This comforting shojo romance sees its heroine take her love life into her own hands more than ever before. Rebecca Silverman has the details. ― One of the most enjoyable aspects of suu Morishita's Shortcake Cake is that its romance doesn't rely on rivalries or underhanded tricks. In fact, at this point it even lacks the female rival who is so central to many romances, shoujo or otherwise. Instead th...

column

31 comments

The List - Seven Orphans That Beat the Odds

Mar 16, 13:00

31 comments

anime

Being a kid without a dedicated parent is a rough way to start life, but these seven anime heroes made the best of it! ― If you're watching at least one show this anime season, it's gotta be The Promised Neverland. Zac and I talked about it over on the podcast yesterday. I wanted to reiterate that Emma's resolve is what sells that show (and its manga) to me again and again. You just can't help but r...

column

7 comments

ANNCast - The Neverland Band

Mar 15, 15:24

7 comments

anime

Zac and special guest Managing Editor Lynzee Loveridge get trapped inside The Promised Neverland and calculate how long it would take to watch all of One Piece. Plus: most anticipated Spring anime, Captain Marvel and much more! ― ANNCast 345 - The Neverland Band Zac and special guest Managing Editor Lynzee Loveridge get trapped inside The Promised Neverland and calculate how long it would take to wa...

feature

4 comments

The Best and Worst of Winter 2019, Mar 5-11

Mar 15, 14:00

4 comments

anime

A glitch in the ~~matrix~~ rankings caused FIVE stellar Boogiepop episodes to appear last week. The rankings have been adjusted accordingly, propelling Boogiepop and Others in the cumulative. ― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Winter 2019 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 th...

interview

9 comments

Interview: Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us Character Designer Shizue Kaneko

Mar 15, 13:00

9 comments

industry

Get an in-depth education on the crucial art of character design from key animator and veteran designer Shizue Kaneko, the artist behind the designs of Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us! ― It'd be difficult to overstate the importance of a great character designer on any anime. Not only are they responsible for creating the aesthetic and style of the characters themselves, but it's also their job to...

review

2 comments

Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System - Case.3 In the Realm Beyond Is ____

Mar 15, 12:00

2 comments

anime

A familiar face returns in the captivating third and final film in the Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System trilogy - and sets up the forthcoming third season of the show. ― The Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System film trilogy is the latest collective work in the Psycho-Pass franchise. Rather than a single overarching case, each of the three films focuses on further developing a character or two origina...

review

4 comments

Beast † Blood Novel 1

Mar 15, 11:00

4 comments

novels

This racy romance for women offers a dark take on sci fi adventure with some sensual thrills on the side. Rebecca Silverman has the details. ― Does it sometimes seem like male-oriented stories get all the sexy content? Maybe that's an overstatement, but there are definitely more racy stories written with a male audience in mind that are translated into English than their female-oriented equivalents. ...

column

16 comments

This Week in Anime - Kemurikusa is the True Successor to Kemono Friends

Mar 14, 14:00

16 comments

anime

This 3DCG series is the newest post-apocalyptic fantasy from TATSUKI, the creator of Kemono Friends. Micchy and Steve explain why you should be watching "Smokeweed the Animation" instead of the in-name-only Kemono Friends 2. ― Kemurikusa is the newest post-apocalyptic fantasy from TATSUKI, the creator of Kemono Friends. This week, Micchy and Steve explain why you should be watching "Smokeweed the An...

column

9 comments

This Week in Games - Just Say No

Mar 14, 13:00

9 comments

games

A Japanese actor's drug arrest yanks a Yakuza spinoff off the market while NIS America announces a ton of new stuff, and hey, Vanillaware is back with more fantasy - plus much more! ― Life comes at you fast sometimes. You might be mentally preparing a fun featurette for your weekly column since it's looking like it'll be a slow news week, when suddenly, BAM! A celebrity involved with a highly anticip...

review

78 comments

REVIEW: Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly

Mar 14, 12:00

78 comments

anime

The second film in the Sakura trilogy ramps up the stakes and the shock factor considerably, but is it a stronger movie for its intensity? Kim Morrissy has the answers ahead of its theatrical run this weekend. ― I called Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower my favorite anime film in 2017. I said that even though I considered myself only a casual Fate fan. I thought it was the best anime a...