Interviews - October 2020

Grave of the Fireflies Novel Review

Sep 28, 12:00

novels

Reading the book through the film, there are many startling “omissions." ― For decades, literature lovers have fretted that some classics have been obscured by their animated film adaptations, which youngsters might see as definitive. How many people, for instance, now think of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Bambi and The Jungle Book as being films by Disney, rather than books by Lewis Carroll, Fe...

feature

Yokai Cats and Time Travel: Twenty-One Volumes of Rumiko Takahashi's Mao

Sep 28, 11:00

manga

Taking a more aggressive horror angle, Mao bridges time from the Heian Era to the Taishō Era to today, telling a story about insatiable greed for power and those who try to stop it. ― I always try to admit when I'm wrong. Mao, Rumiko Takahashi's current long-running manga series, didn't wow me with its first volume. I uncharitably compared it to earlier Takahashi works in both look and plot, and I ad...

feature

An Ode to Kikyo: In Defense of one of Takahashi's Most Hated Characters

Sep 28, 09:00

anime

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...

news

BLUELOCK Manga Gets 3rd Season Anime, Live-Action Film Adaptation

Sep 28, 04:55

manga anime live-action

Live-action film slated for summer 2026 ― The "Blue Lock Egoist Fest 2025" event on Sunday revealed that the anime based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura's BLUELOCK soccer manga will get a third season, adapting the "Shin Eiyū Taisen" (New Hero Wars) story. The event also revealed the manga's live-action film adaptation slated for release in summer 2026. CREDEUS (live-action Golden Kamuy film)...

news

12 comments

The Summer Hikaru Died Anime Gets 2nd Season

Sep 27, 16:27

12 comments

anime

First season premiered on July 5 ― The staff for the anime of Mokumokuren's The Summer Hikaru Died (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) manga announced on Sunday that the anime will get a second season. Mokumokuren and character designer Yuichi Takahashi drew illustrations to celebrate the announcement. Illustration by Mokumokuren Illustration by Yuichi Takahashi The anime premiered on July 5 on the NTV channel,...

review

Eiga Odekake Kozame Tokai no Otomodachi Anime Film Review

Sep 27, 12:00

anime

Eiga Odekake Kozame Tokai no Otomodachi a wonderful watch on a lazy afternoon or a film to watch with children. ― There is no better way to say it, I love Eiga Odekake Kozame Tokai no Otomodachi. It shares the same charm of the manga and ONA series, with a series of delightful short stories following the titular character Kozame-chan on a big adventure in a city (presumably Tokyo). Layered on top of ...

news

Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend Film Teased as Taking Story to Its Finale in 2026

Sep 27, 11:20

anime

Promotional video streamed to announce film ― Kadokawa announced on Sunday that the next anime adapting Hajime Kamoshida's Rascal Does Not Dream (Seishun Buta Yarō or Aobuta) novel series is the Seishun Buta Yarō wa Dear Friend no Yume o Minai (Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend) film opening in 2026. The film is teased as taking the story towards its finale. (The film shares the same name as the...

feature

16 comments

Why Maison Ikkoku is the Greatest Love Story of All Time

Sep 27, 11:00

16 comments

manga

Pride and Prejudice. Romeo and Juliet. The Notebook. These are some of the stories considered the greatest romances of all time, but to me, none of them compares to Maison Ikkoku. ― Pride and Prejudice. Romeo and Juliet. The Notebook. These are some of the stories considered the greatest romances of all time, but to me, none of them compares to Maison Ikkoku, Rumiko Takahashi's seminal love story. I...

feature

25 comments

My First Rumiko Takahashi Series

Sep 27, 09:00

25 comments

anime

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...

review

3 comments

May I Ask for One Final Thing? Volume 1 Manga Review

Sep 26, 12:00

3 comments

manga

Sometimes you just want to see a perfectly prim Victorian-style lady haul back and beat someone's face in, all safely within the realm of fiction. ― By this point in pop culture history, we've probably all sat through as many villainess denunciation scenes as we can stomach. The story beats are as familiar as the back of your hand – the prim and proper, highly-ranked fiancée of a prince or similarly ...

column

18 comments

This Week in Games - Sony State of Play 2025

Sep 26, 10:00

18 comments

games

Kojima cannot be stopped! Jean-Karlo looks at the big news out of Tokyo Game Show and Sony's State of Play! ― Welcome back, folks! Man, they certainly kept us busy this week with the Tokyo Game Show. However, I am happy that I didn't have to sit through another two-stream day, where, I dunno, someone had a presentation right after Sony's State of Play. It's been a long week and there's a lot of news,...

news

15 comments

Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser Retires on December 31

Sep 25, 21:23

15 comments

industry

Devon Pritchard succeeds Bowser as NOA president ― Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser announced on Thursday that he is retiring from the company on December 31. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NCL) also announced his retirement on the same day. Devon Pritchard will succeed Bowser as president of Nintendo of America, and will also become an NCL Executive Officer in the company's board of directors.Today, I...

your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Summer 2025, Sep 16-22

Sep 25, 16:25

anime

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...

feature

7 comments

Yakuza Kiwami 3 is More Than Just a Remake, And Dark Ties Proves it

Sep 25, 14:04

7 comments

games

One of the common criticisms of the original Yakuza 3 is that Mine didn't get enough screen time. Well, Dark Ties certainly remedies that. ― Sega and Ryu ga Gotoku have made sure that older games in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series are accessible to newer audiences. By remaking the first two games as Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, as well as remastering the older PS3 titles, almost all of the game...

column

This Week in Anime - The Name of the Game is Death

Sep 25, 12:18