Zac and Jacob didn't know going in that From The New World would become one of the best anime they've ever seen, but it sure was a nice surprise. Guest Max Holl joins the discussion.― ANNCast Episode 256: From The New World Zac and Jacob didn't know going in that From The New World would become one of the best anime they've ever seen, but it sure was a nice surprise. Guest Max Holl joins the discus...
The Spring 2016 Anime Preview Guide has begun! Check back daily for fresh takes on all of this season's hottest new shows! Available Now: The Lost Village - TERRAFORMARS REVENGE - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2016 Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write up their impressions instantly and they get posted as they go alon...
This week: A look at the darker turns of Gust’s new action-RPG! Plus arcade comebacks, Fire Emblem fallout, and a long-lost relic of the 1990s!― I came down with a stomach virus last week, and it made me think about the mixed blessing of staying home sick when I was a kid. I'd stretch out in bed, sip flat 7-Up, read books and magazines, and maybe get propped up in front of the TV if I was well into...
This sweet and silly little magical girl parody series hits a lot of the right notes even if it never really goes anywhere. It's fun, but not much else.― Mahō Shōjo Nante Mō Ii Desu Kara. translates to I've had Enough of Being a Magical Girl, and you can certainly see why. Yuzuka, the eponymous magical girl, found herself saddled with the designation while walking home from school one day. A strange...
Our last gigantic batch of photos from AnimeJapan 2016, including Hundreds, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, My Hero Academia and much more. PLUS: a visit to the Love Live shrine!― Okay, so here's how Anime Japan was laid out – you'd enter the facility behind the cool sign above, go downstairs, and then dash across across two huge halls (hall ‘A’ and hall ‘J,’ natch) of Tokyo Big Sight to see everything. ...
Last time we ran through the entire process of actual animation - this time we'll cover the people who polish it up and make it shine for you. Kevin Cirugeda's incredible guide to the folks who make anime continues!― It's time for another installment in this guide detailing the ins and outs of anime production, structured around the roles listed in the ending credits of a TV anime episode. When desc...
Bokurano tells a gripping and inspiring story of human conviction in spite of its messy animation problems.― I'd been meaning to watch Bokurano for a while before it fortuitously popped up on Crunchyroll. The show falls in what I consider a “low-key classic” area of fan reputation - shows like Dennou Coil or Haibane Renmei, that have absolutely stellar reputations, but not the most visibility. It's ...
The sights, the sounds, the booths, the cosplayers - this is the show floor at this year's AnimeJapan 2016, where everything from My Hero Academia to Macross Delta were shown off.― It's finally here! The reason I flew across the country, over Alaska, and across the Pacific to Japan, the nation's biggest anime exposition, and it… …well, it seems kinda empty, doesn't it? Let's head inside Tokyo Big S...
Light novels and visual novels have both had plenty of niche success in the US, but neither medium has broken mainstream - why is that? Justin considers the possibilities.― Carl asks: I was wondering why light novels and visual novels haven't caught on in the US the way Anime and Manga have. While some Light Novels and arguably less Visual Novels have been translated they seem to be huge in Japan b...
The winter season comes to a crashing finale with a surprising pick climbing up the ladder just in time to claim the top spot! How did the rest of your favorite shows fare in the end?― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Winter 2016 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the se...
Inio Asano's sexually explicit tale of two depressed middle schoolers seeking solace in each other is haunting in its depiction of teenage depression and what its protagonists do to try and cope with it.― Here's your warning before we discuss the book: this is a very sexually explicit manga, so if that makes you uncomfortable, A Girl on the Shore is not going to be the book for you. Given that Inio ...
Here's an avalanche of photos of all the incredible toys, costumes, models, cels, statues, posters, sake, trading cards, blurays, gashapon and more on display at AnimeJapan 2016!― As anime and manga fans from around the world gather at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center for the annual Anime Japan fair (March 26 to March 27, 2016), it begs the question of what sort of merchandise fans are looking ...
One of the most popular and beloved comedies of the last few years is out on bluray from Sentai Filmworks, and Theron Martin's ready for a revisit.― With most anime comedies, the discussions are about whether or not they are funny enough consistently enough for them to be considered among the season's (or even year's) funniest titles. With this 12 episode offering from 2014, the discussion is instea...