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ep. review

Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? ‒ Episode 11

Sentiment has come full circle to bite Yu in the butt and there's nothing he can say or do about it.
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1133

We can’t help but wish things could be different and long for the world that might have been.
ep. review

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ‒ Episode 11

I genuinely don't know where this is going to go and that's a good thing.
ep. review

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman ‒ Episode 11

This is a lot of screen time dedicated to what you already know about Rose from the second she walked into frame: she loves Beryl because all his former pupils do.
ep. review

Gorilla God's Go-To Girl ‒ Episode 11

At least Leohart has a good reason for what he's doing.
ep. review

To Be Hero X ‒ Episode 11

To say that there has been a lot of buildup when it comes to seeing the titular X in action would be an understatement. Yet, what we get is not even a fight.
ep. review

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Season 2 ‒ Episode 22

This culmination of Hibiki's story is such a ludicrously stupid and sudden development that I paused the episode for a few minutes because I could not stop laughing.
ep. review

Witch Watch ‒ Episode 11

This show has never shied changing up its formula, but it's only now that Witch Watch is ready to show its true hand.
ep. review

Kowloon Generic Romance ‒ Episode 11

This episode hurt my heart.
ep. review

Lazarus ‒ Episode 11

I am convinced that every aspect of this production that isn't directly related to animating cool fight scenes was unceremoniously tossed off to some cramped back office filled with overworked and underpaid interns.
ep. review

Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc ‒ Episode 11

There are so many moving parts that it’s by no means a foregone conclusion that everything will work out for our heroes.
ep. review

Yaiba: Samurai Legend ‒ Episode 11

If Onimaru is gonna stick as our main baddie for the long haul, I can only hope the show finds more to do with him than what it has now.
ep. review

Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 11

If there's one truth about being a first-year teacher, it's that you always want students like Paul Irving but end up with students like Anthony Pye.
ep. review

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 ‒ Episode 46

Loulan may not have made her peace, but she’s certainly made her bed, and that’s something Maomao doesn’t quite know how to deal with.
review

Puniru is a Kawaii Slime Season 1 Anime Series Review

Puniru Is a Kawaii Slime is throwback to the mid-late 2000s, when we had an abundance of slice of life comedies focusing on a tsundere boy and an overly hyperactive girl. ― In a lot of ways, you could consider Puniru Is a Cute Slime as a throwback to the mid-late 2000s when we had an abundance of slice of life comedies focusing on a tsundere boy and an overly hyperactive girl. We have a bunch of imma...
ep. review

Rock is a Lady's Modesty ‒ Episode 11

Yayoi is the portrait of institutional wealth—a beautiful façade that disguises the cruel capitalist machinations ticking behind every step and gesture.
ep. review

Fire Force Season 3 ‒ Episode 11

If Fire Force names an episode “The Great Kaiju Battlefront,” I am duty- and honor-bound to get unreasonably excited for it.
ep. review

Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof ‒ Episode 10

I feel a bit disappointed when it comes to this episode. It feels full of wasted opportunities.
ep. review

Wind Breaker Season 2 ‒ Episode 24

Endo's more of a representation than a character in his own right at this point, but he's a cool representation who does so effectively for the more well-defined characters.
your score

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...
review

Manie Manie: Neo Tokyo Anime Film Review

This collection still stands tall as a time capsule for an essential era in the history of Japanese anime. ― It's always wonderful when classic, out-of-print anime make their way onto legal streaming services. While a full-blown restoration on a nice home-media format would obviously be ideal, the fact that we can sit here in the year 2025 and watch Manie Manie: Neo Tokyo at all is something to be th...
interview

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 ...
interview

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 ...
ep. review

Apocalypse Hotel ‒ Episode 10

Tamako is an obnoxious and hilarious little stinker who exacerbates every facet of this farce into a full-blown fracas. The apple doesn't fall far.
review

100 Meters Anime Movie Review

Debuting at Annecy, 100 Meters is a gorgeous work from the creative team behind On Gaku: Our Sound and the creator of Orb. ― If you were to map the film onto the circumstances of its making, Kenji Iwaisawa's feature debut ON-GAKU: Our Sound fit perfectly—a project made by self-taught animators about embracing your love of art despite your level of talent. His sophomore feature 100 Meters is less clea...
ep. review

The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold To Another Kingdom ‒ Episode 11

We’ve seen time and time again in this series how Philia will always put herself last, no matter what the cost.
ep. review

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX ‒ Episode 10

Pronounced shifts between grayscale and color set the mood as the story ramps up.
ep. review

Your Forma ‒ Episode 11

“What a sad electronic junk-heap of wasted concepts and opportunities this show has turned out to be.”
review

Jinsei Anime Film Review

There is an eclectic collection of influences at play in Jinsei, from acclaimed Norwegian comedy-drama The Worst Person in the World to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey ― It's easy to reduce Jinsei, 30-year-old Ryuya Suzuki's feature directorial debut, to this year's On-Gaku: Our Sound. It's not like the two films have nothing in common, either. Both share a sheer sense of independent filmmaki...
ep. review

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai Season 2 ‒ Episode 10

That there aren’t more musical episodes of non-musical anime is a tragedy that you could make a 3–5 minute ballad about.
interview

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...
ep. review

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ‒ Episode 10

At last we learn the relationship between Knuckleduster and the bee girl.
review

The Last Blossom Anime Film Review

The first film from the creator of Odd Taxi makes it clear Baku Kinoshita loves to show the gradual cracks in the shell of a taciturn man. ― Alhough the debut feature film from Baku Kinoshita, The Last Blossom, is strikingly different from his series OddTaxi, it's clear the man loves to show the gradual cracks in the shell of a taciturn man. In this case, it's the stoic yakuza Minoru Akutsu, first sh...
ep. review

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman ‒ Episode 10

I like Beryl being invested as a parent beyond just food and shelter, as he stays invested in Mewi’s progress at school and promises to help her with reading.
ep. review

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Season 2 ‒ Episode 21

Does any of this mean that the show is good, again? Oh, goodness, no. It's merely somewhat less bad.
ep. review

Gorilla God's Go-To Girl ‒ Episode 10

At least we got to see Sophia and Louis being adorable this week. I feel that makes up for a lot.
ep. review

Witch Watch ‒ Episode 10

No high school comedy would be completely without a student council, but as always, this show never does anything normally.
your score

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...
ep. review

To Be Hero X ‒ Episode 10

While Trust can beat fear, as we have seen through Lin Ling, it is Hope that is its true weakness.
ep. review

Kowloon Generic Romance ‒ Episode 10

If eyes are the mirrors of the soul, then what does that make eyeglasses?
ep. review

Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? ‒ Episode 10

I certainly didn't expect such an ending.
review

Nobody's Boy Remi Anime Series BD Review

While Nobody’s Boy Remi doesn’t have the fidelity of other World Masterpiece Theater adaptations, it’s still historically important and a solid work in itself. ― Based on the 1878 novel by Hector Malot, Nobody's Boy Remi (originally called Sans Famille, meaning “without family") is part of what appears to be AnimEigo's “Ruined Childhood” collection. That tongue-in-cheek label (the series is famously ...
interview

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...
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1132

It’s quite charming to watch Kuma grow into fatherhood and raise Bonney.
column

Answerman - How to Hire a Japanese Studio to Produce Your OVA

Jerome explains the ins and outs of how to get your OVA produced by a Japanese studio. ― A reader asks: “I've read your article "how to get my idea into an anime," but I want to learn the process and etiquette of how you hire a studio to make your content. I was a Japanese major and currently work as an assistant animator, so this is a serious endeavor I want to take once I can front the cost. So, h...
ep. review

Lazarus ‒ Episode 10

All Lazarus has to offer us at this point is the dramatic equivalent of Lucy pulling the football out from under Charlie Brown's feet for fifty years in a row.
review

Princess Principal: Crown Handler - Chapter 4 Anime Film Review

Princess Principal: Crown Handler Chapter 4 feels like it squanders the tension it gained in the previous installment with a return to the status quo. ― The previous Princess Principal film ended on the mother of all cliffhangers. While Mary was saved, Prince Richard captured and all of our heroes were as well, with even Princess Charlotte revealed as a traitor to the crown. All this left us wonderin...
ep. review

Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc ‒ Episode 10

It’s hard to argue with Sebastian being at his devilish best, simultaneously caring for Ciel and gleefully ripping open a tank like my cat Ollie trying to get into the recycling.
ep. review

Yaiba: Samurai Legend ‒ Episode 10

It's hard not to respect this show's commitment to pumping out the silliest villain concepts imaginable.
ep. review

Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 10

This episode brings us to the end of the first novel, which means that, as some of us feared, both Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island have significantly fewer episodes to use.
review

OKITSURA: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying Anime Series Review

The real star here is Okinawa and its language. ― In case you're not familiar with Okinawa's place in Japanese culture, the US has a convenient analog: Hawaii. Like Hawaii, Okinawa was an independent nation that was annexed by a larger and more militarized empire. Its geographical distance from its colonizer allowed it to maintain its distinct culture; however, it struggles to survive under the threa...
ep. review

Rock is a Lady's Modesty ‒ Episode 10

I understand why Tamaki has been a divisive character, so I just want to say that I was totally right about her, and you doubters owe both of us an apology.
ep. review

Fire Force Season 3 ‒ Episode 10

I found Scop the Talking Mole's return pretty enjoyable, even if the extended chronicles of his fanciful adventure to Tokyo are literally only here to waste everyone's time with a bunch of silly nonsense.
ep. review

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 ‒ Episode 45

It’s hard to say which of the many disastrous decisions made by the Shi clan truly brought the army to their gates.
ep. review

Wind Breaker Season 2 ‒ Episode 23

I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe this storyline should have gone on a little longer.
ep. review

Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof ‒ Episode 9

It was only a matter of time until we got an episode like this where we set some concrete rules about Satoko's powers.
interview

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...
review

DAN DA DAN Evil Eye Anime Theatrical Cut Review

Fun as it is, Evil Eye isn't really a movie. You will find plenty of exposition, a rising action, and a falling action—but nothing resembling a satisfactory conclusion. ― Fans of DAN DA DAN have nothing to fear but the Evil Eye as we head into the second season of the supernatural action series. Evil Eye is the theatrical cut of the anime's first three episodes, a now tried-and-true promotional avenu...
ep. review

Your Forma ‒ Episode 10

The moment supposed protagonist Echika Hieda appears, any sense of engagement in this show dissipates for me.
column

This Week in Anime - Bite-Size Anime Series

Steve and Chris talk series where the episodes are short and sweet. ― Steve and Chris talk series where the episodes are short and sweet. Disclaimer: 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. Crunchyroll streams Lycoris Recoil: Friends are Thieves of Time, Umayon, Yamishibai, Infern...
ep. review

The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold To Another Kingdom ‒ Episode 10

Philia’s entrance in Girtonia is her most triumphant moment in the series.
column

The ANN Aftershow - I Totally Called the Gundam GQuuuuuux Twist

Lynzee and James weigh in on CG Chopper from the upcoming second season of live-action One Piece. Also, who is hyped up for The Summer Hikaru Died anime series? Plus: I called the Gundam GQuuuuuux twist. You heard it here first. ― I Totally Called the Gundam GQuuuuuux Twist Lynzee and James weigh in on CG Chopper from the upcoming second season of live-action One Piece. Also, who is hyped up for The...
ep. review

Apocalypse Hotel ‒ Episode 9

In what might end up the series' greatest accomplishment, the combination wedding & funeral is beautiful, macabre, funny, sad, and a fitting synthesis of its cosmic themes.
ep. review

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai Season 2 ‒ Episode 9

It’s refreshing to see an anime reminding us that it's okay to have hobbies—including hobbies that have little or no connection to your larger goals.
ep. review

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX ‒ Episode 9

Is this a Universal Century sequel or an alternate universe or some fanfiction? YES, all of the above!
ep. review

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ‒ Episode 9

This is probably the best episode of Vigilantes that we've gotten to date.
ep. review

One Piece ‒ Episode 1131

Kuma and Ginny are adorable and tragic in equal measure.
ep. review

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman ‒ Episode 9

This week's adventure hinges on problem-solving that does not require Beryl’s swordsmanship, which helps make him feel like a more complex character and adds variety for the audience.
ep. review

Gorilla God's Go-To Girl ‒ Episode 9

It’s a good thing that the gorilla god is such a fun character, because by this point it feels clear that The Gorilla God’s Go-To Girl is less about Sophia becoming a knight and more about how everyone loves her.
column

The ANN Aftershow - Can the Anime Awards Be Fixed? Do They Need to Be?

James, Jacki, and Lynzee look at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards and that Solo Leveling sweep. ― Can the Anime Awards Be Fixed? Do They Need to Be? James, Jacki, and Lynzee look at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards and that Solo Leveling sweep. The awards have continued to have "sweeps," where a single show takes home nine or more awards. We'll discuss this year's nominees, our picks to win, and whether thi...
ep. review

Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive? ‒ Episode 9

Will this be the final plot of the season?
ep. review

Witch Watch ‒ Episode 9

While Witch Watch’s bread and butter is still comedy, episodes like this do a great job of showcasing that it has more range than just good jokes.
ep. review

Kowloon Generic Romance ‒ Episode 9

Who knew French toast could be such a relationship deal-breaker?
ep. review

Lazarus ‒ Episode 9

For most of its runtime, “Death on Two Legs” makes it feel like Lazarus is just actively screwing with its audience.
ep. review

To Be Hero X ‒ Episode 9

Now that Cyan is free, it looks like the Orphanage Director is trying to make Luo into her villain archrival.
interview

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...
ep. review

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Season 2 ‒ Episode 20

If the last episode of Go! Go! Loser Ranger! had me feeling like we were suddenly skipping whole episodes in between important scenes, this week, we may as well be leapfrogging over the top of entire seasons.
ep. review

Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc ‒ Episode 9

There’s a sort of tragedy about Wolfram.
ep. review

Yaiba: Samurai Legend ‒ Episode 9

While this isn’t the most exciting episode, it provides the show with a much-needed opportunity to slow down before the big showdown.
ep. review

Anne Shirley ‒ Episode 9

Matthew has always made sure that Anne feels loved and wanted. It’s the greatest gift that anyone could give her, and ultimately more important than any scholarship or academic honor.
ep. review

Fire Force Season 3 ‒ Episode 9

In Fire Force, it is impossible to separate the actions of a fate-ordained hero of legend from the barely coherent ramblings of a deeply traumatized idiot. I wouldn't have it any other way.
ep. review

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 ‒ Episode 44

Almost everyone in this story is wearing a mask of one sort or another, and it's only now that some of those masks are being taken off – or in the case of Loulan, put back on.
ep. review

Rock is a Lady's Modesty ‒ Episode 9

The arresting visuals bring out the best of this battle. The adaptation turns the theatrics up to 11 with a slew of symbolism and a sizzling splash of color.
ep. review

Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof ‒ Episode 8

While everything about the tone of this screams that it is a gag anime with your typical magic reset button—it's clear by now that it's anything but.
your score

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...
ep. review

Wind Breaker Season 2 ‒ Episode 22

It's an odd miss for a series that's otherwise done pretty well with doling out drama in the previous few episodes, even more so given that rhythm is a key element of this episode!
feature

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...
column

This Week in Anime - Who the GQuuuuuuX is That?

How hard is it for newbies to get into GQuuuuuuX? Chris and Coop investigate. ― How hard is it for newbies to get into GQuuuuuuX? Chris and Coop investigate. Disclaimer: 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. Amazon streams Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Hulu streams 08th MS Team....
ep. review

Your Forma ‒ Episode 9

I did not expect this tonal – and qualitative – heel-turn, in what is undoubtedly Your Forma’s best episode to date, by a large margin.
ep. review

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai Season 2 ‒ Episode 8

Raido is anime boyfriend royalty. Bring this king his crown.
ep. review
ep. review

Apocalypse Hotel ‒ Episode 8

A few weeks ago, Yachiyo said that she admired the ability to change. This week, massive upheavals for both the Gingarou and herself create far more complicated feelings.
ep. review

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX ‒ Episode 8

Nyaan stone-cold vaporizes a dude and everything else is set-up to get to that pivotal moment.
feature

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...
ep. review

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ‒ Episode 8

Captain Celebrity is the antithesis and also a shining example of what we commonly expect from heroes who act in a public service capacity.
ep. review

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman ‒ Episode 8

Allucia may have had other plans, but Beryl manages to deflect them both in and out of the ring.

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