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watch

The Spring 2024 Anime Trailer Watch Party Will Be Live from Japan!

THIS TUESDAY! Anime News Network's Lynzee Loveridge and Richard Eisenbeis, and Trash Taste Pod's Gigguk as they watch over fifty anime trailers from the Spring 2024 anime season! ― The Trailer Watch Party is growing up with a live stream from Trash Taste Pod's After Dark studio. Join Anime News Network executive editor Lynzee Loveridge, ANN Japan correspondent Richard Eisenbeis, and Trash Taste Pod's...
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The One And Only Animerica Magazine

Brian Stremick flips through the pages of the seminal Japanese pop-culture magazine and how it helped shape anime fandom in the U.S. ― My first contact with anime was during my college years. I used to scour the web and look through the tiny manga section at my local bookstore in search of information. One day, a particular publication in that store's magazine section caught my eye. It was called Ani...
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Frieren Knocks Full Metal Alchemist Out of the Top Spot on Both MAL and ANN

After roughly a decade with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as the highest-rated anime on both sites, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End has now taken the top spot. ― [Editor's Note: An incomplete draft of this article was accidently published previously. It has been taken down and replaced with this, the completed version.] What is the greatest anime in the world? The show that's generally agreed to be ...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Mar 11-17

Metallic Rouge and Meiji Gekken started the season high, but have been steadily dropping both in the weekly and cumulative. Discover what else is moving in the 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 ranki...
interview

Interview: JYOCHO's Daijiro Nakagawa Talks About Composing Songs for Junji Ito and Banished From the Hero's Party

Daijirō Nakagawa talks about his band, their evolution, and what it's like to compose anime theme songs. ― If you've seen either of the Junji Ito anthology anime or either season of Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, you've heard the music of JYOCHO's Daijiro Nakagawa. Recently, Anime News Network sat down with him to talk about his band, their evolutio...
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How Oshi no Ko Got Its Extra-Long Premiere

Director Daisuke Hiramaki, assistant director Ciao Nekotomi, and producer Shimpei Yamashita discuss the series' extra-long premiere, its depiction of the idol industry, and what fans can look forward to in season two. ― The 【Oshi No Ko】 anime series was a breakout hit last year. The series smashed records at streaming service HIDIVE to become its "#1 series launch in the streamer's history." The ani...
watch

The Spring 2024 Anime Trailer Watch Party Will Be Live from Japan!

Join Anime News Network's Lynzee Loveridge and Richard Eisenbeis, and Trash Taste Pod's Gigguk as they watch over fifty anime trailers from the Spring 2024 anime season! ― The Trailer Watch Party is growing up with a live stream from Trash Taste Pod's After Dark studio. Join Anime News Network executive editor Lynzee Loveridge, ANN Japan correspondent Richard Eisenbeis, and Trash Taste Pod's Gigguk a...
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Sex Work, Kink, and Consent: Here's How the Anime Community Can be Better With Adult Content and Its Creators

"I'll spit on you for $5!" Lucas DeRuyter spoke to pro adult content creators about con attendees LARPing as sex workers, and how a more consensual experience is better for everyone. ― Note: The images in this article are likely NSFW. Cosplay model, panel host, and sex worker Ronnie/Bunni Black described the anime community as having "cognitive dissonance" towards adult content. As sex workers in th...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Mar 4-10

Villainess Level 99 has been doing consistently great for the past few weeks, and climbed the cumulative up to #10 as a result. Find out how your favorite shows stacked up according to viewer votes. ― 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. ...
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Who Can Beat Goku? The Monumental Legacy of Akira Toriyama

When we shout Kamehameha, we speak the same tongue. ― On March 1, 2024, Akira Toriyama passed away. He was a husband, a father, and a friend to many. Those closest to him – including many of his industry peers – have shared fond memories of their interactions and deep sadness at his passing. To be loved in life and mourned in death by those nearest us is often the greatest legacy many can hope for, a...
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Where to Start and What's Worth Watching [2024 Edition]

Lauren Orsini is back with an update to our Gundam guide. If you're not sure where to start in this mecha franchise, start here. ― Forty-five years ago, Mobile Suit Gundam was a cartoon designed to sell robot toys to kids, and it initially received such low viewership ratings that it ended up being canceled. It was only later that the anime's hardcore fans, many of whom were teens and young adults a...
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Collect 'Em All: Other Video Games About Catching Monsters

On the heels of Pokémon and Palworld, Jean-Karlo looks back on years of monster collecting, from Megami Tensei to Dragon Quest Monsters. Pokémon is undoubtedly the king of the mountain when it comes to the collectible monsters subgenre of RPG—or "Mons" games, as fans call them. And while it's also currently the world's leading multimedia franchise, there's still something to be said about the many ...
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Why Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai is One of the Greatest Shonen Anime

Now streaming on Netflix, Jairus Taylor makes his case for Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai and why it deserves a moment in the shonen spotlight. ― The landscape of shonen anime has changed a lot over the years, and largely for the better. In the past, anime adaptations of hallmark shonen titles like Naruto or Bleach were notorious for suffering from slow pacing, inconsistent animation quality, an...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Feb 26-Mar 3

While the rankings have been on an unplanned hiatus over the past few weeks, our top 3 has remained unchanged with Dangers in My Heart ruling the season. Check out our latest 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 m...
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Anime to Watch on Funimation Before They Disappear from Streaming

Crunchyroll is sunsetting the Funimation streaming service on April 2, and with it, these anime will disappear from streaming services. Watch these before they're gone! ― Funimation's days as an anime streaming service are numbered! And while much of their catalog is available on Crunchyroll or other anime streaming sites, a surprising number are not. With April 2 looming, here are our editorial team...
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Roleplaying in Re:Zero, the Dark Souls of Isekai

How I engage with games like Dark Souls, and how Subaru approaches his ordeals in Re:Zero are similar: they both hinge on roleplay. ― As someone who used to play games more actively, watching Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World dredged up old memories of playing Dark Souls. Fans of both franchises could probably draw some easy comparisons. They're both dark and often bleak fantasy series known f...
interview

Chatting About Food and Adventures with Delicious in Dungeon's Director and Voice Actors

We were able to chat with Delicious in Dungeon's director, Yoshihiro Miyajima, as well as two of its main leads, Kentarō Kumagai (Laios) and Sayaka Senbongi (Marcille). ― Recently, Anime News Network was able to chat with Delicious in Dungeon's director, Yoshihiro Miyajima, as well as two of its main leads, Kentaro Kumagai (Voice of Laios) and Sayaka Senbongi (Marcille). They talked about how they b...
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Reflecting on Aerith's Death on the Eve of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's Release

“Did you hear that there is actually way to save Aerith from getting killed by Sephiroth?” Spoiler Alert! This piece is going to cover spoilers from pretty much every single Final Fantasy VII thing that's come out leading up to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, including the original game, Advent Children, Crisis Core, FFVII Remake and even Rebirth's trailers. “Did you hear that there is actually way to ...
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How Avatar: The Last Airbender Made Me A Late Bloomer Anime Fan

Anime is a medium of imagination, and thanks to Avatar: The Last Airbender, it now captures my heart time and time again. ― When my father asked me what anime is, I realized this fandom is part of me now. Anime is not a passion I hide (you wouldn't be reading this if I did), but it's also one I've only had for a few years. I've been calling myself a “novice weeb,” even if the first part of that descr...
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Another Code, Ace Attorney, and Adventure Games 20 Years Later

The game genre's success has had highs and lows. Is the Nintendo Switch ushering in a new era of sleuthing? ― A new year of game releases has begun, and with it, the first wave of new titles by various developers and publishers. Among these offerings have been several action-heavy titles and role-playing games but, in contrast, Nintendo and Capcom have done something rather different to start 2024 b...
interview

Veteran Animator Terumi Nishii on the Problems and Future Facing the Anime Industry

"...Full-time employees have been forced to work hard for the past 20 or 30 years—but it seems that instead of becoming 'full-time employees,' it's more like they are 'slaves.'" ― Recently, I was able to sit down and chat with Terumi Nishii, a veteran animator and character designer with credits ranging from Rurouni Kenshin and PENGUINDRUM to Jujutsu Kaisen and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. But rather th...
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These Unofficial Soulsborne Figures are Amazing

Fan creators showed off the detailed, dark designs of their figures at WonderFest! ― Wonder Festival is the world's largest figure convention. But what makes it so special isn't its size. Rather, amateur figure makers are given special permission from the various copyright holders to sell their figures at Wonder Festival on that day legally and that day only. Because of this, nearly two-thirds of th...
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Are There Any Figures at WonderFest for Retro Anime Fans?

The bi-annual Wonder Festival always showcases the latest and greatest in recent anime, manga, and video game figures. But what about figures for fans of the retro series? ― The anime figure showcase Wonder Festival 2024 [Winter] is here, and the latest anime figures are on display. But can you find figures of retro properties at the festival? Well, that all depends on exactly what you're looking for...
interview

The Eminence in Shadow Anime Producer Had His Own Cid Phase

ANN spoke with The Eminence in Shadow director Kazuya Nakanishi and producer Kazufumi Kikushima about the series' unique protagonist. ― Whether it's the dark comedy or its distinct main character, Cid, something about The Eminence in Shadow resonates with many anime fans. The series is one of the highest-rated shows on HIDIVE. Anime News Network was able to sit down and talk with the series' directo...
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Romance Anime to Make Your Heart Flutter

This Valentine's Day, why not cozy up with your favorite person and enjoy some of the best love stories that anime has to offer? Our editorial team has the best picks below, from romantic comedies to dramas and everything in between! ― This Valentine's Day, why not cozy up with your favorite person and enjoy some of the best love stories that anime has to offer? Our editorial team has the best picks...
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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training Red Carpet Premiere Report

Demon Slayer returned to the red carpet with voice actors Natsuki Hanae and Hiro Shimono in tow to welcome the new season! ― With season four of Demon Slayer just around the corner, I'm sure many people would foam at the mouth at the opportunity to get a preview of things to come, especially after the emotionally intense finale of season three. Thankfully, Anime News Network was able to check out the...
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Plastic Models as Art: Touring Kaiyodo's Headquarters and Hobby Land Museum

On its 60th anniversary, Kaiyodo's slogan remains the same: to spread the joy of making plastic models to everyone. ― When Kaiyodo founder Osamu Miyawaki submitted a painted Revell model of the Constitution ship to a city art exhibit in 1970, the judges disqualified his work when they found out it was a painted plastic model. Undeterred, he told the organizers, "Just as you need a cloth canvas to pa...
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The Ultimate Madoka Recap and Homura's Lost Paradise

Contrary to the memes, Homura did do something wrong. ZeroReq011 recaps the seminal magical girl series and Homura's parallels to Lucifer from John Milton's Paradise Lost. ― It has been over a decade since Puella Magi Madoka Magica mainline story received an anime project. It's now 2024, and the long-awaited movie follow-up to the controversial Rebellion film, Walpurgisnacht Rising, is set to come ou...
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No More Yielding but a Dream: Paprika and the Waking World

Many artists have attempted to take on the subject of dreams, from Ono no Komachi to Christopher Nolan. It is notoriously difficult to capture in a way that makes sense to others; there's nothing more difficult than describing a dream you had to an audience and giving them the same sense of fear, wonder, or magic that you experienced while your eyes were closed. That's because dreams are among the...
interview

Gundam: The Witch From Mercury's Lynn and Kana Ichinose Discuss Difficult Parents and Friendships

"It got me thinking that as long as there are humans, conflict will never disappear and there is no correct answer." ― At Anime NYC 2023, the official Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury panel hosted voice actors Kana Ichinose (Suletta Mercury) and Lynn (Miorine Rembran) to discuss their work on the hit mecha series. Members of the press had further questions answered via a joint email interv...
interview

How the Shield Hero Director and Producer Pushed to Do the Series Justice

"One of the things that's important to me is to capture the world as it is with the wave of calamity; the trouble, the hunger, the sadness of the world that exists so that the heroes can shine. It's because the people are suffering that a hero is needed." ― In season three of The Rising of The Shield Hero, Naofumi and the gang must learn to put aside some of their differences with the other Cardinal...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Jan 22-28

We've never seen a top 3 so steady, but Solo Leveling is climbing fast! How far do you think it will level up? Find out how your favorite shows 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 th...
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A Photo Guide to the Real-Life Locations in Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki

With the newly premiered season of Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki, we decided to explore the real-life locations in Saitama, Japan! ― With the newly premiered season of Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki, we decided to explore the real-life locations in Japan. Much of Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki takes place in Saitama Prefecture, mainly around JR Omiya Station. Let's look at some of the iconic real-li...
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The First Slam Dunk Anime Loves Basketball As Much As I Do

The movie brilliantly translates the experience and attitude of being on the court to the medium of animation, and if you've so much as touched a basketball, you should watch it. ― Most sports movies ground themselves in the drama and families surrounding a sport, instead of creating tension within the designs and dynamics that make the chosen game so popular in the first place. The Sandlot is one o...
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An Early Look at the Dragon Ball Daima Character Designs

Greeting an excited crowd at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2024, executive producer Iyoku came bearing an exciting new character trailer and early designs for the crowd. ― Long-time Dragon Ball executive producer Akio Iyoku shared the behind-the-scenes process for the upcoming series, Dragon Ball Daima. The anime will be released in fall 2024, featuring an original story by creator Akira Toriyama and...
interview

Bringing His Ego to the Role: BLUE LOCK Voice Actor Kazuki Ura

Ura explains, “As a voice actor, I have the ego that I don't want to lose to anybody. I want to be the best at everything, especially when it comes to the character of Isagi.” ― At Anime NYC 2023, Anime News Network had the opportunity to sit down with the voice actor Kazuki Ura, the voice of BLUELOCK's main protagonist Isagi, and Ryoya Arisawa, the producer of the hit sports anime BLUELOCK. One of ...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Jan 1-21

It's a new season with old favorites and new contenders. Frieren is still going strong continuing from last season, but The Dangers in My Heart is the one stealing the spotlight! ― 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 th...
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How Anime Helped Save Superman

ZeroReq011 looks at how shojo and shonen sensibilities have helped restore Superman to his original iconography: a kinder, stalwart hero for the people. ― Besides enjoying anime, I grew up watching Bruce Timm's Superman. From watching his Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League cartoons, Superman became the superhero with the biggest guns, the biggest shield, and the biggest heart. I was a b...
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Manhwa: What Korean Comics to Start Reading

Rebecca Silverman dives into the ever-expanding world of manhwa to find some of the best series to dive into. ― It isn't fair to say that Korean comics being translated into English is new. Back in 2006, Netcomics was releasing books, and bigger publishers like Seven Seas have been venturing into those waters since at least 2012, with titles like the delightful historical mystery series Lizzie Newton...
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Exploring the Delicious in Dungeon Pop-Up Café In Shibuya

How would the monstorous dishes look and taste in real life? Thankfully, we can find that answer at the four-day-long Shibuya Delicious in Dungeon Store. Delicious in Dungeon makes its real-life appearance in Shibuya with a café. But it's no ordinary café. The new anime Delicious in Dungeon takes us into a fantastical world where adventurers explore dungeons, fight monsters, and loot treasure. Howe...
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Volunteers, Former Senior Staff Boycott Ohayocon Convention

At least 91 individuals, including former senior leadership members and year-round volunteers, are boycotting Ohayocon following the termination of the convention's former con chair. ― Dating back to 2001, the cleverly named Ohayocon is Ohio's oldest and longest-running anime convention. Attracting an estimated 13,000 attendees in 2023, it's without question one of the larger anime conventions in Ohi...
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Rainbow Gala 30 and the End of an Era: Hong Kong's Biggest Doujinshi Convention Set to Shutter

Future of Hong Kong's creative scene “pathetic,” says organizers, as venue shuts down. ― Sounds of indistinct chatter, cluttered by crowds so packed you could only go with the flow, snaking through the people and obstacles alike among the photography stages in the corridors. This is the reality of Hong Kong's biggest doujinshi convention for community-made products, the 30th Rainbow Gala (RG) held o...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide - Bang Brave Bang Bravern

The final entry for the Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide is here...and it's a love letter to giant robots! What did our reviewers think of Bang Brave Bang Bravern? ― What is this? Lewis Smith and Isami Ao are enemy pilots. Lewis is a pilot for the U.S. armed forces who pilots the armored humanoid weapon Titanostride. In the midst of battle, he meets Isami Ao, the ace pilot for Japan's Ground Self-Def...
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Yoshiki Gives Heartfelt Performance at Hollywood Unveiling Ceremony

Rock star and X Japan member is the first Japanese artist in almost 100 years to add handprints to Chinese Theatre. ― Famed rock star, Yoshiki, revealed the permanent location of his imprints in front of Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre. As the first Japanese artist to be honored by the theater since the start of the tradition in 1927, he shared how grateful he is to be a part of this prestigious mom...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide

This season's anime premieres are wrapping up and we've got all your reviews right here with BUCCHIGIRI?!, Witch and Beast, Metallic Rouge, Blue Exorcist, Mashle Season 2, Solo Leveling, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go along. Each critic will cover ...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide

Today's new premieres include the highly-anticipated sci-fi anime METALLIC ROUGE from Bones! Find your next must-watch among our reviews for Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Sengoku Youko, Doctor Elise, Villainess Level 99, The Dangers in My Heart Season 2, Blue Exorcist, Mashle, Solo-Leveling, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guid...
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ANN's Most-Read News and Interest Articles of 2023

These are the stories that captivated our readers last year, from Naruto to...doing your taxes? ― The book of 2023 has turned its final page, but you could say its FINAL CHAPTERS were over a decade in the making. The year saw the anime finale of the blockbuster series Attack on Titan, and fans were here for it. The series appeared three times in our most-read news list, and our tour of creator Hajim...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide

Preview Guide marches on with the tasty temptations of ITS TIME FOR TORTURE PRINCESS! Find your next must-watch among our reviews for Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!, Synduality: Noir Season 2, Mr. Villain's Day Off, The Dangers in My Heart Season 2, Blue Exorcist, Mashle, Solo-Leveling, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of cr...
interview

Bringing Imagination to the Sengoku Youko Supernatural Action Anime

The director and producer discussed the challenges working on the Sengoku Youko anime, from finding just the right voice for a 200-year-old yōkai to tapping into their imaginations to bring Jinka's attacks to life. ― Manga creator Satoshi Mizukami is already preparing his next manga series, but it's his supernatural action story Sengoku Youko that brought director Kagetsu Aizawa and producer Allian ...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023

New series are starting up one after the other, but let's take a quick break to look back on the final user rankings of the Fall 2023 season! ― 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 people ...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide

The magic world of MASHLE is back and Mash will have to keep his muscles swole to overcome the...government?! Also check our reviews for Blue Exorcist, The Strongest Tank's Labyrinth Raids, A Sign of Affection, Tales of Wedding Rings, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Unwanted Undead Adventurer, Delicious in Dungeon, Solo Leveling, Demon Prince of Momoichi House, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News ...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide

This isekai world is for the birds in SASAKI AND PEEPS! Also check our reviews for The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Unwanted Undead Adventurer, Delicious in Dungeon, Solo Leveling, Demon Prince of Momoichi House, Gushing Over Magical Girls, Chained Soldier, Ishura, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their ...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide

It's time to EAT with Delicious in Dungeon! Also check our reviews for Solo Leveling, Demon Prince of Momoichi House, Gushing Over Magical Girls, Fluffy Paradise, Ishura, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go along. Each critic will cover as many shows as...
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An Anime Insider's Take on the Netflix Engagement Report

Approximately 3 billion hours, or 3.3%, of the 93 billion hours of content consumed on Netflix from January to June 2023 was anime. ― In an era where one of Netflix's top new releases for the year is a live-action adaptation of a manga and the streaming giant is starting to lose subscribers in much of the world outside of Asia, how does anime fit in? It's a question that's been difficult to answer fo...
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The Worst Anime of 2023 + The Mega Poll Results

The Anime News Network review team has carefully chosen the shows that left them the most frustrated, disappointed, or outright confused. ― For all light, there is darkness. Behold our picks for the very worst anime of the year, from production meltdowns to downright frustrating and confusing plotting. The Anime News Network review team has carefully chosen the shows that left them the most frustrat...
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The Best Manga and Light Novels of 2023

Don't close out your reading list yet! We've got the best manga and light novels of 2023 right here. ― For the first time, we're adding the best manga and best light novels to our year-end wrap-ups! We've split both publishing mediums into two categories: new and continuing. The new section highlights our favorite series published in English for the first time this year, while the continuing section...
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The Best Anime of 2023 - This Year in Video Games

Jean-Karlo slides in to finish the year with the best games and biggest developments in the industry! ― 2023 is finally in its casket. Many would quickly call 2023 one of the best years of gaming in a while, owing to the slew of phenomenal titles released this year. This, however, ignores the almost 7,000 employees laid off from various gaming studios across the nation this year alone. It also ignor...
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The Best Anime of 2023 - Monique Thomas, Lynzee Loveridge + The Best Movies of 2023

Nicky and Lynzee's top five anime round out our best series for the year, plus the anime movies we couldn't stop thinking about. ― Monique Thomas 5. Undead Murder Farce I'll be honest: summer this year was pretty dry. I could barely remember the last time a season had such a dearth of shows that interested me. The day I run out of anime to watch might as well be the day I die, but thankfully, for al...
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The Best Anime of 2023 - MrAJCosplay, Caitlin Moore, Steve Jones + The Best Songs of 2023

It's time to reveal the anime songs that stayed on our playlists all year! Plus, more of the best anime of the year from ANN's critics. ― Steve Jones 5. Skip and Loafer Easily the most heartwarming romcom I watched this year, Skip and Loafer lingers in my memory like a fuzzy blanket for the soul. The emotional intelligence and nuance of the source material find a perfect pairing with Kotomi Deai's e...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Trailer Watch Party!

Tune in to the Winter 2024 Anime Trailer Watch Party, live in one hour! ― It's time to ring in the new year with a new season of anime! Lynzee Loveridge, Jacki Jing, James Beckett, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement will watch all the anime trailers for the Winter 2024 season. Make sure that hot cocoa is hot and you've got your holiday tin of popcorn next to you because we're chugging through more...
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The Best Anime of 2023 - Rebecca Silverman, James Beckett, Christopher Farris + The Best Moments of 2023

What were the anime moments that made us cry, cheer, or took our breath away? Plus, more of the very best anime series of the year! ― Rebecca Silverman 5. Akuma-kun It's hardly a secret that I love Shigeru Mizuki's works and that the 2018 Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro is one of my favorite series of the last few years. Akuma-kun is perhaps not quite as good as its sibling series, but that doesn't mean that it ...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Dec 17-23

With more than half of the series wrapping up this week, we see Migi & Dali, Goblin Slayer and Overtake climbing the middle of the pack. Check out 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 ra...
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The Winter 2024 Anime Trailer Watch Party!

Lynzee Loveridge, Jacki Jing, James Beckett, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement are back on Friday, December 29 at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern to watch ALL the Winter 2024 anime trailers! ― It's time to ring in the new year with a new season of anime! Lynzee Loveridge, Jacki Jing, James Beckett, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement will watch all the anime trailers for the Winter 2024 season. Make su...
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The Best and Worst Anime of 2023

Our five-day coverage of all the very best anime of the year begins now! First: The Best Characters of 2023! ― Welcome to our editorial team's countdown of the very best anime that aired this year! Over the next five days, we'll be revealing our team's picks of overall best as well as multiple subcategories like best character, best moment, best song, and best film. On the final day, we'll reveal ou...
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Our Most Anticipated Anime of Winter 2024

With the highly anticipated Solo Leveling and BONES' anniversary project, Metallic Rouge, on the horizon, find out our most anticipated anime for Winter 2024! ― The winter anime season is looking quieter than its blockbuster predecessor, with the exception of the highly anticipated Solo Leveling and BONES' anniversary project, Metallic Rouge. The rest of the season is rounded out with isekai and vil...
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The Best and Worst Anime of Fall 2023

Anime viewers had an array of options this season, from the critical favorite Frieren: Beyond Journey's End to the bombastic The Eminence in Shadow 2nd Season. Here is the list of the editorial team's favorite anime series from this season, as well as our biggest disappointments. ― Anime viewers had an array of options this season, from the critical favorite Frieren: Beyond Journey's End to the bomb...
your score

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Dec 10-16

As we enter the last stretch of the season, Spy×Family takes a bit of a stumble. 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 based on how people...
interview

The Moment That Undead Unluck's Yoshifumi Tozuka Decided to Create Manga

Yoshifumi Tozuka met someone early in his life who believed in his artistic ability. The rest is manga history. ― Undead Unluck fans at Anime NYC were treated to a panel featuring the creator Yoshifumi Tozuka, his editor Takumi Hashimoto, and Fuuko's Japanese voice actor, Moe Kahara. During the panel, Moe Kahara spoke about how she chose to pursue a career as a voice actor because she wanted to impr...
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VShojo's Ironmouse is Crowned VTuber of the Year

Hololive wins Best VTuber Organization, Gawr Gura wins Most Dedicated Fanbase, Mori Calliope wins Best Music Vtuber ― Less than two weeks after making history as the first animated character to win Content Creator of the Year at the Gaming Awards, Ironmouse came in and won every award she was nominated for in the first-ever Vtuber Awards. Earning the title of Miss Vtuber, Vtuber of the Year, and havi...
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The Most Popular Anime Series According to Netflix's Data Drop

We crunched the numbers from the streaming service's unprecedented data drop to find what anime are most popular, from Vinland Saga to Cyberpunk Edgerunners! ― Last week, Netflix dropped that treasure trove of the streaming services' viewing data, calculating views from January to June 2023. There were lots of data nerds who started drooling… especially me. But first and foremost, before we dive head...
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Living as a Real Life “Hannah Montana” – An Interview with Virtual Singer KAF

KAF is one of the most popular virtual singers in Japan. Ahead of her upcoming concerts next month, we talked about what it's like to live with a secret identity. ― KAF is one of the most popular virtual singers in Japan. Several of her songs have become Top 40 downloaded hits (along with two of her albums breaking the Oricon Digital Top 10) and she's even sold out the Nippon Budokan (the Japanese eq...
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Anime Director Masaaki Yuasa Reflects on His 20 Year Career

With time to reflect on his past work and an upcoming five-film box set from GKIDS, we talked with Yuasa about staying true to his artistic outlook and how the industry has changed. ― 2023 was an eventful year for Science Saru studio founder and film director Masaaki Yuasa. Since stepping down as president of his animation studio, Yuasa's part rock opera, part supportive treatise to artistic outcast...
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Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Dec 3-9

The last two weeks have seen fewer ups-and-downs in the cumulative, but some great episodes allow Dr. Stone to overtake Jujutsu Kaison. Find out where your favorites rank 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...
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All I Want For Christmas Is More Classic Shōjo Anime!

Discotek's Lady Georgie anime release gets Dawn dreaming of other classic shojo titles that deserve a spot on our shelves. ― When Discotek Media announced that they had licensed the 1983 shojo series Lady Georgie, I was ecstatic. This was a shōjo series that I saw a few episodes of way back in the days of anime fans trading and selling VHS recordings—and as was often the case back then, the episodes...
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Starting Over: Regrets and Redemption in Reincarnation Isekai Anime

ZeroReq011 looks at reincarnation through the Buddhist religion and how the plot device gives protagonists another opportunity to live...and suffer. ― Love them or hate them, isekai are popular, the reincarnation variety especially, since the anime debut of Mushoku Tensei and Truck-kun. Within isekai's ubiquity, a niche within reincarnation isekai has caught my attention, represented through stories ...
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New Shiren the Wanderer Game Director and Project Manager Talk About Going Back to Basics

Fans enthusiastically told Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island game director Keisuke Sakurai that the first Shiren game was their favorite, and he listened. ― Recently, at a hands-on event in Tokyo, I was able to meet with Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island's director and project manager, Keisuke Sakurai and Hideyuki Shinozaki. We talked a bit ab...
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Two Hours Hands-on with Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island

This throwback to "Nintendo hard" games of yesteryear is unforgiving, but that could be just the right challenge for retro game fans. ― The Shiren the Wanderer series, itself a subseries of the popular Mystery Dungeon franchise, has been on hiatus with no new games being released since 2010s The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate on the Nintendo DS. However, thanks to the success of that game's Ni...
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Why Does Japan Love Columbo? An Investigation

Sean Aitchison explains how Japan's love of the mystery genre and manzai comedy made for the perfect environment for Peter Falk's Columbo to take root. Columbo has seen a modern renaissance in the last few years, a renewed popularity resulting from the effective formula, Peter Falk's timeless performance and its endurance through a modern lens: the queer community finding attraction in his untradit...
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Princess Mononoke Comes to Life in Ghibli Park's New Area

Check out the life-size Demon Spirit and Lord Okkoto statues! ― On November 1 of this year, Japan's Ghibli Park opened a new area, one based on Hayao Miyazaki's award-winning classic Princess Mononoke. Anime News Network was able to drop by and check it out firsthand. The attraction, aptly named "Mononoke Village," is one of several located at Ghibli Park. But rather than being a typical theme park, ...
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Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Nov 19-25

A fanservice filler episode is not working out for Eminence in Shadow while a focus on Yor has Spy×Family climbing to the top. Check out this week's 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 ar...
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The 1960s Graphic Designer Who Inspired Your Favorite Anime OPs

SPY x FAMILY, Cowboy Bebop', Great Pretender, and more anime openings use a specific visual style. But where did that aesthetic come from, and how did it become so iconic? ― When it comes to title sequences, anime OPs are in a league of their own. We're spoiled with hundreds of lavishly produced openings that perfectly represent their associated shows through music and animation. If the author had to...
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The Anime You Should Have Watched in Fall 2013

Kevin Cormack hops in his time machine to the anime of one decade ago to see what shows and films still pass the test of time. ― Sometimes with anime, don't you think there can be too much of a good thing? Look at the Fall 2023 season , including ongoing shows; around seventy new anime episodes are premiering weekly. That sheer volume of animated entertainment is impossible for all but the most unhea...
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The Academy Museum's Makoto Shinkai Retrospective Highlights Two Decades of Films

Shinkai shared how the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake is inextricably tied to his work, from Weathering With You to Suzume. ― Crunchyroll, in partnership with CoMix Wave Film, Story Inc., and Toho Co., hosted a one-day special event at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in hopes of drawing attention to Makoto Shinkai's latest film, Suzume, ahead of awards season. Both voting members of the Ac...
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Everything Changes in Folktales and Frieren

Frieren's story may seem fantastical, but her feelings are grounded in the very real experience of returning to a home you no longer recognize. ― Many people have enjoyed high fantasy recently, especially with all the D&D media taking off. However, I'm willing to bet many fans of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End didn't initially become fans because of its fantasy approach. Frieren's setting gets more ...
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Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Nov 12-18

Regardless of its somewhat dubious name, 100 Girlfriends is raking in great ratings and climbing the cumulative! Find out how your favorite shows stacked up according to viewer votes. ― 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 th...
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How Jujutsu Kaisen Lies to You

From Junpei to Riko, Jujutsu Kaisen plays with viewer expectations to keep them guessing. Jujutsu Kaisen isn't a typical shōnen nor a typical deconstruction of shōnen. We've seen genre deconstructions before – Neon Genesis Evangelion, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Re: Zero, and many more – and the creative minds behind Jujutsu Kaisen are well aware of that. They know that it isn't enough anymore to sh...
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The Newest Pokémon DLC is the Biggest Yet

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 2 offers an expansive new area to explore with plenty of new adventures for franchise fans. ― Despite some issues, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games have innovated a lot of things for the franchise. At the time of this writing, these are the Pokémon games I have spent the most hours on. The recent Teal Mask DLC was enjoyable for its simple story and interesting ch...
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The Many Awesome Figures of Tamashii Nation 2023

From Gundam to Sailor Moon, Elden Ring to Godzilla, here are some of the coolest figures they had on display. ― This past weekend, Bandai Spirits held the "Tamashii Nation 2023" event in Tokyo's Akihabara district. At the event, they showed off the hundreds of new anime, game, and tokusatsu figures on sale now and throughout the coming year. From Gundam to Sailor Moon, Elden Ring to Godzilla, here a...
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Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Nov 5-11

True to its name, Overtake! races from behind all the way to #4 this week! Find out how your favorite shows performed 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 based on how pe...
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Studio Trigger's Shigeto Koyama Design Work on Display in Manhattan

Promare, Heroman, more work on display at the NowHere gallery ― Anime-themed art exhibits tend to pop up in Manhattan around the time of Anime NYC. This year, the NowHere gallery is displaying an exhibit centered around the work of Shigeto Koyama. Half of the gallery showcases Koyama's design work for animated projects such as Heroman, Promare, and Disney's Big Hero 6 (these pieces are off-limits fo...
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3-2-1 Let's Jam at the Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Exhibition

Check out the giant Swordfish II replica and more at the exhibition celebrating the iconic anime series. ― On April 3, 1998, the legendary anime series Cowboy Bebop first aired on the Japanese TV station TV Tokyo. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Bandai Namco is hosting a 25th-anniversary exhibition at the Seibu Shibuya Movida-kan 6th-floor special event space. While Cowboy Bebop first aired in ...
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The Attack on Titan After Party Exclusive Audio Dramas Were Some Serious Tearjerkers

Eren recounts his last real conversation with Mikasa, Armin struggles with whether Titan powers should be passed on, and more. ― The recently concluded "The Attack on Titan Worldwide After Party" allowed fans to navigate an online virtual world full of production art, clip compilations from the anime, and interviews with the staff and cast. However, the event's high point was the fully-voiced audio d...
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Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Oct 29-Nov 4

Uma Musume emerges from the middle of the pack, hot on the tail of Dead Mount Death Play! Find out how your favorite shows 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 base...
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Making Things That Others Wouldn't: An Interview with Studio TRIGGER President Masahiko Otsuka

Coop Bicknell talks shop with TRIGGER president Masahiko Otsuka about returning to the world of Panty & Stocking over a decade later. ― At this year's Anime Expo, Studio TRIGGER gave the world a taste of their projects coming down the pipeline. Whether it was the premiere of Delicious in Dungeon ahead of the series' January release on Netflix or details on the 15th-anniversary screenings of GURREN L...
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The Attack on Titan Online After Party is an Interesting Experiment

The after-party is a half-virtual museum, half-video streaming platform with unique audio dramas and staff interviews. ― This past Saturday marked the end of the Attack on Titan anime. To celebrate the airing of the final episode, fans were invited to participate in “The Attack on Titan Worldwide AfterParty”—an online virtual event. Running from November 4 to November 8 (and requiring a $22 ticket t...
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What Made Lucky Star's Anime So Iconic

No other anime ever captured its era's zeitgeist the way Lucky Star has. Sixteen years after it aired, and it remains as iconic and emblematic of anime's recent past as ever. ― No other anime ever captured its era's zeitgeist the way Lucky Star has. Sixteen years after it aired, and it remains as iconic and emblematic of anime's recent past as ever. Nestled in its own realm of meta, Lucky Star is an ...

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