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Interview: Voice Actors Rika Hayashi and Hiroki Tōchi Talk About Their New Golf Anime, Tonbo!
Hayashi and Tōchi play mentee/mentor in heart-warming golf anime series.
― Golf anime Tonbo! is one of the new anime premiering in the Spring 2024 season. At Anime Japan 2024, we sat down with lead voice actors Rika Hayashi and Hiroki Tōchi to talk about their characters, their experiences with golf, and the positives of country life in Japan. In her first voice acting role as a main character, Hayas...
The Best Weapons in BLUELOCK to Build The Perfect Team
We're taking Fantasy Football to the soccer field to build the perfect team of egoists.
― Unlike other sports anime, Bluelock's central theme doesn't revolve around teamwork and self-sacrifice. This, nevertheless, is to be expected considering the series' plot. For instance, when Jinpachi Ego introduces himself to the 300 personally curated prospects meant to participate in his battle royal-esque ex...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
The late premieres are coming in, including GRIMM VARIATIONS. Also: Touken Ranbu Kai Kyoden, YATAGARASU, Kaiju No. 8, Black Butler: Public School Arc, The Misfit of Demon King Academy II, KONOSUBA Season 3, Viral Hit, Mysterious Disappearances, Mushoku Tensei, Sound! Euphonium, Mission: Yozakura Family, Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guid...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
It's the most monstrous premiere of the season! KAIJU NO. 8 reviews join the guide! Also: Black Butler: Public School Arc, The Misfit of Demon King Academy II, KONOSUBA Season 3, Viral Hit, Mysterious Disappearances, Mushoku Tensei, Sound! Euphonium, Mission: Yozakura Family, Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our t...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
Your favorite fantasy disaster children are back in KONOSUBA Season 3! Check here for all the newest anime reviews, including: Mysterious Disappearances, The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, Oblivion Battery, Mushoku Tensei, Sound! Euphonium, Mission: Yozakura Family, Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of c...
Chained Soldier Producer, Voice Actor Discuss Bringing Sexy Anime Series to Screen
We sat down with producer Yuki Watanabe and leading actor Yūya Hirose (Yuuki), to discuss bringing this unique combination of epic action and sexy comedy to the screen.
― Ever since author Takahiro and artist Yōhei Takamura first began publishing Chained Soldier on Shonen Jump+ in 2019, their manga has been a smash hit. The story tells of how humanity has been enlisting soldiers who use the magical ...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
The Omegaverse makes its jump into the world of anime with BL title Tadaima, Okaeri! Plus Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers, Mushoku Tensei, Sound! Euphonium, The Duke of Death and His Maid, Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again, and more! Keep checking back for more new anime updates and reviews.
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
It's time for a brand-new caper with Mission: Yozakura Family! Plus Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, Tonari no Yokai-san, Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night, Tonbo!, The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, and more! Keep checking back for more new anime updates and reviews.
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: ...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
Tatsuya and friends are back for more sci-fi magical action in the third season of Irregular at Magic High School. Plus, we have reviews for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, Astro Note, Highspeed Étoile, and more! Keep checking back for more new anime updates and reviews.
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024
It's showdown time for the last episodes of Winter 2024, and Solo Leveling triumphs over Mashle. Come see the last-minute surprises at the end of the 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 base...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
The new season continues with another return - it's time for Bartender Glass of God! Also get our reviewers' takes on Laid-Back Camp's third season, Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included,Train to the End of the World, Gods' Games We Play, RE:MONSTER, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince, The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases and Spice & Wolf: the merchant meets the wise wolf!
― Welc...
The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide
The new season continues with another return - it's time for Bartender Glass of God! Also get our reviewers' takes on Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included,Train to the End of the World, Gods' Games We Play, RE:MONSTER, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince, The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases and Spice & Wolf: the merchant meets the wise wolf!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Sp...
First Look at Crunchyroll's Spring Anime Series Slate
Gearing up for the Spring 2024 anime season, Crunchyroll held a press-only event at their office and on-site theater in Los Angeles.
― Shaking up their usual rollup to a new season of anime for Spring 2024, Crunchyroll held a press-only event at their office and on-site theater in Los Angeles. MC'd by Crunchyroll News' Global Editor-in-Chief, Kyle Cardine, this event offered an early showing of some ...
Anime Dad — How Mamoru Hosoda's Films Speak to Me
With Hosoda's films returning to theaters this year, Kevin Cormack looks at the award-winning director's anime films through a paternal lens.
― Mainstream anime is most often targeted towards, and prominently features, younger demographics — children, adolescents, and to a lesser degree, college-age students. As a lifelong anime fan, I've gradually aged out of these designations, and find myself wit...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Mar 18-24
As we approach the end of the season, Delicious in Dungeon and Undead Unluck are steadily climbing the cumulative. 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...
The Most Anticipated Anime of Spring 2024
As we look in despair to a future without new episodes of Frieren, you may be wondering what could possibly fill the hole in your heart (and watch schedule). We're here to help.
― With the end of one anime season comes the start of another. As we look in despair to a future without new episodes of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, you may be wondering what could possibly fill the hole in your heart (an...
The Worst Anime of Winter 2024
From shows that are "just not for me" to pure animated shlock, here are our editorial team's picks for the worst anime of the winter 2024 season.
― Yesterday, we gave you our list of the best anime Winter 2024 had to offer. Now it's time for the opposite. From shows that are "just not for me" to pure animated shlock, here are our editorial team's picks for the worst anime of the season. Note: The co...
The Best Anime of Winter 2024
With the end of the Winter 2024 anime season upon us, it's time to look back at the best of what the season had to offer.
― With the end of the Winter 2024 anime season looming, it's time to look back at the best of what the season had to offer. And so here's a list of our editorial team's favorite anime series this season. The big takeaway? We really like Delicious in Dungeon. Note: the commentary ...
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...
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...
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 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: 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...
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...
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...
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.
...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
Exiting Grief: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes' Novelist Mei Hachimoku
ANN spoke to the all-star team behind the new anime film, including original novelist Mei Hachimoku about processing grief head-on.
― The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes is a wistful new time-travel high school romance film that touches on many issues that affect young people, like grief, the fear of getting older, and navigating parental expectations. Based on a novel by Mei Hachimoku, it ha...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Oct 22-28
The Apothecary Diaries started the season late, but it's definitely one to watch as it grabs #1 this week! Discover which other series stand out 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 r...
From Astro Boy to Pluto: The History of “The Greatest Robot on Earth”
Learn how “The Greatest Robot on Earth” chapter of Astro Boy would so greatly affect Naoki Urasawa that it led to Pluto nearly 40 years later.
― It's safe to say that the world of anime and manga would not exist as it does today without the works of Osamu Tezuka—to the point that he has earned the nickname “The God of Manga” in Japan. While he produced numerous classic works during his life that rem...
Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Oct 1-21
Welcome to the rankings for the Fall 2023 season! Frieren thoroughly dominates, so who do you think is second? Come and see how the season is shaping up!
― 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...
Yearning Teens, Frustrated Romance, Pretty Skies — Is There Anything Else to Makoto Shinkai?
Kevin Cormack looks over Shinkai's array of work to find the threads that tie She and Her Cat to Suzume and beyond.
― Introduction — A one-trick pony? Despite worldwide success with films such as your name., Weathering With You, and most recently Suzume, Makoto Shinkai remains a divisive director amongst anime fans. I frequently read and hear the same accusation: "He just makes the same movie over an...
The Joy Of The Everyday: Emotional Intimacy Between Women in Slice-of-Life Anime
Erica Friedman shares how recovery from Long Covid led her to discover the joys of slice-of-life anime and the female friendships it fosters.
― Sometimes, we just have a bad day. Or week. Naturally, we turn to some comfort anime to soothe our souls.. In my case, I have had a bad 2023. As I sat on my sofa, unable to do much due to severe Long Covid brain fog which made me incapable of concentration, I...
The Fall 2023 Anime Preview Guide
The Apothecary Diaries closes out this season's preview guide. Is this latecomer worth watching?
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2023 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 they can handle, giving you alternate takes on almost every show. The guide is ongoin...
Our Anime License Holy Grail
Is there an anime series you keep hoping will be rescued? Is it either long out-of-print or never seen a home video release in the United States? Our reviewers looked at their wishlists and picked their most coveted anime license requests.
― Is there an anime series you keep hoping will be rescued? The series below are either long out-of-print or have never seen a home video release in the United St...
The Fall 2023 Anime Preview Guide
The last few straggling anime premieres are coming in, including GOOD NIGHT WORLD. Check out all of our team's reviews of the newest anime series in the guide!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2023 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 they can handle, givin...
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