This Week in Anime - September 2025

games

This game is a true labor of love from Final Fantasy Tactics' original creators, and it delivers a superlative refinement of one of the franchise's best entries. ― Final Fantasy Tactics holds that rare honor of being a relatively niche spinoff to a blockbuster gaming franchise that many fans would argue outdoes some of the series' most beloved main entries. Even 30 years ago, RPG fans knew that there...

feature

The Most Anticipated Anime of Fall 2025

Sep 24, 09:00

anime

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...

feature

Will Nintendo's Holiday Showcase Sell Me on a Switch 2?

Sep 23, 17:00

games

Is Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A the push console fence-sitters need to upgrade? ― This is the third year in a row I've been invited to Nintendo's Holiday Showcase event for Anime News Network — but my first year where the games on display are for the Nintendo Switch 2. I have yet to upgrade to Nintendo's latest console, and with the majority of games showcased h...

review

COMPASS2.0 ANIMATION PROJECT Anime Series Review

Sep 23, 12:00

anime

#COMPASS2.0 is a plate of saltines and unseasoned chicken that's cosplaying as an anime. ― If you're trying to review an anime, saying, "This just sucks," is the quick quip you might casually tell your friends if they ask your opinion, but that's probably the limit of its potential use. It gets your point across on a basic level, sure, but it's reductive, vague, and in the absence of further explanat...

giveaway

Cat's Eye & City Hunter Omnibus Giveaway

Sep 23, 11:30

anime manga merch

Two iconic series! One legendary creator! Anime News Network and Kana have partnered to give fans the chance to win City Hunter Omnibus Vol. 1 and Cat’s Eye Omnibus Vol. 1 by Tsukasa Hojo.

Action. Mystery. Style. Tsukasa Hojo’s classics defined an era. Want them on your shelf? Enter now. ― Tsukasa Hojo's iconic titles Cat's Eye and City Hunter, classics that inspired so many of your favorite manga ...

column

This Week in Anime - The Panty & Stocking Phenomenon

Sep 23, 11:00

anime

The New Panty & Stocking went harder than we ever expected after so many years in limbo. Chris and Coop rehash some of the new season's best moments and its unabashedly not-safe-for-work moments. ― The New Panty & Stocking went harder than we ever expected after so many years in limbo. Chris and Coop rehash some of the new season's best moments and its unabashedly not-safe-for-work moments. Disclaim...

feature

39 comments

The Worst Anime of Summer 2025

Sep 23, 09:00

39 comments

anime

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-...

news

7 comments

Girls Band Cry Anime Also Gets Brand-New Film

Sep 23, 08:24

7 comments

anime

Announced before 2-film compilation opens on October 3 ― The official website for the Girls Band Cry anime announced with a teaser visual on Tuesday that production on a brand-new film has been green-lit. Toei Animation describes the anime: The main character drops out of high school in her second year, and aims at entering a university while working alone in Tokyo. A girl is betrayed by her friends ...

news

13 comments

'There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless...' Anime Gets Theatrical Sequel (Updated)

Sep 22, 12:30

13 comments

anime

There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... ~Next Shine~ debuts on November 21 ― REMOW announced on Monday that the television anime of Teren Mikami's There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless... (Watashi ga Koibito ni Nareru Wake Naijan, Muri Muri! Muri Janakatta!? or WATANARE) yuri romantic comedy novel series is getting a sequel. The sequel will be a restructured limited theatri...

news

Grand Blue Dreaming Anime Gets 3rd Season

Sep 22, 12:26

anime

3rd season to take place in Palau ― The official website for the second television anime season based on Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka's Grand Blue Dreaming manga announced on Tuesday that the series is getting a third season. The season will take place in Palau, marking the first time the setting has been outside Japan. The website unveiled a visual: The second season ended with its 12th episode...

game review

14 comments

Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster Game Review

Sep 22, 12:00

14 comments

games

The greatest JRPG ever made, now in HD. ― I first realized that Bravely Default was a game that would forever change the JRPG genre during a battle with the Jabberwock, which is a dragon whose name is a direct reference to Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky poem. Though this boss fight was optional, it was part of a side quest to gain entry into the foreboding Vampire Castle, and getting into a place called...

column

Answerman - What's Up with the Trash Monsters in Gachiakuta?

Sep 22, 10:00

anime

Jerome explains the importance of compositing artists, the unsung heroes of anime production. ― Shonen Action Fan asks: "I was really hyped to watch Gachiakuta this season, the latest splashy shonen manga adaptation from Studio Bones. I haven't read the manga, so I went into the anime cold. The trailers had me hyped, and the pilot episode didn't disappoint. I noticed online that some fans have been ...

interview

MAN WITH A MISSION's Jean-Ken Johnny Shares Insights on New EP, World Tour

Sep 22, 09:00

music

Jean-Ken Johnny discusses what goes into creating an anime intro song, their new tour, movies, and what's new for MAN WITH A MISSION. ― Few musical artists can hold a candle to the impressive list of anime that the wolf-headed Japanese rock band MAN WITH A MISSION has done intros for, which includes iconic titles like Vinland Saga, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Ya...

news

31 comments

1st Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Film Becomes Highest-Grossing Japanese Film Ever Globally

Sep 21, 21:38

31 comments

anime

Film enters 2025's top 10 films globally after outdoing Fantastic Four, becomes 1st anime to top U.S. for 2 straight weekends ― The Box Office Mojo website reported that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, the first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy, has earned an estimated total of US$555 million worldwide as of Sunday, September 21. The fi...

review

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2 Anime Series Review

Sep 21, 12:00

anime

It’s not difficult to literally see why the series was delayed at all, let alone why it was delayed for so long. ― It's not every day that you see an anime experience significant delays between episodes that aren't divided into separate specials, seasons, or series. Sure, it happens sometimes—it happened to One Piece earlier this year, for example—but for the most part, the anime industry has embrace...

news

6 comments

Sakamoto Days Manga Gets Live-Action Film in 2026

Sep 21, 11:00

6 comments

live-action manga

More details to be revealed on Tuesday ― This year's 43rd issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine revealed on Monday that Yuuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days manga is getting a live-action film adaptation that will open in Japan during the Golden Week holidays (late-April to early-May) in 2026. Shueisha will reveal more details on Tuesday. The magazine also revealed a "super teaser visual." Suzuki p...

feature

42 comments

The Best Anime of Summer 2025

Sep 21, 10:30

42 comments

anime

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...

news

Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life Manga Gets TV Anime in 2026

Sep 21, 05:56 anime

Teaser visual for anime of Hekiru Hikawa's romantic comedy also posted ― Pony Canyon announced on Sunday that Hekiru Hikawa's Hanaori-san Wants to Have a Fight Even If She Reincarnates (Hanaori-san wa Tensei Shitemo Kenka ga Shitai) manga is inspiring a television anime which will debut in 2026. The company also revealed a teaser visual and listed the anime's English title as Hanaori-san Still Wants ...

news

The Prince of Tennis II: U-17 World Cup Semifinal Anime Gets Sequel

Sep 21, 03:06

anime

Anime to depict battle to decide who will play for Japan in finals against Spain ― The official website for The Prince of Tennis II franchise revealed on Sunday that a sequel to the The Prince of Tennis II: U-17 World Cup Semifinal (Shin Tennis no Ōji-sama U-17 World Cup Semifinal) anime has been greenlit and is titled Shin Tennis no Ōji-sama U-17 World Cup Kesshō Member Ketteisen (The Prince of Tenn...

news

Perfume Technopop Unit to Go on Hiatus in 2026

Sep 20, 20:25

music

Trio aim to return as "better and cooler Perfume" after quarter century together ― The technopop trio Perfume announced on Sunday that they will put the unit "into cold sleep starting in 2026." The announcement indicates the unit's desire to return from the hiatus as a "better and cooler Perfume," after taking time to concentrate on their individual lives. The members Ayaka Nishiwaki ("a-chan"), Yuka...

review

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: IruMafia Edition Volume 1 Manga Review

Sep 20, 12:00