The final, multi-episode spanning fight between Baki and Yujiro also lived up to the hype and is one of the best in the series. ― I hate that there's a sexual assault scene in this season of Baki, and mad enough about it that this review is opening with my analysis of what's easily the worst part of the season. The second episode of this season opens with revived caveman Pickle sexually assaulting a ...

convention

Popucom is Puyo Puyo Meets Splatoon

Sep 23, 11:25 games

The TGS Popucom demo was a super fun and silly vertical slice showing off all the basic mechanics that will be expanded upon in the full game. ― At Tokyo Game Show 2023, I was able to get some hands-on time with Popucom, the new game from the studio behind Arknights. However, rather than being another tower-defense mobile game, Popucom is a co-op 3D puzzle platformer inspired by games like Puyo Puyo,...

convention

Persona 3 Reload is One Heck of a Glam-Up

Sep 23, 10:25 games

I had a great time climbing the tower and taking down its first boss. ― At Tokyo Game Show 2023, I was able to get some hands-on time with Persona 3 Reload and I was excited to try it out. Persona 3 is my favorite of the Persona games but it's also the one I feel the least need to ever go back and play again. My issue can be summed up in one word: Tartarus. Tartarus is Persona 3's randomly generated ...

feature

20 comments

The Fall 2023 Manga Guide

Sep 23, 09:59

20 comments

manga

This season's guide includes over 70 new series to discover! We're rounding out the September releases with the romantic drama Stray Cat & Wolf, the politically conscious The Darwin Incident, a very spicy Playing with a Proper Butler, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2023 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each n...

convention

Playing as Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Makes You Feel Like the Ultimate Badass

Sep 23, 09:25 games

Players were given the choice of two possible demos to play. ― At Tokyo Game Show 2023, I was able to spend some hands-on time with the upcoming second title in the Final Fantasy VII: Remake trilogy, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. Players were given the choice of two possible demos to play. The first followed Cloud and the party and was set outside of the city of Junon. The second was the Nibelheim flas...

convention

Macross: Shooting Insight Hands-On: A Solid SHMUP With Rocking Music

Sep 23, 08:25 games

The main thing that makes Macross: Shooting Insight special is the IP. ― Back in the mid-90s, I was a die-hard Robotech fan. It was one of the few anime airing on TV at the time and, in an era where it regularly cost $35 for two episodes of anime on VHS, it was awesome to have such a long, complex series to watch. Of course, as I grew older, I learned about both the original Macross anime and its var...

column

20 comments

This Week in Games - VIDEO GAME DREAMS DO COME TRUE

Sep 22, 10:00

20 comments

anime

It's an extra big TWIG this week as Jean-Karlo discusses exciting developments in the retro game scene: Wizardry, Cotton 2, and the unexpected return of his personal favorite ninja, Izuna! ― Welcome back, folks! I must say, Thousand-Year Door fans wasted no time sticking true to form in the week-and-change since Nintendo announced the remake. Between concerns over the 30fps framerate or bellyaching a...

interview

1 comment

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Voicing Cid in The Eminence in Shadow

Sep 22, 10:00

1 comment

anime

Cid's voice actor Seiichirō Yamashita discusses voicing a character with two different sides and what makes The Eminence in Shadow anime so unique. ― The Eminence in Shadow follows a young man named Cid who would much rather train to be the ultimate background character and use his strong powers to change the scene from the shadows instead of being in the spotlight himself. After dying and being rei...

column

7 comments

This Week in Anime - Osamu Tezuka Anime Through Time

Sep 21, 14:00

7 comments

anime

Nick and Nicky check out the newest take on legendary manga creator Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix and take time to reflect the many iterations of his work through the years. ― Nick and Nicky check out the newest take on legendary manga creator Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix and take time to reflect the many iterations of his work through the years. You can watch the Tezuka series mentioned here on Hulu/Disney+ (Ph...

game review

7 comments

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC: The Teal Mask Game Review

Sep 21, 12:00

7 comments

games

An intriguing story can't hide how appallingly poor The Teal Mask DLC runs on the Switch system. ― It has been almost a year since the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It might not be my favorite game on the Nintendo Switch, but I have put the most time into it. As a Pokémon game, it does almost everything right to update the material and bring it to a new generation, only held back by the fact...

convention

Persona 5 Tactica Hands-On: Cover is Your Only True Friend

Sep 21, 11:45 games

Right from the start, Persona 5 Tactica feels more fluid than a lot of TRPGs. ― Today at Tokyo Game Show 2023, I was able to spend some time with the upcoming Persona series TRPG, Persona 5 Tactica. It was a ton of fun. Right from the start, Persona 5 Tactica feels more fluid than a lot of TRPGs. While the usual grid layout is placed over the battlefield, your characters aren't locked to it and can m...

convention

New Feature Makes Tekken 8 Fun for Even a Mediocre Fighting Gamer Like Me

Sep 20, 17:45 games

Tekken 8's new control scheme, “Special Style,” let me hold my own—and even come out on top more than once. ― Earlier this week at Bandai Namco's pre-TGS event, I spent some hands-on time with the upcoming big-name fighting game Tekken 8. While I expected to be stomped into the ground by the more talented fighting gamers at the event, Tekken 8's new control scheme, “Special Style,” let me hold my ow...

column

The ANN Aftershow - Jujutsu Kaisen's Shibuya Throwdown!

Sep 20, 17:00 anime

The series' biggest battle is underway and Itadori is fighting...a bug? Zom 100 is back with a new episode, so let's check in on Akira and see if he's still human. ― Jujutsu Kaisen's Shibuya Throwdown! The series' biggest battle is underway and Itadori is fighting...a bug? Zom 100 is back with a new episode, so let's check in on Akira and see if he's still human. All this and more anime hot takes, s...

review

2 comments

Hi Score Girl Manga Vol. 9-10 Review

Sep 20, 12:00

2 comments

manga

Hi Score Girl remains the same, and that's a solid positive. It shows Rensuke Oshikiri's deftness with the pen, as writing conflicts with increasing stakes that still predominantly work within the same fundamental elements is a serious challenge. ― Note: There are minor spoilers for the finale of the manga in this review, so if you wish to avoid any reveals, the short version is that they're good, an...

feature

46 comments

The Prodigious Legacy Of The Digimon Dub

Sep 20, 10:00

46 comments

anime

What is it that gives this old collection of voices such staying power, especially compared to other anime dubs from the same era? ― At Otakon 2023, Discotek Media dropped an absolute bombshell on fans of Digimon: Not only would they be releasing uncut versions of the first three movies from the franchise, but they had assembled every member of the original English dub cast they could get to produce ...

convention

4 comments

Synduality: Echo of Ada May Be Too Ambitious for It's Own Good

Sep 20, 02:00

4 comments

games

At Bandai Namco's Pre-TGS event, I was able to spend some time playing Synduality: Echo of Ada. Touted as a PvPvE mecha looter-shooter with huge open maps, the game is ambitious—but perhaps too much so for its good. ― At Bandai Namco's Pre-TGS event, I was able to spend some time playing Synduality: Echo of Ada. Touted as a PvPvE mecha looter-shooter with huge open maps, the game is ambitious—but pe...