began a trial run of a new service that gives DS owners in Japan access to downloadable content in McDonald's restaurants and on trains. The company kicked off the Nintendo Spot service today in cooperation with McDonalds and NTT Broadband Platform.

McDonald's will use the service to give customers nutritional information about their menu items. The trial program runs at 21 McDonalds restaurants in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward and Suginami Ward until June 30, and on the Tsukuba Express train line until December 28.



From May 30 to June 19, those who access the service will be able to download a special Pikachu that comes with the "Present" skill pre-learned. The present skill is usually only available to Pikachu through breeding.


Source: http://www.mcd-holdings.co.jp/news/2008/promotion/promo0526_2.html

Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in the United States, recently announced that it will invite Nakagawa to its July 3 to 6 convention in Los Angeles for her first overseas live performance. Shoko Nakagawa is best known to Pokemon fans as one of the hosts of Pokemon Sunday.

Nakagawa sang Sorairo Days on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Contest) 2007 and has released four singles, two mini albums and one album. But she said she "still cannot imagine what I will do in Los Angeles".

"I first thought I would sing just one song. But it turned out to be a 60-minute performance," Nakagawa said. "I have not decided yet, but I want to sing my songs from other anime, including Dragon Ball and Rurouni Kenshin, since they will be familiar to people in the United States."

"Of course, I want to do cosplay there, too," said Nakagawa, who was appointed the "cosplay goodwill ambassador" in August at the World Cosplay Summit 2007, a gathering of costume play enthusiasts held in Nagoya.

"At the summit, I was able to talk with participants from other countries, such as France and Brazil. That made me realise I need less language to talk with them since we can communicate using Japanese anime words," Nakagawa said. "For the upcoming US event, I am going to take a number of costumes. I may dress as Haruhi (the main character in the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu) or a character from Neon Genesis Evangelion."

To learn more English and to familiarise herself with the United States, she has been watching US films of late. "I realised that action, zombie and alien stuff mostly came from that country, and I find such films wonderful! I especially like splatter and zombie films," Nakagawa said, adding that she is now keen on collecting items relating to chain saws. "I have figures with a chain saw and a very large chain saw stained with artificial blood. I love to play with them."

Source: http://www.star-ecentral.com
Source 2: http://www.anime-expo.org/

The FCC is continuing its relentless fines against televisions station in the United States for airing Pokemon merchandise during the commercial blocks. The FCC considers that "host selling," which converts the entire TV show into an ad.

The latest channel to be fined is WLFL TV Raleigh, N.C. for airing a commercial during the Pokemon anime in 2002. The ad was a Gameboy commercial in which Pokemon cards appeared for slightly more than one second. The channel was fined $16,500 for various offenses.

Source: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6563094.html?industryid=47169

Yanyanma! Get Strategy!! is the 80th episode of Diamond & Pearl. It aired in Japan on May 22, 2008.



DP80 Episode Screenshots: Click Here

You can view larger screenshots from this episode by visiting the Imageboard. There you can post your own screenshots and discuss the latest episode.

Many people have confirmed that Walmart has released The Rise of Darkrai DVD early in many of their stores across the United States. The DVD is scheduled for release on May 27th, 2008.

Those looking to get the DVD early might want to check their local Walmart. The movie first aired in North America on February 24, 2008 on Cartoon Network. The Japanese ending theme to the movie "I'll Be With You" sung in English by Sarah Brightman and Chris Thompson was not included in the English dub release of the movie. The DVD also does not contain any extra bonus material.