Views
— Archives —
- All
- •
- Anime
- Manga
- Novels
- Games
- Music
- Merch
- Events
- Industry
- People
- Live-Action
Text-only Compact View
Text-only List View
Text-only Grid View
List View with Images
Grid View with Images
ANNCast - 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 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...
Season Finale: Utawarerumono (Episode 25)
"Even if there turns out to be a third season on the way, U2warerumono is best left forgotten."
Answerman - Why Don't We Have A Subscription Manga Service Yet?
One reader wants to know why "The Netflix of Manga" doesn't appear to exist yet, and Justin digs into the many possible reasons why.
― Matthew asks: What's stopping an English language manga distributor (Viz, Yen Press, etc.) from incorporating an all access subscription model to their online libraries? Unlimited access for a monthly or yearly subscription fee seems to currently work well for the an...
The X Button - First Impressions: Nights of Azure
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...
Mahō Shōjo Nante Mō Ii Desu Kara. Streaming
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...
Assassination Classroom season 2 ‒ Episode 13
"Once again, we have a divided episode where one half clearly outshines the other."
Bokurano
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 ...
Season Finale: Gintama (Episode 316)
"As the Farewell Shinsengumi Arc comes to a close, viewers are forced to say goodbye to the staff of Odd Jobs Gin-chan for the fourth time."
Series Finale: Myriad Colors Phantom World (Episode 13)
"While the series may be a bit of a disappointment overall by KyoAni standards, neither it is it a train wreck."
A Girl on the Shore GN
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 ...
Season Finale: Mr. Osomatsu (Episode 25)
"Even in its curtain call, the show managed to subvert viewer expectations and serve up a heaping helping of irreverency."
Series Finale: Snow White with the Red Hair (Episode 24)
"Snow White with the Red Hair proves that not every story has to be epic and change your world."
Answerman - Is There A Future For "Spinoff" Anime Conventions?
Japan Expo USA is on hiatus indefinitely and a few other conventions "spun off" from larger events seem to be having a little trouble - is there a future for these shows?
― Chris asks: I see Japan Expo USA has gone into hiatus mode, and we're waiting on dates and a location for the next Otakon Vegas. Are these spinoff cons going to make it, and what's holding them back? Despite their popularity, ani...
Season Finale: Dimension W (Episode 12)
"Overall, Dimension W started out promising, stood on shaky ground until about episode five, and then threw itself off of a cliff."
One Piece ‒ Episode 734
"As last week's episode finished off with the final blow of the Luffy vs. Doflamingo fight, this week is mostly about getting the reactions of the enormous supporting cast."
Shelf Life - Kingdom Season 1
Funimation quietly released season one of Kingdom, a little-seen anime about China's Warring States period in a big DVD box. James takes a look. PLUS: this week's new releases!
― There are some weeks when nothing on the new release list really catches my eye, but this week ain't one of them. There's some really good stuff coming out, and a lot of it comes in comes in a big, shiny box full of merchan...
Review: Parasyte -the maxim- Blu-Ray Vol. 1
The first half of Adult Swim's smash hit horror/thriller Parasyte is out on bluray from Sentai Filmworks. Nick Creamer revisits the phenomenon for a fresh look at all that gore and splatter.
― Initially published throughout the late 80s and early 90s, you'd think the Parasyte manga would be an odd choice for adaptation - until you learned it was accompanying a new live-action film release. Given that...
Series Finale: Schwarzes Marken (Episode 12)
"It's a finale with some disagreeable elements but on the whole, it's a satisfying conclusion to the story."
Season Finale: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (Episode 12)
"This was never an easy story – but in the end, it is one worth watching."
Season Finale: Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Episode 25)
"This episode conveyed big changes on the horizon for each main character through a thoughtful, slow buildup that has me both excited and scared."
Indian Summer DVD
This three episode OVA series from 2007-2008 is an eminently forgettable fan service fest which is best forgotten about.
― This three episode OVA series, which adapts a manga of the same name, was originally released in Japan over 2007 and 2008. ADV Films gave the anime version its first American release in the first quarter of 2009, but it is now being rereleased by Sentai Filmworks under its Sentai...
Season Finale: Haikyu!! Second Season (Episode 25)
"Once again, the show excels in depicting the aftermath of an emotional game."
Season Finale: BBK/BRNK (Episode 12)
"BBK/BRNK got pretty ambitious with its storytelling in the latter half of the season, and this episode is simply too short to offer a proper ending to every side story."
Season Finale: Luck & Logic (Episode 12)
"While this episode of Luck & Logic neatly concluded its story arc and deftly set up a plot for its upcoming season, there was nothing particularly special about it."
Season Finale: God Eater (Episode 13)
"Though it was a more momentous than usual episode, it left too many loose ends unresolved, and if we don't get a second season it's going to hurt."
Series Finale: Durarara!! (Episodes 35-36)
"This finale was never going to be able to live up to the promise of 62+ bloated episodes, so covering the major bases as well as it did is worth its own special flavor of applause."
Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 12
"We've reached That Moment, foreshadowed throughout the entire series and included in the title."
Dagashi Kashi ‒ Episode 11
"Overall, this episode felt a bit more sedate than usual, but it was otherwise pretty much textbook Dagashi Kashi."
The List - 6 Steampunk Anime to Whet Your Whistle
If it looks Victorian and it has a bunch of gears and watch parts on it, then it's Steampunk! Anime has a rich tradition of embracing the steampunk aesthetic - here are six of the coolest!
― Steampunk is one facet of geek interests that even the uninitiated has probably seen at anime conventions thanks to cosplay. Steampunk versions of popular characters, be it Disney princesses or Ghostbusters, hav...
Shuriken and Pleats GN 1
Matsuri Hino's new series is here, and this time it features a girl ninja instead of vampires. It's fun, but hampered by the fact that Hino doesn't seem quite sure what kind of story she wants to write.
― In the middle of writing her previous series, Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino reports thinking to herself that she wouldn't write another manga series. Instead (and luckily for her fans), she wrote Shu...
Season Finale: GATE (Episode 24)
"This episode does cover most of its bases, but it never much captures a feeling of tension or energy."
Season Finale: Heavy Object (Episode 24)
"I'd hesitate to recommend this to anyone who doesn't enjoy fictional technical details, but its intended audience will find a competent show that only gets better over time."
Season Finale: Girls Beyond the Wasteland (Episode 12)
"Ultimately, I can't call this a good show, but it did turn out charming in ways that I didn't expect."
Touring The Real-Life Anohana
Take a stroll through the real-life locations and natural beauty that inspired the smash hit tearjerker Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day!
― In recent years, an entire sub-culture of anime fans dedicated to finding the real-life locations of different anime series has emerged. You might think this is an easy task, but consider the effort put into it. First, we must pinpoint the actual city or town ...
Answerman - What Holidays Are Celebrated Only In Japan?
Holidays are frequently strip-mined for use in anime storylines, but Japan's holidays often look a lot different from those in the West. Justin breaks it down.
― T. Brown asks: So many animes cover holidays like Christmas, Valentine's day, and White day, but at there any other holidays that are celebrated that are specifically Eastern or Japanese? It's true that Western holidays tend to get most of ...
ANNCast - Patience Rewarded
Zac and Jacob take a break before Spring Preview Guide to wrap up the winter season, hype up the spring and discuss the FLCL rebirth, the Escaflowne kickstarter and more!
― ANNCast Episode 255: Patience Rewarded Zac and Jacob take a break before Spring Preview Guide to wrap up the winter season, hype up the spring and discuss the FLCL rebirth, the Escaflowne kickstarter and more! You can listen to t...
KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world!!
Konosuba is inconsistently funny and certainly rough around the edges, but still finds charm in its group of ragtag non-heroes.
― That's right, they made another “trapped in a videogame-style world” show. The leveling, the acquiring of skills, the evil demon lord, all of it. Of course, Konosuba is a little different from Sword Art Online or Log Horizon. Imitation inevitably follows success, but so do...
Assassination Classroom season 2 ‒ Episode 12
"Unfortunately, this episode's second half doesn't measure up to the first."
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 454
"This week's outing reminds us that Itachi's backstory is all about tough decisions, moral ambiguity, and personal sacrifice."
Series Finale: ERASED (Episode 12)
"Overall, ERASED is definitely not as good as the show it could have been, but it's still a very reasonable show."
Can You Name These 12 Anime from the 2000s?
How well do you remember the previous decade? Test your knowledge of the anime of the 2000s!
―
Season Finale: Haruchika – Haruta & Chika (Episode 12)
"This final episode achieves strong emotional closure by giving us what we want most from each of these characters in a slow, satisfying, natural way."
Season Finale: Active Raid (Episode 12)
"The title of this season's final Active Raid, “For Whom Does Order Exist?”, seems like a pretty good question for a better show to explore."
Myriad Colors Phantom World ‒ Episode 12
"This feels much more like a series approaching a midway point than an end."
Digimon Adventure tri. Episodes 5-8 Streaming
The second Digimon Adventure tri film is finally here! Does it build on the promise of the first installment? Our resident Digimon expert Jacob Hope Chapman finds out.
― Wow, the Adventure cast sure has grown up! In fact, they've grown up way more than I think anyone was expecting. If the first movie made it clear that Digimon Tri has set its sights on nostalgic children-at-heart instead of trying to...
Gintama ‒ Episode 315
"For the second week in a row, comedy is thrown out the window, but the show remains riveting and the Farewell Shinsengumi Arc has outdone even the stellar Shogun Assassination storyline before it."
Toole Japan Part II: Attack on Titan and Evangelion at Universal Studios Japan
Mike valiantly fights the crowds on a holiday weekend at Universal Studios Japan to experience the park's Attack on Titan, Evangelion and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu rides - and that's just the beginning!
― After the glorious, unexpected insanity of the Nipponbashi Festa, Prairie and I figured that hitting Universal Japan on Monday would be a good idea, to avoid the crowds. After all, who goes to a theme park ...
Answerman - How Do Anime Companies Quality-Check Their Work?
There are a million little factors that can go wrong with any bluray - how do anime companies catch (or miss) all those little mistakes? Justin dives in.
― Brian asks: What sort of QA process to anime companies have? I ask this because it seems to me that I've come across a whole variety of issues that at points seem unacceptable for a retail release, such as a sub only show completely missing a spo...
What Was Your First Anime Obsession?
Our critics revisit the shows that transformed them from normal everyday teens into full-fledged Anime Fans, and we want to know what YOUR first real anime obsession was!
― We asked our writers one simple question: which anime made you a fan? Not the first anime you ever saw - not the blurry memories of Robotech or Gundam Wing before you knew what anime was - the first show you really embraced as an ...
The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of Mar 11-17
ERASED rebounds while Konosuba's finale takes the top spot. Find out how your other favorite shows are performing as we head into the Spring season!
― 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 season. Keep in mind that these ranki...
Season Finale: Prince of Stride: Alternative (Episode 12)
"“End of Summer and Beyond” is less about telling the story of the race and more about capturing a mood."
Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter GN 1
Keiichi Hikami and Shin Yamamoto's take on the Monster Hunter world is much more faithful than Hiro Mashima's, and it's off to a decent start - even if it still may be more fun to actually play the game.
― Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter marks the second adaptation of the popular Monster Hunter game franchise to make it into English translation, the first being Kodansha's release of Hiro Mashima's Monst...
Toole Japan Part I: Nipponbashi Street Festa 2016
We sent Mike Toole to Japan, so naturally he stumbled across an enormous cosplay street festival on his first day in beautiful Osaka. Witness: incredible cosplay by Japanese fans! Giant robots! Dogs and cats in costume!
― I'm on assignment for ANN here in Japan, getting ready to cover the great big Anime Japan event later this week at Tokyo Big Sight! But before heading to Japan's megalopolis, my wif...
Interview: Inio Asano
The acclaimed author of Goodnight Punpun, Solanin and Nijigahara Holograph talks about his currently-ongoing manga Dead Dead Demon's Dedededestruction and the modern manga market.
― During the past Salón del Manga de Barcelona, Spain's largest anime and manga event, which took place in Barcelona from October 29th to November 1st, we had the opportunity to talk with Inio Asano, the manga creator respo...
Deadman Wonderland GN 13
Deadman Wonderland's conclusion rushes to the finale a little too fast, but it largely proves a satisfying ending to the series.
― Ever since his classmates were killed and he was framed for their murders and sent to Deadman Wonderland, Ganta Igarashi's life has been a nightmare. Forced to fight for his life in twisted gladiatorial matches and later against the forces that put him in the prison in th...
Utawarerumono: The False Faces ‒ Episode 24
"U2warerumono keeps derailing anything that could be dramatically cathartic into another series of time-filler battles."
Mr. Osomatsu ‒ Episode 24
"Somehow, the series has made us care enough about these little jerks to want to see them happy."
One Piece ‒ Episode 733
"The fated day has finally come, as the final episode of Luffy vs. Doflamingo has arrived."
Snow White with the Red Hair ‒ Episode 23
"What is mostly lacking in this episode is Shirayuki herself."
Answerman - Why Aren't More Dubs Available For Streaming?
One reader observes that while subtitled anime is plentiful in the streaming world, dubbed shows still lag behind - why is that? Justin gets into it.
― Scotty asks: Do you know why site likes Hulu and Crunchyroll only let you steam the subbed versions of anime even if there is a dub available. I'm a paying member of both but they only have some dubs there but I know some shows actually have them. Ar...
Shelf Life - Free! Eternal Summer
Those swim boys are at it again, this time with a controversial dub - Gabriella Ekens dives in. PLUS: Your complete list of this week's new anime releases, and a new anime collection!
― Spring has sprung, and in my corner of the world that means that racing season is back in full swing. Just as some people obsess over baseball or football, I waste nearly every weekend from March through November wat...
Schwarzes Marken ‒ Episode 11
"In a setting predicated on paranoia and backstabbing, it seems only fitting that yet another round of betrayals and power grabs plays out in this next-to-last episode."
[email protected] Cinderella Girls Season 2
Cinderella Girls’ second season rises high above the first, finding new strengths and firmly establishing itself as a worthy idol series.
― When I reviewed the first season of Cinderella Girls, I mentioned how the show seemed to have serious trouble getting out from under the shadow of its predecessor. The animation was a clear step down, and though occasional episodes were very well-directed, the sh...
Dimension W ‒ Episode 11
"The direction remains weak, the animation quality has plummeted, and the art style has been brought down by a series of increasingly questionable character designs."
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 24
"Iron-Blooded Orphans pushes our feelings to the limit with a heartbreaking half hour filled with loss, betrayal, and the horrors of war."
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash ‒ Episode 11
"What could possibly be worse than seeing your friends die because of your own failure?"
The Mike Toole Show - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Gerry Anderson's puppet adventure show Thunderbirds had an enormous impact on anime; Mike takes a tour through some of the franchise's weird, wild and occasionally successful anime adaptations.
― When I'm lucky enough to hit the road and head overseas, I often find myself looking for two distinct experiences. Of course, I'll seek out completely new things—unfamiliar food and drink, and local art and ...
Haikyu!! Second Season ‒ Episode 24
"It's an incredibly tense game, right up until the last second before the ending credits, and it really pulls out all the stops to get this moment right."
School-Live! GN 2
As Kurumi, Yuri, and Yuki venture out to the mall on a field trip, more details about what happened emerge. Hope, as it turns out, can really be a double-edged sword.
― Even if you've seen the anime, it's worth reading the School-Live manga, because this volume shows just how much was changed or left out in the adaptation. The storyline for the second book in the series covers the “field trip” storyl...
BBK/BRNK ‒ Episode 11
"It's common for a show to lose some of its emotional punch when it tries to deliver a lot of information at once, but BBK/BRNK actually manages to do the opposite."
Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 11
"It's a refreshing bit of happiness after the tragic spiral of the last three episodes."
Dagashi Kashi ‒ Episode 10
"As with many of the show's best episodes, this week was all dedicated to one extended storyline, with all of the leads hanging out and being their usual endearing selves."
Luck & Logic ‒ Episode 11
"The battles make this filler episode tolerable, so they're bound to make the inevitably cliché happy ending watchable too."
7 Original Pokemon Rumors Unmasked
Back in 1998, the original Pokemon game spawned countless urban legends and rumors about hidden secrets in the game - here are seven of the most outlandish!
― The Pokemon game franchise's 20th anniversary is in full swing this year, with nostalgic revisits to Red, Blue and Green in the form of merchandise, game ports, and event tie-ins. When the games first debuted in the U.S. in 1998, few were expe...
God Eater ‒ Episode 12
"By itself, the episode features tense moments and gripping action, but as part of a whole, I had some plot concerns that showed through the cracks."
Nichijou GN 1
Nichijou's first volume finally hits shelves as it combines comedy with slice-of-life to good effect, showing just why so many companies have been willing to take a chance on it.
― Nichijou, also known as My Ordinary Life, has had a long road to continuous publication in English. First licensed by Bandai, then briefly released digitally by JManga, it now at last has found a reliable home at Vertical,...
Heavy Object ‒ Episode 23
"A hostage rescue mission sees the crew finally get a break from the arctic conditions of the last few story arcs, as they set up shop in a sunny mountain range."
Girls Beyond the Wasteland ‒ Episode 11
"In depicting its final crunch time, Girls Beyond the Wasteland is accurate yet uninspired as usual."
Lupin the Third (TV 2015) ‒ Episode 24
"Lupin III is not the type of franchise where everything needs to make perfect sense."
GATE ‒ Episode 23
"If one of your primary interests in GATE has always been the hard-core military action then this episode will not disappoint."
Assassination Classroom season 2 ‒ Episode 11
"It feels like this is a decisive moment in the show's ongoing clash of educational philosophies, and the dramatic tension jumps up a notch as a result."
Active Raid ‒ Episode 11
"This was a reasonably successful episode of Active Raid; not thrilling, not tedious, just another movement towards the end."
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 453
"After sitting through several months of material that served up an abundance of unintentional laughs, it's nice to see an episode that makes a conscious effort at bringing the funny."
Answerman - Why Do Companies Buy Rights For Territories They Don't Service?
Amazon is getting into the anime simulcast game, but their Prime service is available in a limited number of countries. Justin gets into the nitty-gritty of those rights.
― Corey asks: Hi! I'm asking this on the heels of the recent announcements from Amazon regarding Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and now the entire Noitamina lineup. Amazon announced global streaming rights to Kabaneri, even though ...
Ten Years of Death Note: Is Light The Bad Guy?
It's been a decade since Death Note took over the world, and there are some who still argue that Light Yagami had some pretty solid ideas. Jacob Hope Chapman investigates.
― Ten years ago, Tsugumi Ohba's bizarre and controversial creation, Death Note, became an anime series. It also became a mainstream success almost immediately, infecting Hot Topics everywhere and creating the world's most inexpensi...
[email protected] Cinderella Girls
In spite of inviting unflattering comparisons to the original series, Cinderella Girls still has enough merit to stand on its own feet.
― It's hard not to compare Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls to the original Idolmaster. While Cinderella Girls isn't a direct sequel, it's an adaptation from the same broader media empire, takes place in the same universe, and even following roughly the same structure. A...
ERASED ‒ Episode 11
"This week's ERASED started right where the last one left off as far as storytelling goes."
ANNCast - Beat The Clock
Ann Tomoko Yamamoto got Time of Eve off the ground on Kickstarter, and now she's back with the beloved - and underseen - shojo comedy Skip Beat, which has a big crowdfunding mountain to climb.
― ANNCast Episode 254: Beat The Clock Ann Tomoko Yamamoto got Time of Eve off the ground on Kickstarter, and now she's back with the beloved - and underseen - shojo dramedy Skip Beat, which has a big crowdfund...
Haruchika – Haruta & Chika ‒ Episode 11
"This episode is an exciting prelude to an increasingly promising finale."
Interview: Akira in Color with Steve Oliff
The man who brought full color to the Akira manga at Marvel Comics so many years ago has unearthed his original pages for sale. Deb Aoki talks to the artist about his experience working on a classic.
― In the 1980's and early 1990's, there was no bigger manga series than AKIRA by Katsuhiro Otomo. Otomo's dynamic, detailed artwork and mind-blowing post-apocalyptic story was a game-changer in Japan, an...
The X Button - First Impressions: Senran Kagura: Estival Versus
This week: a rundown on the new Senran Kagura: Estival Versus cavalcade of ninja! Plus the PlayStation VR, Romancing SaGa, and a shocking piece of Fire Emblem’s past!
― I hope you're enjoying Anime News Network's expanded video-game coverage, including Gabriella's look at Fire Emblem's history. It's very thorough, but there's one minor piece of the series I'd like to examine in greater detail: its e...
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Novel 1
Legend of the Galactic Heroes’ clumsy writing only somewhat detracts from its sharp commentary and engaging storytelling.
― Western fans have been waiting a long time for Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Created over the course of twelve years, the series' lengthy anime adaptation has never received a western release, in spite of garnering consistent praise from fans. It's not hard to guess why; the co...
For all articles, see the archives