I never felt entertained for more than one moment every five episodes, and the gimmick overstays its welcome quickly. ― I love romantic comedies, and I will always jump at the opportunity to watch or review the latest ones each season. Despite that, I was never super fond of the childhood friend trope. While it can sometimes play into speed-running relationship-building between two characters, since ...

column

6 comments

Answerman - Is Donghua Becoming Popular in the West?

Apr 20, 11:44

6 comments

donghua

What is donghua and will it ever take off in the same way anime has? Jerome digs in. ― A Reader asks: Dear Answerman, There seems to be a lot more Chinese animation on streaming platforms these days compared to a few years ago. Crunchyroll has added several titles I'd never have expected to see there, including To Be Hero X, which reached #8 in ANN's 2025 Spring Season rankings. Do you think that Do...

feature

3 comments

Spring 2026 Manga Guide

Apr 20, 09:00

3 comments

manga

Spring has sprung, and with it our Spring Manga Guide! Come see what new books our reviews are loving, hating, or are indifferent to, and find your next favorite! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. Now, doing...

feature

2 comments

Gundam Character Designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Talks Venus Wars, New Projects, and AI Art

Apr 20, 09:00

2 comments

anime

"Watching [Venus Wars] again after such a long time, I felt it wasn't so bad after all." ― After the recent theatrical screening of the 1989 classic anime Venus Wars at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026, its writer and director, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, gave a lengthy talk about not only the movie but his work on Gundam and his thoughts on AI art. While Venus Wars has long been available in the West (ev...

game review

Ariana and the Elder Codex Game Review

Apr 19, 12:00 games

Ariana and the Elder Codex is a strong action-adventure platformer that plays great, though its presentation can't quite keep pace with battles. ― Ariana and the Elder Codex is a strong action-adventure platformer that plays great, though its presentation can't quite keep pace with battles. Ariana surprised me with its basic structure. I will admit, from the trailer, I assumed I was getting yet anoth...

interview

'The One Piece is Real,' An Interview with Reese Alexiades from The Savannah Bananas

Apr 19, 09:00 just for fun

If baseball is the world, then MLB is the World Government, the big organization over all. Who then are the pirates in that world? Well, let me introduce you to the Savannah Bananas. ― Summer is only a few months away in North America, and what says “summer” more than baseball? The sound of the bat hitting a ball, the shouts of the crowd, the opening music of One Piece… While it might seem ridiculous...

review

2 comments

Dagger of Kamui Anime Movie Review

Apr 18, 12:00

2 comments

anime

From the snow-shrouded mountains to the desert of Western America, from samurai and shinobi to cowboys and Indians, Rintaro’s vision for this classic tale of a half-Ainu boy and a lost pirate treasure is epic. ― It's always interesting to finally see a masterwork by a master craftsman. Most Americans' first encounter with Rintaro was the theatrical release of CLAMP's X. With an uneven translation and...

feature

Aspiring Animators Honored at AnimeJapan's Emerging Creator Awards Ceremony

Apr 18, 10:00 anime

Winners received a cash prize and an invitation to head to Anime Expo! ― AnimeJapan is not well known for its awards, but runs the annual “Manga We Want to See Animated” fan poll. However, in 2026, the yearly anime event announced the new Emerging Creator Awards in partnership with the Japanese government's Japan Creator Support Fund and with Crunchyroll sponsoring. The award seeks to find new talen...

news

3 comments

Pokémon Horizons Anime's Next 'Wonder Voyage' Arc Premieres on May 22

Apr 17, 13:31

3 comments

anime

Visual previews Ditto, new character, spinoff games ― The staff of the Pokémon Horizons anime announced on Friday that the next arc "Wonder Voyage" will premiere on May 22. The staff unveiled a new visual that centers on Ditto and a new character. The visual also teases images based on games such as Pokémon spinoff games Pokémon Go, Pokémon Unite, and Pokémon Sleep: The anime entered a new arc last O...

review

1 comment

Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Volume 3 Manga Review

Apr 17, 12:00

1 comment

manga

This third volume of Dark Horse Comics' latest Gunsmith Cats re-release is arguably its most essential to long-term fans. ― This third volume of Dark Horse Comics' latest Gunsmith Cats re-release is arguably its most essential to long-term fans; it certainly is to me. Not only does it include the fantastic storyline “Mister V” which really acts as a de facto climax to the entire series (despite it co...

column

21 comments

This Week in Games - Heads Butting over NieR, Level-5's Games A-far, and Bloodborne Goes to Hollywood

Apr 17, 10:00

21 comments

games

Twitter is pitting gamers against each other over NieR, Level-5 is having issues getting games out, and a new Bloodborne project are all on the docket this week. ― Welcome back, folks! In an attempt at solving a long-standing mistake of mine (and following up on my guest appearance on Axe of the Blood God), I've started playing the .hack//GU games. I'm amused to hear so many older voice talents who u...

feature

2 comments

Exploring Lupin III Kabuki: Classical Japanese Theater Meets a Modern Classic

Apr 17, 09:00

2 comments

live-action

Lupin and co. enter a feudal Japan full of astonishing costumes and make-up in the new Lupin III: The beautiful azure castle kabuki play. ― Arguably one of the greatest action-heist anime and manga franchises is Lupin the Third. With its iconic characters of the master thief Lupin III, marksman Daisuke Jigen, honorable swordsman Goemon Ishikawa XIII, femme fatale Fujiko Mine, and the ever-persistent ...

news

9 comments

'A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage' Manga Gets TV Anime

Apr 17, 05:41

9 comments

manga anime

Age-gap mystery romantic comedy manga centers on detective, silent high school girl ― King Amusement Creative announced on Friday that storywriter Shinichi Sawaragi and artist Tanku Gasuyama's A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage (Pen to Wappa to Jijitsu Kon) manga is getting a television anime adaptation. Gasuyama drew an illustration to celebrate the news. Yen Press announced last August it ...

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