You might expect China and Korea to have their own robust slate of anime for Japan and the world to contend with - but why hasn't that happened?― Marlon asks: It seems that the Chinese and South Koreas want to have their own equivalent of the anime/manga market. With their webtoons and such, Chinese investors seem to be putting a lot into forming their own market like Japan, even licensing or creat...
While it's not rare to find space aliens in anime, KADO The Right Answer takes a unique approach to extraterrestrial encounters. Paul Jensen explores the history of first contact with the unknown in anime past and present.― When visitors from another world show up in an anime series, it's usually not a good sign for the inhabitants of Earth. The typical chain of events involves a sudden burst of vio...
The movie may be a phenomenon, but how does Shinkai's novelization of his film hold up? Theron Martin finds out.― In 2002 Makoto Shinkai effectively shouted his name to the anime industry and fandom with the release of Voices of a Distant Star, an OVA that caught attention both for nearly one-man production team and its simple, potent story about teenage lovers trying to stay in contact even as the ...
Friends from the Internet Dave Riley and Graziella Mattie join Zac to stare longingly into the void with Nier: Automata. PLUS: Persona 5 and our most anticipated games from E3!― ANNCast Episode 299 - Programmed To Feel Pain Friends from the Internet Dave Riley and Graziella Mattie join Zac to stare longingly into the void with Nier: Automata. PLUS: Persona 5 and our most anticipated games from E3! ...
Dustin has seven major takeaways from this year's E3, and we promise they aren't all about Dragonball FighterZ. PLUS: next week's new releases, including Nintendo's ARMS!― E3 sure did happen. As always, it was a rough combination of the celebratory creativity of an entire medium and the cynicism its marketing and business has cultivated over the years. But look: video games are cool, the people who ...
This unusual take on isekai stories sees its adventurers struggling to take down even one goblin in exchange for a decent meal. Theron Martin takes a look at the special edition release.― This 12-episode series from the Winter 2016 season debuted just three days before fellow isekai light novel adaptation Konosuba. These two series were diametrically opposed in their differing approaches to the same...
Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul makes a daring break for the top spot, but it has some tough competition on the way! Find out how your favorite shows fared 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 seas...
Justin takes another crack at his answer to a question from last week - is the social stigma around being an otaku in Japan still prevalent?― Today we're gonna revisit a question we published last Friday, submitted by James: I have seen a rather large number of anime and manga series in recent years in which a character (either male of female) is extremely popular and successful at school and with ...
From prequels to spoofs to even coloring books, we've got you covered when it comes to picking the best Titan side materials from the pile. Theron and Rebecca run down what's worth checking out and what you should skip.― In a franchise as titanic as Attack on Titan, where is the line drawn between canon and fanfiction? With spin-off media from anime to manga to light novels to choose from, some adhe...
The Water Dragon's conflicted feelings for Asahi lead him to enact his wrath in the second volume of Rei Toma's take on a tragic mythical story. Rebecca Silverman dives in.― Tales of girls sacrificed to water gods exist world-wide, although the story seems to have particular appeal to creators of manga and manhwa. Rei Toma's The Water Dragon's Bride combines with the ever-popular isekai genre to bri...
ANN's got you covered for all of the trailers coming out of E3 2017 for Japanese games. Available now: Ni no Kuni II, Ever Oasis, Final Fantasy XIV, Code Vein, Lost Sphear, Gundam Versus, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star, Super Mario Odyssey, Metroid: Samus Returns, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem Warriors, Monster Hunter: World, Yakuza 6, Yakuza Kiwami, and many more.
Projection-mapping and Amano artwork descend on Yokohama for the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy, but the series' past is conspicuously absent.― Full disclosure: I'm a retro Final Fantasy fan. I haven't played any Final Fantasy game past FFVI. So I've teamed up with Callum May, who hasn't played any Final Fantasy game before FFVII. Hopefully, we've covered all the bases between us. The Final Fanta...
My Hero Academia steals the show with a jaw-dropping battle, but the shockwaves just keep coming with dark twists in Attack on Titan, Re:Creators, and even Anonymous Noise. Nick and Micchy have their hands full for this week in anime!― Previous Weeks in Anime Week 1 - Week 2 - Week 3 - Week 4 - Week 5Week 6 - Week 7 Nicholas Dupree got into anime in high school, and manga even earlier. From One Piec...
This mystery series starring a gothic lolita Sherlock is finally available on Blu-ray after lingering in licensing limbo for over five years! Rebecca Silverman finds out if it's still worth watching.― The year was 1924. Waistlines were low and hemlines were high, Koshien Stadium was built, the Prince of Wales visited Japan, and Calvin Coolidge made the first-ever presidential radio address. The worl...