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Answerman - Do Japanese People Really Only Drink Green Tea?
It seems like anime characters exclusively drink green tea. Is that true in Japan as well? Justin gets to the bottom of this crucial question.
― albanian asks: I have always been a fan of Japanese teas. I have noticed, though, that anime characters appear exclusively to drink green tea blends. The western world seems much more varied with the occasional scented (Earl Grey), smoked (Lapsang Souchong)...
ANNCast - What A Novel Idea
Sam Pinansky, formerly of the crowdfunding platform Anime Sols, has a new project: licensing and translating light novels in English. It's a real education!
― ANNCast Episode 288: What A Novel Idea Sam Pinansky, formerly of the crowdfunding platform Anime Sols, has a new project: licensing and translating light novels in English. It's a real education! You can listen to the show on our player here, ...
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 8
"It's time for Taku to lose his mind big time, but he kinda doesn't, and that's this episode's biggest problem."
KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 ‒ Episode 8
"The little touches are nearly as important as the big jokes to making this series so entertaining to watch."
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid ‒ Episode 8
"This week introduces the fifth dragon as promised: Elma."
Akiba'S Trip The Animation ‒ Episode 9
"Trading card games are the center of attention in this episode of Akiba's Trip, with a particular focus on their ubiquitous anime tie-ins."
Bakemonogatari ‒ Episode 7
"We get a more thorough introduction to Kanbaru, as Araragi hunts down the most likely culprit behind his night attack."
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 46
"This week, only a few episodes away from the grand finale, Twin Star Exorcists managed to truly surprise and impress me."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 22
"This episode sunk to a new low with its humor, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the drama follow suit."
Hand Shakers ‒ Episode 8
"We're over halfway through the series at this point, and the most growth we've seen from anyone is Koyori's newfound ability to dress herself and text people."
Garo Season Two: Crimson Moon BD+DVD
This spiritual followup to Garo The Animation has a rocky reputation to say the least, but is there anything worth watching in this compromised production? Rebecca Silverman finds out.
― Garo: Crimson Moon is the second anime adventure revolving around a tokusatsu suit of golden armor that might best be compared to the recurring Italian cinema character of Maciste, a hero who simply appears randomly ...
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. ‒ Episode 8
"It feels like the cat hasn't just left the bag, but actually curled up in front of a cozy wood stove after having too much food."
ONIHEI ‒ Episode 8
"Heizo may have a reputation for being an oni, but the more we learn about him, the more at odds that reputation seems with reality."
Yowamushi Pedal New Generation ‒ Episode 8
"The senior members of Hakone Gakuen are taking forever to bow out, not that I'm complaining."
Gabriel DropOut ‒ Episode 8
"No matter which one of the main characters is your favorite, you're likely to walk away from episode 8 thoroughly entertained."
Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends BD+DVD
The final Kenshin film finds success in its terrific action, even if the trilogy is starting to look a little long in the tooth.
― Film trilogies are a tricky thing. It's relatively easy to make a single film with a coherent story - when a single work both introduces and concludes all of a story's narrative variables, you can create a sense of tight congruity throughout. But when a story is split acr...
Answerman - Is Subway Groping Really A Big Deal In Japan?
Sexual assault on subway cars is depicted in anime quite often (most recently in Scum's Wish) but how big a problem is it really in Japan? Justin explains.
― Strongman Lin asks: In a fair number of anime (e.g. Scum's Wish, Ore Monogatari), female characters get molested by creepers on the subway. Is this really such a prevalent problem in Japan? And if it is, in the instances of it that I've seen in...
Shelf Life - Mobile Suit Gundam F91
This little-known Gundam movie has long been last to the sands of time, now available on Blu-ray for the first time. But is it any good? Gabriella Ekens finds out, plus all this week's new releases!
― I finally got started on my "watch popular anime that I skipped the first time around" New Year's resolution this week. Since the second season of Konosuba is airing now, it seemed like as good a time ...
GANTZ:O
There may not be much to the story, but the sharp CG more than makes the experience in this Gantz splatterfest. Theron Martin digs deeper.
― The Gantz franchise has gone through three iterations over the past 17 years: manga, anime series, and a pair of live-action movies. Now its fourth version comes in a 3D CG movie from 2016, which has recently become available on Netflix. But this isn't any garde...
Gintama ‒ Episode 324
"Although this season's opening and ending spoiled the fact that she'd be appearing, The Battle on Rakuyo's eighth chapter provides us with our first real look at Kagura's mother Kouka."
Tales of Zestiria the X ‒ Episode 20
"Both halves of this episode could easily have stood on their own and allowed for more development."
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 45
"The chaos of the battlefield combined with a brief love story and a Gundam 00 homage gives us a lot to take in this week."
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 80
"The exhibition match between Universes 7 and 9 continues with the fight between Gohan and Lavender."
One Piece ‒ Episode 778
"I was really surprised at how much I liked this episode, since it's mostly another clip show, but in reality it's so much more than that."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 20
"The show is usually great at joining its seemingly disparate plot elements, but it dropped the ball this week."
My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World Novel 1
This wide-ranging parody of chuunibyou tropes pushes the envelope in some eyebrow-raising ways, but it's still bound to offer otaku fans a fun read.
― Whether you have a weird sibling or are the weird sibling, families often have dynamics that can feel odd to an outside perspective. In the case of Yuichi Sakaki's family in My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World, his older sister Mutsuko suffers from ...
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 19
"Focusing on Shimada, who's swiftly become my favorite character in the show, it chronologued his life story and philosophy on competition from childhood to the present day."
Interviews with Monster Girls ‒ Episode 8
"Tetsuo may be an easygoing guy most of the time, but all the demi-human abilities in the world can't save his students from feeling his wrath if they flunk their exams."
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ‒ Episode 8
"Poor Yukio. It seems like no matter what incarnation of the Blue Exorcist universe we're in, he's destined to be plagued by his, shall we say, ambivalent feelings regarding his brother."
Seiren ‒ Episode 8
"Seiren more or less returned to its usual standard this week, as the show wrapped up Toru's romance arc through a visit to Comiket."
Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 8
"Yakumo's recent medical crisis has wrecked his voice, and that's left him unable to perform rakugo – not just physically, but emotionally as well."
The List - 7 Sexy Anime Dads
If you prefer your beefcake a little more well-done than the baby-faced teens we usually get in anime, these dashing dads are sure to leave you swooning with their worldly charms.
― Attractive teenagers are par for the course in anime, with the occasional sexy office worker thrown in for variety, but handsome older men, especially older men with kids, is a much narrower and under-appreciated type of...
The Ancient Magus' Bride GN 5
Both the visual ambition and depth of story in the Ancient Magus's Bride take a leap forward in this memorable volume.
― The Ancient Magus' Bride's recent volumes have been reasonably focused affairs, prioritizing Chise and Elias' collective character development over the whimsical vignettes of the manga's early chapters. This fifth volume marks a return to episodic storytelling, as the leannan sidhe...
Saga of Tanya the Evil ‒ Episode 7
"This episode has a “day in the life” feel to it instead of feeling like part of the greater plot movement."
Scum's Wish ‒ Episode 7
"Episode 7 makes the contrast between the lies little girls are told about romance and the reality they struggle to conquer in adolescence as painfully clear as possible."
Fuuka ‒ Episode 9
"The show is painfully low-conflict at this point, and any new source of tension would help maintain my interest."
Answerman - Whatever Happened to Anime Cameos?
Back in the 80s, comedy anime characters would make cameo appearances in other anime all the time - why doesn't that happen anymore? Justin explains.
― Phoenix asks: Whatever happened to anime cameos? I feel like in the 80s and 90s they were relatively abundant. The Dirty Pair and Crusher Joe seemed to make it into every other 80s anime. Why, I was just watching Macross and wouldn't you know it, the...
ANNCast (Video) - Sevakis of Death
Erstwhile co-host and current Answerman Justin Sevakis stops by the podcast to catch up on anime and industry news! Gundam on Hulu, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence and much more!
― ANNCast Episode 287 - Sevakis of Death Erstwhile co-host and current Answerman Justin Sevakis stops by the podcast to catch up on anime and industry news! Gundam on Hulu, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence and much much more! Yo...
Kemono Friends: This Season's Sleeper Hit
This gentle kids' show about a helpful serval cat has taken the internet by storm after an unassuming premiere. What makes it so popular?
― What is this season's breakout anime hit? One might think it's the second season of the already popular KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! Or maybe it's one that relies on cute girls to cater to the otaku crowd while delivering gentle comedic fun,...
The Great Passage Episodes 1-11 Streaming
After lingering in licensing limbo for many months, The Great Passage is finally available streaming! Gabriella Ekens explores whether this uniquely low-key drama is worth watching.
― Before it fell victim to the Amazon anime hostage crisis of Fall 2016, The Great Passage was one of my most anticipated shows of that season. Based on an acclaimed novel, airing in the celebrated Noitamina programming b...
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episode 496
"While the plot is somewhat scattered, this week's Naruto Shippūden is a pleasing enough sendoff for Team Asuma."
Masamune-kun's Revenge ‒ Episode 8
"The middle scenes of this episode are both the heaviest and best content that the series has yet seen."
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 7
"Onoe wished for a jaw-dropping new case for the newspaper club to investigate, and I'd say this one is as jaw-dropping as it gets."
The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of Feb 12-18
While the top of the rankings start to solidify, plenty of long-running shounen favorites duke it out for a spot in the center! Find our where your favorites landed this week!
― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Winter 2017 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. Ke...
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid ‒ Episode 7
"It's the inevitable beach episode!"
This Week in Games - Digimon World: Next Order
Dustin takes the latest Digimon RPG out for a spin, along with the remake of Princess Maker! PLUS: Capcom's comeback and next week's new releases!
― I like to touch things. No, not in a creepy way. I'm talking about hanging onto physical goods in a world increasingly dominated by digital media. The benefits of digital libraries are clear: no shelf space, portability between platforms, and increased a...
KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 ‒ Episode 7
"I think this is the most consistently funny episode so far – and for this franchise that's saying something."
Interviews With Monster Girls GN 1 & 2
Interviews With Monster Girls is more charming than not, even as its harem elements trip it up on occasion.
― There's almost no way to phrase the premise of this series without it sounding creepy. High school biology teacher Tetsuo Takahashi has always been fascinated by the human variations straight out of mythology known as demi-humans, but he had to give up writing his thesis on them in university...
Twin Star Exorcists ‒ Episode 45
"This episode did its job in getting us further into the final conflict with Yuto and raising the stakes between our two combatants."
Akiba'S Trip The Animation ‒ Episode 8
"A mild parody of professional wrestling is the order of the day, complete with elaborate costumes and a convenient supply of ladders and folding chairs."
Nanbaka ‒ Episode 21
"This week, we get more of the thing Nanbaka stumbles with the most: lore."
ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. ‒ Episode 7
"Even though the big reveal itself wasn't much of a shocker, all the little interactions leading up to it provided excellent buildup for the episode's climax."
Answerman - Are Anime Music Videos A Dying Art?
Do anime fans still watch - or for that matter, create - anime music videos like they used to? Justin refreshes his understanding of the AMV scene.
― Federico asks: Is it just an impression, or are anime fans no longer interested in making and sharing anime music videos? I thought that, with the increasing availability of new series, new music and cheap or otherwise easy-to-use video editing program...
World War Witches
"Alternate history military witch" is a major thing in anime right now, from Tanya to Izetta to Strike Witches. But if you matched these combat-ready witches against eachother, which witch would dominate?
― Numerous anime titles over the years have to some degree dealt with the militarization of magic, with Fullmetal Alchemist, Strike Witches, and The Legend of the Legendary Heroes being prominent ex...
Sword of the Stranger BD+DVD
Sword of the Stranger offers a nearly perfect action package.
― Sword of the Stranger is something of a wonderful oddity. Bearing no source material or spinoff potential, it's one of those rare anime-original films that offer an unfiltered vision of a creator or even studio. Blessed with gorgeous art design and animation, it offers an incredibly pure distillation of precisely one thing: the classic s...
Hand Shakers ‒ Episode 7
"When the show isn't assaulting the senses with its ludicrous animation, its numbing them into submission with some of the most inane plotting that anime has to offer."
Bakemonogatari ‒ Episode 6
"Bakemonogatari's sixth episode marks the beginning of Suruga Monkey, the show's third arc."
Vice & Luna - 02/21/2017
Our weekly comic series returns! Preview guide is coming and the office needs a new intern - so it's a good thing Vice already hired someone!
―
Review: Berserk and the Band of the Hawk
Berserk: Band of the Hawk lets you slaughter your way through Guts' most traumatic adventures in classic Musou style - but it isn't without its problems.
― By now, the formula for Omega Force's increasingly prolific line of Musou anime adaptions has proven to be a mostly winning one. Take the basic Dynasty Warriors gameplay, replace Chinese historical figures with an array of fan-favorite characters,...
Gabriel DropOut ‒ Episode 7
"After functioning as the perpetual straight man and voice of reason for the last six installments, Vignette April Tsukinose is finally given her own episode."
Yowamushi Pedal New Generation ‒ Episode 7
"If you've missed Hakogaku these last few weeks, this week is all about them."
ONIHEI ‒ Episode 7
"With its more balanced blend of character development and cop drama, this episode of Onihei feels like it's fulfilling the promise that its first episode showed."
One Piece ‒ Episode 777
"This episode is a million times better than the last re-animated clip show, so at least it's got that going for it."
Tales of Zestiria the X ‒ Episode 19
"Having an Alisha-centric episode this week was both a blessing and a curse."
Gintama ‒ Episode 323
"With the Four Heavenly Kings reunited, The Battle on Rakuyo shifts the focus to Kagura's family."
Returning Tomorrow: Vice & Luna
Our weekly webcomic series rises from the grave with a whole new look! Find out what happened behind the scenes and get a look at the strip's new art.
― So last June we launched Vice & Luna, a weekly webcomic series that followed along in the spirit of Anime News Nina, the site's previous strip (it's 10 years old this year by the way - you can read the whole thing right here and there's even a hardc...
Answerman - How Do Japanese TV Shows Use So Much Anime Music?
If you watch Japanese TV, you'll hear anime soundtracks - like the OSTs for Evangelion - used as background music on talk shows all the time. How does that happen?
― Henpaku asks: I noticed that certain Japanese TV programs (mostly those showing entertainment specials with famous guests doing weird Japanese people things) use a lot of anime OST. In fact a show just a few days ago used some BGM from ...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ‒ Episode 44
"This was a complicated episode with certain scenes that stood out more than others."
Shelf Life - My Love Story
One of the most beloved romcoms in recent memory, My Love Story, is out on bluray from Sentai Filmworks, and James Beckett is here to let us know if it holds up. PLUS: all of this week's big new releases!
― We've got a ton of new releases to cover this week, so I'm going to use that to cover for my lack of clever or interesting thoughts to put into this intro paragraph. Let's get right into it, shal...
Seven Deadly Sins -Signs of Holy War-
This four-episode "second season" of Seven Deadly Sins popped up on Netflix - how does it move the story forward, and is it any good? Theron Martin investigates.
― Although this is (correctly) labeled as a TV series, that label can be misleading in this case, as it implies that it consists of more than just four episodes. That is clearly all that it was planned for, however, so what Netflix is listin...
Interviews with Monster Girls ‒ Episode 7
"Interviews With Monster Girls has been a character-focused series thus far, but the show shifts into world-building mode this week."
ClassicaLoid ‒ Episode 19
"Like Princess Tutu, this episode of ClassicaLoid takes a turn for the metafictional."
Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ‒ Episode 7
"We finally get to revisit one of the oddest (and most controversial) parts of the first season – Miyokichi and Sukeroku's death."
The Mike Toole Show - Where to Be-GIN with Gintama
This week, Mike explores the weird and wonderful world of Gintama, a smash hit in Japan with a slight barrier of entry in the West. So what makes this action comedy so special?
― Earlier this week-- actually yesterday, if you go by column publication date—it was Anime Day at the video games retailer GameStop. This wasn't a major event; honestly, it was just an excuse to hawk some anime-related games ...
The Ancient Magus' Bride GN 4
The Ancient Magus’ Bride continues to find wonder in both its central romance and its magical world. Nick Creamer digs into the details.
― While Ancient Magus' Bride's first and second volumes focused primarily on the magical world surrounding Chise and Elias, the manga's third volume turned inward, highlighting the emotional baggage that inspires both of their actions. This fourth volume essentially...
Dragon Ball Super ‒ Episode 79
"This show works for me a lot more when there's a bigger story in motion."
March comes in like a lion ‒ Episode 18
"It feels like both Harunobu and Shimada are rubbing off on Rei in a positive way."
Seiren ‒ Episode 7
"This episode really felt like two full-fledged teenagers starting a relationship."
Fuuka ‒ Episode 8
"While this was definitely one of Fuuka's best episodes, the real big news is that this anime is starting to majorly diverge from its source material."
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ‒ Episode 7
"This adaptation of the Impure King arc has already been more satisfying and engaging than the original series' conclusion, so I'm excited to see where things go from here."
The List - 7 Horror Manga Authors to Keep You Up at Night
These seven masters of black-and-white silent scares, from the 70s up to the modern day, are sure to give you a fright!
― Horror, like comedy, is a genre that's hard to recommend without knowing the audience personally. What a person finds scary is very personal, and tapping into that with a written medium is even more difficult. Manga can't rely on jump scares and music cues the same way a film can...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt GN 1
With gorgeous art and bonus details left out of the anime version, the only thing missing from this Gundam Thunderbolt manga is the soundtrack. Lauren Orsini weighs its pros and cons.
― “To all you music lovers out there—no borders, no war. You're tuned to Thunderbolt Station, the pirate radio of freedom!” There's no shortage of work hazards out in the Thunderbolt Sector, where Federation and Zeon so...
Scum's Wish ‒ Episode 6
"After three episodes of tempting and torment, Hanabi has started falling to the dark side of the force, finally turned by Darth Minagawa's cruelest wound."
Masamune-kun's Revenge ‒ Episode 7
"This is the obligatory beach episode, since you can't have this many hot girls hanging around in an anime without one of these coming up eventually."
Naruto Shippuden ‒ Episodes 494-495
"Naruto Shippūden serves up an extra-large helping of silly this week, with two episodes dedicated to showcasing the show's lighter side."
Answerman - Do Japanese High School Kids Really Hang Out On The Roof?
In countless anime, the hero and heroine hang out on the roof of their school - do Japanese kids actually do that?
― Chibi Chetsko asks: Are students permitted to eat their lunches and hang out on the roof during breaks or is this an anime-exclusive thing only? We've seen it countless times...but some recent series like Watamote have told us the door to the roof is always locked. Is this true? Also,...
ANNCast (Video) - Scum As You Are
Zac and Jacob argue about the emotional honesty of Scum's Wish, plus Tanya the Evil, Ghost in the Shell (2017), Crunchyroll's one million subscribers and much more!
― " ANNCast Episode 286 - Scum As You Are Zac and Jacob argue about the emotional honesty of Scum's Wish, plus Tanya the Evil, Ghost in the Shell (2017), Crunchyroll's one million subscribers and much more! You can listen to the show on o...
God Eater Blu-Ray 2
God Eater's story starts slipping as it moves into its middle third. Rebecca Silverman explains what went wrong.
― Answers always come with a price. Sometimes it's simply learning something you really didn't want to know, other times, it's the destruction of humanity and the entire world. If that seems like an extreme comparison, it's deliberate – the second half of the God Eater anime takes its burn...
Your Ghost in the Shell Cheat Sheet
Series expert Brian Ruh takes you on a journey through everything you need to know about the entire Ghost in the Shell franchise - from manga to anime to film - before the 2017 version hits!
― We are currently undergoing something of a Ghost in the Shell renaissance due to the impending Hollywood remake. Regardless of your feelings on the upcoming film, you can't deny that it's a good time to be a Gh...
CHAOS;CHILD ‒ Episode 6
"Sadly, having to wait a few extra hours didn't mean we were in for anything special in this rather mixed bag of an episode."
The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of Feb 5-11
Two monster girl anime vie for a spot in the top five, as the rankings shift around this winter's hits and misses. Find out where your favorites rank this week!
― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Winter 2017 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...
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