© Go Nagai / Dynamic Planning, MZFilmPartners

Southeast Asian streaming service HOOQ has added several Japanese anime content to their lineup for the first time after over two years.

The streaming service has added Tagalog-dubbed anime titles from Philippine-based anime licensor Telesuccess Productions, which includes the anime film Mazinger Z: Infinity, as well as seven television specials of the popular anime series Lupin III, such as:

  • Bye bye, Lady Liberty (1989)
  • Bank of Liberty (1992)
  • Dragon of Doom (1994)
  • The Pursuit of Harimao’s Treasure (1995)
  • Island of Assassins (1997)
  • The Columbus Files (1999)
  • Missed by a Dollar (2000)

The anime titles mentioned are being made available for the first time in Tagalog dubbing.

 

The service has also started streaming two seasons of the popular sci-fi anime Assassination Classroom, as well as three seasons of the popular sports anime Knock Out (Hajime no Ippo).

This is also the first time that the second season of Assassination Classroom had been made available online after its television premiere on terrestrial broadcaster GMA-7 last October.

This will also be the first time that all seasons of Knock Out, including sequels “New Challenger” (2009) and “Rising” (2013), are being made available in one service.

 

You may watch the anime titles on the HOOQ app on your device, or through these links:

Mazinger Z: Infinity
https://www.hooq.tv/ph/movies/mazinger-z-infinity-8563e972-77fa-47e7-9912-fa50fc316536

LUPIN III Television Specials

Assassination Classroom (Season 1-2)
https://www.hooq.tv/ph/tv-shows/knock-out-32b47cef-e442-4408-b001-3236425792bf

Knock Out! (Season 1-3)
https://www.hooq.tv/ph/tv-shows/knock-out-32b47cef-e442-4408-b001-3236425792bf

 

 

Mazinger Z: Infinity
劇場版 マジンガーZ ／ INFINITY
© Go Nagai / Dynamic Planning, MZFilmPartners

Ten years ago, the villainous scientist Dr. Hell led his wicked followers, known as the Underground Empire, in a struggle to destroy all of humanity. It was against these forces that the young hero Koji Kabuto fought, piloting the legendary super robot “Mazinger Z.” Koji’s victory stopped Dr. Hell’s evil plan and returned peace to the Earth.

Now Koji has left the pilot seat behind and become a scientist in his own right, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Yet an unexpected encounter deep under Mt. Fuji triggers an even greater threat to mankind than ever before and alters Koji’s destiny forever. With humanity’s fate in their hands, Koji and Mazinger Z face a choice between good… and evil. (Synopsis from Viz Media)

 

Mazinger Z: Infinity is the sixth anime film adaptation of the popular mecha/robot franchise, which was based on the manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The manga ran from 1972-1974, which has a total of five (5) volumes.

The anime movie was directed by Junichi Shimizu, who previously worked in One Piece television and movie adaptations, while screenplay was handled by Takahiro Ozawa. Hiroya Iijima, who worked on shows like Afro Samurai and Seikon no Qwaser, handled character designs, which was produced by Toei Animation.

Mazinger Z: Infinity was screened in Philippine cinemas on April 2018, which was released in a locally-produced English dubbed version.

 

Assassination Classroom
暗殺教室
© Yusei Matsui / SHUEISHA, ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM Committee

One day, the moon exploded, leaving it in a perpetual crescent-moon shape. The creature who claims responsibility for the destruction also claims it will destroy the world in March of next year.

With powers beyond human comprehension, no military can stand against it. Yet, for some reason, it chooses to take up occupancy as a teacher in the worst class of Kunugigaoka Middle School.

The fate of the world rests in the hands of its students, as they have until graduation to figure out how to murder their teacher and collect ten billion yen for saving the world. (Synopsis from Anime News Network)

 

Assassination Classroom is an anime adaptation of a manga series by Yusei Matsui, which was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from July 2012 to March 2016 with a total of 21 volumes.

The anime adaptation was directed by Seiji Kishi, written by Makoto Uezu and character designs by Kazuaki Morita, who also worked on Arpeggio of Blue Steel and Danganronpa the Animation anime series, which was produced by anime studio Lerche.

 

Telesuccess Productions streamed the first season of Assassination Classroom for the first time in Tagalog dubbing through streaming platform iflix, which is the direct competitor of HOOQ, in July 2017 until its streaming rights expired in March 2017.

The popular sci-fi anime made its television premiere through terrestrial broadcaster GMA-7 in March 2018, under the title of “Invinsible Teacher”, which was followed by the second season in October of this year.

 

Knock Out!
はじめの一歩
© George Morikawa / Kodansha, VAP, Madhouse, NTV, D.N. Dream Partners

Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn’t get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school (the family fishing business grants him a distinct odor), Ippo’s life is one of hardship.

One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo’s life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura’s footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo’s path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning. (Synopsis from IMDb)

 

Hajime no Ippo, also known in the Philippines as Knock Out!, is an anime adaptation of the Japanese sports manga series by George Morikawa, which has been running in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine since October 1989 and currently has 126 volumes.

The first season was directed by Satoshi Nishimura, who also worked on the anime series Trigun, while DNA² scriptwriter Tatsuhiko Urahata handled the series composition.

The second and third season, on the other hand, was directed by Jun Shishido and written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, who both worked on two seasons of ColourCloud Palace anime series.

Character designs for all three season were handled by Koji Sugiura, which was produced by anime studio Madhouse.

 

Hajime no Ippo was first aired in Tagalog dubbing through terrestrial broadcaster GMA-7 in 2002, which has been re-aired occasionally.

The first season was also aired on defunct anime channel HEROtv in 2010, as well as the defunct Asian entertainment channel TeleAsia Filipino, which was owned by Telesuccess Production, in 2014.

The second season, Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger, was aired by GMA-7 in 2010, while the third season, Hajime no Ippo: Rising, was aired in 2015.

 

HOOQ has streamed Japanese anime titles to its lineup when it launched in 2015, including titles from Southeast Asian anime channel ANIPLUS Asia.

The anime titles were removed from their lineup when the streaming agreement with the broadcaster has ended in mid-2017.

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