MAO

by Kennedy, Apr 20th 2026

thm-202603010725505627 — Image via Mao anime's website

MAO is currently streaming on Hulu.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of Anime News Network, its employees, owners, or sponsors.

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How to Hold Someone in Your Heart Novel Review

Apr 21, 12:00 novels

Mizuki Tsujimura writes without turning emotions into gooey sentimentality, capturing humans’ inner lives in all of their bruised beauty. ― “It is a gift,” the last person Ayumi helps in this sequel to Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon tells him, “to live in the world at the same time as the person you have in your heart.” These words are a distillation of Mizuki Tsujimura's duology. Although everyon...

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13 comments

This Week in Anime - Does Social Media Ruin Everything?

Apr 21, 10:00

13 comments

people

With access to creators only an @ away, does social media do more harm than good? ― With access to creators only an @ away, does social media do more harm than good? The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead. @RiderStrike @BWProwl @LucasDeRuyter @vestenet Sylvia Coop, it brings me no...

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3 comments

This Week in Mobile Games - Anni(versary), Are You OK?

Apr 21, 09:00

3 comments

games

A major anniversary event for Honkai Star Rail, some weird crossovers, and bad news for members of Doki Doki Literature Club's Google Play members are just a few of the things Josh has to talk about in a packed TWIMG. ― This week's This Week in Mobile Gaming has a sponsor! It's pixel art anime RPG Grand Summoners! Learn more about Grand Summoners and its latest crossover event with That Time I Got Re...

news

Toei Entertainment Studio Launches Game Brand

Apr 21, 05:55 games

Toei Games' initial lineup to be announced on Friday ― Toei announced on Tuesday that it has established its own game brand Toei Games. Toei revealed the new brand's logo along with a pixel animation of Toei's trademark "Wild Waves and Rocks" opening sequence, as created by game developer Kairosoft.˗ˏˋ 🌟東映ゲームズはじまる🌟 ˊˎ˗本日より、東映株式会社が展開するゲーム事業「東映ゲームズ」が始動いたします🌱この公式Xでは、東映ゲームズに関する色々な情報をいち早く、時にはゆるりとお届けしていきた...

news

2 comments

Visual Arts Company Unveils New Visual Novel Brand With 3 Games

Apr 21, 05:32

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games

VISUAL ARTS Scripts brand to launch Sayagatari -Promise of the Cursed Blade- this year ― The company Visual Arts announced on Tuesday its new visual novel brand VISUAL ARTS Scripts, and also announced the new brand's first game titled Sayagatari -Promise of the Cursed Blade- (Sayagatari -Yōtō no Yakusoku-), slated for release this year. The game will first get a physical release, followed by a Steam ...

news

Studio Ghibli Animates 'Majo no Tani no Yoru' Short for Ghibli Park

Apr 20, 21:14 anime

Goro Miyazaki, Akihiko Yamashita direct short debuting in Ghibli Park on July 8 ― Studio Ghibli announced on Tuesday that it is producing a new short anime titled "Majo no Tani no Yoru" (A Night in the Valley of Witches) that will debut on July 8 exclusively at the Cinema Orion in the Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, located in Ghibli Park. Goro Miyazaki (Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill, Earwig a...

review

4 comments

You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Anime Series Review

Apr 20, 12:00

4 comments

anime

I never felt entertained for more than one moment every five episodes, and the gimmick overstays its welcome quickly. ― I love romantic comedies, and I will always jump at the opportunity to watch or review the latest ones each season. Despite that, I was never super fond of the childhood friend trope. While it can sometimes play into speed-running relationship-building between two characters, since ...

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8 comments

Answerman - Is Donghua Becoming Popular in the West?

Apr 20, 11:44

8 comments

donghua

What is donghua and will it ever take off in the same way anime has? Jerome digs in. ― A Reader asks: Dear Answerman, There seems to be a lot more Chinese animation on streaming platforms these days compared to a few years ago. Crunchyroll has added several titles I'd never have expected to see there, including To Be Hero X, which reached #8 in ANN's 2025 Spring Season rankings. Do you think that Do...

feature

3 comments

Spring 2026 Manga Guide

Apr 20, 09:00

3 comments

manga

Serial killers, assassins, and dinosaurs mark day two of the Spring Manga Guide! Come find your next dark read in today's offerings. ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. Now, doing something like that for manga...

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3 comments

Gundam Character Designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Talks Venus Wars, New Projects, and AI Art

Apr 20, 09:00

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anime

"Watching [Venus Wars] again after such a long time, I felt it wasn't so bad after all." ― After the recent theatrical screening of the 1989 classic anime Venus Wars at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026, its writer and director, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, gave a lengthy talk about not only the movie but his work on Gundam and his thoughts on AI art. While Venus Wars has long been available in the West (ev...

game review

Ariana and the Elder Codex Game Review

Apr 19, 12:00 games

Ariana and the Elder Codex is a strong action-adventure platformer that plays great, though its presentation can't quite keep pace with battles. ― Ariana and the Elder Codex is a strong action-adventure platformer that plays great, though its presentation can't quite keep pace with battles. Ariana surprised me with its basic structure. I will admit, from the trailer, I assumed I was getting yet anoth...

interview

'The One Piece is Real,' An Interview with Reese Alexiades from The Savannah Bananas

Apr 19, 09:00 just for fun

If baseball is the world, then MLB is the World Government, the big organization over all. Who then are the pirates in that world? Well, let me introduce you to the Savannah Bananas. ― Summer is only a few months away in North America, and what says “summer” more than baseball? The sound of the bat hitting a ball, the shouts of the crowd, the opening music of One Piece… While it might seem ridiculous...

review

2 comments

Dagger of Kamui Anime Movie Review

Apr 18, 12:00

2 comments

anime

From the snow-shrouded mountains to the desert of Western America, from samurai and shinobi to cowboys and Indians, Rintaro’s vision for this classic tale of a half-Ainu boy and a lost pirate treasure is epic. ― It's always interesting to finally see a masterwork by a master craftsman. Most Americans' first encounter with Rintaro was the theatrical release of CLAMP's X. With an uneven translation and...

feature

Aspiring Animators Honored at AnimeJapan's Emerging Creator Awards Ceremony

Apr 18, 10:00 anime

Winners received a cash prize and an invitation to head to Anime Expo! ― AnimeJapan is not well known for its awards, but runs the annual “Manga We Want to See Animated” fan poll. However, in 2026, the yearly anime event announced the new Emerging Creator Awards in partnership with the Japanese government's Japan Creator Support Fund and with Crunchyroll sponsoring. The award seeks to find new talen...