This OVA is incredibly visually creative and STUNNINGLY well-animated. It is also god-awful. Repulsive and pointless, Dead Leaves is a plotless exercise in vulgarity. It didn't offend me, but it did annoy me. I'm appalled that IG and so much of the FLCL creative team would waste their valuable time on this dreck.
I liked the first film, but it was missing a lot-- it needed more plot. This iteration is so, so much better. There is more action and more thematic focus. Oshii has a much clearer idea of what he's trying to express this time around, and some of the directions he took the story startled me. His visual style has also acheived some kind of critical mass. CGI has advanced to such a point that I think Oshii's films have now become more realistic than reality. Do with that what you will.
An overlooked gem. This is a sweet, touching film that is at the same time incredibly meaningful. Takahata has a knack for finding the profundity in the ordinary. The animation is a brand new style all its own, entirely dissimilar from every other anime ever made and yet completely Japanese. One of my favorite animated films.
The Duke of Death and His Maid ranks at #2 this week, which allows it to reach a tipping point and climb 7 spots in the cumulative! Discover what else is moving in the rankings.― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that the...
Visually, the movie looks pretty solid as it takes some strong cues from the Spiderverse films with some stylistic flourishes. The iconic transformation is one of the coolest shots of the whole film.― So some full disclosure here: I'm not exactly what one would call a tokusatsu expert. In general, my experience doesn't extend too far beyond watching early seasons of Power Rangers as a kid and watchi...
We spoke with producer Hayato Kanno about the upcoming cheerleader-focused series and why Gunma prefecture was the perfect setting for the show.― While there aren't many anime in the cheerleading genre, a handful have been made over the years. Some of the more notable series include 2018's Hugtto! Precure or 2019's Cheer Boys!!. In 2024, we're getting another cheerleading-related anime series, Naren...
Viz debuted its new Originals One-Shots comic program, making way for the age-old discussion of whether manga is a "style" or based on country of origin.― Viz debuted its new Originals One-Shots comic program, making way for the age-old discussion of whether manga is a "style" or based on country of origin. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the...
There's a sincerity about the story that goes a long way toward making this readable and engaging, even if dark dystopias aren't your preferred genre.― It's not hard to see why JH's three-volume manhwa The Horizon has been nominated for an Eisner Award. Something about the series screams “critical darling” in that most literary ways – everything about its bleakness, its metaphors, and its late-break...
Creator Yana Toboso to conduct research, prepare for manga's climax― The official X (formerly Twitter) account for Square Enix's G Fantasy magazine announced on Monday that Yana Toboso's Black Butler manga is going on hiatus. In addition, the X/Twitter post included a statement from Toboso, stating that she will be conducting research and making preparations as the manga heads toward its climax. The...
For most of us who have lived through high school, the idea that it's "the best time of our lives" is a lie perpetuated by people who have forgotten high school.― For most of us who have lived through high school, the idea that it's "the best time of our lives" is a lie perpetuated by people who have forgotten high school. Kyoko Okazaki's bleak single-volume story River's Edge is not interested in g...
The Made in Abyss anime studio is celebrating its 16th anniversary with two new anime projects, so we sat down with founder Muneki Ogasawara to discuss the studio's next moves.― Founded in March 2008, Kinema Citrus is known as a pillar in the anime industry for producing high-quality, compelling series. The studio has carved a niche in the competitive anime industry with popular works like Made in A...
1st Dōwa Revengers mini anime episode to retell Momotarō folktale― An event for the Tokyo Revengers television anime announced in Chiba on Sunday that the anime will have a sequel. The event also announced Dōwa Revengers (Fairy Tale Revengers), a mini anime with the premise being the Tokyo Revengers version of various fairy tales. The first episode is based on the Japanese folktale Momotarō. Kodansh...
The first few episodes are so boring and uninspired that I can't recommend the anime. However, the back half is good enough that I am actually looking forward to the second season.― When something is called a "mixed bag," the image conjured up is one of the numerous good and bad aspects, all combined at random. While that phrase could technically be used to describe The Café Terrace and Its Goddesse...