Somewhere beyond the story being told is a more interesting movie happening off-screen. ― There are two types of films I find frustrating to talk about. The first are films that almost made me cry. It's one thing to discuss a bad movie that was mean-spirited or arrogant, because then I have no reservations about riffing on it. But when something doesn't hit me after wearing its heart on its sleeve, I...

feature

340 comments

The Summer 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Jul 18, 07:53

340 comments

anime

There are still a few shows to go before the Preview Guide wraps - and one of them is the second season of The Elusive Samurai! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2026 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go along. Each critic will cover as many shows as they can handle, giving you alternate takes on almos...

convention

2 comments

An Older Eri Thanks Her Heroes in My Hero Academia: I am a Hero Too Anime Short

Jul 17, 17:30

2 comments

anime

Years after Jirou's concert at the school festival in Season 4, Eri is now all grown up. ― 10 years of My Hero Academia hasn't stopped the fans' appetite for more. Weeks before taking home Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, we got more in My Hero Academia: More. A whole reunion with the older cast and a long-awaited confession? Yes please! Toss in more seasons of Vigilantes, and you h...

review

9 comments

SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table 44: CLOUDY BEACH Anime Film Review

Jul 17, 12:00

9 comments

anime

I adore SHIBOYUGI's dark but deeply humanistic satire of adolescence, capitalism, and crushing ennui. The CLOUDY BEACH movie may just be this story's crowning achievement. ― Note: This review will mention several key plot details from the first season of SHIBOYUGI As its lengthy title ought to make clear, SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table 44: CLOUDY BEACH is the feature follow-u...

column

11 comments

This Week in Games - Octo Paths and None of Them Lead to Upgrades

Jul 17, 10:00

11 comments

games

Jean-Karlo has good news (Megami Tensei novels!) and bad news (GenAI encroaching on otome games) and a few things in between. ― Welcome back, folks! I spent my weekend at a family friend's wedding; it was a pleasant time, and part of the proceedings had me play as Hippolyta during a brief recitation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Sadly, I also heard news that Sam Niell passed away over the weekend. Th...

feature

2 comments

ANN Manga and Novel Summer Reading List 2026

Jul 17, 10:00

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manga novels korean

Remember those summer reading lists you used to get as a kid? While they could have a few gems, for the most part, they weren't all that exciting. But what if your teachers had given you manga and light novels to read? ― Remember those summer reading lists you used to get as a kid? While they could have a few gems, for the most part, they weren't all that exciting. But what if your teachers had give...

BanG Dream! Now Has a Real Villain in Viola

Jul 17, 10:00 anime

All stories are fundamentally based on conflict. However cute girls band stories of BanG Dream! don't generally feature outright antagonists. Until YUME∞MITA gave us Viola. ― All stories are fundamentally based on conflict. Due to their nature, the girls band stories of BanG Dream! don't generally feature outright antagonists supplying said conflict. The girls struggle against obstacles within and wi...

interview

Talking New Tunes With the Team Behind BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA

Jul 17, 09:00 anime

ANN got the chance to speak with director Tomomi Umetsu, animation producer Hiroaki Matsūra, and BanG Dream! project producer Yūki Nemoto to discuss what makes YUME∞MITA unique and what viewers can look forward to from the new series. ― BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA is a refreshed new entry in the long-running girls band franchise. With a band made up of new virtual performers starring in an anime with a rem...

news

3 comments

Voice Actress Yukiko Nikaido Dies at 87

Jul 17, 06:17

3 comments

people

Actress voiced Fujiko Mine in 1st Lupin the 3rd TV anime ― The son of actress and voice actress Yukiko Nikaido announced on Facebook on Friday that Nikaido died on July 3 of old age. She was 87. Nikaido's son Sōsuke Yagyū announced the news on the Facebook page of Yatsugatake Club, a Yamanashi-based horticulture facility, restaurant, and gallery. Nikaido served as the first president of the facility....

review

1 comment

Kingdom of Quartz Volumes 2-5 Manga Review

Jul 16, 12:00

1 comment

manga

BOMHAT’s world is well thought out and existentially horrifying if one considers its details too closely. ― It's been over two years since I reviewed the first volume of Canadian author BOMHAT's gorgeous dark fantasy manga A Kingdom of Quartz, and re-reading it to prepare for reviewing its remaining four volumes reminded me of why I loved it so much in the first place. Thankfully, the author (mostly)...

column

5 comments

This Week in Anime - Summer Lovin'

Jul 16, 10:00

5 comments

anime

It's time for the seasonal romcom roundup! Chris and Sylvia separate the wheat from the chaff so you don't have to. ― It's time for the seasonal romcom roundup! Chris and Sylvia separate the wheat from the chaff so you don't have to. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ah...

convention

13 comments

Sonic the Hedgehog Producer on Celebrating Game's 35th Anniversary and the Future of the Series

Jul 15, 17:30

13 comments

games

Lead producer Takashi Iizuka discusses the 35th-anniversary milestone, Sonic's recent collaborations, and what the future of the series could look like. ― Sonic the Hedgehog is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The Blue Blur has been an iconic gaming staple since the beginning. To this day, Sonic continues to draw in both old and new audiences with SEGA's ever-expanding lineup of games, as ...

feature

11 comments

The Prescience of Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell

Jul 15, 14:38

11 comments

anime manga

When does science fiction start becoming reality? Kevin Cormack takes a trip through Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell to ascertain how much of its tech is on its way to the real world. ― There's a truism about science fiction in that it tends to say more about the era in which it was written than about the future it attempts to describe. The original 1960s Star Trek, for example, trailblazed con...

news

2 comments

Hiroyasu Kobayashi, SAFEHOUSE, AREA35 Unveil Tiny Metal: Zero Line Anime

Jul 15, 13:37

2 comments

anime

World premiere of pilot episode debuted at Japan Expo in France on July 9 ― Studio Khara's Hiroyasu Kobayashi unveiled the new Tiny Metal: Zero Line anime, based on AREA35's Tiny Metal turn-based tactical game, with the world premiere of the pilot episode at Japan Expo 2026 on July 9 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte in France. The game's official YouTube channel is streaming a tea...

review

Natsume & Natsume Volume 2-10 Manga Review

Jul 15, 12:00 manga

They say looks can be deceiving, but actions also speak louder than words, and Natsume's actions far overshadow his intimidating demeanor. ― The "scary guy who actually has a heart of gold" trope has been done a lot, and I'll fault Natsume & Natsume for it because it occasionally falls into the predictable narrative beats often associated with that setup. There are parts in these volumes where Natsum...

Tiny Metal: Zero Line (TV)

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