The villainess leanings of the anime’s story make for a charming watch, imperfect as it all is. ― A lot of fantasies and fairy tales treat their villains more as obstacles than real characters. They're generally vile beings whose sole purpose is to cast curses, poison apples, and eventually get thwacked by the good guys. The reverse, I think, is part of the appeal of villainess isekai. We want to see...

column

7 comments

Answerman - Is Makio from Journal with Witch Neurodivergent, or Are We Just Projecting?

Apr 6, 10:00

7 comments

anime

Journal with Witch touched a lot of viewers and offered a relateable character in Makio. But are we just projecting Western views on a Japanese creation? Jerome gets into it. ― A Reader asks: Dear Answerman, I'm obsessed with Journal with Witch this season. It feels so much more 'real' than the usual high school dramas, but I've noticed some heated debates online. Some fans are calling the protagoni...

column

3 comments

This Week in Mobile Games - Obey Me On The Holy Night

Apr 6, 09:00

3 comments

games

Could the Idolm@ster games finally be getting an English release? Nothing is certain, but it's an exciting possibility! Also introducing the new Maiden's Corner feature, focusing on otome games! ― Another hearty welcome to you, to this, the latest edition of This Week in Mobile Games! I've been decompressing a bit by locking in with Bungie's Marathon, a definitely-not-mobile game, but a grand time al...

feature

5 comments

A Brief History of Rakugo

Apr 6, 09:00

5 comments

culture

The world of rakugo is waiting for you, with fart jokes and ghosts galore; all you have to do is sit down and listen. ― There's a widely held view that humans are, in terms of communication, storytellers. We enjoy spinning yarns, gossiping about others, relaying mundane tasks as heroic quests, and investing in our future by passing on the tales of those who came before. There are numerous storytelli...

review

Devil's in the Lunch Deals Manga Review

Apr 5, 12:00 manga

This tale of an outcast goddess of death who makes delicious food and tries to do good deeds as penance for being, you know, a goddess of death, is prickly and weird, and I think I love it. ― Fairytales play a significant role in human society. They stand in as simplistic moral education, tales of punishment and reward. They are also expressions of psychological and philosophical experimentation. Fai...

feature

116 comments

The Spring 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Apr 5, 09:44

116 comments

anime

Do you have what it takes to compete in the Liar Game? Also check out our reviewers' thoughts on The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt, Ghost Concert: missing Songs, Nippon Sangoku The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2026 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be ...

feature

3 comments

Sailor Guardians Take on a Modern Threat in Stunning New Musical Show

Apr 5, 09:00

3 comments

live-action

In a world that demands perfection insofar as we're creating algorithms to streamline the humanity out of art, the cast sings that "imperfection is fine" and that it's what is necessary to make us human. ― It felt like a full-circle career moment. There I was, in Japan, mostly for the annual AnimeJapan event coverage. This is my third year flying out of the country to intermingle with Japanese compan...

review

Oshi no Ko Volumes 9-12 Manga Review

Apr 4, 12:00 manga

It’s painful to read this flawed yet sympathetic character slide further towards self-destruction, but that’s all part of the dark appeal of Oshi no Ko. ― For readers wanting to catch up on the manga story after the point where the anime adaptation's second season left off, volume nine is the place to start. Oshi no Ko's anime maintains close fidelity to its manga source, and the four volumes covered...

review

From a Knight to a Lady Volume 1 K-Comic Review

Apr 3, 12:00 korean

Luci's mission becomes greater than just her own situation; she's the woman who will take back what other women lost and rewrite the narrative. ― Estelle spent most of her life defying gender norms. As an orphaned girl, she wanted to be in a position to protect rather than be protected, and to that end, she became one of her country's first lady knights. She continued her rise to the top, proving all...

column

20 comments

This Week in Games - Screamer Interview with Milestone and Polygon Pictures

Apr 3, 10:00

20 comments

games

Bad news about Sony's PlayStation pricing is tempered by an interview about Screamer in this week's column. ― Welcome back, folks! This past weekend, I was lucky enough to get invited onto the Axe of the Blood God podcast to discuss the .hack//IMOQ games, as well as the rest of the early .hack franchise. It was a great time, I deeply enjoyed getting to speak with Victor and Harper, and I'd love to do...

feature

3 comments

Absolute Borderline: The Early Days of Evangelion Fandom, Part Three

Apr 3, 09:00

3 comments

anime industry

Brian brings us to the end of the beginning in the final part of his history of Evangelion fandom. ― So, ADV had just announced that they had acquired the North American rights to the Evangelion TV series. Not only that, but they also promised a version with all new animation, confusing Western fans. And how did Gainax respond to the news? Four days after ADV's announcement, Michael House, Gainax's i...

Umigui (manga)

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