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Kiki's Delivery Service Illustrator Akiko Hayashi Dies at 81

Jul 12, 21:15

people

Hayashi illustrated many children's books including Miki's First Errand, There's a Hippo in My Bath! ― Japanese news outlet The Mainichi reported on Wednesday children's book author and illustrator Akiko Hayashi died of pneumonia on July 1 in a hospital in Nagano prefecture. She was 81.She was known for illustrating the first novel of Eiko Kadono's children's novel Kiki's Delivery Service, which Stud...

game review

Star Fox (2026) Game Review

Jul 12, 12:00

games

I was scared it would be just a very safe yet well-produced retread of familiar ground, and I was mostly right. ― It is nearly impossible to talk about this game without explaining the complicated pedigree that precedes it. Star Fox is an established Nintendo IP, but unlike many others such as Mario, Zelda, or even Metroid, the scope of games in Star Fox's library is a little bit muddled. Even though...

news

Mob Psycho 100 III Anime Marks 10th Anniversary With New Short

Jul 12, 10:41 anime

Director Yuzuru Tachikawa, character designer Yoshimichi Kameda reunite for English-subtitled short ― The "Mob Psycho 100 Anime 10th Anniversary Event: Reunion" presented a new anime short at the Fukagawa Mirai Hall in Kawaguchi City, Saitama on Sunday. The short, which is streaming online with English subtitles, features Reigen, Shigeo ("Mob"), Dimple, and Tome at the Spirits and Such Consultation O...

Girls Band Bandwidth: How BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA's Use of Streamers and Social Media Brings Its Story Into the Future

Jul 12, 10:00 anime streamers

The internet is cornerstone of the modern entertainment complex. Creators wanting to get their work out cannot merely be adept in their craft—they must also be able to navigate the multiplicitous lanes and uncertain signage of the information superhighway. So it must go as well for the girls bands in the BanG Dream! franchise, with this season's YUME∞MITA being heavily based in that space. ― The int...

survey

Time to Choose Your Daily Streaming Reviews: Summer 2026

Jul 12, 09:00 anime

Hey. Just checking in. Have you voted in our daily streaming review poll yet?

game review

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Game Review

Jul 12, 09:00

games

A competent and extremely promising first outing, Millennium Tales doesn't overstay its welcome, is a bit too chatty, feels great to play, but it needs just the tiniest kick in the pants. ― Team Asano has yet again moved into a new genre for their HD-2D titles: this time, an action-adventure title. While the title doesn't seem to promise much, and the characters skew a bit too archetypal for my taste...

review

Unanswered//Butterfly: Sword Art Online Anime Film Review

Jul 11, 12:00

anime

While this film is certainly worth watching to anyone who loves Sword Art Online, the fact that the bar to entry is $110 feels ludicrous. ― Unanswered//Butterfly: Sword Art Online is far from the first anime to be released as a video game extra—in this case, the Echoes of Aincrad Ultimate Edition. However, rather than an extra episode or OVA, Unanswered//Butterfly is a full-on feature film that clock...

convention

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WITCH X WITCH: Kamome Shirahama and Dana Terrace Share Their Love of Fantasy at Kodansha House

Jul 10, 12:30

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manga events

Witch Hat Atelier and The Owl House creators sit down for a one-of-a-kind discussion ― Sixty fans of The Owl House and Witch Hat Atelier joined under one roof for a special Q&A session with creators Dana Terrace and Kamome Shirahama. After many years of mutual admiration, the two fantasy writers had a public discussion about each other's work. Shirahama wore her usual Iguin cosplay while Terrace donn...

review

Hide and Seek Manga Review

Jul 10, 12:00

manga

Naono Yoshiko’s line of '70s shoujo horror stories is as grisly, harrowing, and all-around entertaining a read as they come. ― My introduction to Hide and Seek went thusly: 70's shoujo manga focusing on children who meet horrible ends. I heard “70's” and “children who meet horrible ends” and immediately thought of Ringing Bell, which (cold take, I know, but) to this day is still my gold standard of o...

column

20 comments

This Week in Games - The Boat Came Back

Jul 10, 10:00

20 comments

games

Jean-Karlo has lots of exciting retro game news for you this week. Are you ready to set out in your nice boat? ― Welcome back, folks! Lots of photos floated around from this past weekend's Anime Expo. Apparently, they really messed up Artist Alley (sad to hear). On the other hand, Shift-Up had a Goddess of Victory: Nikke stall, complete with a Doro mascot. All the love to whoever was in that thing; t...

interview

Holding Nothing Back and Giving it Absolutely Everything: A Chat with Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2 Director, Hideaki Nakano

Jul 10, 09:00

anime

Hideaki Nakano talks about moving into the director's chair for Wistoria's second season and what he loves about the show. ― With its gorgeous visuals, rich world building, and absolutely electrifying direction, Wistoria: Wand and Sword is an obvious standout in the realm of magical school anime. While season one was directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, who would later go on to direct Chainsaw Man: Reze A...

news

43 comments

Live-Action Naruto Hollywood Film Launches Global Casting Call for 3 Main Leads

Jul 9, 21:15

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live-action

Casting for other characters to come later ― The official website for the Naruto franchise announced on Friday that Lionsgate's live-action film adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto manga has begun a global casting search for the main characters Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, with casting for other characters to come at a later date. Kishimoto commented on the announcement: Right now, miracles are h...

4 comments

How BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA Uses Shoujo Tropes to Tell a New Kind of Girls' Band Story

Jul 9, 20:43

4 comments

anime

How BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA references a ton of foundational Shoujo themes, but in a completely new way. From the harrowed heroine to the new girl, find out how YUME∞MITA delivers a uniquely emotional experience. ― The BanG Dream! franchise is one that has regularly referenced a variety of genres. Obviously this largely refers to the musical acts, where the catchy rock of Poppin'Party will play alongsi...

convention

Firefly Wedding Anime Premiere Draws A Crowd With Its Bloody Adaptation

Jul 9, 14:30 anime

The anime turns up Shinpei's yandere tendencies, which Uchiyama delivers with thrilling precision. His final scene, where he promises to make her happy—excitedly smiling while doused in blood—is sure to be as memorable as Future Diary's Yuno Gasai viral yandere face. ― The animated adaptation of Oreco Tachibana's Meiji-era historical romance, Firefly Wedding, brought together an excited group of fan...

feature

The Fire Emblem Influence Is Strong In Brigandine Abyss

Jul 9, 13:00

games

Here’s an upcoming title that doesn’t just remember Path of Radiance, it really, really, REALLY remembers it. ― Masayuki Horikawa and Rei Kondoh. That was all I needed to know when I first heard about this game. You mean to tell me the director of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is working alongside the guy who helped compose the Okami soundtrack (as well as other Fire Emblem games)? Teenage me from ci...

review

Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt Anime Series Review

Jul 9, 12:00