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No Character is Safe in Hell's Paradise
In our interview with creator Yūji Kaku, we learn that every character has a "bad end" route, even protagonist Gabimaru.
― Hells Paradise captured the hearts of many people thanks to its unique setting, likable characters, and gorgeous animation. A great deal of thought went into how the anime presented itself visually and how the story effectively communicated its various potential branching paths. ...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Aug 26-Sep 1
We see some tectonic shifts in the cumulative, as Call of the Night grabs #1 and Anne Shirley knocks down My Dress-Up Darling. Discover what else is moving in the rankings!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these ra...
Why Chainsaw Man is Going Theatrical with MAPPA President Manabu Ohtsuka, Vice President Hiroya Hasegawa
MAPPA Studio president hopes theatrical release will expand the hit series' audience.
― The familiar faces of Chainsaw Man are set to make their return in the fall with the upcoming movie: Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. As a direct sequel to the first season, the story will continue from the events following the end of the season. Tatsuya Yoshihara, who was the action director of season one, wil...
TOUGEN ANKI Producer, Voice Actor Discuss Blood-Soaked Premiere
“I feel that I'm quite a reasoned person. Even when I get angry, I hold it back,” he said. “[Since] I started acting as Shiki's character, I've started to allow myself to let my true self out. It's okay to let your feelings out.”
― TOUGEN ANKI might seem on its surface like a typical shonen work: a young man is told he has a higher calling and is thrust into conflict. He's part of a long line of Oni ...
From The First Slam Dunk to ELECEED: DandeLion Animation Studio CEO Kazuhiro Nishikawa
We spoke with the studio CEO behind the critically-acclaimed The First Slam Dunk to find out more about their next project: the 2D-3D hybrid anime ELECEED.
― DandeLion Studios has been around for almost 20 years. You may know them as the production company responsible for the critically acclaimed movie The First Slam Dunk or the Oscar-nominated film Magic Candies. The studio's CEO, Kazuhiro Nishikawa...
Anime Dubs as Good as Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop may be the gold standard of English dubs, but it's hardly alone. There are plenty of shows that make the case for watching in English. Our editorial staff shares some of their favorites.
― Cowboy Bebop may be the gold standard of English dubs, but it's hardly alone. While some fans prefer subs over dubs, there are plenty of shows that make the case for watching in English. Our editorial...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Aug 19-25
Call of the Night and Anne Shirley see their best episodes yet, but it's not enough to move the top 10 cumulative. Below #10 everything is shifting around though.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are...
Influencers Gigguk, Dillon Goo, and OtakuVS On Making Their Own Anime
One might scoff at the notion: “Influencers are making anime now?” Such reductive thinking conflicts with the reality that the lines between industry professionals and content creators have been steadily blurring.
― GeeXPlus made waves here at Anime Expo by announcing GeeXProductions, a new IP division. As an internet influencer talent agency, GeeXPlus has been a supportive home for a range of varie...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Aug 12-18
Panty & Stocking bounce back from the previous week's stumble to take #1, just a hair ahead of The Summer Hikaru Died. Find out how your favorite shows fared in our weekly user rankings.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind...
How To Make a Whale Fly: An Interview with Leviathan's Scott Westerfeld, Christophe Ferreira, and Yūichirō Kido
We talked at length about the adaptation process, potential influences, and how the politically fraught world of Leviathan resonates with our own.
― When I sat down to watch Leviathan for review, it wasn't long before I was swept up by the series' rousing score, gorgeous visuals, and poignant storytelling. Studio Orange and Qubic Pictures crafted a tale that constantly put itself in my own mental con...
The Real Yokai of DAN DA DAN Part Two
Yokai expert Zack Davisson is back with six more monsters from DAN DA DAN, from the Mongolian Death Worm to the kasaobake!
― “Spirits, Paranormal Abilities, Urban Legends, UFOs, Ancient Civilizations, Alternate Worlds. In this world exists every conceivable mystery.” – Count Saint Germaine, DAN DA DAN Chapter 122. In The Definitive Guide to Japanese Yokai, folklorist and manga artist Shigeru Mizuki ...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Aug 5-11
If you thought food court equals boring and uninspired, See You Tomorrow at the Food Court is challenging that notion with a steady rise in the rankings. See how your favorite shows stack up this week!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcast...
How The Answer Studio Breathed New Life Into a Classic With Anne Shirley
Producer Yoshiko Nakayama and voice actor Honoka Inoue share their affinity for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved heroine and how they tackled bringing her tale to a new generation of anime fans
― Anne Shirley, animated by The Answer Studio, joins the long-standing tradition of adapting author Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel Anne of Green Gables for new audiences. While the novel is near and dear t...
How The Summer Hikaru Died Voice Actor Chiaki Kobayashi Learned a Rural Dialect
Kobayashi shared how he became familiar with his character Yoshiki's unique rural dialect used in The Summer Hikaru Died, and his friendship with co-star Shūichirō Umeda.
― The TV anime The Summer Hikaru Died is shaping up to be one of the best anime of the season. The horror series marries small-town life, supernatural occurrences, and the human emotions of grief among the sweltering heat of a Japa...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Jul 29-Aug 4
CITY The Animation is rocking this week's charts. Will it bump Anne Shirley out of the top 7 cumulative? Find out how your favorite shows stacked up according to viewer votes.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these...
The Next Big Shōnen Anime: Gachiakuta Creator Kei Urana, Graffiti Designer Hideyoshi Andō, Producer Naoki Amano
It was no small feat taking Gachiakuta from the pages of the manga to screens in full animated glory, and the results speak for themselves.
―
With Gachiakuta, it feels like we're on the precipice of something big. Its distinct style sets it apart from other shonen anime, and the fiery attitude it exudes resonates with audiences right now. The time is ripe for a fresh series that lets us channel our ...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Jul 22-28
Since coming back from its half-year hiatus, One Piece has been hitting in the top 5 nearly every week! Find out where your favorites rank this week!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are based on how...
A New Supernatural Human Drama: An Interview with This Monster Wants to Eat Me Director Yusuke Suzuki
We spoke with director Yusuke Suzuki about adapting Sai Naekawa's manga to the screen, casting the perfect voice actors for the main character trio, and how he set the stage for this supernatural human drama.
― Hinako Yaotose's life hasn't been easy. After surviving an accident that killed her family, she goes through her school days in her quiet seaside town under a cloud of survivor's guilt. It's t...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Jul 1-21
As we start the season, popular sequels My Dress-Up Darling and DAN DA DAN dominate as one might expect, but The Summer Hikaru Died might be our little surprise hit of the summer!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that t...
Returning to My Dress-Up Darling After 3 Years: Hina Suguta and Shoya Ishige
The lead voice actors for Marin Kitamura and Wakana Gojo share their favorite costumes, their favorite moments from the series, and more.
― My Dress-Up Darling is an anime that holds a special place in the hearts of many, including the actors who portray two of the main leads. Shoya Ishige and Hina Suguta, who played Wakana Gojo and Marin Kitagawa, respectively, attended Anime Expo 2025 to share with...
The Summer Anime 2025 Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
The Preview Guide is still going, with Kaiju No. 8!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll! 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 almost every show. This season, our Anime Preview Guide ...
The Summer Anime 2025 Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
Shiki's bombastic Oni powers can turn blood into a weapon. Read our reviews of Tougen Anki in the Preview Guide! Plus: New Panty and Stocking, The Summer Hikaru Died, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, Gachiakuta, My Dress-Up Darling Seaosn 2, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impression...
Car Chases, Analog Technology, and Social Commentary: An Interview with BULLET/BULLET Director Sunghoo Park
"When I'm watching Hollywood movies with car chases in the theater, I get so excited by the speed that I feel like I can't breathe."
― While anime is often thought of as being created by Japanese people by definition, this isn't always the case. Take, for example, Sunghoo Park. In recent years, this South Korean man has garnered no small amount of acclaim as the director for Garo: Vanishing Line, The...
The ANN Aftershow Returns with Spooky Summer Anime Line-up!
TONIGHT! The ANN Aftershow returns with The Summer Hikaru Died and DAN DA DAN Season 2!
― TONIGHT! The ANN Aftershow returns with spooky summer anime line-up! Join Jacki Jing, James Beckett, and Lynzee Loveridge as we discuss ghosts, aliens, monsters, and...chicken cutlets? 🍗 Join the discussion LIVE at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT on YouTube, X, and Facebook!
Global Anime Challenge Unites Industry Veterans to Mentor Aspiring Animators and Tackle Crunch Culture for a Healthier Future
Anime talents behind Frieren, The Elusive Samurai, & Your Name reflect on industry hardships and whether unionization could be the key to lasting reform.
― At Anime Central 2025, Anime News Network sat down with four of Japan's rising anime talents—director Keiichiro Saitō (Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Bocchi the Rock!), producer Takafumi Nakame (The Garden of Words, Your Name), and animators Kaoru...
Inside the Director's Toy Box: An Interview with Hiroshi Nagahama at Animazement 2025
If there's a director who embodies the childlike wonder of believing that a man can fly, look no further than Hiroshi Nagahama.
― If there's a director who embodies the childlike wonder of believing that a man can fly, look no further than Hiroshi Nagahama. While speaking at Otakon last year, the Mushi-Shi and Flowers of Evil director was so passionate about his work, he ended up having to leave the ...
The Summer Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
Shiki's bombastic Oni powers can turn blood into a weapon. Read our reviews of Tougen Anki in the Preview Guide! Plus: New Panty and Stocking, The Summer Hikaru Died, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, Gachiakuta, My Dress-Up Darling Seaosn 2, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impression...
New Director Kazuaki Kuribayashi is Risking it Big on KILLTUBE Anime Film
The film staff revealed a new scene at AX this year; read how the team raised US$6.68 million for this animated "experiment."
― On April 8, a one-minute clip circulating on social media caught anime fans' attention worldwide. It's actually the pilot film of the newly-announced anime film titled KILLTUBE. The film is scheduled to be released sometime in 2026, but it's safe to say that the release win...
The Summer Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
Life in this city is both the same and very different in KyoAni's adaptation of CITY. Read all of our reviews for the summer anime season including: See You Tomorrow at the Food Court, Puniru is a Kawaii Slime Season 2, Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra, Hotel Inhumans, Cultural Exchange with a Game Centre Girl, Uglymug, Epifighter, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Gui...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025
It's the final ranking of the Spring season and, while the top spots remain stable, the middle ranks shift around as Aharen-san, Catch Me at the Ballpark and Dinner Table Detective are rewarded by the strength of their last episodes.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Scor...
The Summer Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
We've got an early look at Gachiakuta! Check out our reviewers' impressions! Also Solo Camping for Two, Watari's **** is About to Collapse, Arknights: RISE FROM EMBER, Nyaight of the Living Cat, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they ...
The Summer Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
Welcome to the Summer Anime Preview Guide! We're kicking off July with Welcome to the Outcast's Restaurant, Hell Teacher, Reborn as a Vending Machine Season 2, New Saga, Onmyo Kaiten, and Clevatess!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go alo...
The Best Anime of Spring 2025
The spring season seemed quiet if it weren't for the enormous mecha in the room. Check our the ANN reviewer team's picks for the best anime of spring!
― The spring season seemed quiet if it weren't for the enormous mecha in the room. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux dominated conversations week-to-week as Evangelion and Shin Godzilla director Hideaki Anno penned scripts alongside Utena's Yōji Enokido fo...
Kana Hanazawa on Becoming Echika in Your Forma
We sat down with prolific voice actor Kana Hanazawa to discuss what draws her to investigative science fiction stories, how she crafted her role, and the appeal of Your Forma.
― Kana Hanazawa is no stranger to playing tough women in science fiction series. She previously starred as Akane Tsunemori in Psycho-Pass, a role not dissimilar to her current work as Echika, the protagonist of Your Forma. We ...
The Summer Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll
The Summer Anime Season is officially here and it's launching with a punch straight to the gut: Takopi's Original Sin
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide sponsored by Crunchyroll! 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...
The Summer 2025 Anime Trailer Watch Party with Vantacrow!
The stream goes live at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT!
Sponsored by Crunchyroll. ― The Anime News Network Trailer Watch Party crew is excited to welcome NIJISANJI EN VTuber Vantacrow Bringer to this season's stream! Vantacrow is the hero the team needs to face this season's 70-trailer challenge on Friday, June 27. You can join us and chat live on YouTube and X while discovering your next anime obsession. The stre...
Sponsored by Crunchyroll. ― The Anime News Network Trailer Watch Party crew is excited to welcome NIJISANJI EN VTuber Vantacrow Bringer to this season's stream! Vantacrow is the hero the team needs to face this season's 70-trailer challenge on Friday, June 27. You can join us and chat live on YouTube and X while discovering your next anime obsession. The stre...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, Jun 17-23
Thanks to another #1 spot in the weekly ranking, Apocalypse Hotel bumps down Kowloon Generic Romance to grab #3 in the cumulative. Will it stay like that for the final ranking next week?
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind...
ODDTAXI's Baku Kinoshita Wants to Take His Time in The Last Blossom
For his follow-up, The Last Blossom, Baku Kinoshita has crafted a feature film that's both strikingly different than ODDTAXI while being recognizably from the same creative mind.
― ODDTAXI was a singular piece of TV animation, a character drama that is crushingly sad but with enough magical realism to give it a sense of whimsy. It created a unique world filled with memorable and complex side characte...
The Most Anticipated Anime of Summer 2025
There's no getting around it: Summer 2025 is one of the biggest anime seasons we've ever seen. Find out which anime our reviewers can't wait to watch!
― There's no getting around it: Summer 2025 is one of the biggest anime seasons we've ever seen. While preparing for the Summer Anime Trailer Watch Party, I counted no less than 70 trailers between TV anime and Netflix originals premiering between lat...
The Summer Hikaru Died Director Ryohei Takeshita on Crafting a Sense of Dread
We spoke with the director of one of the most anticipated anime of the summer about how to make horror work in an animated series.
― The upcoming The Summer Hikaru Died anime series has big shoes to fill. The anime series, written and directed by Ryohei Takeshita (Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night), is based on Mokumokuren's best-selling manga series. With over three million copies in print, the ser...
The Worst Anime of Spring 2025
Which is more disappointing? A show with all the makings of a competent sci-fi thriller that fumbles it from the starting line, or a series backed by one of the industry's biggest stars that fails to deliver on its promises?
― Which is more disappointing? A show with all the makings of a competent sci-fi thriller that fumbles it from the starting line, or a series backed by one of the industry's big...
NIJISANJI EN VTuber Vantacrow Joins The Summer 2025 Anime Trailer Watch Party!
― The Anime News Network Trailer Watch Party crew is excited to welcome NIJISANJI EN VTuber Vantacrow Bringer to this season's stream! Vantacrow is the hero the team needs to face this season's 70-trailer challenge on Friday, June 27. You can join us and chat live on YouTube and X while discovering your next anime obsession. The stream will be live on Friday, June 27 at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern. If y...
Opening the Apocalypse Hotel with CygamesPictures President Nobuhiro Takenaka, Director Kana Shundo, & Screenwriter Shigeru Murakoshi
We spoke with the original anime's staff about crafting this alternate version of Tokyo's high-end Ginza district, how the team connected robots with their audience, and if the studio has more original anime works on the horizon.
― In the remains of Tokyo's Ginza district stands the glamorous Gingarou Hotel. The staff work diligently to provide expert service for its guests. The only problem? Humanit...
Inside The Real Kowloon Walled City that Inspired Kowloon Generic Romance
Where does fact end and fiction begin in the iconic and historical setting of Kowloon Generic Romance? Let’s find out!
― Even with competition from heavy-hitters like Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX and Anne Shirley, Kowloon Generic Romance (KGR), which is based on the manga series of the same name by Jun Mayuzuki, has emerged as one of the foremost critical darlings of the Spring 2025 season in anime—e...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, Jun 10-16
Kowloon Generic Romance snags the first spot this week, and Gundam GQuuuuuuX rises in the cumulative after a mid-season dip. Check out our weekly user rankings!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are b...
The Summer 2025 Anime Trailer Watch Party Returns...with a Mysterious Guest
The Summer Anime Trailer Watch Party returns on June 27 at 6pm PT/9pm ET! Who's that lurking in the shadows...
― The year's hottest anime season launches in a few weeks, and Anime News Network's Lynzee Loveridge and Jacki Jing are on deck with hot takes, cool drinks, and a surprise guest. Who's that lurking in the shadows... Find your next must-watch anime with Anime News Network executive editor Lyn...
CGI Veteran Hiroyasu Kobayashi Breaks Down How He Mech-ed the Magic Happen In Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
At Anime Central 2025, the renowned CGI animator shared insights on blending GQuuuuuuX’s 2D and 3D animation and his favorite mobile suit.
― At Anime Central 2025, veteran CGI designer and director Hiroyasu Kobayashi made a special guest appearance to discuss his extensive career in the anime industry. With a portfolio spanning video games, anime, and films such as Gravity Rush, Honkai Impact 3rd [R...
There From the Beginning: An Interview with Anime Legend Masao Maruyama at Animazement 2025
If you compare the anime industry to a historical document, Masao Maruyama has been around since ink was first put to parchment—or, in his case, paint to celluloid.
― If you were to compare the anime industry to a historical document, Masao Maruyama has been around since ink was first put to parchment—or, in his case, paint to celluloid. In his over-60-year career, the prolific creative producer had...
Anime Pilgrimage and the Growing Worldwide Appeal of Personal Pilgrimage
Asha Bardon explores sites off the beaten path and explains why so many anime fans are making their own pilgrimages.
― It's the end of a much-loved anime movie: Makoto Shinkai's 2016 hit Your Name. The protagonists, Mitsuha and Taki, have just glimpsed each other on a subway train in Tokyo, only for both to get off at the next station and frantically try to find each other. Then they come to some ste...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, Jun 3-9
With high ratings since episode 2, Apocalypse Hotel grabs the top spot this week and so breaks into the cumulative top 5 at #4! See how your favorite shows stack up this week!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these...
From Sanji to Kotetsu T. Kaburagi — An Interview with Hiroaki Hirata at Animazement 2025
The One Piece and Tiger & Bunny actor spills the beans on Tiger & Bunny 2 production and a whole season worth of scripts that weren't used.
― For two-and-a-half decades, audiences around the world have known Hiroaki Hirata as the Straw Hats' womanizing, chain-smoking chef Sanji. But just as One Piece started to take over the Western world and long before I knew what a “Going Merry” was, I'd come to ...
Look Back Director Discusses Artistic Struggles, Anime Adaptation Philosophy, and AI's Role in Creativity
― Studio Durian's film adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto's emotionally resonant one-shot manga, Look Back, is arguably one of the most moving pieces of art to come out of animation in quite a while. As evident by its booming box office success both in Japan and North America and numerous award circuit sweeps, Look Back stands as a testament both to the grueling labor of love that ...
Look Back Director Discusses Artistic Struggles, Anime Adaptation Philosophy, and AI's Role in Creativity
Kiyotaka Oshiyama discusses AI’s impact on traditional arts and whether anime adaptations should be dogmatically faithful to the source material.
― Studio Durian's film adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto's emotionally resonant one-shot manga, Look Back, is arguably one of the most moving pieces of art to come out of animation in quite a while. As evident by its booming box office su...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, May 27-Jun 2
While The Apothecary Diaries is solidifying its hold on the cumulative, slow-starting series Ninja & Assassin and Too-Perfect Saint are lately picking up steam.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are b...
Merging Western Comics and Anime: An Interview with Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League Writer Kazuki Nakashima
“I think it's rude for a creator to talk about the essence of a character. What's important is if people can watch the work and feel that on their own."
― Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is a superhero anime film that takes DC Comics' Justice League of America and reimagines them as yakuza. But that's only the start of how over-the-top this film gets. It's got everything from sudden musical numbers to...
Turning the Justice League into Yakuza: An Interview with Character Designer Takashi Okazaki
The new film Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League reimagines the JLA as yakuza. Character Designer Takashi Okazaki talks about how he did it.
― The sequel to 2018's Batman Ninja, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League follows Batman and the larger Bat Family as they venture into a strange land where the Justice League of America have all been warped into yakuza versions of themselves. While the film itself is part...
Production +h Want Dark Machine To Be For Gaming What Slam Dunk Was For Basketball
Producer Fuminori Honda and director Tomoyuki Kurokawa discuss working on Dead Dead Demon’s Dedede Destruction and what viewers can look forward to with Production +h’s video game anime Dark Machine.
― Despite being newer on the scene, Production +h is an anime studio already making waves with animated films like Netflix's The Orbital Children and the anime adaptation of Inio Asano's post-apocalypti...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, May 20-26
The top 5 cumulative is nigh undefeatable, with those same series forming this week's top 5 as well. See how all your favorites fared in our weekly user rankings.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are...
DAN DA DAN Evil Eye World Premiere Packs the House
The compilation's recap will get you up to speed, but you'll have to wait until the television premiere for any sort of conclusion.
― GKIDS premiered the highly anticipated continuation of Science SARU's adaptation of DAN DA DAN on Thursday. Ahead of its debut in Japan, fans in North America were the first in the world to watch DAN DA DAN: Evil Eye, a compilation movie featuring the first three episo...
Anime Director Shinichirō Watanabe's Corporate Dystopias
Kambole Campbell looks at the political throughline of Watanabe's work, from Cowboy Bebop's destroyed moon to Lazarus' healthcare crisis.
― Whether it's the sprawling mix of frontier towns and multicultural urban mazes of Cowboy Bebop, or the more clearcut contrast seen in Carole & Tuesday's Martian landscape or “Babylonia City” in Lazarus—familiarity bleeds through the various futurescapes in the wo...
Rock is a Lady's Modesty Director Shinya Watada and the Rise of Girl Bands
The hit series' director Shinya Watada discusses working with real-life group BAND-MAID, the inescapable appeal of female rockers, and how they reflect the times we live in.
― Inside the walls of Oshin Girls' Academy, an unexpected story is forming. Lilisa, the new step-daughter of a rich father, is determined to cement her status and become the school's next Noble Maiden. However, deep in her heart ...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, May 13-19
This week while The Apothecary Diaries is taking a break, Apocalypse Hotel grabs the first place! Find out how your favorite shows performed in our weekly user rankings.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these ranki...
Returning to Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube After 30 Years: Voice Actor Ryōtarō Okiayu
Voice actor Ryōtarō Okiayu returns as Meisuke “Nube” Nueno this summer, and his Demon's Hand is fired up!
― In 1996, a modern action-horror series graced the airwaves of Japan. That series was none other than Jigoku Sensei Nube. Following the clumsy elementary school teacher Meisuke “Nube” Nueno, he fights off spirits who would harm his students with his Demon's Hand. The series was massively popular...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Spring 2025, Apr 1-May 12
Now resuming your regularly scheduled weekly rankings, with Anne Shirley and The Apothecary facing off for first place of the Spring 2025 season!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are based on how peo...
Girls Band Cry Exhibition Brings the Anime's Locations into the Real World
The Grand Opening of the Exhibition also featured an appearance by three members of Togenashi Togeari, Rina (Nina Iseri), Yuri (Momoa Kawaragi), and Shuri (Rupa).
― One of the latest series in the all-girls band genre of anime is none other than 2024's Girls Band Cry. Starring the bands Togenashi Togeari and Diamond Dust and their respective members, the series garnered itself a fan base with its sto...
Finding the Human Heart in a Cyberpunk World: An Interview with YOUR FORMA Director Takaharu Ozaki
"When you add this into the drama between two people, I thought this work could be condensed to explore modern themes and social issues.”
― Currently-airing anime YOUR FORMA is a sci-fi suspense story set in a world filled with humans and androids. The story follows Electronic Investigator Echika and her “Amicus” —i.e., android—partner Harold, as they dive into people's digital memories to solve crim...
Anne Voice Actress Eiko Yamada on What Anne of Green Gables Means to Her
Yamada shares her thoughts on the story and characters that have been integral to so much of her life—starting with the titular Anne.
― With the new anime Anne Shirley on the air and the recently-held concert for the 1979 World Masterpiece Theater Anne of Green Gables anime in Tokyo, the over 100-year-old story is back at the forefront of the Japanese popular consciousness. Thanks to this, Anime News...
Newtype Exclusive Interview with SAKAMOTO DAYS Cast, Tomokazu Sugita as Taro Sakamoto and Nobunaga Shimazaki as Shin Asakura!
The two lead actors from the hit anime series SAKAMOTO DAYS share their experiences as Sakamoto and Shin!
― Crazy incidents break out in the daily life of this former assassin! Taro Sakamoto is a man who runs a convenience store in a peaceful town. He may look like your regular chubby guy, but he was once known as the "Legendary Hit Man" whom all the bad guys feared. After falling in love and retirin...
Backstage Stories About the Making of 1979 Classic Anne of Green Gables with Anne Herself, Eiko Yamada
Eiko Yamada shares how she got the role, working with acclaimed Ghibli directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, and her most memorable moments.
― 2025 is looking to be a big year for Anne of Green Gables. Not only is there a new anime adaptation of Anne Shirley currently airing, but a concert showcasing the music from the 1979 World Masterpiece Theater classic adaptation was held in Tokyo recentl...
Event Report: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Overtakes Shibuya!
From Giant Iggy to Steel Ball Run, we have a full report of JOJODAY in Shibuya!
― Just over a decade ago, the anime world was graced with an adaptation of one of the most artistically beautiful shonen manga series: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Following the Joestar family through six, depending on how you view the family tree, an array of stories across multiple locales. So, what better way to celebrate...
Inside CoMix Wave Films: The Studio That Made Your Name.
We took a look inside the acclaimed anime studio to talk with its staff about how they made Makoto Shinkai's hit films.
― On the Eastern fringes of Suginami Ward of Tokyo rests Ogikubo. A well-known hub for the development of Tokyo ramen, the town is home to one of the most creative modern anime studios. That studio is none other than CoMix Wave Films. Known for producing all of Makoto Shinkai's film...
The Spring 2025 Anime Preview Guide
The spring anime season premieres are wrapping up. Read all our reviews and make sure to vote for your favorites in the Daily Streaming poll!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2025 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 ...
The Spring 2025 Anime Preview Guide
The highly-anticipated Gundam GQuuuuuux smashed onto the small screen this week. Read our reviews of studio khara's entry into the mecha franchise. Plus: Apocalypse Hotel, The Shiunji Family Children, MHA Vigilantes, Lazarus, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2025 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as...
Summer Pockets Writer, Director On The Hardest Things About Turning a Game into an Anime
“This is kind of bad to say, but there are some works that just can't be adapted [into an anime].”
― During the “'Summer Pockets' Staff Talk Stage by Production Works Gallery”at Anime Japan 2025, game writer Kai and the upcoming anime adaptation director Tomoki Kobayashi spoke a bit about the troubles of turning a game into an anime. The Summer Pockets anime is based on the 2018 Key visual novel of t...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025
Ending the season with a strong episode, The Apothecary Diaries turns the tables on Orb at the very last minute. Check out what else moved up or down in the final ranking of the Winter 2024 season!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. K...
The Spring 2025 Anime Preview Guide
It's time for another superpowered adventure in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes! Also check out our reviews of Zabi Tabi, Aharen-san wa Hakarenai Season 2, Lazarus, Witch Watch, Kowloon Generic Romance, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2025 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 criti...
Voice Actors Shōgo Sakata and Miharu Hanai Talk About Their Love for The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
ANN caught up with Shogo Sakata and Miharu Hanai to get their thoughts on playing Zenos and Lily in The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows.
― At the recent world premiere for upcoming spring anime The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
here in Tokyo, ANN sat down with voice actors Shōgo Sakata and Miharu Hanai. Together, they talked
about their respective characters (Zenos and Lily), ...
Director Shu Watanabe on The Too-Perfect Saint and Turning it into an Anime
ANN sat down with Shu Watanabe to discuss the anime adaption of The Too-Perfect Saint and what viewers can expect.
―
Koki Fuyutsuki's light novel series The Too-Perfect Saint may sound like every other saint-based story out there, but it offers some variations on the theme. More Cinderella than its isekai compatriots, the story follows Philia, a protagonist. She carries out her duties perfectly as t...
The Spring 2025 Anime Preview Guide
It's the biggest day yet for our Preview Guide, starting with The Dinner Table Detective! Also check our reviews for Your Forma, Fire Force Season 3, Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive?, and more.
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2025 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 a...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Mar 19-25
Solo Leveling takes the first spot this week, but it's not enough to move the needle in the cumulative. Stay tuned for the final results next week!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are based on how p...
The Most Anticipated Anime of Spring 2025
Each new season brings with it a sense of anticipation. What new shows will wow us? Which ones will sound great on paper and then crumble under their own weight? Which will surprise us?
― Each new season brings with it a sense of anticipation. What new shows will wow us? Which ones will sound great on paper and then crumble under their own weight? Which will surprise us? Our review team gets into wh...
The Worst Anime of Winter 2025
Not every show can be a winner, and sadly there was no shortage of stinkers in the Winter 2025 season.
― Not every show can be a winner, and sadly there was no shortage of stinkers in the Winter 2025 season. From an elf sexually attracted to her pet to shows that squandered their potential, these are the series our reviewers were underwhelmed by this past season. For our long-time readers, the seaso...
The Spring 2025 Trailer Anime Watch Party
The Anime Trailer Watch Party returns on Tuesday, March 25, for another season, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement is back onboard!
― The Anime Trailer Watch Party returns on Tuesday, March 25, for another season, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement is back onboard! Find your next must-watch anime with Anime News Network executive editor Lynzee Loveridge, ANN video producer Jacki Jing, and Geoff...
The Best Anime of Winter 2025
The first anime season of 2025 has wrapped! What shook out as some of the best series of the season?
― The first anime season of 2025 has wrapped! What shook out as some of the best series of the season? Our reviewers piled on the love for the second season of Apothecary Diaries, but one series stood above the rest. For our long-time readers, the seasonal Best Anime, Worst Anime, and Most Anticipate...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Mar 12-18
Zenshu narrowly beats Solo Leveling to the top spot this week, and the cumulative is quiet as we enter the final two weeks of the season. Find out where your favorites rank this week!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind th...
Chainsaw Man Voice Actors Reveal Their Favorite Scenes
At Anime Japan this past weekend, three Chainsaw Man voice actors showed off their favorite scenes from the first season—and Power didn't show up in a single one!
― At the “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Anime Japan 2025 Special Stage” this past weekend, Chainsaw Man voice actors Kikunosuke Toya (Denji), Tomori Kusunoki (Makima), and Maaya Uchida (Angel Devil) each showed off their favorite scene...
I Watched It For The Story
We've all been there—you find a show with such a compelling, engaging story that you can't stop watching...but it looks like absolute garbage.
― We've all been there—you find a show with such a compelling, engaging story that you can't stop watching...but it looks like absolute garbage. Maybe the character designs are terrible, maybe the animation is intensely subpar, maybe baffling color choices we...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Mar 5-11
After a few weeks of great results in the weekly ranking, Dr. Stone is starting to see this reflect in the cumulative! Find out how your favorite shows fared in our weekly user rankings.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind...
Sword Art Online Illustrator BUNBUN Celebrates 20th Anniversary Exhibition
Check out the exhibition to see everything from BUNBUN's Sword Art Online and Yuki Yuna Is a Hero artwork to more obscure finds, like his early doujin!
― Anime and manga exhibitions are mainstay events across Japan. From displays in event centers to established museums, fans of both mediums love seeing manuscripts of their favorite works. Light novel illustrators are often overlooked in their creativ...
Newtype Exclusive Interview with Composer Kaoru Wada: Crafting the Soundscape of Ranma ½
The director's order: “A song with a melody.” Composer Wada discusses how they added a "Chinese feel" to the hit romantic comedy anime!
― The director's order: “A song with a melody.” —How did you feel when you were asked to work on “Ranma”? Wada: I had worked on Inuyasha for a long time and have a close relationship with the original author, Rumiko Takahashi, on both a personal and professional lev...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Feb 26-Mar 4
After several weeks coming close, Zenshu grabs the top spot this week! And in the cumulative, Orb narrowly reclaims #1 from Apothecary Diaries. Discover what else is moving in the rankings.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in m...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Feb 19-25
Sakamoto Days started strong but now appears to be losing steam? Find out how your favorite shows stacked up according to viewer votes.
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are based on how people rated ...
History of Saban: Part 2
Saban finds an ally in Margaret Loesch, helping to bring in a new wave of transforming heroes to kids. The success would open new doors for anime in the West as the media mogul's ventures take over Fox Kids.
― Striking Gold With Costumed Heroes Moving into the 1990s, Saban Entertainment would begin their relationship with the burgeoning Fox Kids block being helmed by Margaret Loesch, an executive pro...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2025, Feb 12-18
Thanks to another great episode, Zenshu climbs the cumulative by severals spots. Meanwhile Übel Blatt suffers the opposite situation. See how your favorite shows stack up this week!
― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that...
The Beginning After The End Web Comic's TurtleMe on His Upcoming Anime Adaptation
A decade after launch, The Beginning After The End is getting the anime treatment. We spoke with the series creator about developing the world and any concerns about the format change up.
― The Beginning After the End is a lot of things. It's a web novel, a webcomic and in 2025, it's going to be an anime directed by Keitaro Motonaga at studio A-CAT. Written by TurtleMe, the story starts with King Gr...
History of Saban: Part 1
In the first installment of a three-part feature, Kurt Yoder chronicles Haim Saban's beginnings in music to his early cartoon career with Inspector Gadget, Mysterious Cities of Gold and Macron 1.
― Introduction Adapting Japanese media has taken many forms over the past 60 years, from rewriting stories and editing content to creating new music scores. While the practice has mostly fallen out of favor ...
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