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Rumiko Takahashi, Takashi Shiina Discuss the Manga Craft
Both creators emphasize the importance of fast-paced openers and well-developed characters
― Manga artists Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha, Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura) and Takashi Shiina (Zettai Karen Children) participated in an interview together in the March issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday S, which shipped on Tuesday. The two artists discuss the manga craft and the way they approach storytelling. The two-pa...
Medical University's "Cringe" Mario Kart COVID-19 PSA Goes Viral
Twitter users can't seem to decide whether it's "funny" or "cringe"
― The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a video on Twitter on January 13 promoting COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. The video slipped under the internet's radar for two weeks, until it suddenly went viral earlier this week. The reason: it uses edited Mario Kart 8 game footage to spread its message, and Twitter u...
Parrot Analytics: Attack on Titan Was World's Most "In-Demand" Show of 2021
Anime is 1st non-English language series to earn the title
― Market research firm Parrot Analytics identified Attack on Titan as world's most "in-demand" television show of 2021 in its 4th annual Global TV Demand Awards. It is the first non-English language series to earn the title, previously held by only The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. Attack on Titan was also named the most In-demand anime s...
Flip Flappers Director Kiyotaka Oshiyama Designs Pokémon Cards
Oshiyama has drawn 11 Pokémon cards in total since the start of 2021
― Flip Flappers director Kiyotaka Oshiyama announced on his Twitter account on Friday that he has designed a Pokémon card featuring a Vmax Blaziken. 「ポケモンカード」バシャーモVMAXのイラストを描かせてもらいました。【VMAXクライマックス】 pic.twitter.com/QX0FtuMjzt— 押山清高/Kiyotaka Oshiyama (@binobinobi) January 21, 2022 The illustration is used for the Secret Rare print of ...
Shaman King Finds a Spiritual Connection With Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Crossover ad for film's Japan release features commentary from the Shaman King characters
― In today's new surprise anime and Hollywood collaboration, Sony Pictures has released a crossover ad between Shaman King and the Ghostbusters: Afterlife film. The two properties do have some similarities. Both are popular vintage stories about the supernatural getting a new release in 2021: Shaman King with it...
13th, 14th Paralympics Anime Shorts Feature Character Designs By Hisashi Eguchi, Kazuhiko Shimamoto
Stop!! Hibari-kun!, Blazing Transfer Student manga creators contribute to shorts with winter sports theme
― The 13th and 14th installment of the NHK's "Anime x Para: Who is Your Hero?" (Ani × Para: Anata no Hero wa Dare Desu ka) animated project will feature character designs by manga artists Hisashi Eguchi (Stop!! Hibari-kun!) and Kazuhiko Shimamoto (Blazing Transfer Student) respectively. In antici...
Tour Zombie Land Saga Anime Locations With Official Rental Bicycles
The Zombie Land Saga anime has made extensive efforts to help promote tourism in the Saga Prefecture; even Saga's own governor has gotten on board with cosplay and reenacting scenes from the anime. Now, in an attempt to facilitate easier travel within the city of Karatsu, Saga, the rental bike service PiPPA has teamed up with the Anime Tourism Association to provide official Zombie Land Saga bicyc...
Slow Loop Fishing Anime Inpires Seafood Theme Café
Feast on the deep-fried horse mackerel and zukedon from the series
― The fishing-themed Slow Loop anime is inspiring a limited-time café with a seafood theme. The Cure Maid Café in Akihabara will host the café from January 21 to February 6. The main dishes are the deep-fried horse mackerel and zukedon depicted in the series. The dessert menu also has a prominent seafood theme, featuring clams and f...
Akira Manga Creator Katsuhiro Otomo's Selfie Gets Photobombed by Voice Actor Subaru Kimura
Otomo has been taking selfies to promote the release of his "Complete Works Project"
― To promote the January 21 release of Katsuhiro Otomo's "Complete Works Project," billboard ads are on display in Shibuya and Shinjuku from January 17 to 23. Otomo himself has been visiting the locations of these billboards and taking selfies in front of them. The selfies got a little more buzz than he bargained for...
Medical Crowdfunding Campaign Organized For Anime Industry Veteran Jan Scott Frazier
Frazier was the first foreigner to work in the production department of a Japanese animation studio
― Voice actress Amanda Winn Lee (Neon Genesis Evangelion's Rei, Persona 4's Yukiko) launched a crowdfunding campaign on Thursday on behalf of anime industry veteran Jan Scott Frazier. On the GoFundMe page, Winn Lee wrote that Frazier has been experiencing medical problems, noting that she was ejected f...
Viz Launches Official U.S. Shonen Jump Store
Store debuts with One Piece, Bleach collections; will change every season
― After teasing an "exciting" announcement on Tuesday, Viz launched its official U.S. Shonen Jump store on Wednesday. The store debuted with various clothing and accessory items under the "One Piece," "Shonen Jump," and "Bleach" brands. The One Piece and Bleach items feature black-and-white artwork from their respective manga s...
New Light Novel Heroine Is Just As Cute As hololive's Gawr Gura
Umidori Tо̄ketsu no "Detarame" na Jijо̄ light novel features character designs by Gawr Gura designer Amashiro Natsuki
― hololive English's Gawr Gura is currently the world's most popular Virtual YouTuber, sitting pretty with over 3.75 million subscribers. A new light novel published by MF Bunko J, titled Umidori Tо̄ketsu no "Detarame" na Jijо̄ ("Tо̄ketsu Umidori's 'Untruthful' Circumstances"), featur...
Zombie Land Saga 2021 Live Concert Digest Movie Posted
Avex Pictures posts video of October 16-17 performance to "expand content" overseas
― Avex Pictures posted a digest video of the "Zombie Land Saga LIVE ~FranChouChou Saga yo tomoni waite kure~" live concert from October 16-17, 2021. The performance, which was held at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall was the first for FranChouChou after the broadcast of the Zombie Land Saga Revenge ani...
Sonny Boy Director Shingo Natsume Explains Why The Anime Has No Monologues
"I've felt that lately, characters tend to say anything at all that's on their mind ... I don't think that's very entertaining to watch."
― Sonny Boy director and writer Shingo Natsume highlighted something distinctive about the anime in an interview with Funimation: Although the series tells an introspective story about teens navigating their adolescence, there is no monologuing. "During the initial...
Pandora Hearts Gets 15th Anniversary Museum, Café
Jun Mochizuki's manga inspired 25-episode anime adaptation by Xebec in 2009
― Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy February issue, which shipped on Tuesday, announced that Jun Mochizuki's Pandora Hearts manga series will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a museum and café. The limited-time event will open in Tokyo and other cities in Japan starting from April. Mochizuki launched Pandora Hearts in Square...
Final Fantasy VII Tifa Pornography Interrupts Italian Senate Meeting
Fan-made clip played uninterrupted in Zoom call for roughly 30 seconds before it was finally switched off
― An Italian senate Zoom meeting was interrupted on Monday when a fan-made pornographic CGI video of the Final Fantasy VII character Tifa Lockhart hijacked the shared video feed. The meeting was streamed live on Facebook and on the Senato della Repubblica TV channel, which broadcasts live proceed...
High Guardian Spice, Onyx Equinox Creators Discuss the Shows' Low Budgets
Both Crunchyroll Original shows were significantly low budget by U.S. animation standards
― In 2018, shortly after Crunchyroll announced High Guardian Spice as the first "Crunchyroll Originals" animated project, head of Crunchyroll Studios Margaret Dean told Digiday that the lineup was "entirely funded by Ellation with budgets in the same range as what anime shows typically cost." Years later, High G...
Viz Teases "Exciting" Shonen Jump Announcement, Then Clarifies It's Not NFTs
Several hours after fans assumed the worst, the Shonen Jump Twitter posts "It's not NFTs" with a smile emoji
― On Tuesday, Viz's official Shonen Jump Twitter account teased an "exciting announcement" for tomorrow, hinting that fans will be able to show their love "in a whole new way." Soon you'll be able to show your Shonen Jump love in a whole new way. Exciting announcement tomorrow! pic.twitter.com...
Sailor Moon Commemorates 30th Anniversary With Museum, Collabs
Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a score of new events and collaborations, including a limited-time museum that will be held in Japan later this year. The exhibit will trace the history of the series and display art from the manga, anime, musical, merchandising, and more. Further details will be announced at a later date. The Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon ...
Crunchyroll Announces Nominees for 6th Annual Anime Awards
Amusingly, the character Eren Jaeger is nominated in both "Best Protagonist" and "Best Antagonist."
― Disclosure: The writer of this article is also a judge for the Anime Awards. Crunchyroll announced the nominees and opened voting for its sixth annual Anime Awards on Tuesday. Leading in nominations are ODDTAXI and Wonder Egg Priority with nominations in 11 categories. Jujutsu Kaisen is nominated in ...
Manga Artist Draws Albert Einstein Mural For German Embassy In Japan
Shinnosuke Uchida depicts the famed physicist's visit to Japan 100 years ago
― Artist Shinnosuke Uchida, known for creating manga-style wall paintings, drew a mural for the Embassy of Germany in Japan depicting Nobel laureate Albert Einstein's historic visit to Japan 100 years ago. The painting was completed on Monday, with the embassy's social media livestreaming the artist as she performed the fini...
Belle, BEASTARS Show How the 3D Models Change Depending on the Angle
Character modeler explains that using the same model in every shot results in an inconsistent look
― An interview with the CG team of BELLE from July 2021 started trending on social media last week when CG animator Austin Hardwicke highlighted the facial blend shape and how the 3D model changes depending on the angle. the different camera angle faceshapes for Belle look totally seamless. Holy crap! p...
Animate International Announces Omission of 1st Story in The World's End BL Manga English Digital Release
Distributor will offer collection at lower price to reflect content removal
― Animate International announced on its Twitter account on January 7 that it will release Sagan Akagawa's The World's End boys-love short story compilation manga digitally in English. However, the first story in the collection, Futaribocchi no Ever After, has been removed from the English version because "it does not meet ou...
Inzai City's Inzai Aru Aru Monogatari Fantasy PR Anime Debuts
Inzai City in Chiba Prefecture is trying to stand out among all the other towns in Japan using anime to promote themselves. The city released the Inzai Aru Aru Monogatari net anime on Friday; the story features a prominent fantasy theme, a rarity among anime tourism ads. The 18-minute long anime is part of the city's "Make Inzai Original" project, which calls for promotional content suggestions fr...
Trade Group: Manga Pirate Sites Cost Industry 1.19 Trillion Yen in 2021
Authorized Books of Japan (ABJ) says manga piracy has soared in popularity since the start of the pandemic
― Sankei News reported on Saturday that according to the Authorized Books of Japan (ABJ), a Tokyo-based association working to crack down on pirated manga, manga piracy cost the industry a total of 1.19 trillion yen (approximately US$8.76 billion) in 2021. This represents a sharp increase of 4.8...
NIJISANJI VTubers Kuzuha, Kanae Crash Into Animated Gaming Community Ad
YOASOBI composer Ayase provides music for Vaultroom ad
― The popular male NIJISANJI Virtual YouTubers Kuzuha and Kanae crash into an animated ad for the Japanese gaming community Vaultroom. The 45-second sequence features a stylish cyberpunk aesthetic and music by YOASOBI composer Ayase. Pixel art creator Sо̄ Ōtsuki directed the ad. Kōhei Tokuoka (Josee, The Tiger and the Fish animation director) des...
English Voice Actress Cristina Valenzuela Announces Her Engagement
Voice actress Cristina Valenzuela announced on her Twitter account on Friday that she is engaged to be married. She posted photos of her partner's marriage proposal and wrote: "Yes, with all my heart, yes." Her partner is identified in the tweet as Michael Espero. Yes, with all my heart, yes. pic.twitter.com/B3GxP6d1B9— Cristina Vee Vuvuzela (@CristinaVee) January 14, 2022 Valenzuela is perhaps be...
Bonhams Announces 1st Online "World of Anime" Auction
Over 150 lots for sale between January 24 to February 2
― Bonhams will hold its first major online auction for anime, called "The World of Anime," from January 24 to February 2. It will include over 150 lots, including from beloved titles like Astro Boy, Sailor Moon, and Pokémon. The sale will be led by a cel (pictured top-right) featuring the eponymous heroine of Kiki's Delivery Service, estimated a...
Among Us Video Game Gets 1-Shot Manga In February
H2 Interactive, which publishes InnerSloth's Among Us video game in Japan, announced on its Twitter account on December 28 that a manga one-shot based on the game will be published in Bessatsu Coro Coro's April issue on February 28. The multiplayer space-themed werewolf game was first released on Android and iOS in 2018, but became a viral internet sensation in 2020. A Nintendo Switch version with...
Bidoof Gets Time To Shine In Pokémon Web Animation Short
Poor Bidoof. The adorable, bumbling beaver Pokémon has become the go-to "HM slave" for many a Pokémon trainer during the halcyon days of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, but a new web animation short shows that there's more to Bidoof than meets the eye. The Pokémon Company International debuted the "Bidoof's Big Stand" original animated short on its official English YouTube channel on Wednesday:...
Twitch Streamer Disguised Toast Banned While Streaming Death Note Anime
Streamer tweeted: "welp, looks like i'll be seeing you guys in a month"
― The popular Twitch streamer Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang was banned from the platform on the Monday while watching the Death Note anime during a livestream. On Twitter, he wrote: "welp, looks like i'll be seeing you guys in a month." The ban occurred mere minutes away from a climactic scene in the anime, prompting Disguised To...
Initial D Races For New Toyota GR86 Car Ads
Toyota USA's marketing campaign for the 2022 Toyota is leaning heavily into that nostalgia by creating a series of collaboration ads with Initial D.
― Initial D's iconic Toyota AE86 is a cultural mainstay in Japan. Toyota USA's marketing campaign for the 2022 Toyota is leaning heavily into that nostalgia by creating a series of collaboration ads with Initial D, which highlight the AE86's legacy and p...
Attack on Titan Skin Comes To Call of Duty: Vanguard, Warzone Pacific
$19.99 USD bundle comes to both games on January 20
― The PlayStation Blog announced on Tuesday that an Attack on Titan skin will come to Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific on January 20. The "Tracer Pack: Attack on Titan — Levi Edition Bundle" is a $19.99 USD bundle of 10 items which will include a “Survey Corps” Operator Skin inspired by the popular Attack on Titan character L...
Shojo Legends Meet in Revolutionary Girl Utena, Alice Closet Crossover
Phantom Thief Jeanne manga creator Arina Tanemura draws designs for dress-up smartphone game
― The massively influential Revolutionary Girl Utena anime series will join the Alice Closet dress-up smartphone and PC game for a limited-time crossover event. New outfits inspired by Utena Tenjou, Anthy Himemiya, Touga Kiryuu, Kyoichi Saionji, Miki Kaoru, Juri Arisugawa, Nanami Kiryuu, Wakaba Shinohara, and...
Manga Plus Editor Explains Why Shonen Jump+ Handles Overseas Distribution In-House
Manga Plus data is used for determining which titles get anime adaptations
― Shueisha editor Yūta Momiyama, who manages Weekly Shonen Jump's Shonen Jump+ and MANGA Plus online services, wrote a blog post to explain why the Shonen Jump+ editorial department manages overseas distribution through MANGA Plus in-house. First, he explained that it is typical for publishers to sell the overseas publishing r...
Los Angeles Police Officers Fired For Playing Pokémon GO During Robbery In Progress
Former officers ignored radio call for backup to chase after Snorlax
― Los Angeles Police Department officers Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were fired for playing Pokémon GO instead of responding to a call regarding a robbery in progress on April 2017. This incident came to public attention when the former officers submitted a petition to the California Courts of Appeal. The court denied their appea...
hololive's Tsunomaki Watame Gets "Movie-Quality" Anime Music Video
Takashi Ishida directs "My Song" music video at Qzil.la
― hololive Virtual YouTuber Tsunomaki Watame debuted an animated music video for her 12th original song "My song" on her channel on Thursday. Takashi Ishida directed the music video at Qzil.la and is also credited for CG and compositing. Kamata drew the storyboards and character designs. Yutaka Araki and Kosuke Iwanaga were the animation directo...
Police in a Pod Manga Creator Shares Her Motivation For Creating the Series
Miko Yasu served in the police force for approximately 10 years but was saddened by its culture of overwork
― The television anime of Miko Yasu's Police in a Pod (Hakozume: Kōban Joshi no Gyakushū) manga premiered on Wednesday, and its portrayal of the mundane struggles of kо̄ban (police box) officers has stood out to some viewers. In a 2018 interview, Yasu explained some of her motivations for drawi...
Light Novel Author Explains the Lack of "Ugly" Characters In Manga, LNs
It's costlier and more time-consuming to draw unattractive characters
― Why are manga and light novel characters almost always conventionally attractive? Light novel author Takenoko offered an answer on their Twitter account on Sunday: According to an illustrator acquaintance they spoke to, "ugly" characters cost more to draw. Takenoko emphasized that this is not a matter of artistic skill; the manga...
Tacthome House Building Company Releases Heartwarming Anime Ad
Aaron Formilleza directs, animates ad at Eallin Japan
― The Tacthome house building company released a heartwarming animated ad on its YouTube channel on December 27. In addition to the 30-second and 60-second versions on YouTube, the ad will air on TV Asahi from early January to the end of February. 30 second ver.: 60 second ver.: Making of feature: The ad features the song "Freiheit" by DIGM. Accor...
U.S. Secretary of State's 2021 Spotify Playlist Includes Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie Theme
LiSA's "Homura" was among the 36 songs recommended by Antony Blinken
― U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed himself as a fan of LiSA when he published his list of favorite recent songs on Spotify last Friday. The "Secretary's 2021 Playlist: On the Road" playlist represents 36 songs that were released either in 2021 or recently by artists around the world. Notably for anime fans, it include...
Netflix Releases "Translator's Notes" For Komi Can't Communicate Anime
Video explains the character name puns
― The Netflix Anime YouTube account released a "Translator's Notes" video last Thursday explaining the Japanese language puns for the following character names featured in the Komi Can't Communicate anime: Shoko Komi, Hitohito Tadano, Agari Ueno, Ren Yamai, Najimi Osana, and Makeru Yadano. The anime premiered on TV Tokyo and other channels on October 6 at 12:00 ...
Overlord Author Says Next Volume's Draft Is Over 700 Pages
Volume 15 will be split in two parts, series to end at volume 17
― Kugane Maruyama wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the draft for the next volume of his Overlord light novel series has surpassed 700 pages. Because of this, volume 15 will be split into two books. He asked fans to be a little more patient, and assured that he is currently working intently to ensure that the books will come out within a...
King Records 90th Anniversary Exhibit Shows Off Visuals From Over 90 Anime
Revolutionary Girl Utena, Martian Successor Nadesico, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha more represented in physical, VR exhibit
― King Records is celebrating its 90th anniversary since its establishment with an art exhibition of anime titles the company has been involved in as an investor. The free exhibit, which will be available in both VR and in-person at the Ikebukuro and Osaka Nihonbashi Animate stor...
Hayao Miyazaki Draws New Year's Tiger For 2022
Studio Ghibli Twitter account says work is progressing on Miyazaki's new film, Ghibli theme park
― Studio Ghibli's official Twitter account posted an illustration of a tiger drawn by Hayao Miyazaki to celebrate the new year, along with photos showing him in the process of drawing it. (The calendar year 2022 will overlap with the Chinese zodiac Year of the Tiger, which begins on February 1.) 新年明けましておめ...
New PV Shows Off RX-93ffν Gundam In Action
Life-size statue will open to the public in April.
― The official Gundam YouTube channel has released a short animated teaser to promote the unveiling of the life-sized RX-93ffν Gundam Statue in Fukuoka later this year. The teaser shows the new mobile suit firing off a shot from its long-range fin funnel mount, before dismounting to engage in close-quarters combat. The RX-93ffν Gundam is heavily base...
Alchemy Stars Mobile Game Teases Tohru, Kanna, More For Upcoming Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Collab
The English Twitter account for the Alchemy Stars smartphone game recently posted a video teasing the new characters that would be introduced as part of its upcoming in-game collaboration with the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid series. The video features Tohru, Kana, Lucoa, Elma, and Fafnir each offering new year wishes in their own characteristic manner. Happy New Year. Kobayashi doesn't have to wo...
Voice Actors Satomi Satou, Takuma Terashima Announce Birth of 1st Child
K-ON! voice actress, The irregular at magic high school voice actor announced their marriage in 2017
― Voice actors Satomi Satou and Takuma Terashima announced on their respective blogs on Thursday that they have welcomed their first child. Satou reported that her body is recovering well, and that she is currently resuming work. Both actors vowed that they will continue to work hard at their careers ...
Veteran Producer Explains the Problems of Unionizing In the Anime Industry
Masuo Ueda points to historical factors, wage dumping as reasons for lack of unions today
― In a two-part online salon, anime producer Masuo Ueda tackled the topic of animator unions in the anime industry—or, to be precise, the lack thereof. Speaking with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable and Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya character designer Terumi Nishii on her YouTube channel, Ue...
No Overnight Camping, Early Morning Stampedes At This Year's Winter Comiket
In-person dōjinshi event returns after 2-year COVID absence with fixed entry numbers, general attendance fees
― Overnight camping and early morning stampedes were once a tradition for the biannual Comic Market (Comiket) dōjinshi event, but the combination of COVID-19 restrictions and the implementation of general attendance fees has resulted in a more modest turnout at this year's Winter Comiket. Ani...
Tarui City Announces PR Anime About Japan's Most Famous Historical Battle
Voice actor Shunichi Toki will perform in February 2022 anime short about Battle of Sekigahara
― The Battle of Sekigahara of 1600 A.D. is commonly regarded as Japan's most famous historical battle, with Tokugawa Ieyasu's decisive victory over the Toyotomi clan marking a major turning point in Japan's feudal era. The battle took place in what is now the Gifu Prefecture, with many modern cities proudly...
Eagle Talon Anime Teams Up With Japanese Government For Anti-Online Harassment Campaign
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications launched #NoHeartNoSNS campaign in wake of Hana Kimura's death
― The Eagle Talon (Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume) comedy anime franchise is teaming up with Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) for its #NoHeartNoSNS anti-online harassment campaign. The series has produced four short videos as part of the campaign, featuring its tra...
Bleach's Story Continues In 1st Art Exhibit
Exhibit will run on 9th floor of Tokyo's Shibuya Hikarie building from December 18 to January 16
― The first ever exhibit for Tite Kubo's Bleach manga opened on the 9th floor of Tokyo's Shibuya Hikarie building on December 18 and will run until January 16. The exhibit represents a fresh look at the manga as it celebrates its 20th anniversary: It contains a reproduction of the new 76-page chapter of t...
Akira Film Easter Egg Hints at Artist's Exasperation With the Workload
Hidden message translates to "Why do we have to draw every little detail like this? Cut it out already! C'mon!"
― The 1988 Akira anime film, directed by the manga's creator Katsuhiro Otomo, is considered a classic among animation aficionados for its rich background art and animation details. It's so dense, in fact, that it's possible for viewers to notice new things even over 30 years later. One such...
Tokyo Twenty Fourth Ward Chief Animation Director Is Pessimistic About the Animation Quality
Kiminori Itō tweets about show's tight schedule, production crunch
― As CloverWorks' new original television anime series Tokyo Twenty Fourth Ward (Tokyo 24-ku) nears its January 5 debut, chief animation director Kiminori Itō has been chronicling his pessimistic thoughts about the anime's production on his Twitter account. Not only has he frankly stated that the production is significantly behind sch...
Final Fantasy VII Remake 3D Billboard Ad Shows Red XIII's Escapades
Shinra offers Amazon gift card prize to fans in Japan willing to rat out the runaway Red XIII
― An ad campaign for Final Fantasy VII Remake in Japan has Shinra on the lookout for Red XIII. A 3D video billboard ad on the Omotesando Hit Vision screen in Tokyo shows Red XIII escaping from Shinra headquarters and getting into escapades. Square Enix Japan is also running a Twitter campaign where people wh...
Voice Actors Maaya Sakamoto, Kenichi Suzumura Expect Their 1st Child
Sakamoto will give birth next year
― Voice actress and singer Maaya Sakamoto's official website announced on Monday that Sakamoto and her fellow voice actor Kenichi Suzumura will give birth to their first child next year. Sakamoto explained that this was the reason she has been taking a break from work over the past few months, and said that she plans to gradually return to work as her body's conditi...
Inio Asano, Sushio, More Draw Billboard Illustrations For Pokémon Go's 5th Anniversary
360° panorama images to be displayed in train stations around Japan
― Manga artist Inio Asano (A Girl on the Shore, Goodnight Punpun, Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction) drew a billboard illustration to celebrate Pokémon GO's 5th anniversary. The "360° Playground" ad takes the form of a 360° panorama image, featuring illustrations by five visual artists. Besides Asano, Trigger animator Sushio part...
Artist Creates CG Portrait of Hayao Miyazaki
The Ghibli creator is the subject of a CG image created by character artist Yingkang Luo
― The best-known live-action footage featuring the director Hayao Miyazaki is probably the infamous scene, included in the documentary Never-Ending Man, in which he is shown a CG-animated creature created by artificial intelligence. The director's reaction was angry revulsion: "I strongly feel that this is an ins...
Manga Localization Company Amimaru Allegedly Trials Machine Translation For Commercial Manga Releases
Kodansha Comics denies investing in machine translation as a client
― An anonymous translator has told ANN that the manga translation and lettering company Amimaru has been trialing edited machine translations for commercial manga releases, calling it an "an excuse to pay translators less than they already do and mechanize the art of translation." "I'm disgusted by this move as an attempt to destroy ...
Life-Size RX-93ffν Gundam Statue in Fukuoka Rears Its Head
24.8-meter-tall statue will open to the public next April
― Bandai Namco Group unveiled the head of its new life-sized Gundam statue in Fukuoka's Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport at a ceremony on Wednesday. The head was installed on the in-progress statue in front of the media and people affiliated with the project. It was announced that the completed statue will be 24.8 meters tall, making it the talle...
Live-Action Jujutsu Kaisen Ad Turns SoftBank Mascot Dog Into Gojō-sensei
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film opens in Japan on Friday
― Softbank released a live-action web ad with Jujutsu Kaisen, which turns the company's white mascot dog into Gojō-sensei, complete with a black eye mask and shining eyes. The mascot also spouts some of the character's lines from the Gekijō-ban Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie) prequel anime film, like "Domain Expansion" and "Don't worry, I'm...
Yoshiyuki Tomino: "Japan Is No Longer a Leader in Animation"
Gundam creator points to unwillingness to innovate, Chinese competition as factors that threaten Japan's anime dominance
― The Hokkaido-based news website Real Economy reported on Monday that Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino spoke at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art for the "World of Yoshiyuki Tomino" exhibit, which will run in Sapporo from October 17 to January 23. There, he spoke highly of the Hokk...
'Caramelldansen' Song Owners Copyright Strike YouTube Documentary Contesting the Meme's Origins
According to video creator jan Misali, the song's sped-up remix in the meme predates the official music video
― A YouTube documentary tracing the history of the "Caramelldansen" anime fandom meme was taken down from the platform on Monday after receiving eight separate copyright strikes from the song's record label Remixed Records. The documentary creator, jan Misali, claims that the company has been...
Mamoru Oshii, Hideo Kojima Comment On The Matrix Resurrections Film
Takeshi Koike, Tomohiko Ito, Mahiro Maeda, Koji Morimoto also praise Matrix series' newest installment
― Eminent Japanese creators including Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii and Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding game director Hideo Kojima have commented on The Matrix Resurrections film after its opening in Japan last Friday. Oshii commented: "I thought it was a return to The Matrix's roots...
Kentarō Waki Directs Girls' Frontline TV Anime Opening Video
Anime premieres on January 7
― Sword Art Online: Alicization and Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway compositing director Kentaro Waki announced on his Twitter account on Monday that he directed, storyboarded, and edited the opening theme video for the Girls' Frontline anime. The video, which features the opening theme "BAD CANDY" by yukaDD, was unveiled last Friday. Waki also commented in English that he wa...
Voice Actress Manami Numakura Announces Birth of 1st Child
Voice of The [email protected]'s Hibiki, Aikatsu!'s Yurika Toudou says she gave birth to a healthy baby boy
― Voice actress and singer Manami Numakura announced on her Twitter account on Monday that she has successfully given birth to her first child, a healthy baby boy. She reported that her body has been recovering without any issues thanks to the kind considerations of her agency and the people around he...
Love Live! Series Launches Official TikTok Account
Account will distribute music through subscription-based model
― The Love Live! series launched its official TikTok account last Wednesday. The account will distribute songs from Love Live!, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, and Love Live Superstar! through a subscription-based (flat-rate) model. In 2010, the anime studio Sunrise, Lantis, and ASCII Media Works' Denge...
NIJISANJI EN Announces Its 1st Male Virtual YouTuber Group
NIJISANJI's 4th English-speaking VTuber group "Luxiem" debuts on Monday
― NIJISANJI English announced its fourth Virtual YouTuber group "Luxiem" on Wednesday. It is the agency's first English-speaking group of male performers. Its members are Ike Eveland, Mysta Rias, Vox Akuma, Luca Kaneshiro, and Shu Yamino. Their social media accounts and YouTube channels launched on the same day. Further informati...
Los Angeles Police Department's Social Media Monitoring Tool Flags Anime, Game Tweets as "Potential Danger"
LAPD collected approximately 70,000 tweets every day in October, November last year
― The Brennan Center for Justice published a spreadsheet of tweets flagged by an automated social media monitoring tool utilized by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The ABTShield, which flagged tweets under tags such as "domestic extremism" and "civil unrest," collected approximately 70,000 tweets every day i...
Blue Archive Smartphone Game Director Apologizes For Art Alterations in Global Version
Illustration featuring a nude female character was cropped due to "external requests"
― The Blue Archive smartphone game English Twitter account posted a message by the game's director Yongha Kim on Thursday apologizing for art alterations in the global version. He explained that although he previously stated in an interview that the team had no plans to alter the illustrations for the international ...
Anime Tourism 88 List Adds Love Live, Evangelion, Higurashi Locations
Yearly survey of noteworthy anime pilgrimage sites was skipped last year due to COVID-19
― The Anime Tourism Association revealed its 2022 list of noteworthy anime pilgrimage sites at a press conference on Wednesday. This year's additions include locations from Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Love Live! Superstar!!, When They Cry - Higurashi, and the Evangelion series. The full list of a...
FILA Reveals 7 Special-Edition Dragon Ball Super Shoe Designs
The designs include FILA's Original Fitness, F-13, and FILA Renno styles and are based on Goku, Goku Black, Vegeta, Golden Frieza, Trunks, Beerus, and Super Shenron's iconic colors.
― Athletic brand FILA revealed its complete line-up of limited-edition Dragon Ball Super footwear just in time for the holidays. The collection of seven different character-inspired styles first debuted at New York Comic ...
MyAnimeList, Honeyfeed Web Novel Contest Announces Winners
Organizers confirm the contest will return for 2nd round
― Anime database website MyAnimeList and web novel platform Honeyfeed announced the winners of its web novel contest on Monday. In addition to cash prizes, the top three winning entries will be sent to manga publisher Kodansha to review for a possible manga adaptation. The winning submissions are as follows: 1st Place: REALM ASSASSIN by Pearlyn...
Voice Actress Asami Tano Marries Actor Ryō Kitamura
Tano is best known for playing Saki Nikaidō in Zombie Land Saga, Ninny Spangcole in Burn The Witch
― Voice actress Asami Tano, best known for playing Saki Nikaidō in Zombie Land Saga, Ninny Spangcole in Burn The Witch, and Akane Hino/Cure Sunny in Glitter Force (Smile Pretty Cure!), announced on her Twitter account on Monday that she has gotten married to the live-action and stage actor Ryō Kitamura....
Attack on Titan Creator Draws Illustration To Celebrate Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga's 100th Chapter
Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine also launches series' first character popularity poll
― Hiromu Arakawa's manga adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka's Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) novel series published its 100th chapter in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine's January 2022 issue, which shipped on Thursday. To commemorate the occasion, a number of manga artists, including Attack on Titan's Hajime Isaya...
Re:ZERO's Creepy Villain Inspires Life-Sized Bust Figure
Step aside, Rem and Ram, it's Petelgeuse's turn for love
― Re:ZERO's Rem and Ram have received life-sized official figures in the past, but now it's time for them to step aside and let a new character shine. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a life-sized figure of Re:ZERO's main heroine for years for years. Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on this new bust of the pretty and adorable Emi... wait, P...
Real-Life Café In A Place Further Than the Universe Closes Due to Owner's Health
Cafe de Staël in the Gunma Prefecture's Tatebayashi City was depicted in anime's early episodes
― The Cafe de Staël in the Gunma Prefecture's Tatebayashi City will close on Saturday. The café was the real-life inspiration for the café frequented by the protagonist in the opening episodes of the A Place Further Than the Universe anime. Although the establishment was loved by anime fans and locals alik...
BookLive Launches 1st Industry Award For Manga Characters
Magademy Award 2021 will honor the manga characters that "shined the most this year"
― The digital book vendor BookLive is hosting a new industry award specifically for manga characters. The "Magademy Award 2021" will honor the manga characters that "shined the most this year." The shortlist of nominees will be announced on February 8, and the formal award will be announced on March 16. Fans can nomi...
Osaka Police Uses Ace Attorney Characters For Anti-Marijuana Campaign
Posters, flyers will be used to discourage marijuana usage among youths
― Capcom announced in a press release on Thursday that it will lend the Ace Attorney characters to the Osaka prefectural police as part of its juvenile delinquency prevention efforts. Characters from The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will be depicted on a set of posters and flyers which will be distributed in Osaka educational in...
Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- Writers Explain Why the Anime Won't Get a Second Season
"I don't think we could add another cour to the story, even if the first was a smash hit and got rave reviews."
― Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- writers Tappei Nagatsuki (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Warlords of Sigrdrifa) and Eiji Umehara (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- episode scriptwriter, Chaos;Child) spoke in an interview to Mipon about the possibility of a second season. They...
Nikkei Entertainment Highlights Tokyo Revengers, Uma Musume, Evangelion As 2021's Biggest Hits
Pony Canyon producer Hirofumi Itо̄ shared the factors behind Tokyo Revengers' success
― Nikkei Entertainment's January 2022 issue highlights the biggest buzz generators across Japanese film, television, streaming, music, books, and games in 2021. The Tokyo Revengers anime ranked in as the top-watched streaming program for both male and female audiences during the latter half of the year, while Uma Mu...
Heritage's 2nd "Art of Anime and Everything Cool" Auction Starts This Friday
Dec. 10-13 auction features more than 700 anime lots
― Heritage will hold its second Art of Anime and Everything Cool auction from December 10 to 13. The auction will feature more than 700 anime lots, including items from Akira, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Studio Ghibli films. As with the previous auction, lots from iconic examples of American animation and comics will be listed under the “Everyt...
Kyoto Animation Arson Victim Relatives to Discuss Whether to Build Memorial Monument At Former Studio 1 Site
Conclusion will be reached by the end of the 2022 fiscal year
― The families of the victims of the deadly 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack will enter discussions with the company on whether to build a memorial monument at the former Studio 1 building site. A Kyoto Animation representative told the NHK that around 30 people attended a meeting regarding the matter on Saturday for an initial exchange o...
Sound! Euphonium Author Ayano Takeda Announces Her Marriage
She posted a photo of her and her partner's rings and wrote: "Sorry to mention a personal matter, but I have gotten married to the person I have been seeing for some time!"
― Sound! Euphonium author Ayano Takeda announced on her Twitter account on Sunday that she has gotten married. She posted a photo of her and her partner's rings and wrote: "Sorry to mention a personal matter, but I have gotten mar...
MAPPA Draws Original Illustration For Jujutsu Kaisen Character Satoru Gojō's Birthday
Illustration depicts main characters of upcoming Jujutsu Kaisen 0 film
― MAPPA released an original illustration to commemorate the birthday of Jujutsu Kaisen's Satoru Gojō on Tuesday. The illustration depicts the main characters of the upcoming Gekijō-ban Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie) prequel anime film: Satoru Gojō, Yuta Okkotsu, Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki, and Panda. 🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY🎂...
Seattle Seahawks Running Back Celebrates Touchdown With Attack on Titan Salute
Travis Homer joins the growing crowd of athletes who reference anime on the field
― The Seattle Seahawks' Travis Homer scored a 73 yard fake punt touchdown in one of Sunday's NFL highlights. After pulling off the impressive feat, Homer got to his feet and celebrated with the iconic hand-to-chest salute from the Attack on Titan anime and manga series. The moment is captured at around the 0:26 mark of ...
2nd Demon Slayer Live-Action Ad Imagines If Talking Kasugai Crows Were Real
Ad debuted along with anime's Entertainment District arc on Sunday
― In September, the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series teamed up with Japanese mobile phone company au for an amusing live-action ad. A second television ad debuted on Sunday, this time imagining if the talking Kasugai Crow messengers existed in real life. The ad features returning performances by Ryunosuke Kamiki (your name.'s Tak...
Eiichiro Oda Explains Why He Doesn't Watch One Piece YouTubers
"Their predictions of future events can be completely on the mark, so I make sure not to watch them."
― One Piece manga creator Eiichiro Oda addressed the topic of One Piece YouTubers in a Q&A corner published in the manga's 101th compiled volume, which shipped in Japan on Friday. When asked if he watched analysis channels on YouTube, he responded: "I know of them, and I have seen some videos here an...
Gundam Hathaway Memes Top Gadget Tsūshin's 2021 Anime Buzzword Awards
Film inspired the "Mafty Meme" and a resurgence of Pumpkin Dance parodies
― Every popular anime leaves some kind of trace in Japan's internet culture landscape. Gadget Tsūshin's Anime Ryūkōgo Taishō's yearly list of the most popular anime-related buzzwords and fandom memes gave the Gold Prize to "Molcar" from Pui Pui Molcar and the "Mafty Meme" from the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway. What is the "Mafty...
Another Eden Smartphone Game Transcends Space-Time With Chrono Cross Crossover
Both games are written by Chrono Trigger's Masato Katō
― Wright Flyer Studios (WFS) announced at its Another Eden Crossover Announcement Livestream on Saturday that the Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space smartphone game will hold a crossover event with Square Enix's classic Chrono Cross role-playing game, starting from December 9. WFS released two trailers for the collaboration, including a ...
The Quintessential Quintuplets Inspire Life-Sized Acrylic Stands
Each girl is depicted reading a book, making them ideal companions for book-loving otaku
― The Quintessential Quintuplets girls are getting their own life-sized acrylic stands. Each girl is depicted reading a book, making them ideal companions for book-loving otaku. Each stand is 170 centimeters tall and costs 181,500 yen (approximately US$1,600). Each purchase will come with an acrylic holder novelt...
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's Inosuke Will Cover Your Ass
With the character inspiring a pair of shorts, Inosuke can now literally cover your behind. Hey, that's what friends are for, right?
― Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's Inosuke is a reliable ally to Tanjirо̄ in a jam, and he can do the same for you with this latest piece of merch. With the character inspiring a pair of shorts, Inosuke can now literally cover your behind. Hey, that's what friends are f...
Doraemon's 50th Anniversary Commemorated With Giant Bronze Statue in Shibuya
"Doraemon: Door to the Future" monument was unveiled in Miyashita Park on Wednesday
― Fujiko F. Fujio's original Doraemon manga commemorated its 50th anniversary on Wednesday with the unveiling of a giant bronze statue in Shibuya's Miyashita Park. The "Doraemon: Door to the Future" monument depicts Doraemon and Nobita alongside seven classic Doraemon gadgets, most prominently the Anywhere Door. The s...
Milky Holmes Voice Actress Izumi Kitta Announces Marriage to Italian Man
The two met during Kitta's study abroad in Great Britain
― Voice actress Izumi Kitta announced on her blog on Saturday that she has gotten married to an Italian man she met in London on her study abroad trip to Great Britain. "Today, November 27, is my birthday. I got married," she wrote. "My partner is an Italian man I met in London while studying abroad. I want to keep powering up and performing wo...
Deca-Dence Designer Hiromatsu Shu Directs Lavish OP For Spare Me, Great Lord! Chinese Animated Series
Tencent Video will stream series in China from December 3
― Deca-Dence designer Hiromatsu Shu directed the stylish opening animation for the Spare Me, Great Lord! Chinese animated series. Big Firebird Cultural Media Animation posted the sequence on its Twitter account on Thursday. #大王饶命动画 片头曲《不好惹》震撼发布！感谢op导演@Hiromatsu1988 以及幕后制作人员的爆肝付出，如果能得到大家的喜欢就太好了。灵气复苏的时代，和自己在乎的人一起变强吧！12月3日起，每周五12点腾讯视频独家播出！#大火鳥文化 ...
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