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A Chat with Junji Nishimura, Director of Mechanical Marie
Nishimura has accrued over three decades of industry experience, including credits on numerous anime. We talked to him about his latest series, favorite robots, and pink-haired anime girls.
― Fall 2025's action romcom anime Mechanical Marie is highly anticipated by fans of Aki Akimoto's original six-volume manga series. Anime News Network was thankful for the opportunity to interview director Junji ...
Becoming Two Hikarus with Voice Actor Shūichirō Umeda
Shūichirō Umeda has the task of becoming two characters, Hikaru and "Hikaru." He shares the subtleties of his performance in our new interview!
― Known for smash hits like Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead and Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines, we at ANN are no strangers to Shuichiro Umeda's prolific body of work over these past few years. Now that Umeda has scored another big hit with The Summer Hika...
The Fall Anime 2025 Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll
The Fall Preview Guide is back with the second episodes of Lil Miss Vampire, One Punch Man, and Gnosia!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2025 Anime Preview Guide summoned 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 ...
The Mouth-Watering Delicious in Dungeon Exhibit Comes to NYC
The exhibit at the Chelsea Walls Gallery on 10th Street was inspired by a similar show in Japan and featured artwork spanning Kui's entire career thus far.
― Delicious in Dungeon was one of the breakout series of 2024, combining dungeon adventure with gourmet, locally-sourced meals. The arrival of an art exhibit centered on author Ryoko Kui in New York City was met with great excitement, and many fan...
Your Halloween 2025 Anime Watchlist
This Halloween season marks the perfect occasion to sit down and watch some of the best horror anime out there—and the ANN staff is here with their recommendations!
― Horror is a broad genre with many facets. For some, it's simply ghosts and monsters—the eldritch and the unknowable. For others, it's more psychological—the twisted aspects of the human soul and the terror born therein. And for still o...
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Voice Actor Interview: Kengo Kawanishi/Muichiro Tokito × Kana Hanazawa/Mitsuri Kanroji
Nikkei Entertainment! shares a behind-the-scenes interview with the cast of the summer's hottest film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle!
― English translation of articles from the Japanese entertainment magazine Nikkei Entertainment! Read Nikkei Entertainment! on the web! Find Nikkei Entertainment! on Instagram and X On July 11, a Pre-release Blessing Event was held at Zojoji Temple in ...
Preparing for Anime's Greatest Race: The Steel Ball Run Cast Take the Stage
The voices of Johnny Joestar, Gyro Zeppeli, Diego Brando, Lucy Steel, and Steven Steel shared their excitement for the next installment of JoJo's!
― April 12, 2025, fans of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure waited with bated breath during the final JOJODAY 2025 announcement, “Total Distance: Roughly 6,000 km. Prize money: 50 million dollars. Humanity's first horse race across America. Steel Ball Run Jojo's Bi...
100 Meters Anime Film Director Kenji Iwaisawa's Attention to Detail Puts Artistic Originality First
Iwaisawa's attention to natural movement and his team's stylistic take on the camera angles help to visually elevate the movie's message about chasing one's passion.
― Six years ago, Kenji Iwaisawa took the world by surprise with his hilariously charming adaptation of Hiroyuki Ohashi's ON-GAKU. Now, with a larger budget and a team of industry professionals, Iwaisawa has taken on the challenge of adap...
The Fall Anime 2025 Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll
The Fall Anime Preview Guide is almost complete! Read our reviews of With You, Our Love Will Make it Through, Li'l Miss Vampire Can't Suck Right, Spy×Family Season 3, One Punch Man Season 3, Gnosia, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray, Digimon Beatbreak, My Hero Academia Final Season, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2025 Anime Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll! Here's how it goes: our t...
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Turkey! Time to Strike's Hana Hishikawa and Noriko Hidaka
We spoke with voice actors Hishikawa and Hidaka about their work on Turkey!-Time to Strike- and their thoughts on bowling, time travel stories, and the Sengoku Period of Japan.
― On August 21, fans of Turkey! Time to Strike gathered at the Loft Plus One bar in Shinjuku for a talk show with voice actors Hana Hishikawa (voice of Mai Otonashi) and Noriko Hidaka (Sumomo), Yutaka Omatsu and Gen Oishi from...
The Fall Anime 2025 Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll
It's the perfect time to catch up on the fall anime season! Read our reviews of This Monster Wants to Eat Me, The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess, Wandance, GINTAMA - Mr. Ginpachi's Zany Class, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2025 Anime Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here ...
Turkey! Time to Strike Staff and Cast Pick Favorite Scenes at Talk Event
The voice actors and staff came together to discuss one of the most unique anime of the season, the time-traveling bowling anime Turkey!
― In the heart of Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku ward, anime fans gathered at the Loft Plus One bar for the anime talk show for one of the most interesting series of Summer 2025. That series is none other than Turkey! Time to Strike. The time-traveling bowling anime seri...
The Fall Anime 2025 Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll
The fall anime season is cooking up something delicious with Campfire Cooking in Another World Season 2. Read all the reviews for in the Preview Guide, now with two episode reviews!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2025 Anime Preview Guide summoned 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...
Pass The Monster Meat Milady is Cooking Up a Delicious Anime Confection
A manga about food is a surefire way to leave one hungry enough for the juicy details regarding its creation. To satiate our appetite, ANN sat down with manga creator Chika Mizube and Melphiera voice actor Kanna Nakamura to get the inside scoop.
― A manga about food is a surefire way to leave one hungry enough for the juicy details regarding its creation. Surely, the first ten minutes of Pass the Mon...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025
To Be Hero X zigged-zagged all season but finishes with the best episode, while in the cumulative My Dress-Up Darling lost to some stiff competition. Find out how your favorite shows fared in the final rankings 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 w...
The Fall Anime 2025 Preview Guide summoned by Crunchyroll
It's a five-star knockout for May I Ask One Final Thing? Read all our reviews, including: The Banished Court Magician Aims to Become the Strongest, Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota, My Hero Academia Final Season, Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!, A Star Brighter Than the Sun, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Dusk Beyond the End of the World, A Wild Last Boss Appeared!, Who Made Me a Princess, and more!
An Ode to Kikyo: In Defense of one of Takahashi's Most Hated Characters
Kikyo is the best character in InuYasha, and I will die on this hill (and be brought back to life 50 years later).
― If “Density of Fan Hate Per Onscreen Minute” were a quantifiable metric, FullMetal Alchemist's Shou Tucker would undoubtedly be the record-holder. But Kikyo, from when the InuYasha fandom was at its most active, would still easily crack the top 10, if not the top 5. To phrase that a bi...
My First Rumiko Takahashi Series
Soon approaching her 50th anniversary as a manga artist, Rumiko Takahashi has introduced generations to manga and anime through her stories.
― Soon approaching her 50th anniversary as a manga artist, Rumiko Takahashi has introduced generations to manga and anime through her stories. Her work spans the breadth of genres, from the hilarious mishaps in Urusei Yatsura and Ranma ½ to the horrific folktal...
The Fall 2025 Anime Trailer Watch Party is Tonight!
Come find your new must-watch anime with us on Friday at 5pm PT/8pm ET!
― The leaves are changing, and the anime season is, too. Anime News Network's Lynzee Loveridge, James Beckett, and Jacki Jing are happy to announce that YouTube personality Geoff Thew (Mother's Basement) is joining us to watch over 50 trailers from the upcoming anime season. Find your next must-watch anime, from the biggest hits ...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Sep 16-22
The Rising of the Shield Hero is dropping like a rock each week while Dr. Stone is rising like a hero. See you next week for the final results!
― 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 peopl...
Mother's Basement Joins The Fall 2025 Anime Trailer Watch Party!
Come find your new must-watch anime with us on Friday at 5pm PT/8pm ET!
― The leaves are changing, and the anime season is, too. Anime News Network's Lynzee Loveridge, James Beckett, and Jacki Jing are happy to announce that YouTube personality Geoff Thew (Mother's Basement) is joining us to watch over 50 trailers from the upcoming anime season. Find your next must-watch anime, from the biggest hits ...
The Most Anticipated Anime of Fall 2025
Fan-favorites like Spy×Family and Ranma ½ are set to return, but it was those little digital pals and a monstrous new series that really grabbed our critics' attention.
― As some of the biggest anime of the year wind to a close, our team looked to October and beyond for their next must-watch anime series. Fan-favorites like Spy×Family and Ranma ½ are set to return, but it was those little digital pa...
The Worst Anime of Summer 2025
In a season full of great anime, we had to dig a bit deeper to find the clunkers; most of the series on this list are competent but otherwise dragged down by unlikable characters and tired, one-note jokes.
― In a season full of great anime, we had to dig a bit deeper to find the clunkers; most of the series on this list are competent but otherwise dragged down by unlikable characters and tired, one-...
The Best Anime of Summer 2025
Even if you didn't love everything that came out, it's still hard to deny that there was a surfeit of delights for viewers to sample. Our editorial team weighs in with our favorite series from this packed season.
― The summer of 2025 has been one of the strongest anime seasons in recent memory. Perhaps that's hyperbolic, but even if you didn't love everything that came out, it's still hard to deny t...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Sep 9-15
Turkey! may have thrown off a lot of people at the beginning, but it seems to have found its audience as evidenced by its climb back from the pits of the cumulative. 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 simulcast...
The Complete To Be Hero X Timeline
To Be Hero X is a massive superhero chronicle that jumps back and forth over the course of 41 years. If you're chronologically confused, we're here to help.
― The story of To Be Hero X is a massive chronicle taking place over the course of 41 years. However, that is not to say it is told in any semblance of chronological order. Instead, the series hops back and forth across the decades, following ea...
Bringing Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra to the Fans with Director Yuji Yanase and Producer Yuki Mukai
Even when your lead characters are villains, Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra shows they're still someone to root for.
― There's nothing quite like Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra—an isekai series that takes place within the world of a 4X-type of strategy game, in which our protagonist (with the help of characters from the game) creates and rules over an evil kingdom. It has dark moments, villain protagonists...
For Webtoon Creator Mongie, Let's Play is Personal
Leeanne M. Krecic shares how comic series' characters are all reflections of herself, from Charles to Monica.
― Leeanne M. Krecic has accomplished what many fans only dream about: a studio is adapting her original story into an anime series. Also known as "Mongie," Krecic first launched Let's Play online comic on the WEBTOON platform in 2016, where it grew to 7.5 million readers, earned an Eisner Awa...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Sep 2-8
Spots 4-7 of the cumulative are in a hot race, with CITY The Animation currently leading. 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 rankings are ...
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...
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