Tokyo Big Sight is overrun with players of all kinds to check out the latest and greatest toys on the market. Yes, they have fidget spinners. ― Tokyo Big Sight, June 3, 2017. 9:00 am Japan Standard Time. The 2017 International Tokyo Toy Show had just begun, and the line of entry snaked all the way across the enormous venue. The children paced around and tugged at their parents’ sleeves, unable to con...

feature

2 comments

The Best and Worst of the Season So Far: Week of May 27-June 2

Jun 8, 12:00

2 comments

just for fun

My Hero Academia races up the charts as the Spring 2017 season starts to wind down! Find out how your favorites performed in our weekly user rankings. ― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Spring 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 these ran...

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13 comments

This Week in Games - The Modest Life of Virtual Console

Jun 8, 11:00

13 comments

games

In the calm before the E3 storm, Dustin considers the legacy and future of Nintendo's Virtual Console service. PLUS: Pokemon, Final Fantasy Dissidia, more old Mega Man games and much more! ― Good god, E3 starts next week. Though I'm fortunate enough to not be going to LA, there's still a hint of dread mixed in with all the excitement for what's coming. It's a flood a-coming, one which comes in the af...

review

1 comments

Prince of Stride: Alternative BD+DVD

Jun 8, 10:00

1 comments

anime

This otome game adaptation eschews most reverse harem tropes in a surprisingly fun story about a bizarre blend of track and parkour. Rebecca Silverman gets into this show's Stride. ― If you were wondering, the “alternative” in Prince of Stride Alternative comes from the fact that this 2016 series is based on a 2015 otome game simply called Prince of Stride. That's mildly surprising, because the show ...

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83 comments

Answerman - Why Isn't More Anime Shown On American TV?

Jun 7, 14:33

83 comments

anime

There are countless hours of US cable television programming to fill, and yet only a few hours a week are filled with anime. Why is that? Justin gets into it. ― Kyle asks: How come some English dubbed anime only get released straight to DVD here in the US and never air on American TV? I know that a handful of them do air on Anime-only channels, such as the FUNimation Channel and Neon Alley, and also...

interest

4 comments

Adventures in the Yuri!!! on Ice Café

Jun 7, 14:15

4 comments

events merch

Tokyo correspondent Kim Morrissy sits down for a bowl of katsudon in an intimate café setting with the Yuri!!! on Ice boys. ― Katsudon is a Japanese rice dish made with deep-fried pork cutlets, egg, and vegetables. If you prepare it with just the right blend and consistency, it's absolutely mouth-watering stuff. It's common enough that you'll find it served on just about every street corner in Tokyo,...

feature

23 comments

How Polygon Pictures is Changing the 3D Anime Industry

Jun 7, 11:00

23 comments

anime

From Knights of Sidonia to Blame!, Polygon Pictures has led the charge in CGI anime innovation. Callum May explores what makes their production process so unique for the anime industry. ― At 10:00 PM in the Polygon Pictures studio, the lights turn off for the night. Polygon Pictures is like few other animation studios in Japan. In an industry where working overnight is painfully normal, a studio turn...

review

10 comments

Horus: Prince of the Sun (Little Norse Prince) Blu-Ray

Jun 7, 10:00

10 comments

anime

The directorial debut of Isao Takahata is now available on Blu-Ray for the first time. Theron Martin details how this ambitious film has held up. ― Also known in English as Little Norse Prince Valiant, this 1968 movie holds a place in anime history for two important reasons. It marks the directorial debut of Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and his first collaboration with Hayao Miyazaki, who i...

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7 comments

This Week in Anime - It Came From DeviantArt

Jun 6, 12:40

7 comments

anime

Re:Creators takes some fanfic-tastic turns, while the stakes shoot much higher in Rage of Bahamut and The Royal Tutor. Nick and Micchy discuss all this and more in shows from Attack on Titan to My Hero Academia! ― Previous Weeks in Anime Week 1 - Week 2 - Week 3 - Week 4 - Week 5 - Week 6 Nicholas Dupree got into anime in high school, and manga even earlier. From One Piece to The Promised Neverland, ...

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22 comments

Vice & Luna - Comic-Con Justice

Jun 6, 11:00

22 comments

just for fun

Luna strikes a blow for freedom while showing Maybell the ropes at the Enchanted Grove Comic-Con. ―

review

24 comments

Sound of the Sky Sub.Blu-Ray

Jun 6, 10:00

24 comments

anime

Sound of the Sky marries wartime drama and slice of life storytelling in a rich and beautiful mix. Nick Creamer explains what makes this series special. ― Sound of the Sky opens with new soldier Kanata Sorami heading off to her first post, a guard post at the border city of Seize. Stark cliffs and cozy tiled roofs introduce us to her new city, a rustic town that's currently in the middle of a festiva...

feature

46 comments

The Spring 2017 Manga Guide

Jun 5, 14:14

46 comments

manga

Looking for new manga to read? Our first-ever Spring Manga Guide has you covered!

Available Now: Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 1 - My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness Vol. 1 - Grimgar Vol. 1 - Your Name Vol. 1 - Tales of Zestiria Vol. 1 - Appleseed Alpha Vol. 1 - Aho-Girl Vol. 1 - After Hours Vol. 1 - Rakugo Shinju Vol. 1 - Re:Zero Chapter 2 Vol. 1 - and much more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's ...

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35 comments

Answerman - Is Shonen Jump Still Popular?

Jun 5, 12:00

35 comments

anime

You often hear about Shonen Jump's declining print circulation in Japan - is Shonen Jump's star fading, or are times just changing? Justin explains. ― Jake asks: I had recently read an article on ANN that stated that shonen jump, arguably one of the most well known and popular manga magazines, had recently dipped below 2 million regularly purchased issues. This is down over two-thirds from there hig...

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21 comments

Shelf Life - Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

Jun 5, 11:00

21 comments

anime

The boys of summer return for the first time in this unique release of a first season that came out after the second season. Plus, all this week's new releases and a Shelf Obsessed full of figurines! ― I've had a tough time keeping up with all the simulcasts I'm following this season, and I blame it on the warm weather. Not that I'm going outside, of course. It's just that there's so much for a car ...

review

7 comments

Lu over the wall

Jun 5, 10:00

7 comments

anime

Masaaki Yuasa's first family film may seem strangely similar to Ponyo at first, but it has a handful of charms all its own. Kim Morrissey weighs the movie's pros and cons. ― When Masaaki Yuasa, the auteur behind Ping Pong the Animation and The Tatami Galaxy, announced that he would be making not one but two anime feature films, there were a fair number of question marks. With his superflat drawings a...