Recently in Kiddy Grade Category

As part of their ongoing relationship with Kadokawa, Crunchroll have started streaming Kiddy GiRL-AND (along with Mushi-uta and Cosplay Complex)

http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-682391/kiddy-girl-and-mushi-uta-and-cosplay-complex-launches
http://www.crunchyroll.com/kiddy-girl-and

All episodes are already available to premium members, with 3 episodes (one for Cosplay Complex) available to regular users, with the rest rolling out on a weekly basis. All three series are available in North America, South America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Middle East and Africa.
Unfortunately, while Kiddy GiRL-AND was animated and broadcast in HD and has been released on Blu-Ray in Japan (without English subtitles), the highest resolution available on Crunchyroll is 480P.

What they say:

500 years in the future, in Star Year 0379, the bright and cheerful Ascoeur and the slightly more serious Q-feuille work for the galactic government known as GTO. Actually, the pair are members of ES, a branch of GTO for secret agents with superpowers...well, more like trainees at ES...or at least they were.... A thrilling SF adventure brought to you with Keiji Gotoh and the staff who gave us KIDDY GRADE at the helm, and joined by the team from the up-and-coming Satelite production studio, who made a name for themselves with the TV Anime Macross Frontier.

Thanks go to Scott VonSchilling and DiGiKerot on Twitter.

It is now Stars Century 0380 (Trixie and Troisienne died in December of 0379). The galactic explosion that was Azlantia warps out over Aineias (one would expect some nasty tidal effects at GTO headquarters, positioned on a shore as it is). The Mistral charges right through the hull of Erde Meteor and Ascoeur leaps out - and falls flat on her face.

Good Smile Company has sponsored this episode also.

Actually, all the GTO is suffering is a bit of rain and the sudden appearance of a third sun. Mi nourose seems to know more than she's been letting on.. and has vanished, leaving her wig behind (now who could he/she be really? There's not that many solo ES-members to think of). Mistral falls away from Erde Meteor leaving a big hole. Ascoeur takes in the rest of the scene - the frozen Rubis, Tama and Di-air. Saphir is holding Q-feuille at icicle point and Torch and Shade appear - but Torch stops Shade using his power.

There's a evacuation warning in a cute voice and the Bomb starts turning red again - this time not even the Erde Meteor will be spared. Torch finally speaks out against Geacht'er. Who orders Shade to kill him - who refuses. So Geacht'er takes him out instead, and he falls, dying, out into space followed by Shade who leaps after him, but gives Ascoeur an opening as he does so by blinding Geacht'er. Q-feuille nearly falls out after them during a quake but is saved by Rubis who is freed when Saphir turns her attention to Geaecht'er, as are Di-air and Tama.

Tweedledee comes on the monitor to warn them that the place is about to fall apart.. the Centurion and the Fenice come through one of the warp gates! Tweedledum uses his powers to temporarily stabilise Erde Meteor and Tweedledee sends Letuchaia and Pauk to effect an evacuation. They start evacuating them but the launch fails as the anchor cable is still attached. Saphir and Rubis get into another fight, until Q-feuille freezes Saphir. The Bomb is heading towards Aineias, with Éclair and Lumière sill in tow.

And - yay Viola! Yay Cesario! Yay Sinistra! Yay Dextera! (now how are they going to explain him having the same seiyuu as Shade?) Also, A-ou, Un-ou with the Salyut and the C-Square - which he has borrowed without permission. Ascoeur opts to stay and deal with her brother while the others leave to free the civilians.

Eyecatch: Entire cast done Moro-style, including chibi Tweedledee.

Ascoeur tries to reason with the madman. Erde Meteor starts falling apart big time. The helpless frozen Saphir falls out, followed by Ascoeur who is caught by Mistral but is knocked away again by debris. She sees her brother also falling and, since she still can't teleport.. swims to him instead. A flare from the planet nearly hits them but they are shielded by Typhon, who falls away in a different direction (seriously, physics where are you?).

Q-feuille and Di-air are holding holds to slow the collapse while Rubis is slashing the anchor cables. And for her trouble is seemingly engulfed in the engine fire as the ship breaks free. Ascoeur and Geacht'er are suddenly no longer as close to the exploding planet as they were, and are in a strong wind - in space. Actually, it looks like they are now falling towards Aineias. Her clothes start burning away - didn't they do this one in My-Otome? They're going for the cheesy bad guy apologises at the end thing by the looks of it. Oh, and then dissolves. Ascoeur can't resist one more incestuous kiss before he goes. Just as well as she has now inherited his powers also (along with his birthmark), which she uses to singlehandedly refreeze the planet. Éclair: "Pokkyun?" Somewhere along the line Donnerschlag-re has turned up. I suspect Calliope is buried under the GTO gardens since they are laid out in an odd shape.

Ascoeur is reaching her limit, but Di-air teleports Q-feuille out to her, so they kiss, join hands and envelop the planet in their golden light. And also sent it away from Aineias, where it turns back into a normal planet again. Convenient for mining but bad for Aineias' orbit and a space traffic control nightmare. Mi-nourose turns up with Mistral and Di-air on a rather dirty and battered-looking Calliope, missing both flex feathers and a side engine block. He's really a rugged bloke with short blonde hair.

During the credits (accompanied by Taiyou to Tsuki):
News announcement about G-society's plot and control returning to the GTO.
Letuchaia and Pauk outside a large house with their Grandmother, Core and the doctor and nurse team.
Rubis laid up in bed with a broken ankle.
Torch and Shade looking all bishie in civvies.
Lumière and Éclair are rewarded for the efforts in saving the universe and spending 25 flipping years in amber by being sent back to the information desk - and get lectured by "pro" Alisa. They looked better in the old receptionist uniforms. Now they're back in their Epilogue uniforms (which they'd been wearing for 25 years even before being frozen.. they've probably gone in an out of style 10 times) reporting to their old friend/new boss Mer.
Viola, Cesario, Sinistra and Dextera also clearly had no chance to change clothes wherever they have been for the last 50 years.
Un-ou get's a lecture from Tweedledee for "borrowing" the C-square.
Eclair meets her old friend's legacy, Di-air. She also seems to know Mi nourose (Dyne maybe?). And is reunited with her son.
Flowers on the graves of the third gens, and also on one for Geacht'er:

The boy just loved his sister
Alfred von Rosenblum
to heaven / jan.SC0380

Fin.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #24 -- The Power of Contrivance (Tenka Seiha)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 22, 23 (Random Curiosity)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 24 (END) (Random Curiosity)

This is the first episode Gotoh's done key animation for since episode 1, and the first he's been personally involved in since episode 9.

The burning planet is casting a red glow on everything around. Our trio teleport on board the Mistral which has just warped in (quite how Ascoeur calculated the relative positions and velocities in order to not only get them on board the ship but in their seats I.. will just ignore). G-society's fleet gives them a good pummelling, which Di-air and TAMA are typically enjoying. Suddenly the blue beam spam is interrupted by yellow beam spam from another direction; the cavalry has arrived - there was a GTO fleet locked up in the chronowatsit all these years also.

Having passed the blockage, ahead of them at the pole are three ships - Saphir's recognisable red one, a grey one for Torch/Shade and a gold one for Geacht'er. The more I listen to the timpanis in the accompaniment, the more I think of Evangelion NS.. Thunderbirds? Something Gerry Anderson I'm sure. Saphir is looking more than a little psychotic right now. Not quite "Uso da!" level, but getting there. Her ship packs a mean punch and carries MIRVs. Once the passengers disembark the Mistral reconfigures and now has a mean punch of its own and a turbo boost. Oh, and more MIRVs. It is also very manoeuvrable and can fire perpendicularly.

They teleport onto Geacht'er's ship where he is there to greet them. Basil calls to complain about the whole end of the world thing. Geacht'er ended up in the research facility ahead of Ascoeur because he was rejected by his own family as a child for being born intersexed, which is why she didn't recognise him. The researchers realised he was an excellent subject for ability development but needed a partner to unlock his powers. Ascoeur's apparent death was just the last straw.

Geacht'er is about to give Q-feuille the flower when the Sigerum interrupts. Hiver and Sommer gate in. It would look cool were it not for Hiver's awful outfit. Sommer strikes a cool pose and chucks his little Black Box case. Geacht'er stops time - but Q-feuille is still moving (albeit slowly) towards Ascoeur. Geacht'er chucks his flower but just before it hits her finger touches Ascoeur's.. cancelling out his power and with all three holding hands, turns it back on him. Sommer's case flips open producing a shield which encases him.

Hiver tells Ascoeur to teleport Q-feuille back to Erde Meteor - in order to reverse what Geacht'er has done they need to reverse the positions of the time and space controllers so Ascoeur remains at the North pole, now atop Mistral. They suddenly find themselves together in a pink mist - with Éclair and Lumière. The conversation starts something like:
"Pokkyun!"
"Pokkyun?"
"Don't worry, she's always like that".
They are now spread out at the four corners of the earth, all producing black/white balls. This time the monochrome melange evaporates leaving the planet wrapped in a blue glow. All four participants are now pooped. There's something wrong with the image of people panting in open space. Geacht'er is suddenly no longer confined - his ship is no longer there either, having been an illusion. Erde Meteror's warp gates all activate. The computer will only respond to Ascoeur or Geacht'er but she's to tired to teleport back. Letuchaia and Pauk lead Tweedledee and Tweedledum to the main computer while Rubis and Di-air remain looking after Q-feuille.

Erde Meteor warps out, taking the whole flipping planet with it, along with Mistral and Ascoeur can only watch over the comm as Q-feuille is menaced by Geacht'er. Di-air tries to shield her with her body but it is Rubis who saves them from Saphir's attack - taking an icicle to the stomach for her efforts. Saphir drives it even deeper into her partner before freezing her. Torch is dismayed to see partners fighting each other. TAMA powers up and wraps himself around Di-air just before he too is frozen. They all arrive at Aineias. Mistral bursts through the hull into the room and Ascoeur leaps out..
.
Next episode: Together Forever (いつまでも一緒 Itsumademo Issho)
- storyboarded and directed by Keiji Gotoh.

Links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #23 -- "Fanservice Should Be Elegant" (Tenka Seiha)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 20, 21 (Random Curiosity)

Massive fleet of ships warps out at Azulantia. The Siegerum is there also. A battle breaks out between G-society and whoever's army Hiver and Sommer have brought with them.

Back on Erde Meteor, Q-feuille is now back to normal but Ascoeur has worn herself out. Geacht'er gives her a glowy grope. Q-feuille tries to freeze him unsuccessful (after almost calling him her brother automatically). He, however, has no problem freezing her. Saphir is going to dispose of Di-air and TAMA, but Rubis offers to do it for her. After everyone else departs, she asks her to save Q-feuille, then takes out the security cameras in the area on her way out. It is a strain to awaken her powers again, but once she gets a good glow going she floats up to Q-feuille's lips and gives her the extra power she needs to break free. Di-air produces a chocolate box from.. somehere... and Q-feuille uses one to produce her nanomist outfit (making a mockery of the changing room scene in episode 4...). Using their resonance as a guide Q-feuille chases after Ascoeur.

Ascoeur feels the resonance also so knows that Q-feuille is all right, and wakes to find herself strapped in a device which is connected to the four warp gates in order to trigger the explosion. It seems Letuchaia has been told that what they are after is a ball of E-IV energy, but not about the whole end of life as we know it thing. If Ascoeur tries to escape Erde Meteor will be destroyed instead, along with the 50,000 inhabitants.

Torch, Shade and Geacht'er leave on a couple of ships, and Rubis arrives, whispering to Ascoeur that Di-air is OK. Everything starts once Geacht'er reaches the opposite pole. The diagram translates Jikan no Kooritsu ita Kuukan as the "Chronofrozen space-time" and Éclair and Lumière are currently situated at opposite points on the equatorial plane.

Q-feuille and Di-air arrive, much to the dismay of Rubis and the anger of Saphir. Letuchaia and Pauk attack first to protect their Grandmother, but Q-feuille freezes herself preventing any damage. Saphir runs her right through with an ice spear - but it is just an afterimage. Tweedledum and Tweedledee arrive through on of Hiver's gates, followed closely by A-ou and Un-ou. Saphir is a little peeved, but Tweedledee is ready for her this time. A-ou manages to redirect one of her stalagmites so it pierces her. When Rubis tried to run to her she calls her a traitor, slices her cheek open and runs away.

Tweedledee tries to shut the system down, but it requires a physical key - the DNA of the Rosenblum family. Unfortunately they are all dead except for Geacht'er... and Ascoeur. The countdown stops at 3 seconds. Except the timer is a fake. The space unlocks itself, revealing the ominous red planet as well as Éclair and Lumière, with a magical glowing maniac looking on.

Next episode: Unending feelings (とまらない想い Tomaranai Omoi)

Links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #22 -- Loyalty Issues (Tenka Seiha)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 18, 19 (Random Curiosity)

So, where were we.. oh yes, Ascoer and Di-air have just gone aboard Er de Meteor and been met by Geacht'er and Q-feuille . Suddenly, an earthquake - all four of the warp gates built into the complex activate, and I'm guessing this whole immense structure is just about to go on a little trip. Yup - the whole thing warps out, leaving Mistral behind. We've finally caught back up with the main story - they're heading for the frozen space.

Ascoeur tries to prompt Q-feuille's memories of Trixie and Troisienne but Geacht'er intervenes. Ascoeur teleports them away to evade Q-feuille attack but doesnt get far due to a teleport barrier. Lynx-form TAMA saves them from falling but now all the Shadow Worker teams arrive. Q-feuille freezes Ascoeur with her Perseus Aegis, completely this time. Just as Geacht'er is about to steal a kiss from his immobile sister (which is all kinds of wrong), Di-air goes super saiyan again, releasing her. The Shadow Workers go on the offensive so Ascoeur escapes - taking Q-feuille with her - but she can't have gone far.

Q-feuille tries again to freeze Ascoeur and is again stopped by Di-air, who is starting to look rather tired. Q-fi has realised that it is Ascoeur not her who is really Geacht'er sister, and Ascoeur says she doesn't want to be his sister which earns her a slap. Di-air again intervenes but she's used her power one to many times and falls asleep. Ever protective TAMA steals a kiss and coils himself around her like a snake. Geacht'er turns up, still playing kiss catch. Q-feuille, still playing the dutiful sister, traps Ascoeur again but she somehow manages to break free and teleports away once again (with Di-air and TAMA) - but they are right on her heels and the chibis snare her with their Crazy Crackers. Ascoeur breaks into tears, struggling against her bonds to reach for Q-feuille who finds herself crying also. Even Letuchaia is affected by the scene and both her and Pauk release their hold on her.

I found the eyecatches amusing this week,

Erde Meteor warps in by the ball of timey wimey stuff, destroying the observation platform in the process. Hiver and Zommer are on their way in the Siegerum. Geacht'er finally has his prey in his arms and plants one on her. Her memories start returning - of her parents on Erde Meteor. There is a video announcement going out to members of the Rosenblum family - who all bear a rose-shaped birthmark: it seems that rather than see the commoners take over they're going to commit mass suicide. Little Lieselotte recognises him as her Grandfather. She is sent away on a ship to be a test subject - like her older sibling before her. It seems this is the only way her parents could save her. Now dressed in a utilitarian grey outfit she is locked in a cell. Alfred is already there but she doesn't recognise him until she see's his birthmark. Wherever they are, he is being tortured daily. He's also gone a little loopy as he almost throttles her. Then she kisses him and they react blowing a big hole in the station they are on. Rubble falls on her and while he's trying to dig for her, she's unconsciously teleported herself into an escape capsule. Think she is dead he screams, and time stops around him. Realising his powers he decided to visit vengeance upon the whole world. Ascoeur's capsule lands safely on Nietos.

Back in the present.. Geacht'er is about to kiss her again to amp up her powers when Q-feuille attacks them without thinking about it. However, they no longer have need for their puppet so Saphir and Shade let loose on her. Ascoeur saves her from being impaled on an ice stalagmite and they (finally?) kiss - causing a much warmer-looking reaction than with her brother. He stops time again but their powers override it, throwing Saphir back and breaking Q-feuille's little controller and.. wow the yuri shippers will enjoy this one, having been disappointed by only one bit of mouth-to-mouth action in the original series.

Next episode: Time Begins to Flow (流れ始める時間 Nagare Hajimeru Jikan) - there's an obvious meaning to this, although there's no glimpses of anyone familiar in the preview (other than some legs I assume belong to Hiver stepping through one of her portals).
Storyboards by Isamu Imakake and for the third week in a row, no other staff announced.

In other news:

Art and other details for the fourth DVD is now up on the official site:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/dvd_case04.html

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #21 -- Automoronic Asphyxiation (Tenka Seiha)

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/shirobane/KiddyGirlAndNovel1

While it is billed as having illustrations by both Hidefumi Kimura and and Megumi Kadonosono, only the cover, mini poster (a reprint from last July's Newtype) and character page are by Megumi; the rest of the B&W illustrations are all clearly by Kimura. It looks to be an amalgam of both the manga and the TV series as it has the men in black from the manga, and scenes that are taken straight from the anime. It looks like the story ends at the episode 16 of the anime, with the capture of Q-feuille.

In an inversion of the usual trope is is Pauk who get's tentacle graped when the Ahoge Beam mecha goes beserk and, since her knight is otherwise occupied, it is Ascoeur who comes to Letuchaia's rescue. They may have cross pollinated most of the characters, but the anime and manga are still running along completely different plotlines.

We now know the names of the episode director (Tomoaki Ohta) and animation director (Kanetoshi Kamimoto).

Pauk and Letuchaia are going to visit their grandmother in the hospital and Q-feuille tags along too. Erde Meteor really is an impressive place: this section has a massive clocktower, skyscrapers, european-style buildings (although in places it looks the animators got tired of playing Sim CIty and just dropped a bunch of buildings into a random messy pile) including what looks like a church, and tall skyway roads snaking around everywhere. Q-feuille thinks it odd that she doesn't recognise the place despite living there all her life, but doesn't dwell on it.

When they arrive at the (immense, glass-fronted) hospital the same girl Letuchaia a flower received a flower from in an earlier episode comes running to meet her, wearing ugly puffy shorts. She believes she was cured just by talking to Letuchaia and we learn the reason for Pauk's devotion - she once saved his life with a blood transfusion. The girl calls Q-feuille Geacht'er's new sister princess which she queries but Letty brushes over. The doctor/nurse team also mentions Geacht'er's new sister without realising she is just around the corner causing some consternation. While she's trying to decide whether Letuchaia could be her little sister her butterfly circlet activates and she repeats robotically that Geacht'er is her only sibling. Letuchaia has reached her limit and bursts out that while she isn't Geacht'er's sister Q-feuille isn't either. While Letty breaks down in tears Q-feuille remembers what Ascoeur had said during their fight but the device activates again and Torch appears to catch her as she falls and whisks her away.

Q-feuille dreams about Di-air and Ascoeur but the butterfly drives them away and the last thing she sees before waking is Geacht'er making a scary face.

Oh goodness, Dr.Moro is still running with the hotdog theme.

At some point they've added Di-air's name to the sign about their dorm. Di-air is wearing TAMA like a cap. Ascoeur is picking up on resonance from Q-feuille. Di-air immediately packs all Q-feuille's belongings into a massive knapsack, including Troisienne's Sakura Stick - but can't lift it. She settles on just the stick. They meet Hiver and Sommer in the corridor, and they basically tell them to go ahead, as Hiver's not in charge any more anyway and announces they will be acting now themselves to do something about the frozen space while Ascoeur is drawing everyone's attention, before vanishing through the floor (I'm probably alone in this but can't help thinking Rentaghost - "don't go into the cellar!").

Mi nourouse should not be allowed anywhere near a bunnysuit. Some consolation would be Ascoeur and Di-air in the same, but they're in their regular outfits. Good grief - s/he's got a football-sized tail.

I seriously don't think Ascoeur and Di-air should be let out anywhere on their own, let alone piloting a spaceship. They've brought along Q-feuille's stuff anyway. They warp straight to Erde Meteor and are immediately intercepted by the fleet, but Ascoeur charges straight in anyway so it is just as well the Mistral has such good shields since there are beams flying everywhere. It can also take out the enemy ships without breaking a sweat but there are a lot of them. Missiles are more of a problem though. In a rare display of intelligent tactics Ascoeur leaves Mistral to distract the fleet while she, Di-air and Typhon drift towards Erde Meteor in a large chunk of debris (now where's Boba Fett..)

As soon as they break cover the fixed defenses start targetting them, which is something of a problem when you're flying in open space on the back of a robot - actually, it looks like they are just trying to clear the hazardous debris but a direct hit sends Di-air flying off into space, Ascoeur grabs her and teleports them to relative safety while Typhon flies off - hopefully not to get broken again since they've only just got the damned thing fixed. I guess like Dalek landing craft there's an unguarded service hatch on top as they get inside with no problems.

Ascoeur has a flashback to herself as a child being led along as stark corridor with a bunch of adults wearing black. Out on the streets bells start rining (looking at the clock tower up close it is clearly a copy of Big Ben) and there's an evacuation announcement. The bells trigger more flashbacks - it seems that Ascoeur definitely has memories of having been here before. She was led through crowded streets by people who look like they're dressed for a funeral or something, there's a man's face on a big nanomist screen but at the wrong angle to make out clearly, and finally herself and Alfred in a featureless grey cell-like room with no furniture other than a bunkbed and wearing nondescript grey hospital-like clothes.

Ascoeur's head starts hurting again. She has to react quickly to block a handful of exploding coins as Q-feuille arrives - she's been sensing the resonance also. Geacht'er appears to welcome her as Lieselotte but she declares herself to be Q-feuille's partner, Ascoeur.

Next ep: Restored memories (蘇る記憶 Yomigaeru Kioku) - more flashbacks.
Storyboards by Jun'ichi Satou (the series' sound director), other roles like last week still TBD.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #20 -- Nothing to See Here... (Tenka Seiha)

OK, first of all the Limited Edition version of the first DVD had arrived:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/shirobane/KIDDYGiRLANDDVDCase01LE

There is no new OP for the DVDs, at least nor on the first volume.
Compared to the original series it really is lackluster - you just get a slipcover, postcard versions of the four eyecatches and a 12-page "Contacty File" booklet which, while in colour, isn't a patch on Kiddy Grade's Continuity Files (especially since you got a 6-page colour inlay as well, along with cards and bookmarks). I'd happily trade the slipcover for Kiddy Grade's reversible covers with unique art as well. They haven't even included the art from the regular edition DVD either and it doesn't look like we can expect and of that really special stuff like mini figures, cell phone holster, posters, calendar etc. In the original solicitation there were to be mini pencil boards also, but they removed this from the listings without me noticing.

Audio is stereo LPCM at 1.5Mbps. Video is usually around 6-7Mbps. No subs naturally.

The PiP chibi adventures are still there at the end of the second episode but no sponsorship image, but they have included the whole thing in fullscreen on the second DVD along with dialogue.

Other than the TV spots (including the "male" versions) there's a clean version of both of the regular EDs (without the chibis).
Other than the footage from the first Animate store event the only other extra on this disc (which is common to both LE and RE) is a copyright warning read in-character by Ascoeur over screencaps. The menu is a static list of chapter points with the extras playing off a single button.

Second disc has the extended "Pumpkin Pudding" segment. Followed by a "visual soundtrack" which might explain why there's still been no OST solicited this far - it is 13 minutes of isolated score playing over stills with the track names and comments from composer Noriyasu Agematsu. Following this is the silly "Sound Only" audio drama taken from the net radio show. The remaining extra is the one that I couldn't understand on the solicitations - the Sendai round of the "Kiddy Girl-and Cup", a go-kart race between Shiraishi, the two Aya's, Producer Atsushi Ito (伊藤P) and his assistants Makoto Chiba (チバ) and Satoshi Yamazaki (ザッキー).

Other updates since last roundup:

The official site has a page for the 3rd (Dia) and 4th (Belle, Alisa and Mi nourose):

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/100219.html

Details as before, but with larger artwork.

There's also a page for the 3rd DVD:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/dvd_case03.html

Which confirms the Di-air artwork posted on Ami-Ami earlier.

The final update to the official site is a report with photographs from the final stop on the Touch and Go! Delivery tour in Yokohama:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/special/100224.html

Of note is the Aya's in the information desk uniforms, Gouda's Sakura Stick and Shiraishi cosplaying as himself playing himself complete with ukelele.

I've found listings for a Kiddy Girl-and book:

http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/lnovel/bk_detail.php?pcd=200909000471
http://www.yesasia.com/global/1022235461-0-0-0-en/info.html
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4044286043/

It is volume one of what appears to be a light novel series written and illustrated by Hidefumi Kimura, illustrated by Megumi Kadonosono and published under Kadokawa's Sneaker Bunko label. The first volume is entitled "Legacy Lilttle Lady" (L³) and is due out on either the 1st march, 19th March or the 27th February depending who you believe. A6-sized and with 318 pages, priced at 650 yen.

ISBN-10: 4044286043
ISBN-13: 978-4044286040

--edit--

Official site now has a page for this:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/100227-2.html

Confirms the release date as the 1st March.

CDjapan/Neowing have listings for yet more character CDs:

Volume 7:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4706
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4706
Featuring Letuchaia (Hiromi Konno) and Pauk (Megumi Matsumoto)

Volume 8:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4707
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4707
Featuring Hiver (Kaori Mizuhashi) and Sommer (Itsuki Takizawa)

--edit--

Just spotted a settei collection book that has been solicited by Animaxis:

http://www.animaxis.com/en/shop/product.asp?sku=156236-00

Due to release in April at 1,575 yen, 72 A4 B&W pages.

The website stated, and currently still states, that Seiki Sugaware would be directing this episode but according to the on-screen credits it was directed by Daisuke Tsukishi. Hopefully there will be an update on the website to explain this.. This has since been corrected on the site.

So starting out just before where we left off last time.. Q-feuille is facing off against the GTO security force. She is now using exploding coins ( perhaps they are chocolate money ^^) and she wipes them out in one go. Ascoeur arrives after hearing the explosion and is surprised but glad to see her (once again completely misreading the situation). She only notices Torch and Shade when they move to intercept her and Di-air. When Q-feuille tries to remember the name Ascoeur the butterfly circlet Geacht'er gave her flashes briefly and she snaps back, announcing herself as G-society's princess here to right the wrongs of the GTO. Ascoeur comes to the conclusion that she just one of Torch and Shade's illusions. An illusion with punipuni cheeks. A slap and a handful of coins helps her realise her mistake.

The next time Q-feuille attacks Ascoeur creates a barrier.. however Q-feuille had frozen some of the coins, releasing them once Ascoeur let the barrier down so she has to quickly teleport away with Di-air before they explode. Q-feuille then "teleports" to her using Geacht'er's time stopping technique and gives her a cheek squeezing in return. Ascoeur retreats but Q-feuille comes after her. Hiver is watching from her office when she receives a call from Basil*. The GTO is to be disbanded and all functions transferred to G-society, although they are willing to take her on as a Shadow Worker.

Q-feuille has enough of playing tag and tries to freeze Ascoeur who uses her ability to knock her back. When Q-feuille retaliates Ascoeur hesitates and is trapped. When Q-feuille sees her struggling she starts crying without knowing why but her circlet activates again and she presses on with her attack. Shade is happy to let them kill each other, but Torch reminds him of their orders to protect them both. Before they can step in however, Di-air suddenly starts glowing (flinging TAMA away in the process). She releases Ascoeur with a glance and when Q-feuille tries freezing her easily deflects it without even lifting a finger. When Q-feuille tries her bombs instead Di-air uses her own power against her to freeze them, then uses Ascoeur's power to throw them back while crying herself. Seeing what they are up against, Torch and Shade collect Q-feuille and retreat, while Di-air collapses (and TAMA comes bouncing back).

Hiver arives with Sommer and.. wow, we're only half way; I was all ready for the end credits.

Back at base, Geacht'er tells Q-feuille that he wants Ascoeur alive. Torch and Shade report on Di-air's powers and that they know of only one other with that ability - Eclipse. It can't be her since she died and could not be resurrected, but her powers could have been transferred. Torch does not like the idea of setting partners against each other - and now it is flashback time to their GCPO days. Shade is injured and on the run for trumped up charges. Torch locates him easily due to the resonance between their powers.

A bunch of soldiers with big mecha show up behind them and Torch was ready to surrender when their commander shoots him in the back, under orders form the director. Then shoots him three more times when he tries to use his ability. It seems they had good reason to defect...Their illusions are useless on the mecha, but Shade tricks the soldiers into taking them out for them. It seems the director had sent them on assassination missions for his own purposes and Shade found out. I'm guessing this is where.. I spoke too soon, Geacht'er has arrived. White rose/red rose - who does he think he is, Morpheus?

Di-air is placed in a hospital bed, but she is just asleep. She has been sharing her power with them, but cannot control it herself and use it all at once. She has inherited Eclipse's powers but not her memories so it still just a little girl. And now she is suddenly in her own bed. Mi nourose, Belle and Alisa knock on the door and Hiver disappears through the floor. Di-air wakes up and they vow to get Q-feuille back.

Next ep: The real me (ほんとうの私 Hontou no Watashi), featuring Mahou Shoujo Di-air.
Storyboards by Yukio Nishimoto, other staff TBA.

* The seiyuu who voiced Basil, Daisuke Gouri, died of apparent suicide in January and has been replaced by Ryuuzaburou Ootomo.

Links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #19 -- Super Loli III (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-and is just ?_? (The Fool)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 16, 17 (Random Curiosity)

A lot of the work on this weeks episodes was by one man, Fumitoshi Oisakai, who did character designs for Kaleidostar and Sgt Froggy and directed Romeo × Juliet. He also, incidentally, performed a very similar role on the second half of episode 7 of.. Sister Princess RePure.

So, to the episode itself: The GTO's remaining ES-members gather in Hiver's office. The two official pairs are both being re-assigned to other agencies, to be followed by the dissolution of the GTO itself and transfer of duties to G-Society. The news has been made public as they are watching a screen and discussing the news down in Touch & Go.

Loos like Ascoeur ad Di-air are about to try sneaking off on Mistral.. but Hiver was there waiting for them. They have intelligence that Ascoeur was G-society's intended target, but Ascoeur doesn't care; she teleports Hiver off the ship but rather than teleporting straight back runs right into Sommer he reminds her that they still need to deal with the frozen space. She traps them the same way Trixie did Letty and Pauk (and her face goes badly off-model) but they walk right out (holding hands so this must be to do with Hiver's "Inside" ability). They recommend she learn more about Q-feuille and Di-air pipes up about them being the same age.

I quite like this look for Q-feuille. Letuchaia does not appreciate Geacht'er treating her as his sister. Q-feuille, with her new easygoing personality, just rubs it in. Actually, she is completely oblivious as she's been told that Letty is just another Shadow Worker. So, Letuchaia decides on a course of petty tricks - which just backfire on her. After getting all muddy in the rose garden Letty starts to warm to her however, and they take a bath together.

Ascoeur is pouting in the archive room. We see Q-feuille's profile, which is pretty much the same as the one in the manga but spells out her name in full:

Q-feuille
GTO warrant ES-member
rank: C-
birth: SC0372 21 Sep.
age: 7
sign: Gemini
Blood type: A
hair_raven locks hair
Quatre-feuille IV Lumiere
SP-Ability: Parfum
Items: Choco Bon Bomb

Quatre-feuille
Galactic Trade Organization
Warrant ES-member
Class: C-
[IVth Madian] live birthed by Gene-tec Echo Materialize Integrated Neo-human Incubation PROJECT
Quatre-feuille IV Lumiere
birth: SC0372 21 Sep.
age_7
sex_female
hair_raven locks hair
registered_on active service

Next ep: Partner (パートナー) - at some point we'll get some backstory on Torch and Shade.
Storyboard: Hiroyuki Shimazu
Episode Director: Seiki Sugawara
Animation director: Mariko Kawamoto

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #18 -- Love Love Time (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-and [Kiddy Grade 2] -- How We Became Friends (Super Spong Brothers)
Kiddy GiRL-AND - A Small Annoyance (Open Your Mind)

I haven't done a roundup of news for a while, so while I'm waiting to watch episode 18..

Details on the first two character song CDs is on the official site along with larger cover art (you can also see the final version of the LE cover on amiami):

Vol.1 Ascoeur (Aya Uchida)
CD Title: ぽきゅぽきゅーんッと行きましょう！
Code：LACM-4677
Release date：2010/2/10
Price：1,200 yen（1,143 yen before tax）
1．Pokyu pokyuun and Let's Go! (ぽきゅぽきゅーんッと行きましょう！pokyuupokyuun~ to ikimashou!)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by Takagou Azuma (東タカゴー Azuma Takagou)
2．Future History (未来ヒストリー Mirai Hisutorii)
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by lotta
3．ぽきゅぽきゅーんッと行きましょう！（off　vocal）
4．未来ヒストリー（off　vocal)

Vol.2 Q-feuille (Aya Gouda)
CD Title: 宇宙の行方
Code：LACM-4678
Release date：2010/2/10
Price：1,200 yen（1,143 yen before tax）
1．Location in space (宇宙の行方 Uchuu no Yukue)
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by Akiyo Toda (戸田章世 Toda Akiyo)
2．Honest
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by Hijiri Anze
3．宇宙の行方（off　vocal）
4．Honest（off　vocal）

Artwork and details on the 2nd DVD are also up on the official site:

On disc extras: TV spot, store promotional video, tour footage from the Koriyama Animate venue and Q-feuille's copyright warning message.

The limited edition has a 2nd disc with Visual Sound Track 2, mini drama "Sound Only 2".. I'll get back to you on the rest,

Both retail version come with a 12 page booklet, and the limited edition also has postcards of the 4 eyecatches.

As before, the LE has jacket art by Megumi Kadonosono and the RE and rental has art by Yukari Higa. The LE also has a "special sleeve" (a slipcover I presume).

Satelight's site has details on the 3rd DVD:

Similar to the above, with footage from the Nagoya Animate event, warning message by Di-air and T.A.M.A, and the third mini drama etc, another 12 page booklet and postcards.

There are articles of some sort in both Newtype and Comptiq again this month (the march editions): http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/info/100211.html

The Lantis site has details and cover art for the third and fourth character CDs:

Vol 3: Di-air (Yumeha Takahashi) and TAMA (Norio Wakamoto)

1．It's just Di-air (ディアだもん Dia da mon)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by lotta
2．Kirarhythm (キラリズム kirarizumu)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by Takagou Azuma
3．ディアだもん（off vocal）
4．キラリズム（off vocal）

Vol 4: Alisa (Mai AIzawa), Belle (Chika Horikawa), Mi norouse (Minoru Shiraishi)

1．Happiness Calendar (幸せカレンダー Shiawase Karendaa)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by lotta
2．Unfinished Scenario (未完成なシナリオ Mikansei na Shinario)
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by Hijiri Anze
3．幸せカレンダー（off vocal）
4．未完成なシナリオ（off vocal）

AmiAmi has the art for the third limited edition DVD, with Di-air and TAMA.

More character goods at Animaxis:

Kiddy Girl-and A3 Size Portrait Towel
Image is Ascoeur, Q-feuille and a chibi Mi nourose (from the Touch & Go! radio show)
Due out on the 4th of March for 1,260 yen.

Kiddy Girl-and Clear File
Image of Ascoeur and Q-feuille (old top image from the official site)
Again due out on the 4th March, for 368 yen.

I'm a little out of this due to a combination of migraine and codeine so there will be plenty of errors and omissions to correct later.

Latest links:

First Look: Kiddy Girl-and (Breaking the Boundary)

Q-Feuille is at G-Society, in comfort and being looked after by Core. Oh, it's that name that name for the place that was mentioned before, Erde Meteor or something like that. She's suffering from amnesia but has been told that she's nobility. Ascoeur managed to break Typhon after only two uses. She's like my sister and mobile phones. He wakes up and brings up a recording of Q-feuille being captured, although Saphir had been about to administer the coup de grace before Rubis stopped her - but at least they know she is alive now.

Q-feuille gets a visit from the same doctor and nurse from a few episodes back, escorted by Saphir and Rubis. The Doctor has a white iPad, and it looks like her name is Olivia something. I don't know where they grabbed the medical jargon for that file from, but I'm pretty sure Q-feuille doesn't have bubonic plague and a father who died of prostate cancer ^^; Despite having no memories she is afraid of injections. This one being a sedative, that also suppresses her ability. The doctor is aware that she was created artificially - and it seems so were Saphir and Rubis. They can also tell that she isn't even 10-years old yet and Rubis seems to be taking a shine to her.

Return of the Pumpkin Pudding Man eyecatch!

They just flat-out admit to having been assassins - for the government in fact. 50 years when the Nouvlesse were deposed the new government intended to use them to hunt down Nouvlesse, and were tortured when they refused - for 25 years - but were rescued by Geacht'er just as their execution had been decided. Letuchaia comes to take a peek with Pauk but is caught in the act by Torch and Shade. They finally tell her what her name is, and It looks like her memory may be coming back as she remembers Ascoeur's name, although Shade is up to something with his powers.

It is her bedtime so the others all leave, and she scrawls Ascoeur's name on the mirror with lipstick. Geacht'er whispers something in Shade's ear. Meanwhile Ascoeur is acting all normal in the café and covering for Q-feuille. The following morning, Shade visits Q-feuille and it looks like he's trying to brainwash her. She no longer remembers writing on the mirror and smears it away, and also seems a lot more confident and familiar with her surroundings than she should be.

Lots of dialog this ep and little action so this will be getting a major overhaul at some point..

Next week: 9000x jealousy level for Letuchaia in Sister Princess (シスター・プリンセス).
Storyboarded, directed and supervised by Fumitoshi Oizaki/Oisaki (Kaleidostar, Romeo x Juliet, Welcome to the NHK).

Links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #17 -- *Headdesk* (Tenka Seiha)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 14, 15 (Random Curiosity)
Kiddy Girl-and Ep 14 - Pokkyuun! (Dakara Kiku)
Kiddy Girl-And Ep 15 ~ Muwhaaa Ascoo...! (Dakara Kiku)
Kiddy Girl-And Ep 16 ~ Q-feuille, how could you...T.T (Dakara Kiku)
Kiddy Girl-And Ep 17 ~ Inter-jinx-tion! (Dakara Kiku)
Kiddy GiRL-AND - Exposition! (Open Your Mind)

The manga début of Mistral and Typhon. The manga still seems to be playing catch-up with the anime since they get a sudden promotion and first official mission. Since A-ou and Tweedledee are there without their partners and looking depressed I assume they are out of action for some reason as in the anime. The enemy mecha this time is a giant girl or "Humanic Frame" (ヒューマニック・フレーム) called "Meine Schwester" (マイネ・シュヴェスター, German for "My Sister") and its weapon is an.. ahoge beam ^^;

Rubis is chasing Saphir, who is apparently getting fed up of not having enough attention from her beloved bishie. She escapes and takes off in a fancy-looking ship. Meanwhile, Ascoeur is training with Typhon. She talks to him about the imouto thing and he doesn't have the intelligence to keep up and... did he just call her emo? She clearly hasn't told anyone about what Geacht'er said as Q-feuille overhears, but Ascoeur tells her to forget it - which touches a raw nerve given her recent memory problems.

Touch&Go! has nice chinese-style waitress uniforms today. Minoru, Belle and Alisa are getting worried because Ascoeur hasn't messed up a single order - could it be love? The girls grill her about it and says she's alike an imouto to them.. which is a bad choice of wording at the moment. Ascoeur and Q-feuille have a heart strapped to their ankles but for some reason Di-air is wearing her's up near her knee. Q-feuille wants Ascoeur to confide in her, but then she is hiding her own problems as well..

The trio are called up for a "delivery" to the Chief's office. They have received a message from an environment research lab which has someone requesting asylum. Someone who knows Ascoeur and Q-feuille personally.. followed by a message from Saphir which cuts off at the end. They are worried about it being a trap but Ascoeur is desperate to go as she wants to find out more about Geacht'er.

You know those child seats for the car with a toy steering wheel? It looks like Di-air has one ^^;. Fittingly for meeting a Yuki-onna they have come to ice planet Glacies. The whole planet is owned by the "Sion-Menhei Foundation" who keep a sub-zero research lab there. Despite the planet having an orbital rim they land manually. ES-member outfits are really not suited for cold climates - or maybe they are as they have a heating function, but they're feeling the cold regardless. It not Saphir but Rubis who is there to meet them, but Saphir emerges and chases her off. It is warm inside the base, but Rubis has destroyed their transmitter. It looks like Q-feuille is still having problems with her memory. Ascoeur and Rubis are intellectual equals it would appear. Saphir recommends they delay departure till the night when it is colder, which will slow Rubis down.

Over food she tells them a little about G-Society. She tears up when Di-air blows on her food to cool it, but her tear freezes and shatters. Despite singing to Di-air after the meal, when Ascoeur offers her hand to help her up she freezes it and the room is getting awfully foggy - she's been gradually lowering the temperature and waiting for them to collapse. Rubis turns up, and obviously wasn't in on the plan. Heh Saphir is quoting Armbrust. She's just a little jealous over Geacht'er's attention to Ascoeur and takes it out on her. The facility staff have all been killed and replaced with G-Society soldiers in disguise.

Typhon comes to the rescue but the cold affects him also and Rubis attacks him while he's helpless. He calls for help from Mistral but Saphir's ship intercepts. Q-feuille gets a power up from Di-air, revealing her power to Saphir and making her a target. Q-feuille freezes her while Ascoeur get's a power-up but still collapses while fighting Rubis - oh, that's why her nails were green all of a sudden, she was using a paralytic poison. Di-air powers TAMA up also but then collapses also. Q-feuille freezes Rubis as well as she is about run TAMA through but she can't keep it up for long. Mistral is still fighting with the other ship. Q-feuille tells the others to run and finally collapses herself. Ascoeur wakes in a hospital back on Aineias and Q-feuille wakes.. somewhere else, in a White Room.

Next wpisode: "Unknown Name" (知らない名前 Shiranai Namae).
Storyboards: Naotaka Hayashi
Episode directior: Yasushi Muroya
Animation Directors: Ryousuke Tanigawa and Tomokazu Sugimura

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #16 -- What a Twist! (Tenka Seiha)

So, Ascoeur is running late for school...
Hiver is the teacher, Sommer is the iinchou, Di-air's there in the front row...
(BGM is "Day x Day" from the Baby Universe Day single and I'm waiting for the shoe to drop)
As this is her fourth late in a row she has to clean the toilets. She's in the drama club with Di-air and Q-feuille - who is sat by the window with Jin-Hwa sat behind her. A-ou is in the next row being tsukkomi'd by Un-ou for being a cleaning freak - I think this is the first time I've seen in him trousers. There's Tweedledum and Felicie, and Tweedledee naturally.
Still waiting for that shoe.. Ascoeur and Q-feuille are neighbours with adjacent windows.
Time for PE.. A-ou flattens Un-ou (I saw that coming), Ascoeur and Di-air are not only in swimsuits but actual sukumizu, and Di-air even had a rubber ring. All the girls are in sukumizu, with their class (2-B) rather than their names on the front. This Tweedledee is all tsundere.
Ah, there's Belle and Alisa in the canteen, Mi nourose is service naturally.
The school festival is coming up and the drama club is doing Snow White.
Trixie and Troisienne are alive and their sempai and waiting for them in the drama club room - getting strong Clannad vibes from this place.. looks like they are former members who had to drop out due to final year exams.
Practice time: Q-feuille is Snow White, Ascoeur is a very wooden prince, and Di-air is the seven Dwarfs - just get to the kiss. Darn, Q-feuille chickens out. Half the script was ad-libbed since they've been messing around.
OK, now it's time for Buruma. Ooh, Ascoeur's pricked her finger sewing and lucks out with some finger-fera from Troisienne. They crack up every time they get to the kiss scene.
Now the actual play. Q-feuille's Snow White costume is straight out of Disney. The other six dwarves are cutouts. They finally do the kiss but the camera zooms right out. That's more like it. The performance earns them two new members so the club is safe once the T'n'T graduate - which is suddenly happening now (they switch to Winter uniform also.)
OK, now things are getting truly bizarre - TAMA is headmaster. In a suit. This is normally the point when.. yes, Ascoeur wakes up. Can't make out what the book she was reading in bed is supposed to be. Confirmed that they all sleep in one giant bed (Di-air in the middle). Ok, The book is the first volume of "Gakuen Cinderella" (学園シンデレラ) by Kanako Tachibana (橘 かなこ).

B-part.

I'd not realised that the whole GTO complex was positioned off-shore. Shade is there on one of the roofs and Torch has brought their ship to pick him up. Geacht'er is aboard also. Shade has spent the last week messing with Ascoeur's dreams. A few more scenarios flash past, including Ascoeur as CG Sakura and Harry Potter about to catch the Snitch. He's determined that Ascoeur has no memories beyond being rescued from the escape capsule 8 years ago.
Ascoeur is visiting the graveyard again. They've corrected Troisienne's headstone and given us a better view of it

Our third shinning [sic] girl
Troisienne III Lumiere
To heaven/Dec.SC:0379

Next episode: Cold Tears (冷たい涙 Tsumetai Namida)
Storyboard: Yukio Nishimoto
Episode director: Odahiro Watanabe / Onkou Watabe
Animation directors: Kazuhiro Oki, Naoaki Houjou, Manabu Yasumoto

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND - 13 (Random Curiosity)
SCHOOL GiRL-AND #15 -- Sith Lordery 101 (Tenka Seiha)

The release date for the first volume of the Kiddy GiRL-and DVDs has been changed from January 29th to February 5th. I think it is something to do with production of the extras. I can't see any mention of a knock-on effect on the successive volumes.

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/dvd_case01.html#info

Yes Asia have also advised me of the change in expected ship date.

Update on the character song CDs:

Artwork for the first two CDs (due out on February 10th) has been added to the Lantis site:

Vol. 1: Ascoeur (Aya Uchida) - LACM-4677

Lantis
CDJapan
Amazon
Yes Asia

Vol.2: Q-feuille (Aya Gouda) - LACM-4678

Lantis
CDJapan
Amazon
Yes Asia

As a reminder, the next two CDs are due out on February 24th:

Vol. 3: Di-air and TAMA (Yumeha Takahashi and Norio Wakamoto) - LACM-4691

Lantis
CDJapan
Amazon
Yes Asia

Vol. 4: Alisa, Belle & Mi nourose (Mai Aizawa, Chika Horikawa & Minoru Shiraishi) - LACM-4692

Lantis
CDJapan
Amazon
Yes Asia

And two new CDs have been announced, due out on March 24th:

Vol. 5: Saphir and Rubis (Kaoru MIzuhara and Fuuko Saitou) - LACM-4697

AmiAmi
Amazon

Vol. 6: Torch and Shade (Kazuya Nakai and Nobuo Tobita) - LACM-4698

AmiAmi
Amazon

The official site has also been updated with the final artwork for the first DVD (Limited Edition by Megumi Kadonosono and Regular/rental edition by Yukari Higa respecitively):

Q-feuille's precog is useful when you have a dojikko as a partner, but she still seems to be getting headache twinges. Belle and Alisa ask about the name of some tea they had before but Q-feuille can't remember it. The others laugh it off but Q-feuille is seriously rattled. Q-feuille really has been around only 7.5 years but hasn't aged at all in that time.
Q-feuille goes to the archives and looks up her own records; her "birth" from something like a cryochamber, her training with A-ou and Un-ou, and now stuff coming up that she has no memory of. Sommer is alerted to what she is doing and informs Hiver who goes to talk to her. One of the pages she has up is on Eclipse:

Galactic Trade Organization
GTO headquarter office chief
(Reserve ES-member )
Eclipse
age_28
sex female
hair_blond
registered disposed
To heaven SC0322

Next episode: A Bad Dream (悪い夢 Warui Yume)
Maiko Okada is back as Sakkan (who also did episode 8), with Takaomi Kanesaki joining for storyboards (who was key animator sakkan for a few episodes of the original series) and Daisuke Tsukushi (a newcomer to the series) for unit direction.

Other stuff:

Official site updated to advise that there will be KG-A articles in the February issues of both Newtype and Comptiq.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #14 -- Hot Dogging (Tenka Seiha)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 11, 12 (Random Curiosity)

I don't think the OP has changed for a couple of episodes now.
Belle and Alisa arrive on vacation planet Lirio. It seems that like Aure, you have to dock in orbit and go through customs before taking an elevator down, although that might also be because there appears to be very little land mass. They are there at this exclusive resort thanks to Belle, who turns out to be a daughter of the Cole Group (a possible connection to Liquiy?) Belle is shocked that Alisa is in her swimsuit already - but swimsuits are the dress code here. Someone somewhere is watching them while typing and.. grunting?

Meanwhile, Ascoeur, Q-feuille and Di-air are receiving their first mission - and it's not hush-hush since it was actually passed on by the UG, despite it being them who shut the GTO down in the first place. By an amazing coincidence the mission is to Lirio where girls have been going missing, including former Nouvlesse, and so has anyone send in to investigate so a ES-members are required.. "Yay! Vacation!".. I mean "Mission accepted!". As only women are allowed there they needed an all-female team (but why not sent Tweedledee as backup since this is an official mission?)

Still liking the warp effect. What's with all the junk out the window? Ah, they've noticed also - it's the remains of prior rescue attempts (ouch - you have to ask why the UG hasn't prevented more tourists from visiting if things are this bad). Just spotted a URL: "http://lirioresort.lr". The Engrish on the holoposter is at least mostly spelled correctly. OK, that steel pan riff was totally ripped off Disney's Little Mermaid. All three have gone for Bikinis, string bikinis in the case of the older two. Di-air likes Ascoeur's rose birthmark (it was referred to as a tattoo in the storyboards for the pilot DVD). Q-feuille doesn't think Typhon can come as the planet is only for girls, but Ascoeur thinks he is a girl.. and seems to have been corrupting him further.. and dresses him up in one of Q-feuille's bikinis. Mysterious person is still panting away at their computer. One of them has been identified as Nouvlesse VIP, but who? Di-air?

With a planet full of girls and maid robots they could totally have gone with nudism but I guess the mandatory steam would have been hard to justify on a beach ^^; And yes, Typhon is totally corrupted. Belle and Alisa spot them and they get together for a meal. They're totally unconcerned about a couple of security bots carrying off a pair of girls. They have complete control of the planet and don't allow anyone to leave but the guests don't really mind since they're there to relax anyway. Insert song is an instrumental version of Tsuki to Taiyou with a lead guitar solo. Even Q-feuille has got carried away.. oops, she's remembered she's supposed to be on a mission. They need to access the main computer, but it is underground and guarded by security robots so only ES-members could get close. Di-air blurts out that they are ES-members to the consternation of her partners, but the receptionists don't take her seriously.

At night a strict curfew is enforced so the streets are deserted apart from security androids. Lots and lots of androids, and Di-air's loud voice attracts their attention. Ascoeur has at least remembered she can teleport this week, but.. there's security everywere. Typhon comes to the rescue this time and takes them inside wherever they're trying to get to. Ascoeur drops her comb while trying to get it out of her bikini bottoms and Q-feuille's Choco Bonbombs are melting and going off prematurely (lucky she pulled them out when she did, really). Typhon can handle a few security bots however. And a metal door. This room is full of nanomist monitors showing security cam feeds of sleeping girls in bikinis and there's someone unconscious at the console. She is Iris, one of the team members sent in previously and asks for their help as the security system has gone beserk - it was designed (badly) to increase security as more important guests arrived, and there have been a lot of Nouvlesse visiting recently which has pushed it over the edge, including one super special VIP who arrived yesterday (is that the day they arrived or the day before?)

I'm not sure if some of the data on-screen is really old, badly put together or these girls are not their true ages as the DOBs don't match up - the first two (both Marias) are OK, one was born SC0360 and age 19 and the other born 0350 and aged 29, but the next two, one was born in SC0330 and is age 9, the next in SC0342 and is age 21. Iris has been deleting the visitor records of VIPs to trick the system into lowering security, but it just restores the data from the camera feeds. The computer melts down and a fire breaks out setting of the sprinklers everywhere (just as well they're all in bikinis) but the robots still won't let anyone out.

Iris janks a metal bar from a guardrail - bending it superhuman like in the process and orders them to lay into the computer to slow it down. Ascoeur pulls off another in the same fashion and Di-air powers up TAMA who fires lasers in panther form. Not to be beaten, Typhon starts shooting also. Looks like they went to far as the system shuts down completely... but then reboots. They head off to save the guests from the security robots headed and call Mistral down also, which awakens the orbital defence system. In the struggle Alisa loses her bikini top. Typhon has no trouble with the androids but a bunch of flying robots come after him, until they are saved by the planets own defense system.. briefly since the beams are coming after them. Mistral arrives in time and deflects the beams then takes out the cannons.

One android remains and is about to shoot Belle and Alisa when Q-feuille freezes it and Ascoeur dissects it - guess the secret is out. Oops, animation glitch - Di-air moves but TAMA doesn't and suddenly there are two of him. They need to fix Di-air's face for the DVD also.

Next ep: Time of encounter (出逢いの刻 Deai no Toki)
Episode direction and storyboards: Nao Higa (episode 21 of Saki)
Animation director: Miyuki Nakayama - another début in this role.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #13 -- Melty Explosives (Tenka Seiha)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 10 (Random Curiosity)

After seeing someone off on a shuttle (I've already seen the credits so I'm not making any comments here), Hiver informs our heroines about a certain incident involving Hi-G. Flashback to 25 years ago, the planet in question is Azulantia (and I know that name came up somewhere in the material or novels for Kiddy Grade). The Calliope is there at the front line and the Siegerum* is there recording events with its camera balls. The planet is under fierce attack. Eclipse is piloting the Calliope while Éclair and Lumière are on Donnerschlag. Even Armbrust, normally the observer gets involved (as in the pilot), leaving Pfeilspitze to pilot the ship; when Éclair comes under attack by defenses inside the orbital shaft he assists her with the machine gun built into his case, however himself comes under attack but is rescued by Eclipse. Éclair and Lumière (who is in orbit with a broken Donnerschlag) unleash their full abilities in concert, creating a massive field that envelops the planet, freezing it and the surrounding space in time. Pfeilspitze and a dying Armbrust are reunited in what looks to be a derelict building floating in space.

It is now official that Hiver is Pfeilspitze and Sommer is Armbrust - he even flashes his mole. I'm not following the conversation about Geacht'er at all. I think they're saying that Trixie and Troisienne were the key to unlocking the planet. Looks like we're going to be seeing Mistral now, he's in dock and the trio are going on a mission accompanied by A-ou (so much for being restricted to base). He's bringing the snacks. Mistral looks pretty much like it did in the pilot, and not much like Rafale. "アスクールってば子供見たい！" - look who's talking Di-air, you should try having a conversation that doesn't involve repeating everyone else because you haven't a clue what they're talking about. They're also taking Ganador. Geacht'er is somewhere nearby watching (you gotta love their security) and Ascoeur has a funny turn and A-ou senses something. They make it off planet and into warp with no problems.

Important conversation regarding Éclair and Lumière that I am again not really following. I like the Mistral's warp out effect. There's the planet in its bubble, surrounded by a debris field. OK, does Ascoeur actually have a pilot's license? Who in their right mind gave it to her? A-ou senses something and orders her to stop. There's a river of wreaths floating in space and a small station floating nearby which they dock with. Typhon is trying to teach Ganador to あかんべい、with little success. He needs to learn some new party tricks, fast. A-ou departs on Ganador leaving them behind. Wakamoto Norio approaches in a shuttle and my what a familiar beard he has.. he's brought a wreath with him which he sends off to join the others, presumably 25 of them now. He identifies them as new GTO ES-Members and Q-feuille is quick to point out that they are only trainees to avoid getting in trouble, but he puts them at ease and introduces himself as Che (シュウ - anyone who watched the last episode of original series should hopefully be thinking of a little baby right now). It's not clear if Éclair shortened the new Chevalier's name or whether it is just a nickname. And yes, this does mean that Wakamoto is voicing two characters in this scene.

Flashback time - the younger Che is again voiced by Hiroaki Miura and is calling eclair Kaa-san despite him looking at least as old as her at this point. I'm guessing this is the last time he saw her so he'd be 25 years old. "Handies in Di-air" time again as she tries to cheer him up. It looks like the whole point of this trip was just to get them to meet in fact.

Next episode: Vacation² (バカンス² Bakansu Bakansu) - the mandatory swimsuit episode (which Kiddy Grade never actually had). Looks like they finally remembered to draw Ascoeur's tattoo for only the second time in the whole series.
Storyboard duties fall to Isamu Imakake, Takahiro Majima as unit director and Noriko Ogura as animation supervisor. Not much to be said about any of them.

* Armbrust and Pfeilspitze's ship, the シーグラム is romanized as Siegerum in Kiddy Grade Conclusion and is supposed to be the German for 攻城槌 (lit. Siege Hammer), but isn't - it is closer to English, i.e. "siege ram" (presumably meaning battering ram, which in German is Rammbock or Sturmbock; the closet I can get to in German is "siegramm" or "victory ram", which doesn't match the Japanese translation).

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #12 -- Recycled Voices (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-And (s1e1)

The title (みんな仲良くＧ＆Ｇ) is giving me a headache this month - minna nakayoku means something like "let's all make friends" but the G&G has me stumped - "GTO & G-society"?
Anyway, this month sees the manga début of the G-society; Rubis, Saphir, Torch, Shade, Geacht'er and that massive base of theirs. They've also snuck T.A.M.A in without any fanfare.

Tweedledee and A-ou are briefing Ascoeur, Q-feuille and Di-air on the G-society ES-members (I must have missed the guy with the camera going around taking pictures during the fighting). Details for Torch ad Shade as as per the last database update. Ascoeur calls Rubis a bakeneko and A-ou descrbes Saphir as a Yuki Onna. They are professional assassins who have been active as long as the GTO has been around. They referred to Pauk's Crazy Cracker as an energy yo-yo (I've always seen them as a bolas) anad surmise that the pair are siblings or at least relatives due their appearance and similar abilities. Ascoeur interrupts. A lot.

THe G-Society base is a fully-fledged colony with artificial sky and everything. The lolishota pair really are adored by everyone there. I notice their outfits are less detailed than they were in the PIlot DVD, the brooches in particular. They go to visit their Grandmother in hospital, who calls them cousins rather than twins as I have been assuming until now, which as least makes Pauk's intentions less squicky. She came with them to G-Society after Letuchaia was discovered by Geacht'er. What is clear is that we're being shown that most of G-Society are just ordinary civilians and that Pauk and Letuchaia are not really evil people.

Apparently Letuchaia and Pauk are the only Shadow Workers who are also Nouvlesse so Letuchaia looks down on the otheres and gave her maid Core (or whatever name they are aiming for in some obscure language) some camera glasses to spy on the others. Something I forgot to mention the last time she turned up - her seiyuu is Mami Kosuge, the voice of the receptionist Bonita from the original series (who was also an ES-member according to the extra material for the series). Rubis is in her underwear and Core has correctly divined that the way to her heart is through her stomache, which is par for the course for beast-type characters. Rubis tries to get Core to bad-mouth her charges (catching her between a rock and a hard place, or rather between a set of claws and some exploding yo-yos) but is saved by the entry of Saphir. Core has tidied Saphir's dump of a bedroom which rather annoys her. She starts undressing.. until Rubis points out the hickies on her chest. So she freezes her and Core executes a sharp exit.

Eyecatch: We can rebuilt her - Drill Babaa!

Core is now tidying Torch's room. She finds a hair on his bed, which Torch promptly causes to vanish... but then trips over something invisible in the floor, dispelling the illusion which was hiding the rest of the junk and mess in the room. Shade, who has been away inspecting the fleet, returns while Torch is putting the moves on her - it seems he's something of a ladies man - and possibly bi, since the guys are either a couple or Shade wishes they were. Shade goes to have a shower while Core cleans Torch's room - and only Torch's room.

There's a photo on the wall of the two of them while they were in the GCPO (the Galactic Criminal Police Organization - it was mention in the Kiddy Grade Vs manga; antagonists Viper and Virago were really GCPO agents Ace and Alpha who were working undercover). If these two really are Sinistra and Dextera they must have left the GOTT to work for the GCPO at some point after the original series, before changing allegiances again to G-Society but after changing their appearances - they were notable by their absence in the prologue battle, despite having been included in the original K-G.2 Pilot. Shade returns and has a heart-to-heart with Torch - and Core is loving the yaoi vibes. After leaving Core receives a nasty present from Shade - a vision of cockroaches.

Pauk's brooch flashes - a summons from Geacht'er. Letuchaia shows him her spy footage and gets a kiss on the hand which sends her all hanya~n. It looks like he's playing them all against each other as Saphir also shows up with a report on the other teams. On her way out she passes Shade and there's no love lost between them; she's so annoyed she causes the corridor to ice over. Predictable enough, Shade also hands over a report on the two other Shadow teams. Looks like half of every pair has the hots for him, something he is clearly using to his advantage. Alone once again Geacht'er pulls up an image of our heroines and focuses in on Ascoeur.

Meanwhile, back at the GTO.. apparently the UG is seriously considering voting G-society into power in place of the disgraced GTO; the battle has already begun but the GTO cannot be seen to move openly in their current position so Ascoeur's team will have to act, but first they need to hear about the "time freeze incident" 25 years ago.. but not until next week.

Episode 12: The space frozen in time (時間の凍りついた空間 Jikan no Kooritsu ita Kuukan). Flipping 'eck - from that last image at the end of the preview it looks like what Éclair and Lumière did was freeze that entire planet in time and they are both, presumably, still locked up in there. But not for long judging by those familiar boots.

Staff: Storyboards by Hiroyuki Shimazu, Koji Iwai as director, and Tomokazu Sugimura (aka Over Drive - NSFW) as Sakkan.

Also, my copies of the two Ending Theme CDs arrived today.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #11 -- Spies Like Us (Tenka Seiha)

The artwork for the first DVD volume has been added to the official site.

The limited edition cover by character designer Megumi Kadonosono:

And the regular/rental edition cover by mangaka Yukari Higa:

They've also added a page for the Touch & Go! Mug (I have two in the post and Aya Uchida has already got hers.)

The insert song CD was released yesterday (again, Aya Uchida has posted a photo of her copy.)

To re-post something I added as a comment previously, I recenty obtained a CD-R of colour settei sheets for the series, and it includes names for some of the background characters. I've made my best guess at translations for them since the romaji on the sheets looked dodgy, and they got Éclair and Lumière's names wrong.

The receptionist with brown twintails is Lala (ラーラ Raara)
The receptionist with straight black hair is Matsurika (マツリカ)
The waitress with short blond hair is Felicie (フェリシー Ferishii)
The waitress with short brown hair is Mia (ミア)
The waitress with the black side-pony is Jin-hwa (ジンファ Jinfa)

In the same shipment of auctions stuff I also received a promotional postcard, a wallscroll and a promotional desk calendar for the Ignition movie:

Three new G-society profiles are up in the character section of official site, and we now have the actual spelling to Geacht'er which appears to be Dutch, meaning something like "Esteemed one".

Geacht'er (ガクトエル Gakutoeru)
The handsome young leader of G-Society, he is calm and collected and supposedly of noble lineage. He claims to be acting for the good of humanity, however he has promised to restore the Neo Nobility - the Nouvlesse - to their former glory, and his true intentions are unknown.

Torch (トーチ Toochi)
A member of the executive branch of G-Society, the so-called Shadow Workers, he is cheerful and amiable. His ability, Mirage-L (ミラージュ・Ｌ Miraaju L), is creating optical illusions. He used to be a an ES-member for the GCPO (Galactic Criminal Police Organization).

Shade (シェイド Sheido)
Torch's partner, he commands the G-society attack fleet. He is handsome, serene and quiet. His ability, Mirage-D (ミラージュ・Ｄ Miraaju D), creates mental illusions.

(I assume, given their names, that "L" is for light and "D" is for dark)

Thanks to ilmaestro for translation assistance.

So we start off in that huge communal bathing area. Di-air is playing with a rubber TAMA duck while Ascoeur and Q-feuille look.. somewhat depressed. Belle and Alisa join them. I hope they remember to give Alisa cleavage on the DVDs. Touch&Go! is closed and Mi nourose (who is back in her 'original' outfit) is watching the Galactic News, who are following G-Society's party line and blaming events on the GTO, the operations of which have been suspended.
Ascoeur-tachi (now wearing black maid outfits, appropriate for those in mourning) go to view Un-ou and Tweedledum who are in recovery tanks being watched over by their partners. They all go with Hiver to her office. Due to the suspension the ES-members are forbidden from leaving - but that doesn't apply to the waitresses who are not yet full ES-members. They are asked to work in the stead of A-ou and Tweedledee, and to take the place of Trixie and Troisienne which of course sparks fresh tears.
Back in the café, which is now open, something smashes and Mi nourose starts yelling at Ascoeur automatically - but it was, in fact, the normally so composed Q-feuille. Ascoeur is also so deep in her funk that not even Pumpkin Pudding has any effect. Not even 5 pumpkin puddings. Meanwhile, Q-feuille is still destoying the crockery. This outfit doesn't half highlight the difference in their bust sizes.
Mi-nourose gives them the rest of the day off and Q-feuille and Di-air head back to their room, but Ascoeur announced she's going out and teleports away.. to a graveyard, where Trixie's headstone reads

Our third hope girl
Trixie III Eclair
To heaven/Dec SC:0379

Eyecatch A is Trixie anad Trois' faces in the sky.
Eyecatch B is Tweedledum and Un-ou: "Hey! We're not dead yet!"

It looks like they now have one immense bed for the three of them. Di-air annouced she's going off to become and ES-member by beating up bad people, but Ascoeur is feeling whiny and negative so Di-air leaves on her own.
She's spotted by some G-society soldiers (who have some amusing engrish on their HUD, which also includes a shoutbox) who have been sent ordered to surveil the three trainees. Q-feuille's precog triggers involuntarily again and she runs out to search for Di-air, joined by Ascoeur after a few extra seconds of sulking. Di-air, meanwhile, is being stalked by a snake mecha. TAMA senses it way before she does and steals a kiss, powering up to his turtle form to protect her. The enemy's intelligence on the GTO is so thorough that they even know about TAMA. He fires at the enemy mecha but it fires back. That's the first time we've heard Di-air scream. TAMA is down after a couple of shots and collapses leaving her open.. but he sacrifices himself at the last second but reverts to pochette form.

An enemy soldier approaches now on foot and Di-air decides to protect Ascoeur and Q-feuille (who aren't even there yet) by.. charging at him headlong. With her eyes closed. He trips her easily (cruel b*stard). He shoots her with a gas which solidifies, holding her in place. Ascoeur finally arrives and takes out the mecha with one shot. Q-feuille takes out.. another? Or did it get back up again? Their multiped tank comes out of hiding and launches four of those spheres from the first episode which draw nanomist from somewhere and transform into a bunch of Genetech beasts - dragons and lions. Di-air unfreezes, still screaming, and is surprised to find Ascoeur and Q-feuille. Their weapons are no match for them, at least not en masse, and they seem to have forgotten to smooch power-up.

Di-air is still determined to protect them.. this time by flailing her fists at a giant lion, which kicks her into a bush. I was expecting Ascoeur to teleport and catch her, but she didn't. A lion blocks her from them and then turns to attack her.. and is suddenly timelocked. Is Troisienne still alive after all? All the beasts are frozen. Now a vortex starts slicing them apart (shouldn't they be invulnerable while frozen though?) - but it is Ascoeur who is wielding it, and Q-feuille who is freezing them. Not only do they have the same powers as TnT as I had suspected, but are possible even more powerful given the number of targets Q-fi has stopped (Trois only managed one and a quarter last week). The goons make a quick getaway, which is just as well since they are already exhausted. Di-air has a rather simplified view of ES-members - like a kids view of cops and robbers.

Di-air points out that they were using TnT's abilities - something which had somehow escaped them until now. Ascoeur thinks they picked it up just by watching, but realises that they are Trixie and Troisienne legacy and need to work hard to live up to it. This finally cheers her up and she is back working again in the café, serving their two remaining customers.

They are now promoted from Associate to Warrant ES-members (who's movements are not restricted) and get their own GTO IDs. They also finally get their Guard Robot, Typhon. Since the GTO is officially suspended they couldn't order in a new one, but they repaired and renovated Triumph who greets them with an "Akanbei Ascoeur". He looks roughly the same in humanoid form as in the pilot, although he is purpler and his smiley guns are now yellow. Their ship is still in dock undergoing repairs (presumably they somehow salvaged Rafale from the GOTT building and will rebuild it into Mistral).

This is the first episode with a specific Costume Designer named - Takashi Mamezuka.

Next ep: Shadow Workers (シャドウワーカー Shadou Waakaa ).
Storyboarded and directed by Hiroki Hayashi (Sol Bianca, Bubblegum Crisis etc.) with Ryuichi Makino (Girls Bravo) as Sakkan.

In other news:
Official site has added photos from the Touch&Go! tour and an interview with Aya, Aya and Minoru.

As commented previously, database pages for Saphir and Rubis are now up on the official site also. Their powers are called "Frigidity" and "Zoanthrope" respectively.

Aya Gouda had a Trèfle à quatre-feuilles cake for her birthday.

New Newtype article showcasing the G-society Shadow Workers.

Yes Asia have solicited all the DVDs and Blu-rays - listed in the extended entry.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #10 -- Megaman XI (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-and Discussion Thread: Episode 10 (AoD forums)
Kiddy GiRL-AND Episode 10 Discussion (MAL forums)
Kiddy -And - Episode Ten (NyanNyan)

My, this is familiar, large crowd before a stage.. hopefully they spelt their name right this time. A-ou eating pocky ^^;
Why are they wearing desk clerk uniforms? "Look, there's that haunted house!" Ascoeur really is in a world of her own ^^;
Torch and Shade are disguising themselves with.. shades, and the worrying thing is, it's working. You'd think they'd have facial recognition security in place wouldn't you?
Q-feuille's still suffering from headaches.
There's an good idea - get all the primary targets together in one place. Nothing can possible go wrong, right?
Giant holographic Gaktoel (what is that supposed to be? Possible related to that eagle-like emblem but I can't figure it out).
Ascoeur wants to go after the bad guys but Troisienne says to look after the guests and leave it to them. Tweedledee cannot get through to security. So she tries erasing the hologram with her brother, but as it is created with an ability this fails but A-ou can see who is doing it and manages to contact security somehow and send them their way. Shade injects an illusion directly into the chief's eyes like he did with Trixie in episode 7, making him see a giant beast. Then all the others, causing them to fire towards the civilians, which Gackt spins as the GTO trying to eliminate anyone who has heard what G-Society had to say and sends drop pods full of soldiers to "protect" them.
A-ou and Un-ou (still using his bowcaster) catch up with Torch and Shade who cry foul and run away theatrically. How Starwars - the good and bad grunts get colour coded laserguns.
How many years has Tweedledee been telling Tweedledum off for calling her "nee-san"? You think one of them would have given up by now.
Trixie calls for Rafale, who either has seriously good hearing (if he can hear her across a vacuum like in ep 7 or from orbit or wherever he was this time) - or a comlink, which makes the shouting unnecessary.

Another amusing eyecatch.

OK, Tweedledee's handheld lightning bolt is cool.
And.. Hiver is still just standing there on-stage, seemingly unmolested. Shouldn't someone at least be firing in her direction by now?
Saphir and Rubis make their entry by icing a squad of security bots.
Lightning whips are excellent weapons against savage beasts. But less so against ice-wielders as Saphir somehow reflects it back on her using superconductivity.
Not even A-ou's eyes can pierce Shade's illusion, but when combined with Un-ou's ears on the other hand.. becomes a liability when Letuchaia uses her Crazy Cracker like harp strings to create sound waves, while Pauk to use his to blow him up.
Ascoeur wants to go and help but Q-feuille wants to follow orders. "We may be trainees but we're still ES-Members!"
A-ou has rescued Un-ou who is at least unconscious and is facing off against Letuchaia and Pauk when Ascoeur fires some exploding needles at them, which Pauk blocks. He can also block her beam sword - but not whatever Trixie just threw at them, a spinning vortex thing which she now uses to create a cage. She also takes out Torch and Shade - but it was just their illusions.
Tweedledum is still failing to hit Rubis. And sacrifices himself when she goes after his sister, followed by her flogging his back, until Troisienne freezes him in time, followed by Rubis' arm and leg and Saphir's ice spears, driving them off. Letuchaia and Pauk also escape their trap by digging down. Troisienne is now at the limit of using her G-class powers but Gaktoer won't leave them alone now - both Trixie and Troisienne find roses protuding from their chests and fall to the ground. Followed soon after by both Triumph and Rafale, who collides with the ill-fated GOTT building.
Trixie and Troisienne are now both lying in pools of their own blood, dying, while Ascoeur and Q-feuille cry rather than trying to help and Di-air just watches silently.
Oh, Triumph steals the show with his - "Akanbei, Ascoeur".

Episode 10: (生きていた、２人 Ikiteita, futari)
(I sometimes wish Japanese didn't leave so much implicit)
Di-air bathing with a Norio Wakamoto rubber duck. And out walking in a cute outfit. To be both storyboarded and directed by Kei Oikawa, director of Minami-ke Okaeri and Betsubara.

Links update:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #09 -- Attack of the 80 Foot Bishie (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-And Episode 9 (reno09's journal)
Kiddy Girl-and Discussion Thread: Episode 9 (AoD Forums)
Kiddy GiRL-AND Episode 9 Discussion (MAL forums)
Kiddy Girl-AND ep.9 (alpha_zulu's journal)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 08, 09 (Random Curiosity)
Seriously? In
my Kiddy Grade -and? (The Fool)
Kiddy -And - Episode Nine (NyanNyan)

As well as the two character songs CDs for Ascoeur (Aya Uchida) and Q-feuille (Aya Gouda) due out on the 10th of February (LACM-4677 and LACM-4678), AmiAmi is now listing two new character song CDs due out on the 24th of february:

KIDDY GiRL-AND Character Song 3: Di-air (Yumeha Takahashi) & TAMA (Norio Wakamoto)
KIDDY GiRL-AND Character Song 4: Alisa (Mai Aizawa), Belle (Chika Horikawa) & Ni nourose (Minoru Shiraishi)

Don't have product codes for them yet as AmiAmi never provides them.

Thanks to AmiAmi we have the release schedule for Limited/Regular edition KIDDY GiRL-AND DVDs:

KABA-6401/KABA-6501: 2010-01-29
KABA-6402/KABA-6502: 2010-02-12
KABA-6403/KABA-6503: 2010-02-26
KABA-6404/KABA-6504: 2010-03-12
KABA-6405/KABA-6505: 2010-03-26
KABA-6406/KABA-6506: 2010-04-09
KABA-6407/KABA-6507: 2010-04-30
KABA-6408/KABA-6508: 2010-05-14
KABA-6409/KABA-6509: 2010-05-28
KABA-6410/KABA-6510: 2010-06-11
KABA-6411/KABA-6511: 2010-06-25
KABA-6412/KABA-6512: 2010-07-09

Animate provides the schedule for the Blu-rays:

KAXA-1701: 2010-03-26
KAXA-1702: 2010-04-30
KAXA-1703: 2010-05-28
KAXA-1704: 2010-06-25
KAXA-1705: 2010-07-30
KAXA-1706: 2010-08-27
KAXA-1707: 2010-09-24
KAXA-1708: 2010-10-29

Rather surprisingly they are releasing the DVDs two volumes a month so by the time the first Blu-ray volume is released in March the DVDs will be up to episode 10, and the final volume also comes out three months later.

New links:
Naoto Hosoda's Kiddy Girl-and #5 (Ani no Miyako)
Kiddy -And - Episode Eight (NyanNyan Anime Blog)
Kiddy Girl-and's Lack of Popularity Indicated by Sparsely Attended Live Event (Otaku Crush)
kiddy girl-and is definitely underrated (blog好き)

The KIDDY GiRL-AND official site database has (finally) been updated with information on some of the new characters

Di-air - 7-year-old companion of Ascoeur and Q-feuille and ES-member apprentice apprentice. Her special ability is called "A-quare" (エイ・キュア ei kyua)

T.A.M.A - stands for "Trial-type of Assemble-system & Multipurpose Automata", a Gene-tec beast that can transform into anything. A mascot character usually disguised as Di-air's pochette until transformed by her kiss.

Trixie - Ascoeur's sempai and one of the strongest ES-members, a cheerful older sister-type adored by everyone. Her ability "Power-S" (パワーズ Pawaazu) allows her to manipulate space.

Troisienne - Trixie's partner and one of the strongest ES-members. Mature and gentle but with an unexpected childish side, her ability "Particle-T" (パーティクレットpaatikuretto) allows her to manipulate time.

A proper announcement has been made regarding the first volumes of both the DVDs and Blu-rays for the series. The DVD will come in both regular and limited editions, but for reasons that I can only tribute to greed or insanity, the Blu-ray only has a regular version so if you want all the extras you need to double-dip. The release shedule for the two formats differs because they have different episode counts - the first Blu-ray disc has three episodes whereas the first DVD has only two.

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/dvd_case01.html
http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/bd_case01.html

DVD KIDDY GiRL-AND CASE.1 Limited Edition

【Extras】
　Bonus footage
　・Advert Spots
　・Non-credit ED（Ascoeur and Q-feuille versions）
　・GTO café delivery tour（Sendai chapter, Cast: Aya Uchida, Aya Gouda and Minoru Shiraishi）
　Audio bonus
　Audio commentary
　Bonus disc
　Special anime "The search for Pumpkin Pudding ..."
　New Episode 2 ED scene dubbed video
　Visual Sound Track 1
　Caravan video special bonus chapter 1
　Mini drama "Sound Only 1"
　(re-edit of the Mini drama "Sound Only" from the Net Radio show "Touch & Go!")
　Copyright warning collection (Ascoeur version)

【Price】 6,600 yen（excluding tax）
【Release date】 Friday January 29th
【Runtime】66 minutes approx (2 episodes plus extras)
【Enclosed extras】 12-page booklet, 2 postcards, 4 mini pencil boards (eyecatch illustrations)
【Specifications】 Megumi Kadonosono illustrated jacket, 16:9 squeeze, Linear PCM, MPEG2, Single-sided, Colour, Slipcover
【Product code】 KABA-6401
【Sales agency】 Kadokawa Shoten
【Distributor】 Movic

DVD KIDDY GiRL-AND CASE.1 Regular Edition

【Extras】
　Bonus footage
　・Advert Spots
　・Non-credit ED（Ascoeur and Q-feuille versions）
　・GTO café delivery tour（Sendai chapter, Cast: Aya Uchida, Aya Gouda and Minoru Shiraishi）

【Price】 5,600 yen（excluding tax）
【Release date】 Friday January 29th
【Runtime】66 minutes approx. (2 episodes plus extras)
【Enclosed extras】 12-page booklet
【Specifications】：Yukari Higa illustrated jacket, 16:9 squeeze, Linear PCM, MPEG2, Single-sided, Colour,
【Product code】： KABA-6501
【Sales agency】 Kadokawa Shoten
【Distributor】 Movic

Blu-ray KIDDY GiRL-AND CASE.1

【Extras】
　Bonus footage
　・Advert Spots
　・Non-credit ED（Ascoeur and Q-feuille versions）
　・GTO café delivery tour（Sendai and Koriyama chapters, Cast: Aya Uchida, Aya Gouda and Minoru Shiraishi）
　Audio bonus
　Audio commentary

【Price】 8,600 yen（excluding tax）
【Release date】 Friday March 26th
【Runtime】 Approx. 90 mins approx（3 episodes plus extras）
【Enclosed extras】 12-page booklet
【Specifications】 Keiji Gotoh illustrated jacket, 16:9HD Widescreen, Linear PCM Stereo (1. Japanese, 2. Audio commentary), MPEG4 AVC, single-sided, colour
【Product code】 KAXA-1701
【Sales agency】 Kadokawa Shoten
【Distributor】 Movic

Also on the subject of blu-rays - CDJapan has added proper artwork for Kiddy Grade The Movie: Blu-ray edition - and very nice it is too.

Oh my, Di-air has a tail - evidently she's wasn't already cute enough, or they wanted to tick some more fetish boxes after they added lolicon and voyeurism. Well, she already had prehensile ears. And she's.. washing Tama in the kitchen sink. Doesn't look like the other two have tails, but Q-Feuille's face seems rather off-model. It's time for the 25th anniversary even that was mentioned a couple of episodes back. OK, I lied - they have tails. And we have A-ou and Un-ou in the flesh at last. Un-ou still dresses like a girl - he even has thigh-highs and elbow gloves. A-ou has mummy hands. They are working on the security details for the anniversary in the stead of the twins who are off on a mission, and are having trouble getting their RSVP from two important guests so Troisienne and Trixie offer to help out.

Lots and lots of spaceships around an immense spacestation that looks like something out of Transformers and has four warp gates built into it. Rubis and Saphir are all dressed up. What is that accent anyway? I think I just heard Nouvlesse - guess they are still around then. Loli shower scene for Letuchaia - so reminiscent of Lumière's from Day/Off. She's such an ojou-sama she has a servant to dress her. Pauk snatches her away with his finger bola things out of jealousy. They are Nouvlesse and Pauk seems to share Tweedledum's sister complex. Yes, definitely. Letuchaia has a bad habit of multiplying things as she does from the manga. And, link to Torch and Shade confirmed.
They are also referred to as ex-police - another hint to them being Sinistra and Dexera?

Pauk and Letuchaia are G-Society Shadow Workers and treated like royalty, this whole place and all those amassed ships beloing to G-Society so it is no little terrorist cell, and they are descendants of the Nouvlesse. Everyone else is wearing masks like something out of Eyes Wide Shut, and among them are the very two that A-ou and Un-ou have been looking for, Basil and Arnice. All the Shadow Workers, Torch, Shade, Saphir and Rubis get standing ovations - Isn't that Shiraishi as the MC? Letuchaia doesn't like sharing the spotlight.. but there's also some top dog that even she looks up to, ガクトエル. Gakutoeru? Gactoelle?

He's the blonde guy who we got just a glimpse of in the preview for this episode, although we don't see much more now and don't hear him speak. Letuchaia worships him. And that is a heck of a light show - the ships they lost last episode were but a drop in the ocean. Letuchaia makes an speech, about how her grandparents were thrown out on the streets when the Nouvlesse were deposed by the GOTT. The writing around the G-society logo is "Great-Earthlian, Gem of the Galaxy, Grandchildren of Gaia, Guardians's Garden". In the words of Tweedledee, they're not humans, they are Earthings.

Ooh, dissent from the ranks. He's got a short life expectancy. And a white rose in his mouth. This is clearly going to get messy - Pauk has covered Letuchaia's eyes. Now a red rose appears protruding from his chest. It exsanguinates him then drops to the floor producing a rose-shaped pool of blood. What a poetic way to go. G-Society's targets are Hiver and all the ES-members (and they have bugged the GTO), although it looks like mere trainees didn't make the list.

Trixie and Troisienne return with the answer for A-ou and Un-ou - which is somewhat concerning since we know the respondents have been otherwise occupied. Trois and Q-feuille both get a simultaneous headache.

Episode 9: Memorial Ceremony (記念式典 Kinen Shikiten) - minna faito! Looks to be a definite turning point since Gotoh is returning to storyboard this one himself. Again, a worrying face from Trixie at the end that could be foreshadowing or a red herring.

New links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #08 -- "Big Gay Space France" (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-and Discussion Thread: Episode 8 (AoD forums)
Kiddy GiRL-AND Episode 8 Discussion (MAL forums)

Comp Ace January 2009 brings with it KIDDY GiRL-and Pure chapter 8: Pretty Girl (ぷりてぃ☆ガール puriti gaaru), and a 7 on the anime including a short interview with the two Aya's and a picture of them in cosplay.

Di-air is suddenly already a member of the team and this chapter is mostly Letuchaia trying to get info out of Di-air, who just wants to be friends with her - she learns their real names (although I think the codenames will be sticking around still) and that they are apprentice ES-Members (they didn't even know that much?). Ascoe and Q-ueille come back and see them with the three stooges so the cat is pretty much out of the bag there and things get a little heated so the baddies make a quick getaway.

And, I guess I should have seen it coming, but Di-air is Nekopantsu ^^;

There's also some bigger versions of the ED CD cover are on the on the official site.

Details of the mystery CD due out on the 23rd of December (LACM-4683) have been revealed - it is an insert song CD featuring the two special ED songs, the insert song from the episode Di-air is introduced and the Pumpkin Pudding song (^^;)

1. Magical Sakura-chan (マジカルサクラちゃん Majikaru Sakura-chan) [ep 3 ED theme]
Lyrics by: yozuca*, Composed by: Shunryuu, Arranged by: Takahiro Andou, Performed by: Q-feuille & Troisienne (Aya Gouda & Yukana）
2. Sing a song (うたを歌おう♪ Uta wo Utaou) [ep 4 insert song]
Written and composed by: yozuca*, Arranged by: Hijiri Anze, Performed by: Ascoeur, Q-Feuille and Di-air (Aya Uchida, Aya Gouda, and Yumeha Takahashi)
3. A dream is still OK (夢でもいいさ Yume de mo ii sa) [ep 4 insert song]
Lyrics by: yozuca*, Composed by: Shunryuu, Arranged by:Takahiro Andou, Performed by: Tama (Norio Wakamoto)
4. Pumpkin Pudding Song (カボチャプリンのうた Kabocha Pudding no uta)
Written and composed by: Minoru Shiraishi, Arranged by: Tomoki Kikuya, Performed by: Ascoeur (Aya Uchida)

Meanwhile..

Decembers' calendar wallpaper from Sugimura Tomokazu on his Overdrive site (NSFW) is Di-air.
He also illustrated an onsen poster (NSFW) for January's Megami.
There's also a bikini poster (borderline NSFW) in Nyantype volume 4 (artist unknown).

The Kiddy Grade TV series Blu-ray set is already sold out at ] and CDJapan lists it as OOP.

KIDDY GiRL-AND Chapter 8, coming in January's Comp Ace, is entitled "Pretty Girl" (ぷりてぃ☆ガール Puriti Gaaru). There's also an interview with the two Ayas.

The other Aya has also blogged about doing ADR for KIDDY GiRL-AND at the same studio and with the same people as 8 years ago. I'm not sure whether to hope that means she's coming back or at least cameoing at some point or whether this was a late report about the line she recorded for the first episode. If she's returning it is presumably in the latter half of the series as we know they've got at least as far as recording for episode 11.

New links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND - 06, 07 (Random Curiosity)
What? I´m enjoying Kiddy Grade -and? (The Fool)
Kiddy Girl-and, Guilty Pleasure~ O (Megatokyo forums)

As I mentioned before, they're doing handshake sessions in Animate stores where you can also pre-order DVDs and Blu-rays and get signed extras. Here's what is available for order

DVD Vol.1 Limited Edition KABA-6401
January 29, 2010 (6,930 yen incl. tax)

Blu-ray Vol.1 Limited Edition KAXA-1701
March 26, 2010 (7,980 yen incl tax)

No other details are available and it's not yet listed on any of the main onine stores, but here the (currently dead) links for CDJapan and Neowing

http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KABA-6401
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KABA-6401
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-1701
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-1701

Links:

[JP] Kiddy GiRL-AND (AoD Forums, Blu-ray Anime News & Views)

Trixie and Troisienne* are in Hiver's office watching a message from the errant Un-ou and A-ou who finally make an appearance, albeit briefly and from a distance. They were to go on a mission together but can't make it. Trixie requests if they can take a couple of waitresses with them instead - presumably not to provide the in-flight though. And it's like we're finally back to the first episode of Kiddy Grade - a pinkish-red ship launching up an orbital shaft. No interruptions this time though. Ascoeur and Di-air are crowding round a window - hey, you can see our house from here - Q-fueille calls them childish but is soon gawping out the window herself to the amusement of the older couple.

Their ship, Rafale (French for "gust") is somewhat La-muse-ish - it has the same pink colouring as the Urania, but three wings. It has independant warp capability also. Ascoeur and Q-feuille reference the C-Square and Salyut, confirming that they were trained by Tweedledee/dum and Un/A-ou respectively as in the manga. From the rear their ship has a circular design somewhat reminiscent of some of the earliest design sketches for the La-Muse, and the redesigned C-Square has some similar "floating" elements at the rear. The front, top and sides of the bridge are coated with real-view screens giving a view you a panoramic outside view didn't get on the La-Muse outside of the dogfight bridge. Q-feuille did get to do that sleepover at Trois' place. Their mission is to intercept the sale of illegal warships.

They warp out at an asteroid base with lots of big cannons ranged around it. And lots of drone fighters. Rafale's shields can cope with beam weaponry so they start firing missiles instead. We don't get to see if the ship has an inertial drive as it shoots down the missiles and shoots back with a couple of MIRVs which take out all the drones in one shot. They blast a hole in the asteroid and charge through into the base with their shields on full in a move reminiscent of the Sol Bianca pirates. The Rafale has a male voice, as does their Guard Robot Triumph - which is voiced by Shiraishi and takes it's cues from Raising Heart - "yes, my master".

The hanger full of ships is so reminiscent of the tank scene in Tron I was expecting them to start moving. The buyers they are after are G-society, the terrorist organisation which send Rubis, Saphir and the old geezers. They have a lot of warships. They split up - Troisienne takes Ascoeur (which makes her happy) and Trixie takes Q-Feuille. Since Di-air is the odd-one-out they let her choose - and she chooses Q-feuille (which makes Ascoeur sad), so Troisienne takes Triumph. The bad guys launch the warships on autopilot, at which point Troiesienne enters to make her arrest, GOTT-style. Ascoeur trying to join in is amusing. Head bad guy shoots at then and Ascoeur, rather than teleporting or even just ducking just winces so it is just as well that Triumph was guarding them invisibly.

Trixie, meanwhile, is hacking her way into one of the ships (all three of them standing on the hull in open space ala Kiddy Grade) with her iPod when bishies Torch and Shade make their appearance. The outspoken with the brown hair is Kazuya Nakai while the quiet one with purplish hair is Nobuo Tobita (Sinistra from Kiddy Grade, although credited as 飛田展夫 which appears to be a simple typo. Note that Dextera's seiyuu, Hirotaka Suzuoki, hasn't done anything since 2005).

Dr.Moro eyecatches again.

They haven't met before although they have heard of them since they mistake Q-feuille for Troisienne. They call themselves "Shadow Workers", placing themselves explicitly on the opposite side to the ES ("Encounter of Shadow-work" for anyone who's forgot or is new to the franchise). Shade departs and Torch attacks the trio by calling down firebolts using a blue Sanskrit symbol on his hand (his eyes also glow blue). Q-feuille seems to think that shielding Di-air with her body is actually going to help, but Trixie seems to have a personal shield like Éclair's which is a lot more useful. She can also teleport, although Torch seems to have no problems tracking her, and can fling energy balls (white as opposed to Éclair's usual black). OK, they have met before - Torch's ability is to create illusions so he is physically somewhere else where he can't see them (clearly at least - he knew there was a child with them).

Ascoeur is making fun of all the bad guys locked up behind a window, and teaches Triumph to akanbe while Trois is remotely operating the ships to collect them as evidence. Shade appears, and has red sanskrit on both hands and glowing red eyes. He calls fire down from the surrounding ships through the hole they made with the Rafale. His shields will take it but they parked him in the reactor core.. he makes an emergency lift-off, trapping them on the disintegrating station. They pack the bad guys off on an escape pod and Ascoeur attacks Shade (panchira get!) - with her fist, which he dodges her with ease but her intention was to get behind him to fire her nanoneedles - which pass straight through him as he is another illusion. He recognises Ascoeur, presumably from his subordinate's report. They escape on Triumph, but a series of shutters close before them. The way Shade's illusion moves is by turning to mist (nanomist one presumes) - like the phantoms in the GOTT basement. He closes a series of shutters between them and the exit, Triumph forces himself through one but takes damage in the process and won't make it through all of them. Trois tells Ascoeur to get away using her telelport as she doesn't want to leave Triumph behind, but Ascoeur sees the door controls and has an idea..

Meanwhile, Trixie is still holding her ground against Torch - until her eyes go all wierd. This is Shade's doing. She can't teleport like this leaving them open to attack. A group of battleships uncloack - which is what has been attacking them all along under Torche's control. Q-feuille still thinks that being a human shield will protect Di-air from a fleet of warships ^^; Thankfully Rafale comes to the rescue and blows them all up. Except the one on a collision course towards them that is. Q-feuille's ability activates (cued by the music from the ep 1 prologue) and she calls to Di-air..

Ascoeur has been opening the security shutters one by one, by teleporting to the other side and opening them manually. She says she is OK but is clearly flagging and collapses a few doors later (this is my favourite bit of that music). Trois says she is no longer an apprentice. And just blasts through the remaining doors by waving at them. Q-feuille and the others escape on a transformed Tama. Meanwhile, everything else explodes. Torch and Shade get away with the last remaining warship. Shade seems to see something special in Ascoeur (isn't that always the way?). Sounds like we may be going on more of these training missions with the two T's in future also.

Ascoeur ED.

Next episode is G-Society (Gソサエティ G Sosaeti ) featuring Pauk and Letuchaia's anime début at a masked ball. This that come next week all the main cast will have made an appearance. Hopefully they'll start updating the database on the official site with the new characters. There's another new conteman in Yusuke Yamamoto (director of Night Wizard and NHK), the director is Hazuki Mizumoto (has directed single episodes of a few series) and the Sakkan is Maiko Okada, a familar face to the series as she not only did key animation on the original pilot but illustrated this poster for Newtype (2007-06).

As usual I'll be back with a re-read and fixup once I've watched this through again (with subs).

* According to her badge, トロワジェイン is actually "Troisienne", the feminine form of the French "troisième", or "third" (with help from Mori@Twitter).
A higher resolution shot of the badge makes it clearer (I first watched the episode on Nico Nico Douga), along with the other details:

GTO ES-Member
Rank: G
Code name: Troisienne
DOB: SC0360 12 Oct
Sign: Libra
Age: 19
Blood type: A

The official site has announced a serious of handshaking sessions with Gouda, Uchida and Shiraishi at Animate stores throughout Japan in December. If you preorder a Blu-Ray or LE DVD you get a double-sided poster, a bag illustrated by Yukari Higa and a signed card (if you pre-order just the ED CDs you get less swag). If they're talking about KG-A discs then that means details must be forthcoming soon and that the series will have a simultaneous BD release.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #07 -- Teaching Robots Strange Things (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy GiRL-AND Episode 7 Discussion (MAL)
Kiddy Girl-and Discussion Thread: Episode 7 (AoD Forums)
Kiddy Girl-and Episode 6-7 (Memories in the Rain)
Kiddy Girl -AND- : Episode 7 (Kokuun)
Kiddy GiRL-AND Exposé (Wakaranai)

The official site has been updated with full information on the first three KG-A singles. To summarize now we have the full details:

The OP single will be released on the 25th of November and the two ED singles on the 9th of December, all priced at 1200 yen.

Title: Baby universe day
Artist: Ascoeur (Aya Uchida) and Q-feuille (Aya Gouda)
Code：LACM-4656
01：Baby universe day
　Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition: Katsuhiko Kurosu; Arrangement: Kaoru Okubo
02：Day × Day
　Lyrics & Composition: yozuca*; Arrangement: Katsuhiko Kurosu
03：Baby universe day（off vocal）
04：Day × Day（off vocal）

Title: Sun and Moon (太陽と月 taiyou to tsuki)
Artist: Ascoeur (Aya Uchida)
Code：LACM-4672
01：太陽と月
　Lyrics: yozuca*; Composition: rino; Arrangement: Hijiri Anze
02：Growing UP!
　Lyrics: yozuca*; Composition & Arrangement: Katsuhiko Kurosu
03：太陽と月 (off vocal)
04：Growing UP! (off vocal)

Title: Moon and Sun (月と太陽 tsuki to taiyou)
Artist: Q-feuille (Aya Gouda)
Code：LACM-4675
01：月と太陽
　Lyrics & Composition: yozuca*; Arrangement: chokix
02：Sparkle is in the future (スパークルは未来へと supaakuru wa mirai e to)
　Lyrics & Composition: rino; Arrangement: Eiji Kawai
03：月と太陽 (off vocal)
04：スパークルは未来へと (off vocal)

Second Radio show is up but I haven't listened to it yet. Depending on how earth shattering it is I will either create an entry later or tack something on the end here.

The mystery storyboard artist turns out to be Kakeru Mima, the character designer of Kannagi.

Hiver and Sommer are making out in her office. Not sure why he has his little Black Box open.

Part A: Suspicions about the Chief's office

Di-air has been roped into working inthe coffee room also. A call comes in for a delivery to the Chief's office, asking for the trio in particular so they think they're going on a mission. Hiver is more than a little.. flustered when they arrive - it wasn't her that called them (so that's what he was doing). Sommer is the daring type as he fondles Hiver's hair in front of them. Eclipse would never act this cute.
The trio are suspicious of him so.. they form a huddle in the middle of the corridor, then go back to eavesdrop (see - if they'd kept the armed guards, double security doors and reception area these things couldn't happen.) The doors are too thick to hear through though so Ascoeur get's a boost from Di-air and teleports the behind the curtain where they can see the two kissing - and I think not only does Sommer know they are there but he is enjoying it. The two older girls are blushing and fiidgetting while watching but Di-air just blurts something out loud so they quickly port out. And straight back again. Here's the bit with the glasses in the coffee - Sommer is talking provocatively on purpose. Ascoeur get's so embarassed she jumps back to the coffeeroom - accidentally leaving the other two stranded. She then returns but misjudges and lands right in front of them but they are otherwise occupied and don't even notice. By this time Hiver is topless and they get so worked up that their voices start to raise and they are discovered - although whrere they are standing they would have been seen if the had just turned around anyway ^^;
I never thought I'd describe Hiver as cute but.. I still don't like her outfit design but she's only wearing half of it anyway. Smooth talking Sommer is now trying to bluff their way out. with playing cards? No-one would fall for this as a magic trick.. except these three of course. And it was't a kiss - he was giving her a 'power up' like Di-air. He gives them both a peck on the cheek and Di-air on her forehead. Ascoeur isn't feeling any powered-up, but it wasn't on the lips, right?

Part B: "Say you!"

Our trio are off duty in some sort of café with Belle and Alisa where a couple of guys in the background appear to be recording voiceovers for a couple of gay ninjas on a wallscreen. They're in "Say You Cafe: Beyond Loads" (I'm guessing "Say You" is a pun on "seiyuu" - do such café exist in Japan?). Ascoeur is tackling a triple layer strawberry shortcake all be herself. It is some sort of theme café for girls with bishy waiters who are aspiring to be seiyuu. "お嬢様じゃないもん！ディアだもん！" . I don't think Tama like's this guys attention to Di-air. I don't think I do either for that matter.
Oh, here's Shiraishi playing himself again. Please don't let him sing! Too late. Belle puts him in his place. Sign on the wall reads "Mass Destlacshon". It looks like you can give them scripts to perform, and Alisa has one she prepared earlier. But here does the footage come from? Shirashi's character comes back to a classroom for something he forgot and interrupts an illicit liaison between a male teacher and student. You can guess what he's singing, right?
Ascoeur is on her seconds (i.e. another enormous wedding cake). Meanwhile, Di-air seems to survive on nothing but milk. Tama is still jealous and steals a kiss - this could get ugly. Or pretty.. boy. Has Wakamoto ever voiced a bishie before? His eyes are purple rather than the usual red but he has green hair. Unfortunately he doesn't know how to say anything other than his name - but he knows how to please the girls - and p*** off the other hosts, who give him something suspicious to drink. Now this could end badly. It's a laxative - when it fails to have the desired effect the other guy licks a drop off his finger and immediately has to run to the men's room. Tama goes hulk and destroys the building. Shiraishi, afuro! It's OK though - Ascoeur rescued some cake and Alisa knows of a good BL café.

Another special ending - sung by Norio Wakamoto and illustrated by Dr.Moro.

Next episode:憧れの２人 akogare no futari - they go on a mission with Trixie and Troy and go up against a couple of bishies enough like Dextera and Sinistra to make them Torch and Shade.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #06 -- There's No Sex in the Champagne Room
Kiddy GiRL-AND - Voyeurism

Here's the latest chapter from December's Comp Ace:

They meet Letuchaia and Pauk for the first time who have gone out in disguise. They still have those energy bolo things at their fingertips from the pilot and cause an explosion, which they cover up by pretending to be bystanders and blame it on their underlings.
It looks like Dia will be introduced into the manga next chapter - Hiver was showing Ascoeur and Q-feuille to her from the office window.

There were a few other pages in the magazine as well as an illustration on the cover
itself (click the link above. There was also a couple of pages in December's Comptiq, and a double page spread in December's Newtype. There's also KIDDY GiRL-AND merch in the giveaway section of all three for those in Japan: they all had signed ADR scripts and copies of the blu-ray sets while Comp Ace also has a card.

In other news, Lantis has uploaded the coverart for the two ending theme singles:
http://lantis.jp/release/data.php?id=365

Links:

-and no Kiddy Girl (ÆON Anime)

The first episode of the web radio show "Touch & Go!" is now up on the Lantis site:
http://lantis-net.com/kiddygirl-and/
There's also new top image on the official site to commemorate this. As mention previously it stars the two Aya's and Shiraishi. This first episode is just under 50 mins long and parts of it are accompanied by video of them all sitting around a tangle of mics, the rest having an Evangelion-style "GTO 01 Sound Only" sign.

In other news, Norio Wakamoto has been promoted to the main cast list in his ongoing role as PoshePocket Tama.

Episode 6 is to be directed by Satoshi Oosedo with both Tomoyuki Abe and Takashi Mamezuka as Sakkan, but the storyboard artist is still TBA for some reason.

--edit--

More odds and ends:
Both Aya's have posted a picture to their blog of them in cospay again - this time with wigs:
http://ameblo.jp/ayagoda/entry-10388626262.html
http://ameblo.jp/ichigoshiroppu/entry-10387178235.html

YesAsia have new cover art for the Kiddy Grade series Blu-ray box:
http://www.yesasia.com/global/1021302224-0-0-0-en/info.html

There are now six CDs showing on a search of AmiAmi. The two new ones are character song CDs for Ascoeur and Q-feuille. Both due out on the 10th of February 2010.

Gotoh just turned 41 and got a sheep pillow from the KG-A seiyuu:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/gocky_01/e/d40bd904f687616b004f8440974316c9

Some new scans about:
Ascoeur as this November's calendar wallpaper at Tomokazu Sugimura Over Drive site (be warned - parts of site very NSFW)
Newtype article @ animepaper
Another magazine @animepaper (I recognise the layout style but can't remember which magazine it it)

--edit--

More minor news - details on the two ED theme singles have finally been added to the Lantiis site:

TVアニメ『キディ・ガーランド』EDテーマ アスクール ver. 「太陽と月」
TVアニメ『キディ・ガーランド』EDテーマ ク・フィーユ ver. 「月と太陽」

Doesn't seem to actually reveal anything new though, and the 'b'-side is still TBA.

The two new character song CDs are listed on Amazon:
TVアニメ『キディ・ガーランド』キャラクターソング1 [Single] [Maxi]
TVアニメ『キディ・ガーランド』キャラクターソング2 [Single] [Maxi]

A bit of searching gives the product codes, LACM-4677 and LACM-4678.
They aren't up on Neowing or CDJapan yet, but it isn't hard to figure out where they will be when they are:
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4677
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4678
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4677
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4678

--edit--

Interview with Keiji Gotoh added to the official site:
http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/special/091117.html
Since I've only seem a machine translation I'm not going to go into the contents in detail, but it discusses the reason for the sequel and for the changes between what was shown in the PV (described as being a version "1.5").
The interview took place at the studio itself and there's a photo of a coffee table with some colour settei and what look like some background prints on it.

Also, there's a Touch & Go! mug due out on the 17th of December for 840 yen. Animaxis are floggin it (not seen it elsewhere) but their order deadline is the 19th (in Japan, which is ahead of us)
http://www.animaxis.com/en/shop/product.asp?sku=155627-00

Links:
Kiddy -And - Episode Five (Nyan Nyan)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 05 (Random Curiosity)
Kiddy GiRL-AND - Loli Kissu~ (Open Your Mind)
Kiddy Girl-and Discussion Thread: Episode 5 (AoD forums subthread)
Kiddy GiRL-AND Episode 5 Discussion (MAL forums)

Ascoeur and Q-feuille (with Di-air in tow) are all called to the Chief's office to talk about the old GOTT building recognisable to anyone who's seen the first series. All three are wearing matching blue Alicey waitress outfits. The building has been preserved but is falling apart but people who have been send in to inspect have encountered something in the basement so they are sent to investigate - much to the dismay of Q-feuille who seems to have a weakness for scary stories.
Q-feuille's tricorder is picking up odd readings from the building. There's a shield around the opening they have to use a pass to get through in order to enter. The reception area is all very familiar - but dark, dirty and decrepit. Di-air chases after a pair of eyes she sees and the others run after her. They lose sight of her and Ascoeur teleports off with the sensor to find her - leaving Q-feuille all alone, when she hears a scream. Is Ascoeur playing a prank? She saw how nervous Q-fi was earlier. Oh noes - glowing red eyes up in the "high boltage" cables! Ooh, thundering footsteps in the dark and dripping blood! At this point I don't blame her for being freaked.
Who's that in the mist? Only Di-air. Di-air with glowing red eyes however.. who turns into gloop then a zombie that can laser down chocolate bombs. Now she bumps into Ascoeur..or is it? Guess not.. Thriller moment from the preview. And she just bombed the real Ascoeur covered in paint - who doesn't believe her story but forgives her instantly when promised some Pumpkin Pudding. Ascoeur dropped the sensor in some water so they now have no way of tracking Di-air. They wander into a lab filled with what look like cloning cylinders and the blueprint for a Genetech Beast.
There are pictures of all the ES-members - Tweedledee, Tweedledum, A-ou, Un-ou, Éclair, Lumiere (the epilogue versions).. there's writing underneath each one that says "the death" followed by a date then something about heaven and another date. The dates are all SC032x. Next are Eclipse, Viola, Cesario, Dextera, Sinistra..
Here's a closeup of Eclipse's - the top couple of lines are still illegible but I believe the bottom says "THE death Oct SC 0322" and "To heaven Aug 0325". Ah that's better -

The women loved the sun.
Alv Jenever
THE death / Dec. SC:0328
TO heaven / Sep. SC:0330

They look to have cut and pasted the long shots as the legible text is identical for all of them and Alv's in long shot doesn't match the above (it is the same as what I deciphered earlier). The dialog seemed to indicate that only Alv and Dvergr were listed as dead?
Ooh, creepy voice.. that sounds like Kikuko Inoue (I will confess here and say I already saw her name on the cast). And here's an Alv ghost. Has a cloning machine gone nuts? She's saying "17 years old". She's appearing and disappearing and so is Dvergr who just says "Oi, oi".
Di-air's back - prompting another epic scream from Q-feuille. Di-air has lost their bentou. Q-feuille can sense a presence - so her ESP goes beyond precognition. This new ghost is a lot bigger - Q-feuille doesn't bother waiting to find out what it is, she just grabs Di-air and legs it. Di-air says they aren't ghosts but Genetech Beasts. Ascoeur doesn't understand so Q-feuille explains it is like the dragon from the first episode. Ascoeur's comb can do sword and gun at the same time it seems - previous she's swapped between the two. It has no effect and neither do Choco Bonbombs. The beast is morphing between a bear form for strength, a turtle for armour and a cat for speed.
Di-air gives Ascoeur another power-up kiss in the nick of time as she teleports the three of them out of danger. Now it's Q-feuille's turn, and she can now accurately predict the beast's movements. Oh.. but Di-air kissed the beast also ^^;
They defeat it by Ascoeur grabbing it, teleporting it straight up and dropping it on a load of bombs. What is this underground chamber? It is so immense you can't see the walls nor ceiling and filled with tall columns. A training facility? The beast now looks like an omurice. A pet for Di-air? Yes - as they leave their debriefing it is around her neck disguised as a purse. This must be "Tama" from the credits voiced by.. Norio Wakamoto (myuun!) ^^;

Q-feuille end.

Next episode: Suspicion of the Bureau Chief's office (局長室の疑惑 Kyokuchōshitsu no Giwaku). Why is Sommer dipping Hiver's glasses in coffee and licking them?

News:

There's an article about the series in December's Comptiq and also an interview with the two leads in December's Newtype, as mentioned by the official site and the blogs of Yukari HIga, Aya Goda and Aya Uchida.

Links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #05 -- Strange Directions (Tenka Seiha)

Ascoeur and Q-Feuille are given their first ES-member assignment - to look after a little girl named Di-air (Dear?). They swap their waitress costumes for their ES-member outfits - pretty sure this is the first time we've seen Ascoeur's in-series, and possibly the first time we've had a panchira shot of her too for that matter. Di-air is 7, she has no parents, so Ascoeur wants to adopt her as a little sister. She is hungry so Ascoeur goes off to fetch some food while she bonds with Q-feuille (who tells her she is also 7 an has no friends her own age.. right). Ascoeur gets jealous.

They go for a tour of the building. Di-air finds Alisa's stack of Yaoi manga behind the reception desk. One of the desk workers is looking at porn in work and has an immense nosebleed (where I worked you got fired for that). Now we go visit the security force who show off their muscles. In the coffeeroom Mi nourose is wearing a dreadful purple afro wig today. He/she/it likes 'em young. Di-air has never been outside or even seen the sun before so they take her outside.

We definitely seem to be stuck with Dr.Moro eyecatches for the long run here.

The buildings are blocking out the sky so they take her to a grassy area at the rear of the grounds as they are not permitted to leave the premises. Q-feuille doesn't like being called a tsundere, but suddenly her inner child breaks free and starts frolicking while an insert song plays - Sing a song (うたを歌おう♪ Uta wo Utaou), performed by the three girls. The child and the childish one both fall asleep, but then two suspicious girls arrrive, Ice maiden Saphir and beast-woman Rubis. Q-feuille completely fails to escape while Ascoeur engaged Rubis' claws, which are not only inpervious to her beam sword but also somehow shatter it. Saphir can create barriers and missiles out of ice. And stalagmites.It turns out they are not after Di-air however - they are the ones who sent the murder strip-o-gram to Hiver back in the first episode.

Despite (or because?) she is teleporting rather than running Ascoeur is tiring a lot faster than her opponent, who is winning as she's pegged that she can only teleport short distances and tends to telegraph her movements. Di-air wakes up and kisses the almost unconscious Ascoeur, they glow and she seems not only revitalised but powered up - she can now teleport even while holding Di-air and has figured out she can fire fast enough to hit Rubis by using her teleport on the needles themselves - and she is now using the exploding nano needles. Security arrives and the bad guys beat a hasty retreat, but not before Rubis has not only returned to normal but the clothes she shredded earlier are back.

Despite putting her in danger and being extremely inexperienced Ascoeur and Q-feuille are put in charge of Di-air - who is also an ES-member in potentia. She's clearly not Viola since she needed power from Cesario; she didn't dish it out.

Next episode is "Ghost of the GOTT" (GOTTの亡霊 GOTT no Bourei) which suggests some more continuity injection with the original series and is storyboarded, directed and supervised by Naoto Hosoda, who worked on a few episodes of the original series and drew this illustration - you can see his influence in Q-feuille's eyes in the preview.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #04 -- The Illicit Love of Little Girls (Tenka Seiha blog)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 04 (Random Curiosity)
Kiddy -And - Episode Four (Nyan Nyan anime blog)
Kiddy Girl -AND- (Kokuun blog)
Kiddy Girl-and - Hey Look a Loli! (Open Your Mind)
Yumeiro Patissiere 5, Sasameki Koto 4, Kiddy-Girl and 4 (Too Old for Anime)

There's some variation in the OP this week, but is just a shuffle of the images they are using (more from eps 2&3) and still not a "proper" OP. The waitress uniforms have changed again. Ascoeur has messed up Bflle and Alisa's order and Q-feuille comes to her rescue again.
Ascoeur delivers an order to Chief Hiver's office where she is in a meeting with Trixie and Troisienne. Ascoeur trips and Trois expertly catches both her and the tray. Seems she has practice with Trixie (or likes winding her up). Ascoeur wants to hang out with them a bit longer and ArmSommer tried to dismiss her but they let her stay to listed to the debriefing for educational purposes.
Back in the café she then tells Q-feuille that she wants a partner like Trois which understandedly annoys her. They then find a limited edition Card CaptorCGetter Sakura wand which someone has left behind, which ignites the inner Otaku in Q-feuille. CG Sakura is designed up Kagami Yoshimizu (Lucky Star) and voiced by Yui Makino (Tsubasa Chronicle's Sakura). Oha Lucky!. Ascoeur dismisses it as a kids toy (look who's talking ^^;) which further annoys Q-feuille. This leads to them divding they room in half using a bedsheet and then into.. a maze? Alisa and Belle stay up a;; night trying to mediate. Judging by the posters Alisa is into Shounen, Bishounen and Boys Love. Q-feuille does an Akiba (Kannagi)
They clearly don't change costume daily in the café and neither does Mi nourose, who orders the pair to take resposibility for wearing out Belle and Alisa by (after another pair of Dr.Moro eyecatches with CG Sakura and Pumpkin Pudding man).. taking their place on the reception desk.
A beat up guy, Mr Onda (Hirokazu Hiramatsu - Konata's dad in Lucky Star), arrives and collapses, and they display excellent teamwork in catching him. After giving them a card which has to be delivered to a man named Smith by midday otherwise his planet goes into immense debt, he is carried away on a stretcher. There are Smiths in multiple section of the relevant department. Q-Feuille displays her ability, precognition, for the first time, which makes her hair glow and her eyes turn yellow. All she sees is a woman so Ascoeur teleports to a random Smith and is referred from section to section, ending up in a section with only female Smiths. It takes teamwork to figure it out - the only smith that had been to Onda's planet recently was a woman bodybuilder who has been mistaken for a man. The injured guy comes back and thanks them and they make up, but Ascoeur can't resist calling Q-fi a tsundere.
It turns out the Sakura staff belongs to Troisienne who is a big fan (and that is so not a Lumière room, shedding further doubt on that possibility..) so Q-feuille starts idolising her also - and arranged to go over her house to cosplay together.

The ED is the CG Sakura theme "Magical Sakura-chan" (マジカルさくらちゃん) performed by Q-feuille (Aya Gouda) and Troisienne (Yukana). The ED sequence itself is just background art stills.

Next ep: Babysitting Special Duty (子守特務 Komori Tokumu) - they have to act as bodyguards for the blonde loli currently displayed on the top image of the Official Site. They'll be up against a pair somewhat reminiscent of Alv and Dvergr.

--Edit--
OP single artwork now up on the Lantis site (still nothing on the b-side track nor any listing for the three other CDs).

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #03 -- Sakura's Stick (Tenka Seiha blog)
Kiddy Girl-And - Episode Three (NyanNyan Anime Blog)
Early Impressions: Kiddy Girl-and
3 Episode Taste Test: Kiddy Girl-and (chaostangent blog)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 03 (Random Curiosity)

kiddygirl-and.com has had a major redesign. Most obvious is a new top image featuring Ascoeur, Q-feuille and an unfamiliar blonde, blue-eyed loli (a new anime-exclusive character? A side character from episode 3? Viola?)

I believe the following sections are all new:
A story section, but it only covers up to today's episode.
A Staff & Cast page.
A DVD & Goods page (just details the magazines and manga at present)
A Special page with the two trailers.
A web radio page.
A links page.
A broadcast page.

The information page has been updated regarding the next chapter of the Manga in December's Comp Ace - KIDDY GiRL-AND is the cover story this issue; the magazine has Ascoer and Q-feuille on the cover for the first time. Chapter 7 is entitled "Pretty Attack" (ぷりてぃ☆あたっく) and I believe it will be in full colour? I also gather that Letuchaia and Pauk will be coming into the open for the first time.

The only change to the database is that the "new" flags have been removed from the pages that were updated last to save confusion.

--edit--

Added some links I missed first time as they are on the front page but not on the submenu.
From the episode 4 preview the new girl in the top image will be an episodic character from that episode (no idea if she will be recurring or not).

Can I haz real OP nao pls?

Tweedledee is working on the security system, following last weeks breach, with one of those invisible keyboards that saves you drawing keys (but would be impossible to actually use), in an immense room with huge nanomist monitors lining the far end - you think they would have provided her with opera glasses or something. Q-feuille brings coffee and she's wearing a different waitress uniform to last week. Ascoeur is admiring puddings, including the pumpkin pudding that gave the title to one chapter of the manga (see the gate illustration on Yukari Higa's blog here). She's also wearing the alternate uniform and Mi nourose is dressed, wigged and made up differently also (yet again reminding me of Shangri-La's Momoko). Ascoeur wheedles a pudding out of her which makes her so happy she sings about it. Time to shut up for the night, and to lock the door you tap random spots on a panel - numbers and biometrics evidently being too easy.
They meet up with Belle and Alisa on the way to the cafeteria, with Ascoeur and Q-feuille making a detour to their shared quarters where Ascoeur is so anxious to eat her pudding she keeps opening and closing the fridge door - it looks like Ascoeur wasn't kidding about Q-feuille's memory last episode as she automatically knows exactly how many times she opened the door without having to count. Minu is both head of the girl's dorm and cook and boy is she scary when she's cooking. Ascoeur finished her food in a flash but is denied a second helping, so Q-feuille gives most of her meal which Ascoeur accepts without a second thought (I feel sorry for Q-fi but while she often acts annoyed she really does care for her partner)
They seem to have inherited the pool from Mahora. The steam isn't Strike Witches bad, but the angles make up for it so there's lots of nudity but not really any overt fanservice. Ascoeur really is a child ^^;
Back in their quarters (which, while not exactly a mansion are pretty spacious), but tragedy strikes when Q-feuille sneezes and set off a chain reaction of flying objects which knocks Ascoeur's pudding on the floor. Ascoeur spazzes out so bad Q-feuille has to restrain her from licking it off the floor. She isn't going to wait till tomorrow to get more so.. they're going to climb around on the outside of the tallest tower in the complex? Q-feuille is now in her "regular" costume that I don't think we've seen thus far in the anime, but Ascoeur is still wearing pyjamas.
Time for some breaking and entering. The building is full of sensors but Q-feuille is good with computers and memorised details of the security system when visiting Tweedledee earlier.

Eyecatch is Pumpkin Pudding Man! Dr. Moro again so looks like a break from the norm for gímik series with no series of guest artists - although Yuiko Tokumi is on the ED credits this episode for "SD" character designs.

Tweedledee is still hard at work in her football stadium and she's detected the intrusion and sends.. a Yaranaika arm wrestling robot (is this Shiraishi's influence?). I really have no idea what's going on here.. and now mist that makes them sound like men. Why? And now they have to cross a deep pit bridged by two oiled up Sumo dolls? I think Tweedledee has gone a little kooky in her old age. Faceful of sumo nappy is just so wrong. So is Sumo paizuri. Aaand the first outing for Q-feuille's kuropants (with surprising lack of detail given who is directing this). Now they are chased by a mob of Muska clones (from Ghibli's Laputa) for reasons which entirely escape me.
And what's this? Is is a ball? Is it a plush Tweedledee? No, it's a Genetech Doll! This is where Tokumi Yuiko comes it (c/w this). And she's brought some friends to play! And.. play Ascoeur does - it's a CG Tweedle Afro! And now it's time to get serious - the Choco Bonbombs are in play. But the chibis are getting serious now too. Are they trying to suffocate her, muzzle her or kiss her?
Q-feuille to the rescue and, were there some serious goal in mind this might be touching but.. "Leave me, save yourself, go eat your pudding!" doesn't quite make the grade. Some time this episode that girl needs to remember she can teleport and falling down a pit seems like as good a time as any - but apparently not.
Has this taken them all night? Apparently so; the sponsorship image after the ED shows when they finally escaped the pit trap the pudding was all gone.
Next ep is "The Worst Compatibility?" (最悪の相性？ Saiaku no Aishō?), and I haven't a clue what it was about.

So far this is bearing little resemblance to the manga - I had been hoping for a more serious anime (ideally set after the manga and the whole waitress gig) but it is going the other way entirely at the moment.

Links:
Each Kiddy Girl-and Episode to Stream for 24 Hours (ANN)
Kiddy Girl-and Officially Online (Animenation)
KIDDY GiRL-AND #02 -- YARANAIKA!? (Tenka Seiha blog)
[review] ★ Kiddy Girl-And -- Lucky Item (rhodanum's Livejournal)
Kiddy Girl-Yaranaika? (Kurogane's Anime Blog)
Kiddy Girl -And - Episode Two (NyanNyan Anime Blog)
Kiddy Girl - AND (aka Kiddy Grade 2) (alpha_zulu's Livejournal)
First Impressions: Kiddy Girl-and
Kiddy girl -and - 01 (bananamuffin anime blog)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 02 (Random Curiosity)
Kiddy girl -and -02 (bananamuffin anime blog)

Prologue narrated by Norio Wakamoto. In Sc 0354 (midway between the two series) there's some sort of big space battle involving Tweedledee, Tweedledum, A-ou and Un-ou, a planet is about to go boom which for some reason will doom the galaxy (whether this is a physical or strategic threat is not made clear). Éclair and Lumière for some reason turn into immense balls of light and dark that coalesce and envelop the whole planet (following on from the clips in the pilot DVD, Éclair is floating in the orbital elevator shaft and Lumière is surrounded by the remains of Donnerschlag-Re)

OP (mostly recycled footage)

The GU (Globe-Governments Union) is now the UG (United Globe Governments).
As in the pilot DVD the GTO (Galactic Trade Organization) logo bears the text "As it was in the beginning, and now and ever shall be, the World without End" from the Gloria Patri.

Fastfoward to SC 0379, GTO headquarters on Aineias. Unlike the manga, Ascoeur is already working at Touch&Go, the GTO coffee room. She's ordered to report to Chief Hiver and is both well known and liked within the GTO. Security on the Chief's office is a lot lower than what it was in Eclipse's day as she just barges right in ^^;. She was actually just ordered there to deliver some coffee and left without listening to the full instructions forcing Q-Feuille to follow with the tray.
Receptionists Alisa and Belle finish their shift and head to Touch&Go. Q-Feuille is a lot better at the job while Ascoeur is just a clumsy clutz who can't even keep an order straight in her head. She wears buruma under her waitress uniform - that wasn't in the manga. The owner of the joint, Mi nourose (a tranny voiced by Shiraishi), doesn't approve and they get into a big argument.
He might not have the right seiyuu or the mole, but Hiver's secretary Sommer does have Armbrust's grey eyes (Hiver being voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi, who was Mercredi/Pfeilspitze in the original series, and both also have green eyes). They walk in on the fight which ends with Ascoeur taking of her buruma. Who is now deperately trying to hold her skirt down because she realises she took off her knickers as well.

Dr. Moro Eyecatch - more indication that Hiver is Pfeilspitze as she is celebration a "big promotion".

A bunch of old guys wander in, Alisa tries to direct them back onto the tourist route but they are actually soldiers in boxers with nanomist disguises, which they now exchange for armour and guns.. and manage to shoot up the room without actually managing to hit anyone.
Sommer has a tiny case (like a business card holder only a little larger) which is a Black Box - leaving little doubt as to who he actually is - and uses it to produce a reflective shield. The buy guys take Q-feuille and the receptionists hostage. They seal off the whole room with nanomist barriers and demand Hiver's surrender. Ascoeur come to the rescue, teleporting and using the beam sword in her comb (I preferred the teleport effect from the pilot). Q-feuille wades in with signal jamming smoke Choco Bonbombs. Ascoeur's nanoneedle gun tranquillizes rather than exploding, but like the bonbombs might have multiple functions.
Ascoeur remembers she's still going commando but dropped her pantsu. She now starts firing tranqs indiscriminately taking out friend and foe alike. The lead bad guy has a device which strips them all, combining their nanoarmour to form a genetech beast dragon. Which promptly takes him out. (Hiver's height is 178cm, but she aparently keeps her weight a secret from her enemies). Ascoeur stabbing the dragon in the head just makes him mad, flying off with her in tow. She loses her grip on the comb while trying to hold her skirt down and has apparently forgotten she can teleport. Ouch, much repair work required to the building.
Now she remembers she can teleport but doesn't take relative speed into account. Ok, her sword can do BIG. Doesn't look like she'll get the credit for slicing it lengthwise as the troops take it out, but she's more worried about whether they saw up her skirt.
She finally gets some get pantsu back from Mi nourose and Hiver chews them out about overstepping their mark, not being ES-Members yet, and is a little miffed the state of her office.
Trixie and Troisienne (give us an official spelling already, please) turn up - given that Armbrust has been recast there is still a chance that they are Eclair and Lumiere. No-one can stay mad at Ascoeur long it seems.

ED (Ascoeur version)

Next ep: Sweet, trap (甘い、罠 Amai, wana) - return of the chibi 'dledees.

I'll be back with screencaps at some point (probably not tonight as my head is pounding and I have work tomorrow), and if I see a translated version will either revise or just write a new entry depending on how much detail I missed and how much I misundertood..

Revised, corrected or expanded a few things based on having seen the episode a few more time now. Still haven't got around to doing screencaps, sorry.

Links:
Kiddy Girl-and Discussion Thread (AoD forums)
KIDDY GiRL-AND #01 -- Panty Panty Revolution (Tenka Seiha blog)
Kiddy Girl-and 01 (Kurogane's Anime Blog)
Some Quick First Impressions: Kuchuu Buranko and Kiddy Girl-And (Star Crossed Anime Blog)
Kiddy Girl-And - Episode One (NyanNyan Blog)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 01 (Random Curiosity blog)
Kiddy Girl - and - (ANN forums)
KIDDY GiRL-AND ep. 1 (Kite ze Inbou blog)
Kiddy GiRL -AND: Worst Anime of the Season (Moe Sucks blog)

Kadokawa has posted two KIDDY GiRL-AND commercials on Youtube:

「キディ・ガーランド」番組宣伝CM 【角川アニメチャンネル編】
「キディ・ガーランド」番組宣伝CM 【アニメNewtypeチャンネル編】

(I think it is exactly the same thing twice in fact)

There's also a half-length version on the official site.

Judging by the first scene of a destroyed orbital ring the events from the original pilot have been kept in some form at least. The music playing is the opening theme, Baby Universe Day.

Oh, ANN has already picked up on this (after ignoring all the emails I've sent the newsroom over the last couple of months regarding the series).

Aya Uchida has also blogged about performing the theme songs and about the PVs.

[edit]Added screenshots in the extended entry[/edit]

[edit=200910132139BST]
The first episode title is "Lucky Item" (ラッキーアイテム)
[/edit]

[edit=200910151926BST]
Just spotted a fourth KG-A single on AmiAmi. Other than the fact that it is out on the 23rd December and costs 300¥ more than the other three at 1500¥ there is no information.
My next update should be some form of writeup on the first episode.
[/edit]

Links:

Kiddy Girl-and, 11eyes, Boys on the Run Promos Posted (ANN)
Kiddy Girl-and Trailer Online (AnimeNation news blog)
The New Kiddy Grade (Quantumworx Blog)
Kiddy Girl-and (Dark Aquamarine blog)
Kiddy Grade's Sequel -- Kiddy Girl-and Preview! (NotCliche)
Kiddy Girl-and trailer (Animekon)
TV Anime KIDDY GiRL-AND Pickup (Lantis News&Topics)
『キディ・ガーランド』1０月１５日（木）より順次放送スタート！！ (Satelight)
A Fan History of Kiddy Grade (Otaku Crush)
Kiddy Girl - and Teaser (NyanNyan anime blog)

Full information on the opening and ending themes has been added to the official site:

OP theme: Baby Universe Day
Lyrics: Aki Hata
Composition: Katsuhiko Kurosu
Arrangement: Kaoru Ookubo
Performed by: Ascoeur (Aya Uchida), Q-Feuille (Aya Gouda)

ED Theme 1: Sun and Moon (太陽と月 Taiyou to Tsuki)
Lyrics: yozuca*
Composition: rino
Arrangement: Hijiri Anze
Performed by: Ascoeur (Aya Uchida)

ED Theme 2: Moon and Sun (月と太陽 Tsuki to Taiyou)
Lyrics and composition: yozuca*
Arrangement: chokix
Performed by: Q-Feuille (Aya Gouda)

- it looks like we're having alternating ED themes this time (last time it just alternated between closeups of Eclair and Lumiere at the end).

(reposted as I messed up when posting this at midnight)

The first volume of the manga has arrived:

Along with November's Comp Ace and Ch. 6.5: "Breaktime GTO".

Also, since I never obtained a copy originally, here's ch. 4: "Smile and Delivery"

Now I have a legible copy of the cover I've also some corrections to my earlier post containing the character bios.

Also, to reiterate a few things I've added as comments that weren't worth creating entries for:

There's a 10m advert for the anime on the side of the Cinema Sunshine in Ikebukuro, for pictures see the official site and Aya Gouda's blog.

There's a few new magazine scans on moe.imouto.org.

Aya Gouda and Natsuko Kuwatani have both blogged about their part in the anime, and both Aya Gouda and Aya Uchida have taken pictures of themselves with early copies of the manga.

The release date of OP single "Baby Universe Day" has been postponed from the 21st to the 25th of October, and there is now a section for the series on their site, which as of the moment only contains details on then OP. The artist name still hasn't been revealed but there was a post on 2ch (which no longer seems to be there, but there is a copy of it here) which claimed the artist is Aya Uchida, and also that the ED song title is "The Destiny's Line" by Faylan (until anything official comes out, take this with a heap of salt). [edit]actually, scratch that - it also says the single is being released on 11/11. Faylan does indeed seem to have a single coming out that day, but as it is pretty well documented that the KG-A ED singles are due out in December..[edit]

Anything else that comes up I'll either add here or in the comments.
No major links to add, but there's brief mentions of the series in Autumn Lineup posts in blogs everythere. There is a fan translation of the first chapter of the manga, but I'll let you locate that yourselves.

..is almost here, but in the meantime, here are some pictures of the finished article courtesy of AkibaBlog:
http://blog.livedoor.jp/geek/archives/50888728.html

Also, according to Yukari Higa's latest two blog entries, there are bonus extras of some sort available if you buy from Toranoana, Gamers or WonderGOO:
http://mekapen.blog116.fc2.com/blog-entry-150.html
http://mekapen.blog116.fc2.com/blog-entry-151.html

Exactly what is unclear, but it is academic anyway as not being in Japan I've had to order copies from Amazon and Yes Asia :(

Amazon have uploaded the manga cover art. Thanks to their zooming applet it is just about possible to make out the character profiles on the cover:

Ascoeur
GTO associate ES Member
Rank: C-
Birth: SC0363 10 Aug
Age: 16
Sign: Leo
Blood Type: O
SP-ability: Push-pull
Item: Comb
Shorts colour: White

Q-feuille
GTO associate ES Member
Rank: C-
Birth: SC0363 21 Sep
Age: 16
Sign: Gemini
Blood type: A
SP-ability: Parfum
Item: Choco Bon Bomb
Shorts colour: Black

..for "shorts", read "panties".

News about the blu-ray releases has been added to the official site along with full details on the TV and movie boxes.

The series is on 4 dual-layer discs, 6 episodes per disc, with the extras on a separate single-layer disc. They will be split between a triple-disc and a double-disc case together in a box.

Video is encoded in 1080i MPEG-4 AVC, except some of the extras which are 480i MPEG-2.
It actually does have subtitles, but unfortunately only Japanese.

The three movies are each on dual-layer discs in a triple-disc case with the extras on a single-layer disc in a separate case. Again encoded in 1080i MPEG-4 with some 480i extras.

Now here is the good news - while the movies don't in fact include an English dub (since none exists), they will have English subtitles.

[edit]
There are also pages for the sets in the movie and original series sections of the site. Same information, but including for completeness:
http://www.kiddygrade.com/movie/blu-ray.html
http://www.kiddygrade.com/1/information_blu-ray.html
[/edit]

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/ has been updated to confirm the air date for the first episode as the 15th of October 2009.
There is also a finalised logo, which is rather like a blinged out version of the first series logo.
The main staff and cast are also now confirmed along with airtimes for various stations and the name of the OP, "Baby Universe Day" (See translations below as I get them - I'm in work so will take a while).
The database has also been updated with new colour images of the cast and some settings.
The artwork for the first volume of the manga is revealed here.

It will also be streaming on Youtube from the 22/10.

Cast
Ascoeur (アスクール asukuuru): Aya Uchida [French, "Aceheart"]
Q-Feuille (ク・フィーユ ku fiiyu): Aya Gouda [French, "Q-Leaf"]
Hiver (イヴェール iveeru): Kaori Mizuhashi [French, "Winter"]
Sommer (ゾマ zoma): Itsuki Takizawa [German, "Summer"]
Éclair (エクレール ekureeru): Ryoko Nagata [French, "Flash"]
Lumière (リュミエール ryumieeru): Aya Hirano [French, "Light"]
Tweedledee (トゥイードゥルディ tuiidurudi): Natsuko Kuwatani [from the works of Lewis Carol]
Tweedledum (トゥイードゥルダム tuiidurudamu): Jun Fukuyama [from the works of Lewis Carol]
Un-ou (アンオウ anou): Akira Ishida [from Ungyou, the Buddhist guardian deity]
A-ou (エイオウ eiou): Tetsu Inada [from Agyou, the Buddhist guardian deity]
Trixie (トリクシー torikushii): Yuki Matsuoka [Short form of Beatrix (from Latin), could mean "voyager" or "blessed"]
Troisienne (トロワジェイン torowajein): Yukana [French: feminine form of troisième, meaning "third"]
Letuchaia (リトゥーシャ rituusha): Hiromi Konno (Russian, "Bat")
Pauk (パウーク pauuku): Megumi Matsumoto [(Russian, "Spider"]
Saphir (サフィル safiru): Kaoru Mizuhara [French, "Sapphire"]
Rubis (リュビス ryubis): Fuuko Saito [French, "Ruby"]
Torch (トーチ toochi): Kazuya Nakai
Shade (シェイド sheido): Nobuo Tobita
Mi nourose (ミ・ヌゥルーズ mi nuruuzu): Minoru Shiraishi
Alisa (アリサ arisa): Mai Aizawa [Spanish, "Noble"]
Belle (ベル beru): Chika Horikawa [Italian, "Beauty"]

Staff
Original work: gímik
Planning: Takeshi Yasuda [Kiddy Grade etc]
Director: Keiji Gotoh
Series organization: Hidefumi Kimura
Character design: Megumi Kadonosono
Producer: Takeshi Yasuda
Animation Producer: Fumio Kaneko [Sketchbook ~full color's~]
Art Director: Toshiyuki Tokuda [Minami-ke]
Director of Photography: Atsushi Iwasaki (Shugo Chara)
Background art: Youhei Kodama / Hiroki Matsumoto [Shikabane Hime]
Colour design: Eri Suzuki [Gigantic Formula etc]
Music: Noriyasu Agematsu (Elements Garden) [Ga-Rei]
Sound Director: Jun'ichi Satou [Gaatekeepers etc]
Music selection: Yasuno Sato [Pretear]
Editor: Kentarou Tsubone [Aria]
Sound effects: Hiromune Kurahashi [D.N.Angel]
Recording mixer: Soushi Shiihara [Gankutsuo]
Sound Production Manager: Yoshimi Sugiyama（Rakuonsha）[Shangri-la]
Music Producer: Shigeru Saitou（Lantis）[Haruhi 2009]
Recording Studio: Studio Gong [Shuffle!]
Sound Production: Rakuonsha [Shuffle!]
Music Production: Lantis [Shuffle!, Gigantic Formula]
Production: Satelight [Macross F]
Production Assistance: Kadokawa Mediaworks / Kadokawa Shoten
Production： GTO
© 2009 gímik / Satelight / Kadokawa Shoten／GTO

OP
Lyrics: Aki Hata [K-G.2 Pilot ED, Haruhi OP/ED, Nijuu Mensou ED]
Composition: Katsuhiko Kurosu [Nijuu Mensou ED]
Arrangement: Kaoru Ookubo [Minami-ke OP]

[added=200909112305]
Via 2ch, 2 ED singles have been solicited and are listed on Getchu:
TVアニメ キディ・ガーランド ED主題歌 Ver.1 (LACM-4672)
TVアニメ キディ・ガーランド ED主題歌 Ver.2 (LACM-4675)
Both due out on the 9th of December for ¥1,200.

Also on AmiAmi: 1 | 2

Not live yet, but the CDjapan and Neowing links are going to be
CDJapan: 1 | 2
Neowing: 1 | 2

Amazon: 1 | 2

Lantis page to watch: http://lantis.jp/new-release/library.php?y=2009&m=12

[/edit]

Links:
Moon Phase Zakki

According to a post by Japanese blogger Nanami they contacted someone at Television Saitama who informed them that Kiddy GiRL-and would be airing on the 15th of October and is to be 24 episodes long. It also seems to imply that it will be taking Haruhi's timeslot.

Links:
Kiddy GiRL-AND =キディ・ガーランド= part3 (2ch)

According to the Chara-ani store Kadokawa are re-releasing Kiddy Grade (yet again) as a Bluray box set, with another set for the movies.

TV series: http://www.chara-ani.com/details.asp?prdid=B09900827
Due out on the 27th of November priced at ￥37,800
Comes in a box illustrated by Megumi Kadonosono with a new 16-page story "Word Layer" (ワードレイヤー)
Comes with all the original extras (TV spots, NC OP&ED, copyright warnings etc) along with the pilot and "Sound Layer" - would be nice if this was the complete set of audio novels from the CDs but it is probably just the extra ones included with the DVD box sets.
Includes the original LPCM stereo Japanese track and the English dub in LPCM 5.1

Movies: http://www.chara-ani.com/details.asp?prdid=B09900828
Due out Christmas Day (25/12) priced at ￥22,050
Also in a Kadonosono-illustrated box. Again includes all the original extras and also the K-G.2 pilot. Same audio options as the series.

[edit=200909082305]added link section[/edit]

[edit=200909091625]
Now listed on Amazon Japan:
Series: http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002OEM1T8
Movies: http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002OEM1TI

The series apparently comes on 5 discs and the movies, surprisingly since they have less than half the collective runtime, on 4.
For the series it also indicates subtitles, but not what language. Since English subs exist for the series and not the movies there is hope therefore that this includes the subs as well as the dub.
[/edit]

[edit=a few minutes later]
Up on CD Japan and Neowing also so we now have the product codes:

Series:
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-1400
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-1400

Blu-ray box set release from anime series "Kiddy Grade." Includes four DVDs, five bonus DVDs, original illustration box and short story (16-page). Bonus DVD features setting guide, illustration gallery, TV spots, creditless intro & outro, audio commentary and more.

Movies:
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-1500
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KAXA-1500

Blu-ray box set release from theatrical feature of anime series "Kiddy Grade" including three DVDs, four bonus DVDs, original illustration box. Bonus DVDs feature illustration gallery, press conference footage, interview, trailer, TV spot, audio commentary and more.

[edit=later, now I'm not rushing to catch the bus]
CDJ messed up their translation making the same error twice; it is actually 4 discs for the series plus a fi[b]fth[/b] bonus disc and 3 discs for the movies plus a four[b]th[/b] disc for the extras.
[/edit]

Links:
Sep.8/2009 Anime News: Kiddy Grade BD (Can you Moe?)
「キディ・グレイド」のTV&劇場版がBlu-ray BOX化 (AV Watch)
KIDDY GRADE BLU-RAY BOX SETS ANNOUNCED (activeAnime HD)

October's Comp Ace arrived today. As well as the preview of the anime character designs I mentioned previously it includes chapter 6 of the manga, Touch and Go (たっち・and・ごー), which is also the name of the cafe. The thing that I've rushed online to blog about however is two new characters, a pair of female G-Class ES-Members who arrive with a "ざゃっざゃ～ん" which is hopefully ringing alarm bells for other people as well..
Their names are Trixie (トリクシー), who has short dark hair and ample assets, and Troisienne (トロワジェイン) who has long light-coloured hair (latter romanization sourced from 2ch and subject to further research).
I will return once I've got some snapshots online and have have had another look at the text.

---

Pictures are now up.

OK, we have definite confirmation that the series is starting this Autumn season (今秋TVアニメスタート):

- actually, it says much the same thing on those colour pictures that were posted on that wiki days ago - I guess I should learn the Kanji for the seasons ^^;

「ざゃっざゃ～ん!」:

Ascoeur's comb turns into a sword:

Torowajein can stop a giant mecha in it's tracks:

Now, working with what images I have to hand:

---

Can't believe I missed this earlier but there's another familiar catchphrase here, 「女の子はエレガントに」:

----

Links:
Moonphase

I've not yet verified the information (I'm in work and the moment I found out the lines suddenly got busy) but Moonphase is reporting that the KIDDY GiRL-AND anime is scheduled for October. Via NeoSam@Animesuki.

I will provide updates here as an when.

The upcoming anime listings page on the main Moon Phase site now has the October date pencilled in.

Related sites with no updates when last checked:
kiddygirl-and.com
satelight.co.jp
Gotoh's site and blog

Google has some useful new search functions:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q="kiddy girl-and"&tbs=rcnt:1
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=キディ・ガーランド&tbs=rcnt:1
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q="kiddy grade"&tbs=rcnt:1

Reminding myself to monitor the alien chatter at 2ch.

A new magazine scan has just been added to moe.imouto.org. Bears a Gotoh illustration and looks like a Megami page.Can't see any dates mentioned.

Oh, and another one, this time clearly from Newtype. Again, cannot see any mention of October.

[update 20090812]

OK, folding in a few small updates here:

News update on the official site: http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/info/090812.html
Basically just says that work is progressing on the anime and that there is an acticle in November's Newtype. Probably the one I linked earlier.

Stuff I tweeted yesterday:

The KIDDY GiRL-AND pure manga wil be released in tankoubon form on the 26th of September priced at 609円: http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/comic/bk_detail.php?pcd=200906000117 (ISBN 978-4-04-715298-4)

Gotoh has released details of his doujin for Comiket 76 in a couple of days; it will be another genga collections, this time mostly from Macross Frontier, and with a wraparound Ruri-Ruri lingerie cover: http://www.gockyclub.com/c76.html (link almost certainly NSFW)

(would you believe I started this update three hours ago nad work has gotten in the way)

OK, another bit of news off the press: according to Ami Ami the Kiddy Girl-and opening theme CD single will be released on the 21st October for 1200円, both title and artist to be determined.

[/update]

[update 20090815]

Thanks to a Japanese Wiki for the series I have what is probably the Amazon page for the single, which they are calling a maxi single.

Still nothing for it under October on the Lantis site but I'm pretty sure the code is LACM-4656.

[/update]

[update 20090822]

The single is now listed on Neowing, but not yet on CDJapan.

The Kiddy Grade Ignition page is now live on Newtype Channel.

The Ami Ami page for the OP CD mentions Bandai Visual, and I don't remember it doing so before.

Now for the big news: according to a post on 2ch the opening theme will be performed by Uchida Aya as Q-Feuille and Mina as Ascoeur.

[/update]

[update, same day but at a more sensible hour]

The manga is now available to preorder on Amazon Japan

The seiyuu news has been picked up by Moon Phase Zakki

[/update]

[update 20090823]

And just to confuse things further, the KIDDY GiRL-AND wiki seems to be naming two different seiyuu, this time citing and early copy of Comp Ace:

(both were in lucky Star, as Yutaka and Misao respectively, and Kaoru was also Yomi in Ga-Rei - which Gotoh worked on)

[/update]

[update 20090824]

There's a couple of blurry spyshots from October's Comp Ace on the wiki (new outfits for the twins), and the second set of names has been removed.

Tthe CDJapan link above is now live. Neither the CD nor the manga are on Yesasia yet.

[/update]

[update 20090827]

OP single cd now available for pre-order on Yes Asia.

[/update]

Received three magazines from Japan today and all have something KG-related. I only had time to take a few quick snaps this morning but here's what I have:

September's Comp Ace, KIDDY GiRL-AND pure chapter 5 (still haven't got a copy of ch4).

Un-ou and A-ou have appeared:

As have Letuchie and Pauk:

There's a quarter page on the anime in Nyantype volume 2 :

Which reveals a new domain name, http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/ (although it goes to the same place as kiddygrade.com)

And I finally got July's Newtype with the article that has already been scanned and posted online, but a took a few pictures anyway.

The latest update to the official Kiddy GiRL-and site indicates that this July's Newtype Channel "Monthly SPECIAL" is about Kadokawa. The page is at http://anime.webnt.jp/monthly-special/200907-issue/ but I had trouble getting the actual ebook to open until I open the flash file directly at http://anime.webnt.jp/monthly-special/200907-issue/book/view.swf
Among unrelated items it contains a page of Character information for the series (page 1) and also a reproduction of the first chapter of the Kiddy GiRL-and pure manga (pgs 11-39).

There's a new database page on the Official Site with settei, descriptions and romaji for the main characters (some of whom are unfamiliar).

アスクール is Ascoeur (or Ascœur, seems to mean "Aceheart" in French. Formerly known as Ascule c/o NT:USA)
ク･フィーユ is Q-feuille ("Q-leaf"? Formerly known as Que Feuilles c/o NT:USA)
イヴェール is Hiver ("Winter" in French - I was right about this one. She is the GTO Director)
ゾマ is Sommer ("Summer" in German. Hiver's secretary)
ミ･ヌゥルーズ is Mi nourose (Runs the GTO coffee bar where Ascoeur and Q-feuille are working as waitresses in the manga. Either a tranny or just really ugly. Not figured out what this one means yet)
アリサ is Alisa (Spanish name meaning "noble", GTO receptionist)
ベル is Belle (means "Beautiful" in Italian, GTO receptionist)

Also included are Tweedledee, Tweedledum, the C-Square and the Salyut (but oddly no A-ou and Un-ou).

There's a mention of the anime in a summary of "after summer 2009" titles on Nico Nico which has been mirrored on Youtube for those without accounts. Can't say much more than that as I only managed a glimpse before youtube stopped working on this machine.

There's also a writeup on chapter 4 (in Japanese) on Saineria. The chapter title is "Smile and Delivery" (「すまいる・and・でりばりー」)

Kanetake Ebikawa is credited with the mechanical designs and, although this could just be because these two designs are retained from the original series, I've compared with the original settei and the C-Square looks to have been redesigned and the drawings themselves are new (the original ones I have are hand drawn and annotated while these new ones looks like CAD. The basic silhouette of the main body is the same but the drive section has changed a lot with the addition of a curved section and redesigned wings. The smaller details have also changed - the main camera is no longer evident, neither is the dogfight bridge (perhaps they have seen sense and moved it somewhere less exposed). I don't seem to have any settei sheets from the original series for the Salyut but comparing with other material there have been changes there also (e.g. it is flatter on he top and bottom than it used to be.)

I've been thinking about the new official spellings for the leads. Ascoeur is similar to Ace of Hearts (L'as de coeur) and if you extend that to Q-Feuille and make a big stretch then she could represent the Queen of Spades (being designed after a leaf). Hiver and Sommer also represent two out of the set of four seasons.

I'm in the middle of moving home so this will be brief.
The latest update to the information page on the official site mentions that work is progressing on the anime so at least we know that it is actually underway. It also says that there's an article about the series and an illustration of the main characters in July's Newtype, which is out in Japan now.

There's an entry on Yukari Higa's blog with an illustration from the fourth chapter of the manga, due out in Comp Ace on the 26th of this month, and she also mentions the Newtype article.

I've taken photos of the 2nd and 3rd chapters, when I can I will revisit with some form of writeup when I have time and proper internet access at home:

Kiddy GiRL-and Pure ch2 - Boy meets Boy

Kiddy GiRL-and Pure ch3 - Black and White

May's Comp Ace with Kiddy GiRL-and pure chapter 1 is now here.. 4000¥ worth of postage later (£30 at current rates.. the £20 it would have been only a few months ago was bad enough but this is ridiculous...)

I also have the April issue which carried the announcement:

It starts off with some colour pages:

Que Feuilles still has the chocolate drops:

Ascule still has the rose tatoo so presumably also still teleports:

Tweedledee and Tweedledum are definitely still in it:

As are Hiver:

and Zoma:

There's also a brief mention of A-ou and Un-ou and a scene straight out of the original pilot which turns out to be the meeting of Ascule and Que Feuilles:

For some reason Ascule and Que Feuilles are going undercover as waitresses

[edit=13th May 2009]
I don't have a copy of the 2nd chapter yet, but thought I'd mention, as I should have done when it was announced at the end of April, that the second chapter is entitled "Boy meets boy" (「ぼーい・meets・ぼーい」). Also added another new link.
[/edit]

[edit=31th May 2009]
I've caved and ordered June and July's Comp Aces from Amazon. The third chapter's title
has been announced as "Black and White" (「ぶらっく・and・ほわいと」). There's also a sample image from the chapter up in an entry on Yukari Higa's blog - it seems the girls will be visiting a hot spring resort.[/edit]

Slideshow and linkdump below:

An information page has been added to the official site with some more details on the Kiddy girl-and pure (キディ・ガーランド ぴゅあ) manga due to start serialization in the May issue of Comp Ace (due out on the 26th of this month). While the story is to be written by Kimura Hidefumi the artist they have tapped this time is Yukari Higa (緋賀ゆかり), who also drew the Shina Dark manga. The image below is taken from the official site, and I for one think it works very well. She's also included a B&W illustration in this blog entry on her own site, Highway Star. For reference, she also has a pixiv account. Since Tweedledee and Tweedledum are also in the image it's possible their return is still on the cards.

--update 2009/03/03 12:50 GMT--
Adding some links that have appeared since I created this entry. As usual I will keep adding anything useful until I start a new entry.

--update 2009/03/04 01:15 GMT--
The artist has added a slightly larger version of the above colour illustration to her site.

--update 2009/03/28--
It isn't worth a new entry (unless anything new crops up I'll start the next one when I have the manga in my hands) but there's a new entry on the official site's information page. Apart from some new art (and it looks like exploding candy is still on the cards) the only thing new that I can make out is the title of the first chapter, "Girl Meets Girl" (がーる・meets・がーる).

Linkdump:

Kiddy Girl-and (Hillbilly Otaku)
New Wallpapers! (itspudding.com)
Kiddy Grade Continues With Kiddy Girl-and (Animekon)
Kiddy Grade spin-off Kiddy Girl-and announced (Anime Sanction)
The loli stampede continues - Strike Witches 2 + Kiddy Girl-and (Moon Speak)
Kyoto Animation's Munto TV Anime Adapted into Manga (ANN - it's tacked on the end)
New Wallpaper: Kiddy Girl-and (again) (itspudding.com)
Kiddy Girl-and announced (Mognet Central)
Kiddy Grade Spinoff Kiddy Girl-and Announced (Toon Zone anime forum)
Kiddy Grade Spinoff Gets Green Light (animevision)

Finally after years of waiting there is more news on the Kiddy Grade sequel. And I got scooped on the news as I've been working non-stop all day. The title is now キディ・ガーランド which, according to the provisional logo, translates as KIDDY GiRL-AND (although it looks more like "Kiddy Garland" to me).

The summary, as translated by ANN, reads

The story is set in the Star Century year 0379, roughly two centuries after the original Kiddy Grade anime and about five centuries after our present day. The spirited Asukūru and serious Ku Fīyu work for the galactic government known as GTO. The two girls are members of ES, GTO's finest secret agents with special abilities -- or, rather, they are training to become ES.

The character names are the same, and the costumes are very similar, but Ascule has had a makeover - her hair is now pink and a completely different style (no longer has the long tails at the back and the beads are gone) and her eyes are now purple. They also appear to have had a role reversal since the original pilot.

gímik are returning to their usual roles (Gotoh directing, Kimura writing and character designs by Megumi) but production has moved yet again, this time from asread to Satelight (whom Gotoh has worked with recently on Macross F).

There's going to be more news in the April and May issues of Comp Ace if I read correctly.
Apparently I was incorrect - Moetron's more expert interpretation is that there is a manga serialization starting in the May issue of Comp Ace called KIDDY GiRL-AND Pure (キディ・ガーランドぴゅあ).

--updated 2009/02/27 10:20 GMT--

Gotoh has made a new entry on his blog regarding the site update, added to the links.

--updated 2009/02/27 18:45 GMT--
Added a couple more links and moved the bulk into the extended entry.

--updated 2009/02/28 12:35 GMT--
Just an FYI: I'll keep adding new links this this entry until I start the next one.

--updated 2009/03/02 19:20 GMT--
It just occured to me that I remember being confused by an image in Gocky Club 23 that came out at the Winter 2008 Comiket and checked - it showcased the new look (and the role reversal) for Ascule way ahead of this announcement - see for yourselves

Links:

Official Site
キディ・ガーランド (Gocky Blog)
Kiddy Grade Spinoff Kiddy Girl-and Announced (Anime News Network)
BREAKING NEWS: gímik To Produce New Series (Super Spong Brothers)
"Kiddy Girl-and" - Kiddy Grade Spin-off Announced (Moetron)
Kiddy Grade Spinoff Anime/Manga Announced (AoD forums)

[more after the cut]

The Hulu advertising-supported video service has announced that it will be streaming a number of Viz Media and Funimation titles, including Kiddy Grade. I cannot attest to the picture quality as I've heard of the site before and would have signed up to watch movies if it wasn't for the fact that you have to be in the US to do so. Currently when you visit the site from ourside the US you get the following message:

Sorry, currently our video library can only be streamed from within the United States

Hulu is committed to making its content available worldwide. To do so, we must work through a number of legal and business issues, including obtaining international streaming rights. Know that we are working to make this happen and will continue to do so. Given the international background of the Hulu team, we have both a professional and personal interest in bringing Hulu to a global audience.

If you'd like, please leave us your email address and the region in which you live, and we will email you when our videos are available in your area.

I would urge anyone else in a globally challenged situation so register their interest.

• Hulu's Anime channel
• Hulu Launches Free and Legal Anime Channel (ANN press release)
• Hulu.com Launches Channel for Free, Legal Anime Streams (ANN News)

(This entry would have been posted yesterday, but there was a problem with the site. If you are reading this, then it is fixed)

I've had a couple of blips on my news filters recently that I thought were just spam, but it turns out there's a brand new Eclair figure due out in November from Musashiya priced at 19,800 yen (!). It is 1/5 scale (apparently about a foot longin total) in resin and comes pre-assembled and painted (which goes some way to explaining the price).

Stores:
Yes Asia
HLJ

(will add more as I find them)

Image, courtesy of Sakublog courtesy of "AmiAmi":

The next four Kiddy Grade episodes (5-8) are now up on Youtube. FUNimation has now added a playlist of their own that plays through the first 4 episodes, but haven't added the new ones to it yet so here they are:

Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
All episodes

This is something I should have reported on at the time, but it apparently slipped my mind. In addition to the two episodes streaming on their website and on Gaia (as reported previously), FUNimation are also now streaming episodes of Kiddy Grade (and other of their series) free on Youtube (four episodes at time of writing) and also as higher quality download-to-rent files on the PS3 Playstation Network for something like $1.99 for 24hrs rental (region locked so I can't comment much). They are all, naturally, dubbed only.

Since the Youtube episodes have just been thrown up there in segments I've put together some playlists:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
All episodes

Related links:
Funimation, YouTube Set Up Branded Online Channel (Anime News Network)
FUNimation® Entertainment and YouTube Strike Content and Advertising Agreement (ANN)
Funimation, BONES Anime on PlayStation Video Service (ANN)
FUNimation on PlayStation 3 Video Service (Anime on DVD)
Anime on the Playstation Video Store (AoD forums)
Funimation streaming episodes on Youtube (AoD forums)
FUNimation Moves On to the PS3 (gia)
From YouTube to FUNTube (gia)

It's a little late since the release date is already past (my copy was shipped out yesterday), but the official site has posted images of the 2nd DVD box. The image is, of course, the same as the one that was published ages ago but with a simply background, which is slightly different again to the one shown in July's Newtype. I'll put my own photo's up in on Picasaweb as usual once I have it in my hands, and update this entry (assuming I can, since I've been able to edit anything here for most of the last week due to server problems)

As an update to my earlier post regarding a couple of magazines out this month featuring Gotoh illustrations, apparently I need to add a third Japanese magazine to my list of things to buy as there's to be some Kiddy Grade 2 illustrations in Animedia (one each of Ascule and Que Feuilles). My order from Amazon containing Newtype (and I'm doubly glad I got this now I know it has a Haruhi 2 article and cover as well) and Animage has already shipped, so I'm adding this to an outstanding order I have with HLJ, hopefully before they sell out.
I don't know if the Animedia images are drawn by Gotoh himself or not (the earlier Newtype poster was by Maiko Okada and the article was illustrated by Megumi Kadonosono) and In an odd twist, the aforementioned Newtype and Animage illustrations are confirmed as being not of Kiddy Grade, but rather Kuranai and Macross Frontier respectively. Also, there will be another Kuranai image in the August Megami (which I assume will go on sale sometime in July).
Source: Gotokei.

--edit--
Sorry, been unable to update due to site problems. I have the magazine now and was a little dismayed to find that, while the illustrations are penned and signed by Gotoh, all you get is postage-stamp sized previews; the geniune article you have to send off for in what I assume is something of a lottery.

I've randomly discovered some quite good Japanese cosplay pictures of Ascule and Que Feuilles on Touchi Ginko's site Monpari:

http://monpari.raindrop.jp/kd2_aws_1.html
http://monpari.raindrop.jp/kd2_aws_2.html

http://monpari.raindrop.jp/kd2_askl_01.html
http://monpari.raindrop.jp/kd2_askl_02.html

It's not a big update, but it's an excuse for adding a new picture to the blog. The official Kiddy Grade site has added a picture of a flyer for the DVD boxes. Naturally I want one, but since picking one up requires either a physical presence in Japan or extortionate charges on Yahoo! Auctions through SMJ I may have to stick with the picture for now.

[edit="a little later" /]I've not done this for a while, but since my Kiddy Grade iGoogle plugin just flagged a couple of major hits, thought it was time for another links dump:

Ask John: Where is Kiddy Grade 2? (Animenation blog, 20080501)
I Want My Kiddy Grade (Impartially Biased blog, 20080504)
Kiddy Grade Fan Site (new fansite by a member of the FUNimation forums)
Kiddy Grade 2 (Advanced Anime forums, 20080306)
Kiddy Grade 2 (the waiting's simply killing me) (Viki Rosenzveig's blog, 20070705)
Season 2 Coming Soon (IMDb Kiddy Grade forums, 20061002)
Kiddy Grade 2?! (Felix's Anime Gaming Tech Ramblings, 20070122)
Kiddy Grade 2 pilot (Felix's Anime Gaming Tech Ramblings, 20070526)
KG2 (nebby_99's Livejournal, 20070528)
Date on Kiddy Grade 2? (Hongfire Anime Network forums, 20080205)
Kiddy Grade FanClub (MyAnimeList)
New season of kiddy Grade's single announced (Minitokyo forums, 1y 14wk ago)

(Like I said, some are really old but it's been a while since the last dump, and some only turned up relatively recently)

Amazon have added new box art to their listing for the first DVD box. I don't know if it is final or just a prelimiary mock-up, it has logos etc. on it this time around, but is different to what was pictured in the promo video.

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but since the news has been posted up on the official site to remind me thought I'd give it a mention. The original series is being repeated on AT-X starting the 28th of April:

http://www.at-x.com/program_detail/index.html/2240/

The second episode is scheduled foth the 5th which means, if they keep showing an episode a week, that they will show the last episode some time around the end on the 6th of October by my reckoning. The optimist in me says that, like the movies and the box sets, this resurgence of interest in the original series is leading up to the broadcast of the sequel, but it is fairly safe to assume that this is not going to happen till after the original series has finished it's re-run at the earliest.

A short promotional video for the forthcoming DVD boxes has been posted up on the relevant page of the official site . The only real thing of interest is what appears to be mockups of the boxes themselves with the images posted before against some sort of background. I can't take screencaps on this PC but when I can I'll post it below. The direct link to the video is http://www.kiddygrade.com/1/pv/kiddydvdbox.wmv.asx.

The original Kiddy Grade site has been updated (for the first time since 2004, apart from the pulling of the BBS) with a new page detailing the boxes. There's nothing new to see there, but the the product pages on chara-ani (below) make note that the movies did very well, especially for a late night weekend showing, and that the K-G.2 pilot DVD sold 8000 copies.

http://www.chara-ani.com/details.asp?prdid=K22803002
http://www.chara-ani.com/details.asp?prdid=K22803003

Details on the second Kiddy Grade box are now up on Amazon Japan (not on CDJapan or Yesasia yet; I'll add the links when I have them)
Extras are another interview with Keiji Goto, another new sound layer (audio drama), a "Chevalier Chapter" with Norio Wakamoto this time, and a new jacket illustration by Megumi Kadonodono (presumably the one included below). As with the first box there are 7 discs (6 for the episodes and one for the extras) in a digipak.

[edit=20080304]
Now listed on Yes Asia: kidhigureidobokkusu02shokai
[/edit]

[edit=20080425]
Just had the following from CDJapan:

To secure your first press copy of any of the items listed
below, preorder on or before May 3.

*********************************************
KABA-4602
Animation/Kiddy GradeDVD Box 2 [Limited Release] DVD
19000 yen US$180/105.38 Release Date:2008/06/27
Description:Second DVD box set from anime series "Kiddy Grade" includes episodes 13 through 24 on six DVDs plus one bonus DVD with director's interview and audio drama "Special Sound Layer 2."
URL - http://cdjapan.jp/d.html?KEY=KABA-4602
[/edit]

The Gocky Club site has had a bit of a redesign. The only new thing, except maybe a couple of new banners, is that Gokikura 22 will be out in August 2008 (At comiket 74 in other words). The (provisional) title is Gocky Colour 02, which means it will likely be full colour again like Gokikura 14 (aka Gocky Colour 01). I've never actually scanned the cover of that one (it is on Minitokyo and has Eclair on the front, Lumiere on the back and "keep out!" tape) but I do have a scan of Manatsu from the inside cover.
In other news, they are showing re-runs of Kiddy Grade on AT-X starting on the 28th of April.

I've just spotted a listing for "kidhigureidobokkusu01shokai" on Yes Asia. A more sane translation of this would be "Kiddy Grade Box 1" and the release date is the 23rd of May.
It's not on CDJapan so I don't yet have a product code, and the official site has not been updated. Yes Asia for whatever reason also attach the Japanese product info as jpegs so I can't autotranslate it, but it contains the first 12 episode so is the first of two boxes and apparently also has interview(s) and a new "Special Sound Layer" audio drama. The major downside is the price of ¥19000 - $180.99 (over £90) using Yes Asia currently conversion rate.
The obvious question to ask myself is: do I really want to spend yet more oodles of money on this series for a relatively small amount of extras? I probably will, but not without wincing.
If/when I find any more info I'll update this post.

[update1]
OK, the product code is KABA-4601 and I've found it on Amazon (completely skipped my mind to look there earlier).
Amazon has a little more info than Yes Asia: there is an extra discs containing an interview with Keiji Gotoh. The new Sound Layer is an "Eclipse Chapter". The jacket is illustrated by Kadonosono Megumi and features Eclair (the second box will presumably be Lumiere). It will be a Digipak.
Yet again, it appears we are being shafted with regards to commentary tracks (has Aya ever done any commentaries yet?), which might suggest that they were just releasing the original discs again without remastering however asread is credited with production assistance again so, unless this is an error or is referring to something on the extra disc, then some sort of modifications have been made to the original Gonzo animation (possibly inserting reanimated scenes from the movies or something).
The following image is from Getchu:
While it is clearly not an actual package illustration it is a piece of art that I've personally not seen before.

[update2]
Tower Records has the second box, KABA-4602, slated for the 27th of June.

[update 3 - 2008-03-26]
Now up on CD Japan and Neowing. They say:
"DVD box set release from anime series "Kiddy Grade" includes episodes 1 through 12 on six DVDs plus one bonus disc with interview with the director, audio drama, and more!"
The fact that the first half of the series is again over six discs suggests that they are just repackaging the original DVDs.

[update 4]
Changed the image to a slightly better one from Amazon, below.

FUNimation have switched distrubution from their own ZStore to Righstuf. I've just noticed that they have those exclusive pre-assembled and coloured figures also. Assuming that you can now order them from Europe, which is why I never got them when they were in the ZStore, I'm going to be out of pocket again sometime soon...

Kiddy Grade Figure: Duo $81.95
Kiddy Grade Figure: Eclair $70.95
Kiddy Grade Figure: Lumiere $52.95

FUNimation have a new version of their Kiddy Grade site up at http://www.funimation.com/kiddygrade/. It is again 100% flash but has a nice splash page and also features the first two episodes streaming in a (very small) window. The downside, and it is a big one, is that they have removed all the actual content related to the series (much of it fairly unique as they had access to translations of the Japanese material that all I can do is squint at.. luckily I have a copy of it all on my harddrive still). They have also nixed the domain (intentionally or not I'm not sure) - http://www.kiddygrade.tv/ is currently returning a 404 error however http://www.kiddygrade.tv/index.html works. I suspect it is because the two sites are served from the same physical location and they have renamed the index file without updating the config for the domain.

The DVD has finally made it though the post, so Here's some photos and screencaps. Not really a great deal to say since there's really no new scenes or dialog, just the new stills I mentioned earlier. The's a couple of short scenes of Chevalier in his office (the first one watching the news from the end of ep18 and the second monitoring the construction of the Deucalion while holding the key) I can't place exactly so I need to check back through the DVDs at some point. The ending theme (Anata no Yō desu by Savage Genius) starts playing during the epilogue, in the reception scene with Fleur after the scene with baby Che. The original ending montage of Eclair, Lumiere and Armbrust on the Calliope has been dropped and replaced by another montage of all the major characters like the one in the first movie. The short scene of Epilogue-verison Eclair in action has also been dropped. The on-disc extras is a "long" interview with Gotoh on location at a radio telescope array or something similar.

Anyway, a breakdown of how everything was squished down this time:

0:00:00 - 0:00:06 Presented by gímik & KADOKAWA SHOTEN PUBLISHING CO.LTD
0:00:07 - 0:00:15 Chevalier
0:00:16 - 0:14:37 Episode 19 (14m21s)
0:14:38 - 0:14:52 Chevalier
0:14:53 - 0:30:17 Episode 20 (15m26s)
0:30:18 - 0:42:51 Episode 21 (12m34s)*
0:42:52 - 0:57:26 Episode 22 (14m35s)
0:57:27 - 1:11:56 Episode 23 (14m30s)
1:11:57 - 1:26:37 Episode 24 (14m19s)

*there was some overlap between the end of ep21 and the start of ep22 but neither epsiode has exactly the same scenes in exactly the same order and some more were cut for the movie so it was really hard to place the cutoff point. It is defnitely somewhere between 0:42:23 and 0:42:52 (which are the positions of the last and first scenes that are only in one of the episodes respectively) and the bits in between have more in common with ep21 (the "Deucalion ga!" line being in a slightly different place) but there is no natural cutoff, FTB or musical break.

links:
Kiddy Grade: Truth Dawn (NyanNyan anime blog)

The Gocky Club site has been updated with more information on the 21st doujin to be released at Comiket 73 on the 29th of December - it is going to be a collection of K-G.2 genga (presumably similar to issue 13 which did the same for the original Kiddy Grade PV).

If I read the news correctly, they are now selling numbered, limited edition reproduction douga (I believe I have the correct term..) taken from each of the three movies. They are sized 288mm×379mm and will go on sale in January, February and March of next year.
The catch is that they cost ￥12,600 each and appear to be only available through the chara-ani store - which is entirely in Japanese.
Love to have them though, to go with my settei collection.

Information has been added to the official site regarding the Truth Dawn DVD due out on the 21st of December.
Basic details are a run time of 93 minutes and 20 mins of extras, the usual linear PCM audio and 4:3 ratio. Price is ￥6000 (￥6300 including tax).
The booklet this time has actually now doubled to 16 pages, there are now two mouse pad stickers, and also an a "long" interview with Keiji Gotoh (presumably the aforementioned 20 mins).
The cover illustration, although not the actual cover itself, is also included on the above page.

In addition, after a bit of prompting, the DVD has now been listed on Yes Asia.

A page has been added to the Official site detailing the Savage Genius album "Sora no Kotoba", which features the new ending themes for Maelstrom and Truth Dawn, "Mou nido to" and "Anata no you desu". As mentioned previously, the release date is the 7th of November and there is a Limited Edition release including a DVD with footage from their performance at Anime Expo 2007. There are some video clips on the official Savage Genius site with comments on the songs and previews of the music videos.

Regular edition:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=VTCL-60004
http://global.yesasia.com/en/prdTransfer.aspx/pid-1005026132/

Special edition:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=VTZL-1
http://global.yesasia.com/en/prdTransfer.aspx/pid-1005026133/

The final Kiddy Grade movie DVD is now listed on Amazon, with a release date set for the 21st of December. Not up on CDJapan or Yes Asia yet, I'll add the links when I have them. Includes the usual 8-page booklet and Kadonosono-illustrated mouse pad cover sticker thingy, no mention of any on-disc extras that I can see.

Stores:
Amazon
CDJapan
Yes Asia

The DVD is still in the post so no scans, but I've had a look at a "preview" copy of the movie.
Basically, not much to say really. It covers episodes 12-18, from the purge order until the 'new' eclair and Lumiere reveal their identitied. There's only one short new scene, presented in a few parts, which shows some of the regeneration process. The editing is at least a lot more coherent that with the first movie. Again the SFX have all been redone, and I think there might be some tweaked scenes and one or two new space shots but I need to check against the original discs to confirm.
Anyway here are the screenshots.

What I wasn't expecting was the new Savage Genius ending theme - I knew Truth Dawn was getting a new song but I didn't realise Maelstrom was also (however looking at the CD Japan listing for the forthcoming Sora no Kotoba album again it does clearly say there are two new themes). This song is もう二度と (Mou nido to), which I think translates to "never again".

Tomorrow night I will be checking a couple of things against the original version and working out how the timing breaks down between episodes.

[added]I thought so - there were a couple of changes to the nudie bit in episode 12, and also a new shot of the La Muse.

[added later]Still haven't finished this article, gomen; been both busy and stuffed up.

[added even later, 11th Oct]DVD finally made it through the UK postal system. Not scanned anything yet, but have some snaps mixed in with other stuff here.

Links dump:
Kiddy Grade:Ignition (Nyan Nyan)
Kiddy Grade: Maelstrom (Nyan Nyan)
Kiddy Grade 2? (ANN forums.. thread 5?)

FUNimation, in it's continuing promotional relationship with Gaia Online that started with Tsubasa, has released the first two episodes of Kiddy Grade to Gaia Cinemas. Obviously you need a Gaia account, but if you do you can watch the episode in all their postage-stamp glory with other fans from around the world (or, possible, with a room of non-fans who turned up just to throw rotten tomatoes at the screen).
You can view the original annoucement here.

Some blogs in other timezones have already picked up on this:
Will Phantom Blade Make the Kiddy Grade? (theOtaku.com)
(There are a couple of others, but one I had to close I'm at work and it had naked or at least scantily-clad ladies on it, and the other consists of nothing other than the link)

Latest links dump:
Gaia Online Streams 2 Full Episodes of Kiddy Grade (Anime News Network)
Online Community, Gaia now streaming Kiddy Grade anime (ANN forums)

The official site has been updated since yesterday.
They now have some screenshots (apart from the title logo there is only one that I specifically do not recognise) and information on the Maelstrom DVD (cannot see anything that we didn't already know).

new links:
Kiddy Grade Director's Cut I: Ignition (AnimeOnDVD forums)
Kiddy Grade Ignition: Memories of (somewhat) old classic (Richard's Anime Reviews)

I've found out from Kano's site that there is to be a new ED theme for the third movie Truth Dawn by Savage Genius (Uta Kata OP/ED and a number of other anime since). The title is 「あなたのようです。」 which, being in Hiragana I can transcibe easily enough ("Anata no Yō desu"), but with no Kanji to indicate meaning all I know is that it means something like "It is your Yō." The online translator I use reckons it to be "It seems to be you."

Source: http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Information/A019251.html

I missed a couple of updates on the official site while I was away on holiday, but there were all about what guests will be at the Truth Dawn showings in September.

Other new stuff since last update to last entry:
Kiddy Grade 2 Pilot episode (Livejournal KG community)
Kiddy Grade movie (dannychoo.com)

If I understand the update correctly, the first two movies (Ignition and Maelstrom) will be each be shown once again at "Theatre Dia" in Ikebukuro at 21:10 on the 7th and 14th of September respectively. Which is useless news to anyone oustide Japan of course.
In other news, the Truth Dawn trailer went up on the official site on the 11th. Didn't seem worth it's own entry since it presents nothing new, but I guess two trivial pieces of news almost make it to the level of a single useful post. ANN has already reported on this (I added the link to the end of the last entry) and there was a brief flutter of interest on the forums, but no-one seems terribly excited by the movies (having been underwhelmed by the first one myself this is understandable, however I only know one other person who has actually watched it and no-one else that actually owns a copy).

The main movie page on the Kiddy Grade site has been updated to reflect the fact that the Maelstrom run is over and Truth Dawn is on it's way (Premieres in Theatre Shinjuku on the 1st of September).
There are as usual three versions of the ticket with Eclair, Lumiere or the pair (this time in Epilogue form), the latter of which also features the Deucalion in it's giant robo form.

Related links:
http://www.chara-ani.com/list.asp?mode=t&tiid=100000190
http://www.pia.co.jp/cinema/detail/147135.jsp

New links:
Third Kiddy Grade Movie's Trailer Posted Online (ANN)

The movie begins a year or two before where the original series started, with a new scene showing Lumiere rescuing Eclair followed by somes scenes that were originally part of episode 16 where Eclair has her memories wiped and starts afresh. There is no new opening, the basic credits are overlaid through these scenes.

The story then leads into the original opening scene in the lobby, however it is abridged: notably there is no opening narration from the tour guide, no chat from the schoolgirls, and no scene with the teacher. The gun SFX sound different to me also, as do other sounds like Eclair's rouge whip and Wirbelwind, Donnerschlag and the La Muse's "voices". The second episode's story begins at in 17:19, but Alv and Dvergr's arrest scene has been skipped, as is the scene where they show the rivalry between the different ES teams. There's a lovely fake eyecatch of Eclair and Lumiere in Qipaos 32mins in, followed by a musical interlude of of clips from eps 4, 6, 3, 5, 7 and 8 (increasinly out of order as it progresses) set to Mirai no Kioku, then another eyecatch of the Pizza outfits, then some clips introducing the other main characters (again set to music), along with some new stills and another (ecchi) eyecatch.
It is then back to linear storytelling with episode 9 at 40:50, episode 10 at 53:46 and episode 11 at 1:05:06.

Other notes:
Where some lines have been cut out at 1:25 Lumiere's lips are badly out of synch with the dialog.
Where the BGM has been recut there are some messy transitions, e.g. at 19:17.

Temporary screencap gallery: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/shirobane/KiddyGradeIgnition

Scans:
DVD
Box

Links dump:
Kiddy Grade 2 (Abicion's Blog)

The second Director's Cut DVD is due for release on the 28th of September.

The title translates as something like:
"Kiddy Grade" Director's Cut DVD 2: Kiddy Grade Theatrical Version part II -MAELSTROM- (Inundation chapter)

RRP is ￥6,000 (￥6,300 including tax) although you can get it for ￥4,725 if you pre-order from Amazon.

According to Amazon it runs for 90mins and is in 4:3. It comes with an 8-page colour booklet and the first press item is a mousemat. I gather there will again be footage of the premiere event included.

「キディ・グレイド」ディレクターズカットDVD2 キディ・グレイド 劇場版第二部 -メイルシュトローム-(氾濫篇) (Amazon)
kidhigureidogekijouban02meirushutoro muhanranhen (Yes Asia)

The official site has been updated with information on the Ignition DVD, including the full cover illustraion. Looking back I don't appear to have posted any details on the DVD so here they are. Information compiled from details on the above link, the Kadokawa Entertainment site, Amazon, and CDJapan/Neowing.

The full title is given as something like: Kiddy Grade Director's Cut DVD 1 "Kiddy Grade Theatrical Version part 1 -IGNITION- (Awakening chapter)". The sites all seem to agree that the first press extra is a box, and that there is an 8-page colour making-of booklet included. I'm a little unclear on the rest, but I think there is some footage from the opening event featuring Ryoko Nagata, Aya Hirano, Mami Kosuge (Bonita), Ikue Kimura (Liquiy), Keiji Gotoh, Hidefumi Kimura, and Megumi Kadonosono.

Technical details are:
Running Time: 90mins.
DVD Format: DVD9 (single sided, dual layer)
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Audio (Japanese): Linear PCM
Subtitles: None

Originally I had the impression that there would be a commentary track, but I can find no mention of this anywhere now, but it was also listed as being 16:9 on at least one site and that has now changed so this may have been another error. Which is a pity, as commentaries were one thing missing from the excellent set of extras for the original series and were present on the Uta Kata DVDs.

I cannot remember whether I've mentioned this before, but there is also a report (with small photos) of the Ignition premiere on the official site, and another shorter one on the Newtype site.

Newly discovered links:
キディ・グレイド Kiddy Grade (EDMW forums, 2007-03-15)
Kiddy Grade second Season (AnimeOnline.net forums, 2007-05-29)
Eclair's Lullaby (Codemasters forum, 2007-05-01)

There's now a 30s streaming trailer for the second movie, Maelstrom (which starts showing in a weeks' time), on the official site. I believe I recognised clips from episodes 12-17. Something else I didn't bother bringing up ealier since (only being of use to those in Japan) it wasn't worth an entry by itself, is that if you order tickets (of which there are three designs to chose from) from the Chara-ani site you can get premium versions which come with a passport wallet thingy. Wouldn't mind having one, but even if I could place an order through a deputy service it would mean an empty seat at the Theatre.

Oh, and somethign else not really worth a new entry by itself: Kano has started updating her Gotokei.com again and given it a bit og a redesign. Glad she's back as her site is a good resource for advance warning f DVD, magazine articles and Comiket stuff etc.

new links as usual from my web wanderings:
itspudding.com (blog with some nice vector traces)
Kiddy Grade = awesome (The Goddess Project forums - people with some misconceptions there but I'm not going to register just to say so)
There's a thread on the GotWoot? forums, which I am not going to link to as they advertise KAA's R1 DVD rips of the first series.
Kiddy Grade 2 (Anime Genre Database blog)
Kiddy Grade 2 (Anime Mikomi)
Kiddy Grade - Ignition (Anime Mikomi)
Holy Crap! New Kiddy Grade! (Ausanime)
Que-Feuilles (Ausanime forums)
Kiddy Grade 2nd Season (PCFormat forums)
Que-Feuilles (PinkuBentoBox blog)
Infinite Future Preview (Otaku Community Weblog)
Kiddy Grade 2 (tokuAsia forums, 2007-01-28)
Kiddy Grade 2 (Virtual Infusion forums, 2006-10-04)
Kiddy Grade Season 2 (Anime Bliss, 2007-01-29)

The Kiddy Grade 2 has just been updated. There's a minor redesign to the front page and some new pages have been added: there's a new Information page (which currently just mentions the Newtype article/poster and the Pilot DVD), a page detailing the Pilot DVD and an illustration gallery which at the moment just contains some of the colour settei sheets that were included on the DVD after the promo.

The other changes are to the movie page: the Ignition information has been archived and the section redesigned to promote Maelstrom, as well as being split up into seperate pages to prevent clutter. There is also a new page with a report on the Ignition opening event, including photos.

New links/random stuff I found on Google:
Kiddy Grade 2 (Animenation forums)
Kiddy Grade 2, Super powered lolis (Megatokyo forums, new thread)
Kiddy Grade II ~ Pilot Promo (Impartially Biased blog)
Kiddy Grade 2, Plus 3 remake movies (Lowyat.NET forums)
Kiddy Grade 2 (Fansub TV Network forums)
K.G.2 (Butterfly Anime)
Kiddy Grade 2 (Anything Asian Network)
Kiddy Grade 2, Second Season! (Muffin Forum)

I now have my Kiddy Grade 2 Pilot DVD in my sweaty just-washed-so-they-won't-leave-greasy-finergrints paws.

Scans are going up at http://www.kiddygrade.info/scans/kg2pv/.

Mistral is actually the ships name; the robot's name is Tifon (or something like that.. Typhon?). The new GTO boy's name is Zoma. To summarise the new characters (I'll tidy them up later when I've thought more about what they are supposed to be):

GTO
Ascule (アスクール Asukuuru)
Que Feuilles (ク・フィーユ Ku Fiiyu)
Hiver (イヴェール Iveeru)
Zoma (ゾマ)

Mecha
Mistral (ミストラル Misutoraru)
Typhon (ティフォン Tifon)

Baddies
Letuchie (リトゥーシャ Rituusha)
Pauk (パウーク Pauuku).

Now some things of note from the Continuity File:
Yes, those really are chocolate.
Ascule fires "nanoneedles" from her comb.
The mark on Ascule's thigh is just referred to as a shining rose tatoo, and her move simply as teleporting.
Adult Lumiere is drinking champagne.

Eclair's lines:
「いつか．．．こんな日がやってくろ事は判っていた筈．．．」
「大丈夫．．．怖れる事はないわ．．．」

[edit]Added some settei capped from the DVD, under the cut.[/edit]

[edit=2]I've gotten around to scanning the Continuity File cover so I can now bring up another point: Like the Continuity Files for the first series the cover of this PV Continuity File has clockwise numbers as part of the design. The first time around these numbers were highlighted in sequence on the cover of each File, so assuming that this series will again have Continuty FIles with the LE DVDs and that they keep this design then we can also assume that there will be 12 DVDs, which also points to another 24 episode series.[/edit]

New links:
Kiddy Grade 2 (HongFire Anime Network Forums)
Kiddy Grade 2.. (FullMetal*Panic! Forums)
Kiddy Grade 2 (Ani-Pock Blog)
Kiddy Grade 2 (OMFG!) (遠山の目付 Blog)
Kiddy Grade 2 (SGCafe Forum)
Kiddy Grade II Pilot (Kurogane's Anime Blog)
Kiddy Grade 2 - start getting excited! (ANN forums, thread number 4 I believe)

Apologies in advance as this is more of a rant/whinge than a proper update, although I will add some new info at the end.

Anyway, I ordered two copies of the K-G.2 Pilot DVD well in advance and from different suppliers to be sure I had first press and had it in my hands as quickly as possible. Well, I hadn't figured on the bank holiday weekend coming at the same time so both parcels arrived yesterday. While no-one was at home. I arrive home after 10pm yesterday to find two missed delivery slips. One was for parcelfarce who said to pick it up today which my Father was willing to do for me while I was in work, the other was from dull who wanted to arrange redelivery. Since I was getting the one today anyway I arranged for DHL to redeliver on Friday when I'm off work. When I arrived home tonight I was informed that the parcel had not been there. Ho hum.

What did manage to arrive safely yesterday was a parcel from Archonia with June's Newtype Japan (along with some backissues of Megami and other mags they had that I didn't). As well as the poster which I mentioned in an earlier entry, there's also a review of the Pilot DVD and an ad for Maelstrom.

From what I can make out with a cursory scan the two enemies seen in the PV are named "Rituusha" (リトゥーシャ) and "Pauuku" (パウーク). I can see I'll be scratching my head over these for a while. I can also see the name "Mistral" (ミストラル misutoraru) which I take to be the name of heroine's mecha and "Iveeru" (イヴェール) which I believe refers to the lanky meganekko.

[edit]see next entry for updates and corrections[/edit]

My DVD copy hasn't arrived but I have.. borrowed (*ahem*) a copy in the meantime.
The clips from the Newtype video are all there, but with more context.
It begins with the Orbital Rim explosion, which actually involves Epilogue Eclair and Lumiere. Eclair is falling through space, seemingly unconscious and Lumiere yells her name (the only dialog for some time, most of the PV is set to some tense BGM). Donnerchlag-Re get's blown up. Eclair is rescued by Eclipse on the Calliope, and then demonstrates her G-class strength by catching and throwing an immense chunk of metal about to hit them. Armbrust does some showing off floating in the air, we see his case's guns in use for the first time and a bit of the Siegerum in action.
Then suddenly we're back ten years before the start of the first series with Lumiere, chibi Eclair (who seems to make a habit of kicking down doors), Maryann and Bran from the Pr. novels (see here and here), then Viper and Virago from the Vs. manga (see here). We seem to going through a potted history as then see both the main versions of Eclair and Lumiere from the original series in order, although in scenes not shown in the series itself including Lumiere creating what looks like a warp portal. Then a brief glimpse of Liquiy, Bonita and the new receptionist Fleur from the epilogue.
Now we're up to the new stuff with Que Feuilles and Ascule's guard robot, which looks to have been designed after a hippogriff/centaur, which fights with a snake-robot thing. Like that recent Newtype poster indicated, Ascule fights with a comb (of all things), firing the teeth like little exploding darts. Que Feuilles weapon, which I thought from the poster were stones, actually seem to be.. exploding chocolates (go figure).
We now go back onboard the Calliope with Eclair, Lumiere and Eclipse and have some more spoken lines (Ryoko and Aya are the only credited cast), one of which is Eclair's "Osoreru koto wa nai" which is also in one or two of the epilogues on the KG Sound Packs.
Now we have the bit with the warp gate, the Fenice (Viola and Cesario), and the Centurion (Dextera and Sinistra). There's an explosion on part of the warp gate and chunks fly towards the Fenice which disintergrates them (using Viola's power), but it is hit (from behind it looks like) and falls into the warp gate. Centurion splits into Unicorn-α and -β, both Dextera and Sinistra look hurt. Are we to believe they all die since they are not seen again in the PV?
Now we cut to Ascule fighting those two twins. That glowing tatoo on her thigh looks to be shaped like a rose and allows her to, well bamf basically. It doesn't look to be her just rapid movement, she's not moving fast when she disappears and comes out backwards, but looks to be a short-range/line-of-sight dislocation rather than Eclipse's quantum jump. Those little glowing balls by the twins fingers function like exploding energy bolas.
Now we're back with Epilogue Eclair and Lumiere again, Eclair is naked, glowing and falling down an energy column within the space elevator shaft from the start, her hair doing that whole Saiyan-thing (or so I've heard). She says something innaudible and then explodes. Lumiere looked to be back on Donnerchlag-Re, despite him seeming to blow up in what I assume to be earlier in this continuity, and he is presumably now vapourised anyway along with Lumiere given their proximity to Eclair when she gained critical mass.
Now we have the other new characters; the tall meganekko and the boy (who could possibly be Chevalier?), who appear to be partners.
It wouldn't be a Kiddy Grade preview without the odd imagery in the next few clips, followed by more short clips with the new and old characters (including A-ou, Un-ou, Tweedledee and Tweedledum) and the new leads' ship.
Finally we end with the group shot that started the internet preview, the text under the logo they stand under, which is for the Galactic Trade Organisation (GTO), reads "As it was in the beginning and now and ever shall be the world without End" (from the Gloria Patri.. I think someone's been watching too much Evangelion)
The end credits run to Junpaku Sanctuary.

Motherlode of caps under the cut.

Links:
K-G.2 - Kiddy Grade 2 Pilot DVD (Neko Mimi Mode)
Kiddy Grade II thread on Hentaishare forums. I'll let you find it yourself if you want to read it due to the adult nature etc.

Couple of interesting tidbits from AoD's report from the FUNimation panel at Anime Central 2007:

"They are [also] looking at Kiddy Grade 2"

"I [Marc Lunden] asked about the possibility of licensing the Kiddy Grade compilation movies. At the time, Adam [Sheehan] responded that he didn’t know about them. Afterwards, I caught up with him and gave a brief description, and he mentioned that if it’s Kiddy Grade and Gonzo, FUNimation would definitely be interested in taking a look at them."

Checking back at Amazon etc. more detail has been added regarding the release.

There's 4 minutes of bonus footage (sounds like it's just a slideshow of artwork like was included on the original Kiddy Grade PV) with audio commentary by Keiji Gotoh.
The first press release also includes a slipcover illustrated by Megumi Kadonosono and an 82-page conte booklet.
According to Neowing/CDJapan the video is 16:9 and the audio is Dolby 5.1

Just spotted the DVD for the first of the the Kiddy Grade movies on Amazon. Its due out on the 27th July 2007 for ￥6,300, although you can get it for ￥4,725 if you preorder from Amazon. Not listed on CDJapan yet or Yesasia yet (Yesasia still don't even have the KG2 PV unless its listed under some obscure mistranslation again). This time around we get an audio commentary (Yay! Better feature Aya!). The credits mention asread who, since they didn't work on the original, must have had some involvement in the new director's cut stuff. No cover artwork available yet. Also, according to CDJapan is is in widescreen, unlike the original series.

In other news, the first Gigantic Formula DVD is out on the same day for ￥6,090 (￥4,568 with discount). This one is on CDJapan. If I read the details correcly first press bonuses include a box (holding four DVDs) with artwork by Megumi Kadonosono, a character card(s) designed by the same, a mecha design card and a sound drama CD. Cover artwork is by Keiji Gotoh. Also in widescreen but only two episodes, which is a pity. I'll definitely be getting at least the first volume, for Meg's artwork if nothing else. Oh PS, both sites list is as Dolby stereo rather than LPCM.

The site has had an update. As well as adding a link to the trailer on the Newtype site, they're also advertising the May June* issue of issue of Newtype (Japan). which has a Kiddy Grade poster. I've had a copy for a few days that turned up on Futaba, but I didn't know where it came from. The poster itself features the two main characters, although it is drawn by Maiko Okada of asread rather than Megumi or Gotoh (although it does match Megumi's style fairly well). It looks kinda like the signature weapons this time will be a comb (for Ascule) and pebbles (for Que Feuilles) - the way she is using them reminds me of Inukami and Chrno Crusade.

* Edit: Actually, looks like there's an error on the Newtype site and it should be the June issue, unless this year has two Mays.

A trawl for new info on the net has turned up an AnimeNation News article about a 75s trailer which is now up on the Newtype site.

Amazon finally have the DVD available to preorder. The release date is given as the 25th May.

[edit]Also available from CDJapan. According to them it is 7mins long, in widescreen and Dolby 5.1 and there is a first press bonus of some description.[/edit]

[edit=2]Release date now mentioned on the official site along with a link to the Chara-Ani store where they're also selling a copy with a Kiddy Grade Ignition phonecard included for ￥4,440. Still no news of what the first press bonus is.[/edit]

Related Links:
Paprika Blu-ray and DVD plus Kiddy Grade 2 (ollin.us)

Just a quick update*, there is now a trailer up on the official site and there is also a new minisite opened for the movies on Klock Worx site.

Related links:
Kiddie Grade -Ignition- Trailer Online (ikimashou)

The KG2 article from the February issue of NT was published in the April issue of NTUSA.
If they are to be believed, the girl's names are "Ascule" and "Que Feuilles" but since these don't seem to make much sense I'm holding out for official confirmation.

What they say:

Sometime after a giant intergalactic scuffle that would've destroyed the entire universe were it not for the courage of ES Force members Éclair and Lumière, new signs of chaos are beginning to emerge

...

"The overall setting will remamin the same," says show director Keiji Gotoh, stressing that there will be considerable continuity between the two series. "We haven't decided exactly how many years apart the two shows will be, but the new series will definitely be a true sequel, so expect to see some familiar faces from the ES Force. We're also planning a few very interesting opportunities for cooperation between the old and new characters."

I've finally got the last few missing pieces of my collection (minus the audio novels): the super duper box, Continuity File EX, the EX3 bookmark and the Secret Affair and Pr1 novels. I also have a sizeable hole in my wallet and some stuff to sell on Ebay but that's another story..

Secret Affair is, like EX-Parter, a series of short stories about different parterships, again with door illustrations by Megumi Kadonosono.
Narcotic/Drug is Armbrust and Pfeilspitze
Fake/Fate is Lightning and Twinkle
Thought/Harmonize is Chevalier and Renault (If I remember his name correctly)
Closed/Connection is Liquiy and Bonita
Inclined/Balance is Eclair, Lumiere and Eclipse.

Some of the material in the EX Continuity File seems to relate to early concepts, with original design sketches of the characters. Also, if I understand correctly, Kiddy Grade was originally planned as three OVAs, which means the series has basically now come full circle with the forthcoming three movies.
Things of interest are "10 years later" omake drawing by Meg, Kim and Gotoh, and dates for all the scenes pictured on thereverse covers.

There's a small piece on the sequel in the March 2007 issue of Megami (vol. 82).

http://www.kiddygrade.info/scans/articles/index.php?image=megami82pg34.jpg

I hadn't noticed the mid-dot in ク・フィーユ before (I think it is there in the Newtype article as well, but looked rather like part of the background starfield). フィーユ usually seemes to romanise to Fille ('girl' in French), but I'm not sure about the ku.. could possible be "Cou Fille" ('neck girl') but that doesn't make a great deal of sense strike that, another flash of insipration: "coup" (as in "counting coup" or "coup de grâce") is also pronounced coo and makes more sense since "Coup Fille" means something like "hit girl". Wish I'd had the option of French rather than German lessons in school.

[edit]Just had a flash of memory after a snooze - there's a character called Fille in the second Gemini Knives novel, but there it is written as フィユ without the dash throwing a shadow of doubt on the above interpretation.[/edit]

The Kiddy Grade site has been updated again.
If I understand this correctly, the original series has been cut down into three 80-90 minute episodes for theatrical release entitled "Ignition", "Maelstrom", and "Truth Dawn". This will be a Director's Cut verion with new footage. They will be shown at Theatre Shinjuku beween the 7th April and 20th April (my birthday), 23rd June and 6th July and the 1st the to 14th of September. Tickets are 1500 yen in advance or 1800 on the door. Full information at http://www.kiddygrade.com/movie/.

Other links:
Kiddy Grade to Become a 3-Part Movie, Recieve a Sequel (Heisei Democracy)
Kiddy Grade Movies?! (Blogging Wit' KT)
Kiddy Grade Digest Movies (Anime News Network)
Kiddy Grade Movie Trilogy Announced (AnimeNation News)
Scattered Cels Podcast #7 - Haruhi is a Kiddy at 5 Centimeters a Second
new Kiddy Grade Movies announced (FUNimation Forums)
Kiddy Grade Trilogy (Animekon)
3 Part Kiddy Grade Film Announced (Anime News Service - scroll down to 2-7-07 3:07PM)

The Kiddy Grade site has been updated with a K-G.2 splash page. No new news so far, just stuff we already know about the pilot DVD and single.

New/updated links:

Kiddy Grade Gets Second Season (ANN)
Kiddy Grade 2 (ANN Encyclopedia)
New season of Kiddy Grade’s single announced (Japanator)
Kiddy Grade 2 Official Presite (Animekon)
AnimeNfo

I found out from Kano, who has updated her site for the first time in a while, that the theme song for Kiddy Grade 2 (the pilot DVD at least) will be sung by Minori Chihara (Yuki Nagato's seiyuu) as announced on her blog.
From what I can gather, the song will be Snow White Sanctary (純白サンクチュアリィ Junpaku Sankuchuarii), the single for which will be released on the 24th (CD Japan have already sold out of the first press, a slipcover, and Yesasia are yet to list it as far as I can see)

[update=20070129]Had a email from Yesasia to say they it is available there now[/update]

Some more details were reported by Anime News Service on the 6th (corrections and amplifications by me):

The rollout of K-G.2 (tentatively titled Kiddy Grade 2 although the title Kiddy Generation has also been spotted) will kick off with the release of a Pilot DVD scheduled for sale in Japan at the end of March. Production details are as follows:

Original Story: gímik / Kadokawa Shoten
Director, Storyboards, and Producer: Keiji Gotoh
Character Designer: Megumi Kadonosono
Scenario: Hidefumi Kimura
Mechanical Designer: Kanetake Ebikawa (FMP, Vandread, Bakuten)
Art: Studio Easter (Uta∽Kata, Trinity Blood, Brave Story, Witchblade)
Animation Production: asread (Shuffle!)
Planning Producer: Atsushi Ito (Shuffle!, D.N.Angel, FMP)
Executive Producer: Kiyonori Hiramatsu (Shuffle!, D.N.Angel)
Official website: www.kiddygrade.com

Story Open: Focus on KG1 leads Eclair and Lumiere who were doing special duties as ES members. The war was won and crisis was evaded. The two go on their own way out into the Milky Way. Stage and world outlook are basically unchanged, it's uncertain how many years in advance of the previous work the new story occurs. Two new characters appear and form the basis of K-G.2. "Kufiiyu" and "Asukuuru" become the heroines of this work. Retail on the Pilot DVD is 2,940 Yen and the running time of the main preview is about 7 minutes.

Looks like the primary source was again Moonphase, but there are also scans of a double-page spread in Newtype (don't know which issue yet, but when I do I'm ordering it..)

As of 10th Jan there's still no update to gotokei.com, indeed no updates since early December (she's not added a working link for the 2nd Gemini Knives book eitehr), so I hope Kano is OK. There's also been no updates to Gotoh's site or blog, but I believe his last update said something about not being able to update the site much at the moment, I guess he's pretty busy right now.

New/updated links:

Moon Phase
FUNimation forums
Animesuki forums
MelonBread (blog)
Neko Mimi Mode (blog)
Ramblings of DarkMirage (blog)
LJ KG Community (older entry I missed before)
LJ KG Community (think you might need to be a member to read this one)
Megatokyo Forums
Animekon (blog)
Anime Obsession
Lu Perry
Ningen's Wallpapers

(last updated 2007/01/26)

In the first update since 2004 there is an announcement that work will be carried out on the Kiddy Grade site between now and mid-January. It looks like it's just maintenance a server move, but at least it means that the site hasn't been completely abandoned and hopefully they will get the board working again as well. The fact that they've suddenly started paying attention to the site again now may mean they are looking towards updating the site in regards to the sequel, although Gotoh is already booked to work on Gigantic Formula so that still looks some way off, if it goes ahead at all (taking into account the tenuous amount information provided thus far and Gonzo's cancellation of Murdock Scramble)

Keiji Gotoh's blog and homepage now both mention KG2, so not only is it now 100% official, gímik's involvement is now also confirmed.

Lastest links (for those too lazy to Google and for my own reference):
Otaku News
Animesuki forums
Animesuki forums (again)
Yuki Anime Reviews
The Rossman
Claim Anime
Some Japanese blog
Eye on Anime forums
Kiddy Grade Yahoo Group
Monica Rial's Yahoo Group
Madboards
Anime Reactor Forums
G4 Forums
theOtaku.com
Anime Jumpgate Forums
AnimeNation
Toon Zone Forums
UGAnime Forums

(last updated 21/11/06)

There's been reports (or, at least one report on Moonphase that other people are commenting on) about a second series for Kiddy Grade. The original source was something Aya Hirano said during the 35th Suzumiya Haruhi radio programme, now online on the SOS Radio Shibu page (KG2 is mentioned about 24 mins in). I've not seen any news about this on Gotoh's blog, however in a recent interview, Gotoh did mention that his current project was a new anime.

References:
Moonphase
SOS-dan Radio Shibu
Gotokei
Kumako interview

Discussions:
The Nexxus
FUNimation
AoD
ANN
ANN2
Shoujo-ai forums
AnimeNfo

Blogs:
Gocky Blog (Cannot see anything relevant at the moment, but doesn't hurt to keep an eye on it)
Aya Hirano's Diary (Again, nothing relevant as yet)
Matthew's Anime Blog
Moetron
Anime on my Mind
Ramblings of DarkMirage
Azure Flame (semi-related)
Animekon (profanity warning)
Tonnes of Japanese blogs on Google

News sites and other links:
Anime News Service (at the bottom)
ICv2
ACAP
The Detroit News
ANN

(last updated 2006-10-20, for further updates see entry for 22/10)