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The Apothecary Diaries: Palace Chronicles Available Now

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:26:18 +0000

One of the biggest breakout hits in anime over the past couple of years is The Apothecary Diaries. Starting life as a series of light novels, it went on to be adapted into an anime series that debuted in 2023. The series went on to win several awards at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards this year, including Best Main Character and Best Drama. Fans are now eagerly awaiting the third season, coming this autumn, and the franchise's first feature film also due this year. But to keep them busy until then the series is getting its first video game: The Apothecary Diaries: The Palace Chronicles.

The game puts you in the shoes of main character Maomao, who was kidnapped and sold to the palace. Quickly promoted as a lady-in-waiting, she uses her skills as an apothecary to solve mysteries and help people out.

In the game, follow Maomao as she navigates the Imperial Court and pleasure district, solving mysterious incidents one after another. Use her apothecary abilities and carefully prepared medicines to help crack cases while advancing through each stage.

The game also features an original "Medical Office" system where you can use in-game items to upgrade and develop your facilities. Strategic planning around item collection and facility enhancement lets you create your own unique management style for deep, rewarding progression.

The game allows you to collaborate with beloved male characters from the anime- including Jinshi and Gaoshun, to collect herbs. Cultivate the herbs you gather into superior materials, then cooperate with other players to create concoctions and earn exciting rewards.

Female characters, including Xiaolan and Yinghua, can become your allies. They liven up the Medical Office by gifting items and developing skills. Work alongside your allies to grow and enhance the Medical Office. Note that the character of Xiaolan is available for a limited time only.

The Palace Chronicles is available exclusively on G123, Japan's leading browser-based game service. This means that not only is it free-to-play but can be played on desktop PC, smartphone or tablet, with no need for downloads or software.

You can check out the game for yourself right here, and find more anime browser games from G123 here.

Out This Week: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Perfect Blue 4K, Scarlet and More

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:11:22 +0000

Welcome back, once again to another edition of Out This Week. This week is a little bit busier than we have been seeing lately. Stateside releases are led by the biggest animated film of the year so far, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Also new is the 4K debut of Satoshi Kon's classic psycho-thriller Perfect Blue, released in a collector's edition Steelbook. The new releases are rounded out by a number of anime titles including Berserk: The Golden Age Arc and Rock Is A Lady's Modesty.

Just the two releases in the UK this week and they are Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon season 4, and a 4K Steelbook Edition of Mamoru Hosoda's latest Scarlet.

All information is correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For June 15, 2026

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? IV (MVM Entertainment, 15) "After finally levelling up to Level 4, Bell finds himself receiving Hestia Familia’s first mandatory assignment from the Guild… and it’s going to be brutal! Even after careful advanced planning, his expedition to the lower levels quickly encounters disaster after disaster, separating the party. While his allies and the partnered members of the Miach and Takemikazuchi Familias struggle to stay alive, a lost Bell encounters a mysterious underwater maiden, while Cassandra finds all of her worst premonitions becoming reality…"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Scarlet 4K (Sony Pictures, 15) "Scarlet is described as the story of a brave princess who transcends time and space."

FORMATS 4K UHD STEELBOOK

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For June 16, 2026

Assassination Classroom: The Complete Series (Crunchyroll, TV-14) " When the deviants of Class 3-E get a tentacled creature as a teacher, they finally get an assignment that sparks motivation - kill the teacher."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Berserk: Golden Age Arc (Crunchyroll, TV-MA) "When lone swordsman Guts is defeated in a duel by Griffith, ambitious leader of the Band of the Hawk mercenaries, he now must fight for him. Distrustful of all at first, through hard-fought battles, he soon begins to bond with his new comrades and their leader. As they rise in rank to a full-fledged army, he begins to harbor doubts about a life lived by the blade, unaware a dreadful fate awaits."

FORMATS Blu-Ray STEELBOOK

Buy From Amazon

Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing (GKIDS/ Shout Factory, PG) "Ichika is a high school musician who can enter a mysterious place called “SEKAI,” where she and her friends express their innermost emotions through music alongside Hatsune Miku. One day after giving a live performance, Ichika meets a new Miku that she has never seen before. No matter how hard this new Miku tries to sing, she struggles connecting with the hearts of her listeners. Miku must rely on the help of others to find a way to sing again"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Heavy Metal L GAIM (Sentai Filmworks, TV-MA) "In 1984, fresh from the creation of the legendary MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, director Yoshiyuki Tomino teamed with the young designer who would later make FIVE STAR STORIES, Mamoru Nagano, to create a sprawling 54-episode animated science fiction series as gigantic as its titular namesake. Join Daba Myroad and his expanding band of allies as an epic quest takes them across the many planets of the Pentagona System and through multiple adventures as they seek to free the Pentagona populaces from dictator Oldna Posaydal and her forces. Their secret weapons? Daba’s surprising popularity with the ladies and the legendary giant robot known as Heavy Metal L-Gaim!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Perfect Blue 4K (GKIDS/Shout Factory, NR) "Pop star Mima, her fame and fortune beginning to slide as fashions change, is persuaded to turn actress, reluctantly accepting an ill-defined role in a television soap opera. However, Mima's grip on reality begins to loosen as a result; she imagines that she has an identical twin who has maintained a singing career, and becomes increasingly paranoid after her friends are either threatened or killed. Can Mima unravel the truth before she is driven completely over the edge?"

FORMATS: 4K UHD

Buy From Amazon

Rock Is A Lady's Modesty: Complete Collection (Sentai Filmworks, TV-14) "For Lilisa, every day at Oushin Academy is another day of pretending to be someone she’s not, all to please her new rich stepfamily by becoming one of the school’s elegant “Noble Maidens.” And it sucks, because with her new fake persona, she can’t even play the guitar her real dad left her. But when she discovers one of the school’s other “perfect girls” smashing out her frustrations on a set of drums, Lilisa realizes that maybe she’s not alone. Maybe her dreams are closer than she’d thought. Of course, that’s assuming that they can find enough other closeted lady rockers and form a band in Rock is a Lady's Modesty!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

The Super Mario 2 Movie-Collection (Universal Studios, PG)" From Nintendo and Illumination come two animated films based on the world of Super Mario Bros. First follow Mario and Luigi on a whirlwind adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Then join them again as they blast off on an epic journey and encounter new worlds, iconic characters, and unexpected threats in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."

FORMATS: 4K UHD, Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Universal Studios, PG) "Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom."

FORMATS: 4K UHD, Blu-Ray Collector's Edition, Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All The Way From Another World (Sentai Filmworks, TV-MA) "As a Japanese orphan, Hinata Sunohara was a perfect candidate to be isekai’d to another world, but when he beat the Dark Lord, he was sent back to Earth without even a T-shirt for his trouble! Or so he believed until one of his party members, the dark elf Mariabelle, arrives at his home completely naked! Now, some might think having a beautiful elven sorceress as a roommate isn’t such a bad deal… but Mariabelle’ s a DARK Elf who’s infatuated with Hinata, which means that any Earth girls Hinata likes are in for another world’s worth of trouble in Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way from Another World!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Upcoming Releases

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight June 23

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! June 23

Doctor Stone: Season Four: Part One June 30

Lady Oscar: Rose Of Versailles June 30

Patlabor The Mobile Police: The Early Days June 30

Primal: Season 3 June 30

All You Need Is Kill July 07

Dan Da Dan Season 2 July 14

Lupin The 3rd The Movie: Immortal Bloodline July 21

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 [Steelbook] July 28

Re;Zero: Starting Life Again In Another World: Season 3 July 28

Rooster Fighter Season 1 August 04

Sketch Book- Full Colors August 11

Dragon Ball Daima: Complete Series August 11

Made In Abyss August 11

Jinsei august 18

Girls Und Panzer: This Is The Real Anzio Battle August 18

Your Name 4K Steelbook August 25

Speed Racer: The Complete Series August 25

Tekkonkinkreet 4K September 1

Vampire Princess Myu September 08

Lesbian Space Princess Gets UK Preview Events This June

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:35:29 +0000

Just in time for Pride Month, the LGBTQ+ themed sci-fi comedy Lesbian Space Princess comes to the big screen in the UK and Ireland. And throughout the month, Peccadillo Pictures will host special preview events at venues across the country.

Lesbian Space Princess is written and directed by Australian filmmakers Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs. The film showcases LGBTQ+ talent and culturally diverse voices both on and off screen.

In the film, the eponymous Lesbian Space Princess, Princess Saira is suddenly dumped by her Bounty Hunter girlfriend Kiki, for being too needy. But when Kiki is kidnapped by the Straight White Malians, Saira must leave the comforts of gay space to deliver the ransom...her royal labrys (the most powerful weapon known to lesbian kind). The only problem is.. she doesn't have it!

With just 24 hours to find her labrys and rescue Kiki, Princess Saira finds herself on an inter-gay-lactic adventure that includes an encounter with a problematic spaceship and a growing friendship with gay-pop runaway Willow.

The film features the voices of Shabana Azeez, Bernie Van Tiel , Gemma Chua Tran , Aunty Donna, Richard Roxburgh, Jordan Raskopolous, Madeleine Sami and Kween Kong .

Lesbian Space Princess will be in UK and Irish cinemas from June 19, but there will be a chance to catch the film early, along with some live entertainment at several venues across the UK.

RuPaul's Drag Race Star Kate Butch will be presenting an extended introduction and performance followed by a preview of Lesbian Space Princess at Curzon Soho Cinema on June 17.

The other preview events are as follows:

Tyneside Newcastle | 12th June 8.30pm

Pre-film LSP cosmic party from 6pm
Hosted and introduced by Sunderland’s own Space Cadet Alex Redman
Raffle to win exclusive merch
Best dressed prize

Glasgow Film Theatre | 14th June 7.10pm

Known for her stunning mug and ridiculously enticing performances and join our host the trans diva from Glasgow Ann Phetamine
Raffle to win exclusive merch

Home Manchester | 16th June 8pm

6.30pm pre-film Get your free Queer Space Portrait drawn by artist Izzy Hellman and sway away with music playlist devised by DJ Ki Victoria Jeal
Her new show I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar combines her three great loves: music, comedy, and lesbians; Holly Redofrd-Jones will be your host for the night at HOME at 8pm
Raffle to win exclusive merch

Curzon Soho | 17th June 6.20pm

Kate Butch will be your host for the evening at Curzon Soho, treating fans to a pre-film performance

Showroom Sheffield | 19th June 8.15pm

Hosted and introduced by Lucy Smith-Jones from Queer Comedy Sheffield
Raffle to win exclusive merch
Post film with DJ Sophie Rees from FLAW Collective

The Rio Dalston | 21st June

Pre-film Zine Workshop with Jenny Clarkes & Club de Femmes
Raffle to win exclusive merch

Chapter Arts Cardiff | 18th June AND Watershed Bristol | 26th June

More details TBA

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel Of The Highway (2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:59:30 +0000

Detective Conan, sometimes known in English as Case Closed, is one of the biggest anime and manga in the world. Starting in the pages of Shonen Sunday back in 1994, it was adapted into a hugely popular anime TV series that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The TV series also spawned annual big-screen spin-off. 2026's Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway is the 29th feature in the franchise.

Released in April in Japan, the film went on to be the most successful Detective Conan movie so far. It achieved the highest opening weekend in the franchise's history, taking in ¥3.5 billion (approx. $22 million USD), earning it not only the Japanese box-office number one, but also the number three at the worldwide box-office for that week.

The movie is directed by Takahiro Hasui (Mob Psycho 100 III), and written by series veteran Takahiro Okura (Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram)and Gosho Aoyama. Music is composed by Yugo Kanno. It features the voices of Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki, Rikiya Koyama, Megumi Hayashibara, Miyuki Sawashiro and newcomers Ryusei Yokohama (Kokuho) and Mei Hata (Blue Lock).

Detective Conan follows teenage sleuth Shinichi Kudo, who one day, while on the trail of some never-do-wells, is poisoned and turned back into the primary-school-aged version of himself. In order to protect himself and those he loves, he takes on the identity of Conan Edogawa, named after Arthur Conan Doyle and Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo. His body may have shrunk but his mind is still sharp as a tack, and he continues to get to the bottom of mysteries that no one else can solve.

In the new feature-length adventure, Conan and his friends head to Kanagawa to attend a motorcycle show. On the way, they encounter a mysterious out-of-control black motorcycle, being pursued by motorcycle cop Chihaya Hagiwara. As the cycle- which is soon named Lucifer- continues to cause chaos on the streets of Kanagawa, can Conan and Chihaya uncover the identity of the mysterious biker and stop them before it's too late?

You don't get to 29 movies by making the same movie 29 times- at least if you want to prevent it from getting stale. Conan's movies aren't afraid to shake it up. They take a turn for the more cinematic, and mix the whodunnit mysteries that are the franchise's bread and butter with spectacular action set-pieces.

Fallen Angel Of The Highway is a perfect example of this. It feels distinct from the previous movie One-Eyed Flashback , but fans will still see it as recognisably Conan. Although there is still a mystery at the heart of the story, that's not the be-all and end-all of the movie. The film features plenty of high-octane action sequences, car and motorcycle chases that are well choreographed and well animated, with expertly integrated CGI. These chases are exhilarating and exciting and will have you on the edge of your seat. They are a key part of the film's appeal.

Much of the film focuses on the character of Chihaya, to the degree that she is practically co-lead. Not only is she a key part of many of the aforementioned chases (because she's an ace motorcycle rider, naturally) but she proves to be the film's emotional centre, with a story from her past becoming key to the plot. As a result, Conan's role seems a little reduced, but he still gets his moment in the sun. Other regular cast members' appearances can feel like little more than cameos but there's only so much room in the story.

If the film feels more cinematic thanks to its high-speed chases and action sequences, the visuals have similarly received an upgrade. The characters look as stylised as they do in the series, but the animation is more impressive. The urban setting looks fantastic, with towering skyscrapers and busy roads. Overall, everything looks pretty great.

The film moves along at quite a clip, despite a fairly generous run-time. There's never any time to get bored, as any quieter moment is typically followed by another chase sequence or another revelation

The more action-heavy feel shouldn't put off Conan fans who are here for the mysteries, as they are here too. Similarly, franchise newcomers shouldn't worry that too much prior knowledge is needed to enjoy this. Although it does tie into previous plots and characters, it also functions perfectly well as a standalone movie. And it's as good a place as any to start.

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel Of The Highway is easily one of the better examples of anime TV-spin-offs. And the fact that it can feel this polished and well executed after 29 movies is nothing short of remarkable.

FORMAT: MOVIE AVAILABLE ON: CINEMA RELEASE FROM: CINE ASIA RATING: 12A[UK] RUNNING TIME : 1 HR 49 MIN

IN A NUTSHELL: The Fast and Furious Meets Sherlock Holmes. The Latest Conan Mystery Will Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat

★★★★☆

Mathematical! Adventure Time: Side Quests Gets A Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:55:19 +0000

Adventure Time: Side Quests is the third spin-off series from the original Adventure Time. Described as a companion piece to the original series, it is an attempt to return to the more episodic, less lore-heavy feel of the early seasons. As the new trailer would have it, the series is "going back to where it all began", and featuring younger versions of the characters, but not dramatically; this ain't Muppet Babies.

The trailer shows that it looks to be pretty much business as usual for Adventure Time. Finn the human and Jake the dog undertake various quests and adventures, encountering bizarre creatures, monsters and critters. There are appearances from several beloved characters such as BMO, Princess Bubblegum and The Ice King (and Gunter).

Where things have changed, though, is in terms of the show's visual style. Although the characters are all recognisable, the art style has changed. The visuals are bright, colourful but flat-looking, contrasted with some elaborate-looking backgrounds. It's definitely a departure from the original. It should appeal to the younger audience that this is targeting, without alienating long-term fans. Because, although it looks different, it still basically looks like Adventure Time.

The series is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, and the showrunner and executive producer is Nate Cash. Darrick Bachman is the story editor. Victor Courtright and Niki Yang are the directors, Nick Cross is the Art Director, and Matthew Janszen wrote the score.

Finn is voiced by Sasha Knight, and John DiMaggio (Futurama) returns as the voice of Jake the Dog. Other returning characters include The Ice King (Tom Kenny), Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch), Marceline (Olivia Olson), and BMO (Niki Yang).

Adventure Time: Side Quests will stream in the United States on hulu and Disney+ from June 29. The show will begin its international rollout on Cartoon Network and HBO Max from October 5

Out This Week: A Magnificent Life, Sailor Moon Crystal, Hoppers and More

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:23:15 +0000

Welcome back to our weekly new release round-up Out This Week. This week's releases Stateside include the new film from the acclaimed filmmaker Sylvain Chomet, A Magnificent Life. Also new are anime titles Alien Nine, Sailor Moon Crystal and Hotori, and a 4K version of season 2 of Arcane: League Of Legends. Finally, a European adult animation feature gets a delayed, Americanised release in the form of The Trouble With Terkel aka Terkel In Trouble.

New in the UK this week is Pixar's new hot film Hoppers. Also new is Mamoru Hosoda's latest Scarlet, Family feature The Land Of Sometimes and anime titles Colorful Stage: The Movie and Endo and Kobayashi Live!.

All information is correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For June 08, 2026

Colourful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing (Anime Ltd., PG) "Ichika is a high school musician who can enter a mysterious place called “SEKAI,” where she and her friends express their innermost emotions through music alongside Hatsune Miku. One day after giving a live performance, Ichika meets a new Miku that she has never seen before. No matter how hard this new Miku tries to sing, she struggles connecting with the hearts of her listeners. Miku must rely on the help of others to find a way to sing again.

FORMATS: Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray CE [Alltheanime.com Exclusive], DVD

Buy From Amazon

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection ( MVM Entertainment, 15) "If the actions of fictional characters can influence the lives of people in the "real" world, can the real world also influence the fictional characters? Find out as Aoto Endo and Shihono Kobayashi play the game Love Me Magically!, in which villainess Lieselotte Riefenstahl seems inevitably doomed due to the game's intrinsic story, structure, and programming. Aoto, however, believes that Lieselotte is not truly evil and simply misunderstood, and as she espouses this conviction, something strange occurs… the character of Siegwald, Lieselotte's fiancé, starts to hear and act upon Aoto's ideas! But will Siegwald's new behavior lead Lieselotte's horrible life to some less than horrible outcomes? See if the bad girl can be saved!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Hoppers (Disney, U) "Animal lover Mabel uses clever new technology to hop into lifelike robotic beavers to communicate with beavers, uncovering mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined."

FORMATS: 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD

Buy From Amazon

The Land Of Sometimes (Kaleidoscope Entertainment, U) "Twins Alfie and Elise find a magical Wish Watch on Christmas Eve and are swept by the Wish Collector into the musical Land of Sometimes, where they learn that wishes have consequences."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Scarlet (Elevation, 15) "Scarlet is described as the story of a brave princess who transcends time and space."

FORMATS: 4K UHD, Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For June 09, 2026

Alien Nine (AnimeEigo, UR) "Soon after entering middle school, Yuri Otani is coerced into joining the "Alien Party," a single-minded group with one goal: capture any alien attempting to enter school grounds. Terrified of aliens her entire life, Otani is anything but thrilled, and to make matters worse, her kit includes a "Borg"—an alien-like creature tasked with ensuring her safety. Despite this, she finds solace in her two partners: the independent and reliable Kumi Kawamura, and the smart and energetic Kasumi Tomine. As the Alien Party works to fend off extraterrestrial threats, will their roller blades and lacrosse sticks be enough to overcome the dire challenges ahead, or will they succumb to fear and suffer the grim consequences of defeat?"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Arcane: League Of Legends Season Two (Shout Factory/GKIDS, UR) "The award-winning series based on the League of Legends universe reaches its epic conclusion. Following Jinx's devastating attack on the Council, the conflict between utopian Piltover and underground Zaun escalates to all-out war. As both sides grapple with the new threat of the brutal empire of Noxus, further experimentation with the powerful yet volatile Hextech may spell disaster for them all."

FORMATS: 4K UHD

Buy From Amazon

Hotori: Simply Wishing For Hope (AnimeEigo, UR) "A story of friendship between a robot who is created to replace a human, and a human whose memories are fading away; and a promise that is very hard to keep."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

A Magnificent Life (Sony Pictures, PG-13) "Set in 1955, the film follows 60-year-old Marcel Pagnol—one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century. An author with 150 million books sold worldwide and translated into more than 50 languages, Pagnol was also a well-known and acclaimed playwright and filmmaker prior to his passing in 1974."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Sailor Moon Crystal Seasons 1-3 (Viz Media, TV-14) "Usagi Tsukino is a little clumsy and a crybaby, but she's also one spirited eighth grader. One day she meets Luna, a black cat with a crescent moon mark on her forehead, and transforms into the pretty sailor-suited guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon! As a chosen guardian of justice, Usagi apparently has a mission to protect a princess, and to find her fellow Guardians and the Legendary Silver Crystal. Meanwhile, Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom sends her subordinates to the town where Usagi lives. They cause strange events to occur there, all in an effort to acquire the tremendously powerful Silver Crystal... Can Sailor Moon and the other Guardians successfully find the Legendary Silver Crystal, and protect the Princess!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

The Trouble With Terkel (Indican, R) "Meet Terkel, a miserable sixth grader constantly picked on by two merciless bullies, Nigel and Saki. So what can you do? Tease the ugly girl in class – Fat Doris! When the abuse from Terkel is too much, she throws herself out a window which makes Terkel more popular. Now dealing with popularity Terkel finds solace in booze, guns and everything American. But then life takes a turn for the weird when he receives strange death threats, unable to confide in his annoying sister or alcoholic Uncle, Terkel turns to his sexually inappropriate hippie teacher with intentionally hilarious results. Watch out as anything goes in this crazy comedy about love, family, psychos, pastries, booze and uncontrollable sixth graders in this outrageous animated flick!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Upcoming Releases

Heavy Metal L-Gaim June 16

Perfect Blue 4K Steelbook June 16

Rock Is A Lady's Modesty June 16

Yandere Dark Elf June 16

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight June 23

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! June 23

Doctor Stone: Season Four: Part One June 30

Lady Oscar: Rose Of Versailles June 30

Patlabor The Mobile Police: The Early Days June 30

Primal: Season 3 June 30

All You Need Is Kill July 07

Dan Da Dan Season 2 July 14

Lupin The 3rd The Movie: Immortal Bloodline July 21

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 [Steelbook] July 28

Re;Zero: Starting Life Again In Another World: Season 3 July 28

Rooster Fighter Season 1 August 04

Sketch Book- Full Colors August 11

Dragon Ball Daima: Complete Series August 11

Made In Abyss August 11

Jinsei august 18

Girls Und Panzer: This Is The Real Anzio Battle August 18

Your Name 4K Steelbook August 25

Speed Racer: The Complete Series August 25

Tekkonkinkreet 4K September 1

Vampire Princess Myu September 08

Crunchyroll Announces New Anime For Summer and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:41:29 +0000

Crunchyroll is at it again. As they do semi-regularly, the anime streaming giant has been revealing their plans for the future. They have announced a slate of new acquisitions, and one major returning show in the form of season 3 of the smash hit The Apothecary Diaries. The new shows are set to stream for Crunchyroll members from this summer, into autumn and beyond.

New and returning shows include Goodbye Lara, The Saga of Tanya The Evil Season 2, The Ogre's Bride, Tomb Raider King and more. Full details on all the series can be found below.

Coming This Summer

Goodbye, Lara

Long, long ago, there lived a mermaid princess named Lara. She was raised with love by her father, the king of sea and her sisters.One day, Lara fell in love with a human prince who lived on land. It was a forbidden love—one that was not allowed in the world of mermaids. Still, Lara journeyed to the surface. With a potion, given to her from the witch Grace, she became human.But the potion came at a cost—fail to find true love, and she would turn into foam and vanish into the ocean. Though she was a princess of the sea, Lara chose love. Yet, her wish went unfulfilled and she vanished into the sea. Two hundred years later, Lara awakens once more, in Lake Biwa to finally search for her true love.

I Became a Legend after My 10 Year-Long Last Stand

Luck, an S-rank mage in the hero’s party, makes a last stand against the Demon King to save his companions. When he finally returns victorious, ten years have passed, and the world praises him as a legendary hero who died in battle. Unable to reclaim his former life, Luck conceals his identity and begins again as “Lock,” an F-rank adventurer forging a future in a world that moved on without him.

Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2

It is June of the year CE 1923. A young girl with blond hair and blue eyes, Tanya Degurechaff, has entered the final curriculum of the Imperial Military Academy and is training at the third patrol line in the northern military district, the Norden Theater, as part of her service to the force. Her training, the first step toward a brilliant career as an aviation mage, should have gone off without a hitch... but things took an unexpected turn.

The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power

Lady Carolina, the overlooked daughter of a powerful duke, has always believed herself to be the black sheep amid her illustrious kin. Her father is the distinguished prime minister; her elder sister, a prodigious mage destined to become their nation’s next Saint. In comparison, Carolina resigns herself to a quiet existence in their shadows until a sudden and unexpected royal decree alters her destiny, thrusting her into a political marriage with the formidable “Bloodthirsty Prince” of the neighbouring Empire of Malcosias. Determined to prove her worth, Carolina takes a bold step into a world fraught with both political and mortal peril. As royal obligations intertwine with hints of true love and the stirrings of her own latent power, Carolina moves ever closer to understanding what it truly means to be exceptional.

The Ogre's Bride

A Japanese-style ayakashi Cinderella story! "You're the bride I've been searching for all this time." The ayakashi and humans coexist in harmony. The ayakashi, having superior abilities and beautiful appearances, sometimes find their partner among human women, making them their "bride". The bride, in exchange for bringing prosperity, receives absolute love from the ayakashi. Yuzu is constantly compared to her sister, a bride of a demon fox, and is resented by her family every day. One day, when Yuzu just couldn't take things anymore, a man appeared before her on a bridge. This man is the most beautiful man Yuzu has ever seen... and he's calling her his wife?! "Just be quiet and let me hold you." The most powerful, "cold-hearted" ayakashi is pouring his heart out for Yuzu?!

The Villager of Level 999

Monsters did not always exist in the island country of Hexaldoria, once known as Japan.

But, once monsters appeared, their numbers grew in an instant. Eighty percent of the world is now too dangerous for people to live in. With the monsters' arrival, the world bestowed "Classes" upon its people. Classes are assigned at birth, and most people live according to them. There are eight COMPETENT classes: FIGHTER, HUNTER, CLERIC, WARRIOR, MAGE, MERCHANT, THEIF. And three special ORACLE classes: KING, SAGE, HERO. The weakest Class of all is VILLAGER. However, Kouji Kagami became "LEVEL 999"--the highest level that no one had reached before. When he met the daughter of the Demon King, the world started to change!

Tomb Raider King

Mysterious tombs appeared all over the world one day, each containing a relic which grants its owner supernatural abilities. Jooheon Suh is a tomb explorer, excavator, and raider. Betrayed by his employer, he's about to die at the hands of a powerful new relic when he suddenly finds himself 15 years in the past, before any relics or tombs made their debut. Driven by feelings of revenge, how will Jooheon use his knowledge of the future to become the Tomb Raider King?

Victoria of Many Faces

In an age when spies act behind the scenes in every land, Chloe spends her days successfully carrying out even the most difficult missions due to her unparalleled disguise skills and martial arts abilities. However, after the betrayal of her boss, she suddenly disappears-as Chloe plans to redo her life as the ordinary citizen Victoria in the neighboring kingdom of Ashberry, striving for a “normal” life. However, Victoria’s peaceful life is abruptly cut short as she begins to get involved with many people. In this new land, her experiences and abilities from her days as a spy come in far more useful than she ever expected!! On the other hand, the second prince and the pursuer of the organization amongst others take an interest in Victoria’s strength, and many shadows close in on the one with all the cards in her hand...!

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games

Mitsuki Aya has one goal at the elite Kuromi Girls’ Academy: to become a refined young lady like the school’s flawless “White Lily,” Yorue Mio. But her image of Mio shatters when Aya accidentally catches her...playing fighting games?! Turns out, the elegant Mio is actually a hardcore gamer—and she wants to duel Aya! The battle (and their friendship) begins.

Coming This Autumn

Firefly Wedding

"The daughter of an upstanding family, and an assassin… A romantic suspense about the contract marriage between two who should never have crossed paths!" It is currently the Meiji era. Blessed with both heritage and beauty, Satoko’s one wish is to marry for the good of the family. But suddenly, a mysterious assassin comes for her life?! In order to make it out of there alive, Satoko makes the assassin a “proposal”…

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3

In the aftermath of the Shi Clan’s rebellion, things have finally settled down, and Maomao has returned to her old life as a pharmacist in the pleasure district.

One day, triggered by a breakfast served at the Verdigris House, Maomao senses an anomaly and begins investigating its true nature.

Meanwhile, Jinshi, who has revealed his true identity as the Imperial brother and begun to face his heavy responsibilities, is deeply troubled by the final message left by Loulan: a warning of an impending "disaster that will strike the nation."

To make matters worse, rumours of a mysterious shrine maiden who deceives the people begin to spread, casting a dark shadow over the country of Li once again.

From the depths of the inner court to the city streets, and across foreign borders—the world grows wider, and the stakes even higher for Maomao and Jinshi.

Coming in 2026

Sasaki and Peeps Season 2

Sasaki is a middle-aged office worker living in Japan. Feeling drained by the vapid corporate world, he heads to the pet shop in search of a new companion. There he finds an adorable bird named Peeps and takes him home. But Sasaki quickly learns that Peeps isn’t your average bird…he’s a powerful mage from another world! Together, they embark on a magical adventure filled with swords and sorcery.

Coming Soon

Overgeared

Shin Youngwoo (a.k.a. Grid), an unlucky man in life and a low-level player in the popular VR game “Satisfy,” finds a powerful item that earns him a rare legendary class title: “Pagma’s Successor.” He’s now a skilled blacksmith who can forge unique weapons and equip the game’s most powerful gear. Grid resolves to use his new abilities to achieve fame and fortune, but as his very existence begins to stir up trouble in Satisfy, he realises that life as a legend may be more than he bargained for….

'The Apothecary Diaries: Palace Chronicles' Passes 200,000 Registrations

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:53:24 +0000

When an anime series reaches a certain level of popularity, it is all but guaranteed to get a video game spin-off. Series like Naruto, My Hero Academia, One Piece and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba have multiple game adaptations. One recent series to find success is The Apothecary Diaries, which recently won several awards at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Best Drama and Best Main Character. Now, it's due to get its first official game.

The Apothecary Diaries: Palace Chronicles has just surpassed 200,000 online pre-registrations. To celebrate, all players will receive the character of Xiaolan at launch, a brand-new festival visual of Maomao has been unveiled.

The title is published by CTW on G123, Japan's leading web browser game service, that specialises in free-to-play high quality no-download anime titles playable instantly across mobile, tablet and desktop browsers.

The anime is going from strength to strength, with a third season and the franchise's first ever movie both scheduled for later in 2026. Originating as a light novel series, the story is set in a fictional country inspired by China in the Tang Dynasty. It follows Maomao, a young girl trained in medicine by her apothecary father. After being sold as a servant to the Emperor's Palace, she secretly uses her apothecary skills to solve mysteries and help those in need.

A simulation game adaptation of "The Apothecary Diaries" anime is here!
Raise Maomao and take on various cases within the palace and the pleasure district.
Enjoy the world of the series casually, while deepening your bonds with familiar characters like Jinshi and Concubine Gyokuyou—featuring exclusive original illustrations!

You can preregister for the game here and find more anime browser games here. The Apothecary Diaries Seasons 1-2 are available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Cartoon Saloon Developing 'Mebh and The Wolf Pups', Wolfwalkers Spin-Off

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:29:41 +0000

It's been a while since we've written about Cartoon Saloon, the Kilkenny, Ireland-based studio behind Wolfwalkers and Song Of The Sea. 2026 is set to be a big year for the three-times Oscar-nominated studio. A short time ago, their co-produced TV series My Brother The Minotaur was released on Apple TV; this June, their new movie Julian is set to premiere at the Annecy Festival, and now it has emerged a new TV series is in development at the studio.

The series is a spin-off from their Oscar-nominated movie Wolfwalkers. Mebh And The Wolf Pups will focus on the film's co-lead Mebh, and the litter of wolf pups she lives with. The series is being led by director Jeremy Purcell (Puffin Rock and The New Friends), with a screenplay by Cian McGarrigle. The series will be co-produced by Mélusine.

Mebh And The Wolf Pups will be pitched at the upcoming Cartoon Forum trade show in September, in France.

Mebh is a wild, adventurous young girl, a Wolfwalker! Her pack is made up of four regular wolf pups, each with its own distinct personality. This gang of friends explore the forest, make new friends, and help the other animals they share a home with - friendly mice and squirrels, a grumpy badger and more. Full of mischief, Mebh and the Wolf Pups often cause mayhem with their boisterous fun but, when Mebh transforms into a wolf, she connects with nature and her environment allowing her and her pals to solve any problem! There is a huge woodland out there for Mebh and the Pups to explore, filled with friends to meet and no end of adventure!

All other details are being kept under wraps for now, and it's too early to say when we might expect it. But any new project from the guys and girls at Cartoon Saloon is reason enough to be excited- a spin-off from arguably their best movie, doubly so. You can be sure we'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

[source]

Out This Week: Hoppers, Arco and more

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:25:27 +0000

Welcome back to another edition of Out This Week. As summer arrives, we enter one of the quietest times of the year for new releases. And that's definitely true this week.

The two releases for the US this week are at least pretty big deals. Pixar's Hoppers is one of the biggest animated films of the year so far, and it arrives this week on 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD. Also out this week is the cult favourite Shojo classic Nana: The Complete Collection.

New in the UK this week is the digital release of the Oscar-nominated Arco. On Blu-Ray is new anime title When Will Ayumu Make His Move?

All information is correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For June 01, 2026

Arco (Picturehouse, PG) "Imagine if rainbows were actually time travellers? 10-year-old Arco lives in the distant future. During his first flight in his rainbow suit, he goes off course, loses control, and lands in our near future. Iris, a little girl who’s the same age as Arco, sees him fall from the sky. She will do everything she possibly can to help him go back home."

FORMATS: Digital

Buy From Amazon

When Will Ayumu Make His Move? (MVM Entertainment, 12) "Ayumu was a Kendo competitor in middle school, so everyone assumed that he'd join the Kendo club for his first year in high school. Instead, he becomes involved with an entirely different sort of activity with a Second-Year girl… an activity famous for becoming increasingly complex the longer it goes on! We're talking about Shogi, of course, the board game that's often referred to as Japanese chess. But the game itself soon becomes a problem, because while Ayumu finds himself increasingly attracted to Urushi, he's also sworn not to tell her until he's won a match against her… and Urushi's REALLY good at Shogi! So now they're stuck in a loop, caught up in ancient game that's far more complicated than chess… and also playing a lot of Shogi as well… wondering when will ayumu make his move?"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For June 02, 2026

Hoppers (Disney, PG) "Animal lover Mabel uses clever new technology to hop into lifelike robotic beavers to communicate with beavers, uncovering mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined."

FORMATS: 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD

Buy From Amazon

Nana: Complete Collection (Sentai Filmworks, TV-MA)"Nana Komatsu dreams of finding happiness and whirlwind romance in the big city. Nana Osaki tirelessly pursues her ambitions of punk rock stardom and worldwide fame. Although these two twenty-somethings might share nothing in common but their first name, a chance meeting on a Tokyo-bound train sets them on a collision course with destiny. As their fates intertwine, they navigate blooming relationships and support one another in their struggles, but it’s only a matter of time until the harsh realities of life in metropolitan Tokyo threaten to tear apart everything they’ve built in the legendary shoujo series NANA."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Also Released

Dark Future [Adult title].

Upcoming Releases

The Land Of Sometimes June 08 [UK]

Alien Nine June 9

Sailor Moon Crystal Seasons 1-3 June 9

Hotori: Simply Wishing For Hope June 9

Heavy Metal L-Gaim June 16

Perfect Blue 4K Steelbook June 16

Rock Is A Lady's Modesty June 16

Yandere Dark Elf June 16

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight June 23

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! June 23

Doctor Stone: Season Four: Part One June 30

Lady Oscar: Rose Of Versailles June 30

Patlabor The Mobile Police: The Early Days June 30

Primal: Season 3 June 30

All You Need Is Kill July 07

Dan Da Dan Season 2 July 14

Lupin The 3rd The Movie: Immortal Bloodline July 21

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 [Steelbook] July 28

Re;Zero: Starting Life Again In Another World: Season 3 July 28

Rooster Fighter Season 1 August 04

Sketch Book- Full Colors August 11

Dragon Ball Daima: Complete Series August 11

Made In Abyss August 11

Tekkonkinkreet 4K September 1

Vampire Princess Myu September 08

UK Giveaway: Win Exclusive 'Arco' Hoodie

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:51:35 +0000

To celebrate the UK release of the Oscar-nominated animated feature Arco- available on digital now- we've got our hands on some exclusive merch. We've got one Arco hoodie (that is otherwise unavailable in the UK) to give away to one lucky reader!

Directed by Ugo Bienvenue, Arco is one of the most acclaimed animated films of the year, picking up nominations from BAFTA as well as The Academy Awards. The English version of the film features the voices of Natalie Portman (who was also a producer on the film), Will Ferrell, Mark Ruffalo and Andy Samberg.

A 10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril. As Arco develops a friendship with a young girl named Iris, they band together and, along with her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, set out on a quest to get Arco home.A remarkable journey through time, ARCO is a dazzling animated adventure full of hope, friendship and magic. Directed by Ugo Bienvenu, featuring the voices of Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea, and Andy Samberg.

You can find platforms you can watch the film on at home here.

Listen to our interview with the director here.

In order to be in with a chance of winning send us an email with your name and address and the subject line 'Arco competition' before 6 PM on Monday, June 15. UK entries only. One entry per entry method per person. Alternatively, repost this tweet. Enter on multiple platforms to increase your chance of winning! Good luck!

Hoppers Comes To Disney Plus This June

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:25:25 +0000

Pixar's fortunes have been decidedly mixed over the past few years. They've ranged from the billion-dollar success of Inside Out, to the failure of Lightyear and Elio. Luckily, this year's Hoppers was much more of a success, both with critics and audiences, taking in over $371,953,089 worldwide. And now the film is coming to Disney+ this June.

Hoppers follows 19-year-old animal lover Mabel, when she discovers groundbreaking technology that allows her to "hop" into ultra-realistic animal robots. Transferring her consciousness into a life-like beaver, she is able to enter the world of the animals and communicate with them. There she meets a whole cast of memorable and hilarious characters, including the charismatic beaver King George. When a new building project from the local humans threatens the whole habitat, Mabel must rally the animals and try to save the day.

Certified Fresh and Verified Hot by Rotten Tomatoes, and earning an 'A' CinemaScore, Hoppers is widely considered to be one of Pixar's best in a while. Certainly, it's one of their funniest, with a unique sense of humour that distinguishes it from their other films.

Hoppers is directed by We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong, making his Pixar debut. Based on his success here, we doubt it'll be his last. The film is produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, and features a score written by Mark Mothersbaugh. The screenplay is penned by Jesse Andrews.

Hoppers will stream exclusively on Disney+ from June 3. For those who still prefer their films on a shiny disc, the film is also released on Blu-Ray and 4K on June 2.

ESMA Joins WIA As New Global Educational Partner

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:29:55 +0000

WIA, formerly Women In Animation, the leading advocacy group for advancing gender equality in animation, for women and underrepresented gender identities, has announced that ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques) is joining WIA's mission by becoming a Leadership Global Fund Sponsor. ESMA is a globally recognised French school of 3D animation and VFX, and its students recently won a prestigious Student BAFTA Award for their film Trash.

“We're thrilled to welcome ESMA into the WIA family as a Leadership Global Fund Sponsor,” WIA Chair of Education Hsiang Chin Moe said. “Educational institutions are among our most powerful allies. When schools champion equity from day one, they shape the kind of industry we all want to work in. ESMA's artistic excellence, global reach, and their students' remarkable BAFTA-winning work on Trash make them an inspiring partner, and we can't wait to see what we'll build together for the next generation of creators.”

ESMA's films are acclaimed around the world for their artistic excellence and technical mastery and are often said to have "that ESMA touch".

The school has recently launched a number of courses for international students in 3D Animation and VFX training. Taught entirely in English, the courses prepare students for a career in the global animation industry.

Six-minute short Trash won the BAFTA for Best Student Film in 2025. It also won the Jury Prize for Best Animated Short at Cinequest, Best of Fest at the Melbourne International Animation Festival, and Best Student Short Film at ANIMAYO, as well as being nominated for an Annie Award.

Isabelle Teissedre, Executive Director for Pedagogy at Réseau Écoles Créatives, said, “Becoming one of WIA’s educational partners is an important step for ESMA and a strong signal of our commitment to the next generation of animation and VFX talent. Through this partnership, we are proud to support a more open, inclusive and internationally connected creative industry.”

ESMA is only the second educational institution to become a Global Fund Donor. The first was the School of Visual Arts in New York (SVA). Through partnerships with schools like ESMA and SVA, WIA hopes to further their mission of achieving gender equality in animation, games and VFX. It hopes to do this by supporting underrepresented talent in their chosen field.

Moe continues: “With educational partnerships now on both sides of the Atlantic, WIA continues to expand its international reach and support for emerging talent. Every partnership like this deepens our commitment to ensuring that creatives, wherever they are in the world, have every opportunity to thrive. We're just getting started, and warmly invite other institutions to join us in shaping a more equitable future for animation, VFX, and gaming globally.”

As part of the partnership, ESMA students will have access to WIA programs, including the WIA scholarship, events and workshops and the organisation's flagship WIA Mentor Program.

In 2015, more than 60% of animation graduates were women but they held only 20% of the industry's creative roles. Thanks in a large part to WIA's work, supported by Global Fund Donors such as ESMA and SVA, today they occupy 34% of creative roles, according to The Animation Guild, a more than 50% increase since 2015.

10th Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards Announces Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:57:26 +0000

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are not the first awards ceremony to concentrate on Japanese animation, but they are among the most established, celebrating their 10th edition this year. Held in Tokyo for the third year in a row, the ceremony was streamed live around the world.

Hosted once again by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira. The Anime Of The Year award was presented by musician The Weeknd to My Hero Academia Final Season.

Other presenters included cosplayer Enako, actors Enako, Rashmika Mandanna, Winston Duke and Nanase Nishino, gaming host Nyvi Estephan, k-pop stars TEN and BamBam, GRAMMY-nominated Young Miko, and founding member of Wu-Tang Clan RZA.

The ceremony opened with a visual journey through previous Anime Of The Year winners, accompanied by a piece performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra- arranged by Kazunori Miyake and conducted by Hirofumi Kurita.

Other musical performances included a 30th Anniversary Celebration of Neon Genesis Evangelion, from Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi, Porno Graffiti honouring My Hero Academia's 10th birthday, and Asian Kung Fu Generation's “Haruka Kanata” from Naruto.

Director Tatsuya Nagamine was honoured with the Global Impact Award, recognising his groundbreaking work in anime such as Ojamajo Doremi and PreCure, Dragon Ball Super and One Piece. The award was accepted on Nagamine-san's behalf by animator and friend Masayuki Sato.

Other winners included Spy X Family, Solo Leveling, Dan Da Dan, One Piece, The Apothecary Diaries and Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba: The Movie Infinity Castle, the last of which won the Film Of The Year award.

As always, the nominees are decided by a panel of experts and then voted on by the public. This year a record 73 million votes were cast by fans worldwide to celebrate their favourite series, films and actors. The most engaged countries (in alphabetical order) were Brazil, India, Mexico and the United States.

The complete list of winners can be found below.

2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Winners

Anime of the Year - My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Film of the Year - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Best Original Anime - Lazarus
Best Continuing Series - ONE PIECE
Best New Series - Gachiakuta
Best Opening Sequence - On The Way - AiNA THE END - DAN DA DAN Season 2
Best Ending Sequence - I — BUMP OF CHICKEN — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Best Action - Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Best Comedy - DAN DA DAN Season 2
Best Drama - The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Best Isekai Anime - Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3
Best Romance - The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
Best Slice of Life - SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Best Animation - Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Best Background Art - Gachiakuta
Best Character Design - Gachiakuta
Best Director - Akinori Fudesaka, Norihiro Naganuma — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Best Main Character - Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Best Supporting Character - Katsuki Bakugo — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
“Must Protect At All Cost” Character - Anya Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Best Anime Song - IRIS OUT — Kenshi Yonezu — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Best Score - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle — Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina
Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese) - Aoi Yuki — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Best Voice Artist Performance (English) - Lucien Dodge — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Best Voice Artist Performance (Arabic) - Tariq Obaid — Taro Sakamoto — SAKAMOTO DAYS
Best Voice Artist Performance (Brazilian Portuguese ) - Charles Emmanuel — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Best Voice Artist Performance (Castilian Spanish ) - Carles Teruel — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Best Voice Artist Performance (French) - Bastien Bourlé — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Best Voice Artist Performance (German) - Gerrit Schmidt—Foß — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Best Voice Artist Performance (Hindi) - Abhishek Sharma — Jinshi — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Best Voice Artist Performance (Italian) - Mosè Singh — Denji — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Best Voice Artist Performance (Latin Spanish ) - Jose Antonio Toledano — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

Out This Week: The Spine Of Night, Fleischer Cartoons, He-Man and She-Ra and More

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:21:14 +0000

Welcome back to a later-than-usual Out This Week- pardon the interruption. We've got another very quiet week- not unusual as we approach the summer months. New this week is the complete "classic" He-Man and She-Ra boxset on DVD- just in time for the new Travis Knight Masters Of The Universe live-action film. Also out is a 4K release of the cult fantasy adult animation The Spine Of Night from Shudder, the first volume of the best of Fleischer Cartoons, featuring Betty Boop, Bimbo and more, and isekai anime From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated.

New in the UK this week is just the one release- the latest Blu-Ray volume of Naruto Shippuden.

All information is correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For May 25, 2026

Naruto Shippuden Volume 4 (Anime Ltd., 12) "Kakashi and Team 10 set out to get revenge for their fallen comrade against two of the Akatsuki's most deadly warriors, Hidan and Kakuzu. But these two evil shinobi will not go down easy! They each have the terrifying power to defy death! And just when the battle has reached a fevered pitch, Naruto jumps into the fray!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For May 26, 2026

Fleischer Cartoons: Greatest Hits Volume 1 (ClassicFlix, UR) "Beautifully restored in 4K, largely from original studio negatives, come 20 cartoons from legendary animation pioneer Max Fleischer in Fleischer Cartoons – Greatest Hits, Volume 1.For over two decades, Fleischer Studios was unsurpassed in the realm of ingenious animated entertainment. Now, Volume 1 presents many of the studio’s best and funniest cartoons with a depth and clarity likely not seen since their original theatrical releases, and showcases their entire ensemble: Koko the Clown™, Bimbo™, Popeye the Sailor Man™, Superman™, and, of course, Miss Betty Boop™.Relive the Fleischers’ art and inventions like never before, from the silent era, to the dawn of sound, to their glorious Technicolor spectacles in this carefully curated collection. Each silent short also has musical accompaniment composed and performed by Ben Model, Kevin MacLeod and Joel Pierson. Surrealism is always on tap with Fleischer, but this is not a dream–these classics are yours to watch forever!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated! (Sentai Filmworks, TV-14) "Kenzaburo Tondabayashi was a loving husband and father until he was hit by a truck saving a young boy and woke to find himself in the world of his daughter’s favorite videogame. Even weirder: he’s now inexplicably Grace, the story’s villainess! Of course, being a nice guy at heart, he has no idea how to be a “mean girl” and everything he tries only makes the plot deviate further from the one he’s seen his daughter follow. But is that such a bad thing? It may be if he wants to finish the game’s story properly so he can return to the real world in From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

He-Man and She-Ra: The Ultimate Collection (Universal Pictures, G) "Contains He-Man and The masters Of th Universe The Complete Series, She-Ra: Princess Of Power The Complete Series, He-Man/ She-Ra Secret Of The Sword and the He-Man/She-Ra Christmas Special."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

The Spine Of Night 4K (Shudder, UR) "To put an end to the eternal vigil of the all-powerful guardian of the last light of the gods, an unfathomable source of inexhaustible cosmic knowledge and power, Tzod, the fierce high priestess of the great jungle swamp called Bastal, braves the elements ascending an unforgiving, snow-covered mountaintop. As her long and arduous journey finally comes to an end, Tzod encounters the ancient sentinel of the bloom and its mystical blue flame and recounts the tale of how a single spore has changed the world below: a blood-soaked, centuries-old story of corruption, greed, tyranny, and destruction against the backdrop of the never-ending quest for control, influence, and illumination. But, humankind's atrocities echo through eternity, and heroes are always those who are expendable."

FORMATS: 4K UHD

Buy From Amazon

Upcoming Releases

Hoppers June 2

Masters Of The Universe: Revelation and Revolution June 2

Nana: Complete Collection June 2

The Land Of Sometimes June 08 [UK]

Alien Nine June 9

Sailor Moon Crystal Seasons 1-3 June 9

Hotori: Simply Wishing For Hope June 9

Heavy Metal L-Gaim June 16

Perfect Blue 4K Steelbook June 16

Rock Is A Lady's Modesty June 16

Yandere Dark Elf June 16

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight June 23

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! June 23

Doctor Stone: Season Four: Part One June 30

Lady Oscar: Rose Of Versailles June 30

Patlabor The Mobile Police: The Early Days June 30

Primal: Season 3 June 30

All You Need Is Kill July 07

Dan Da Dan Season 2 July 14

Lupin The 3rd The Movie: Immortal Bloodline July 21

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 [Steelbook] July 28

Re;Zero: Starting Life Again In Another World: Season 3 July 28

Sketch Book- Full Colors August 11

Adventure Time: Side Quests Coming To Disney+ and Hulu

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:06:42 +0000

One of the most beloved animated series of the past couple of decades is Adventure Time. Cartoon Network's show ran from 2010 until 2018- and the promised feature film has still to materialise. Since the show went off the air, there have been several spin-offs: Adventure Time: Distant Lands and Finn and Cake. Now, a third spin-off is set to join the fray, in the form of Adventure Time: Side Quests.

Described as a companion piece to the original, the new series takes us back to the magical land of Ooo, and follows young hero Finn the human and best friend Jake The Dog as they search for adventure.

Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the new series is said to recapture the spirit of earlier seasons, with lighter, self-contained adventures, as opposed to the complex lore and serialised storytelling of the later series. Side Quests is designed to introduce a new generation to the land of Ooo, while giving existing fans more of what they love. The series brings "standalone, silly quests and playful challenges", celebrating the joyful chaos of Finn and Jake's adventures.

Finn is voiced by Sasha Knight, and John DiMaggio (Futurama) returns as the voice of Jake the Dog. Other fan-favourite characters are also set to return, including The Ice King (Tom Kenny), Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch), Marceline (Olivia Olson), and BMO (Niki Yang).

Showrunner and Executive Producer Nate Cash said "Making Side Quests felt like making the original Adventure Time, which felt like hanging out with art school buddies making professional cartoons. That sounds like a big sandwich of feelings, and it was! You're going to love these NEW adventures with Finn & Jake!"

Adventure Time: Side Quests is executive-produced by Nate Cash, with Darrick Bachman as story editor. Victor Courtright and Niki Yang are the directors, Nick Cross is the Art Director and Matthew Janszen composes the music.

In a surprising development, Side Quests is not airing in the US on Cartoon Network, nor is it streaming on HBO Max. For some unknown reason, the new series will stream exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu in the United States. The series will be streaming from June 29. The series will, however, be screening on Cartoon Network and HBO Max outside the US (where available), where it will stream internationally from October 5, 2026.

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Coming to The UK and Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:52:01 +0000

Detective Conan, aka Case Closed is absolutely massive in Japan. Not only is it a multi-million-selling manga and one of the longest-running animated series in the world, but it is also a highly successful movie franchise. And it only seems to be growing in popularity. The most recent film in the franchise- amazingly, the 29th- opened in Japan in April 2026. Now Trinity CineAsia have announced that they will release Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from June 12, 2026.

The Detective Conan franchise has surpassed ¥10 billion in annual box office revenue for four consecutive years and has attracted over 10 million admissions annually for the past two years. Fallen Angel Of The Highway opened in Japan on April 10, 2026 on a record 526 screens, making it the widest opening in the franchise's history. It went on to deliver the highest grossing opening weekend in the series to date, taking in ¥3.5 billion (approx. $22 million USD) and earning it the top spot on the Japanese box-office chart- and the number three on the global chart, based entirely on a single-market release.

Anchored by the character of Chihaya Hagiwara and drawing on the emotional legacy of the Police Academy storyline, Fallen Angel Of The Highway expands on the series long-running continuity and ongoing storyline, while remaining structured as a standalone theatrical mystery. In other words, you should be able to enjoy the film whether you are a long-term fan or a newcomer.

This 29th feature is directed by Takahiro Hasui (Mob Psycho 100 III), based on a screenplay written by Takahiro Okura, returning to the franchise after having written Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram. The score is composed by Yugo Kanno (not to be confused with the legendary Yoko Kanno). The returning voice cast is joined by newcomers Ryusei Yokohama (Kokuho) and Mei Hata (Blue Lock).

Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia, said “We’re very proud to be

bringing such a beloved IP to UK and Irish audiences for the third time running.

Detective Conan has special resonance at home in Japan, of course, where it keeps

topping the box office, but also here, with its connection to a quintessential British icon:

Sherlock Holmes. The response to The Million-dollar Pentagram and One-Eyed
Flashback has been very positive overall. Audiences really enjoyed the action and

humour, with reviewers calling it a great, fresh take on a classic spy adventure suitable

for a wide age range. We look forward to rewarding them with more “case-solving”

activities, such as the one we did with the Sherlock Holmes Museum, which showcases

the franchise’s clever, accessible mystery-solving heart to a more diverse crowd and

creates memorable moments. We are very grateful to TMS for the continued trust they

are placing in us with their most cherished franchise.”

Detective Conan is based on the adventures of teenage sleuth Shinichi Kudo, who was poisoned and transformed back into a primary school-aged child. He still has his mystery-busting brain, however, and continues to solve mysteries that nobody else can solve. The anime TV series will celebrate its 30th birthday this year.

Synopsis

Conan Edogawa and his friends head to Kanagawa for the Motorcycle Festival. On the way, amysterious black motorcycle suddenly appears, speeding out of control and even leaping over their vehicle. Pursuing it is the “Goddess of the Wind,” Kanagawa Traffic Police officer Chihaya Hagiwara. Despite her relentless chase, the rider escapes, leaving her motorcycleheavily damaged. At the venue, the group witnesses the debut of a cutting- edge police motorcycle called “Angel.” Meanwhile, the black bike resurfaces in Tokyo, once again evading police pursuit. Investigation reveals it closely resembles “Angel,” leading authorities to name it “Lucifer” and launch a full-scale search. As the case deepens, Hagiwara is drawn into memories of her late brother Kenji Hagiwara and his colleague Jinpei Matsuda, setting the stage for a high-speed confrontation between the Goddess of the Wind and the Fallen Angel.

Watch This: Tess Martin's Music Video 'Charlatans'

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:10:16 +0000

Music videos are an artform in themselves. Essentially short films, they serve as an excellent showcase for their directors. There have been many fantastic music videos over the years, and one of the latest has just been released.

Seattle musician Mutual Shock has released the official music video to the track Charlatans, created by experimental filmmaker, animator and artist Tess Martin.

In the abstract music video, volatile mixtures of oil, water, and other reactive elements form shifting miniature worlds. Filmed in macro, these unstable chemical landscapes evoke the seduction, distortion, and collapse at the heart of the song.

The video continues Martin's exploration of process-based filmmaking techniques and practical visual experimentation. Through chemical reactions, fluid movement and magnified textures, the work transforms microscopic interactions into immersive emotional environments. The film's shifting miniature world reflects the song's themes of seduction, distortion and collapse.

Mutual Shock is the moniker of Seattle-based musician Dan Powers. He splices synthpop with coldwave, soldering analogue synths to drum-machines until they spark. His influences include Black Marble and Molchat Doma to Nine Inch Nails and Cabaret Voltaire.

"Charlatans" was written and recorded by Dan Powers, with drums performed and recorded by Max Zara Bernstein. The track was produced by Matt Bayles and mastered by Rachel Field of Resonant Mastering.

Tess Martin is an award-winning American-born, Rotterdam-based artist and filmmaker. Her past works include the acclaimed shorts How Now, House?, Ginevra and Still Life With Woman, Tea and Letter, some of which have also been turned into art installations. You can find out more about Tess here.

Inside MAKE's Commercial Workshop 2025-26

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:49:11 +0000

Every year animation studio MAKE (creators of Sunny Side Down) runs a commercial workshop for animation students. The workshop offers students the chance to work within a real studio pipeline and work on a commercial spot for real-life clients. The 2025 intake recently completed their film. The students were split into two groups, one of which worked on a brief for Crayola, and the other produced a film for Kool-Aid.

The Crayola team were instructed to produce their spot in 2D. The animation artwork is actually done with Crayola crayons, and drawn in a deliberately childlike style. Danny Robashkin, Creative Director, says, “In 2D, the more you let go, the more personality shows up. What really stood out on this project was how the team used the limitations as a shared language. Everyone was working within the same set of rules, and that’s what allowed the world to feel cohesive.”

Producer Lucia Naples helped guide that process, keeping things moving forward as the team pushed ideas, adjusted in real time and committed to ideas without overworking them. For her, that's really the point of the workshop: “Not just making a strong portfolio piece, but learning how to think and operate like a professional team.”

Meanwhile, the Kool-Aid team made their 15-second spot in 3D CGI. In a short that conveys a sense of summer and fun, the spot features an appearance from the iconic Kool-Aid Man. Danny Robashkin, Creative Director adds.“This one’s all about pushing energy and personality through. Because in 3D, especially with a concept like Kool-Aid, things escalate quickly: fluids, sims, motion, timing, character performance. Everything and everyone has to work together. That’s where the real growth happens.”

And sometimes, the biggest takeaways aren't just technical. As producer Rebekah Hartwig shared, “You may step into a role you didn’t expect, be pushed to figure things out as you go, and build a portfolio piece with people you didn’t even know a few weeks prior.”

Mirabelle Lapenna, a student from the 2D Team, says, “The highlight was honestly watching the entire piece come together at the end. Everyone had such different strengths and styles, but seeing it all merge into one cohesive final spot was really rewarding. It felt like being part of an actual studio pipeline.”

Meanwhile, Ollie Wang, from the 3D team, says, “One challenge was figuring out how to work quickly without losing the personality in the work. In 3D especially, it’s easy to get caught up in polishing things forever. I had to learn when to move on, trust the process, and let the energy of the piece carry through instead of overworking every shot.”

The workshop will return for 2026-27. Entries are open worldwide to junior, senior and MFA animation students enrolled in animation programs and the key dates for this year are:

Online Info Session: September 2026
Applications Open: September 2026
Application Deadline: September 2026

Students will collaborate with MAKE artists, work on a real client-style brief and produce a professional commercial spot. Open worldwide to junior, senior and MFA animation students, the program provides mentorship from MAKE animators at every stage. Participants will leave with a polished portfolio piece and firsthand experience of how the animation industry works from the inside.

Out This Week: Arco, Scarlet, Looney Tunes Cartoons and more

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 18 May 2026 11:52:30 +0000

Welcome back to Out This Week, your weekly new release round-up. After a quiet few weeks, things have picked up a bit this week, in the US at least.

New releases this week include Oscar-nominated French sci-fi feature Arco and anime auteur Mamoru Hosoda's latest film Scartlet. Also out is the newest volume of Naruto Shippuden, anime series Maoyu and a Wallmart Exclusive edition of The Apothecary Diaries season one. Finally, arriving on Blu-Ray and DVD for the first time is the recent reboot of Looney Tunes Cartoons.

Just the one animated release in the UK this week, but it's a good 'un- Patrick McHale's modern classic mini-series Over The Garden Wall.

All information is correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For May 18, 2026

Over The Garden Wall (Warner Bros., PG) "Brothers Wirt and Greg find themselves lost in a mysterious forest called the Unknown, and must attempt to find their way home."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

US Releases For May 19, 2026

The Apothecary Diaries Season One [Walmart Exclusive] "Kidnapped and made a servant in the royal palace, Maomao’s apothecary skills catch the eye of a handsome official… who tasks her with tasting food for poison. But as mysterious death and illness befall the kingdom, she’ll use her talents to find the truth. Now working in Jinshi’s home, Maomao investigates a warehouse explosion, an apparent poisoning, and the brothel’s secrets as these seemingly separate mysteries point toward a deadly plot. Along the way, she’ll begin to come to terms with her past, too."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Walmart

Arco 4K (Decal Releasing, PG) "Imagine if rainbows were actually time travellers? 10-year-old Arco lives in the distant future. During his first flight in his rainbow suit, he goes off course, loses control, and lands in our near future. Iris, a little girl who’s the same age as Arco, sees him fall from the sky. She will do everything she possibly can to help him go back home."

FORMATS: 4K UHD+ Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Looney Tunes Cartoons: The Complete Series (Warner Bros., UR) "Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and all of the other Looney Tunes go on a bunch of misadventures in a giant series of 8-minute episodes."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray, DVD

Buy From Amazon

Maoyu Complete Collection (Sentai Filmworks, TV-14) "When, after 15 years of warfare, the warrior known as Hero finally storms the castle of the Demon King, he’s shocked to find her waiting for him with an unexpected proposal. With the demons defeated and without a common enemy, the various human factions are certain to resume their wars against each other, but she has a plan to end the war and ensure lasting prosperity for both sides. To achieve it, however, she’ll need a collaborator, and Hero is the one human she trusts! The traditional rules of Good and Evil are flipped on their heads as the Hero and the ultimate bad girl join forces in Maoyu - Archenemy & Hero!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Naruto Shippuden: Set 10 (Viz Media, TV-14) "After a bittersweet reunion with his mother, Naruto learns the true story of his tragic birth. Then, at the Waterfall of Truth, Guy faces one of the strongest members of the Akatsuki—Kisame! Meanwhile, as he seeks the corpse of Nagato, Madara tangles with a devastatingly powerful Konan! Then the Fourth Great Ninja War officially begins, as Madara unleashes his army of reanimated shinobi and 100,000 White Zetsu! As the shinobi clash and the wheels of war begin to turn, Naruto’s chakra training is interrupted by a special visitor!"

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Scarlet (Sony Pictures, PG-13) "Scarlet is described as the story of a brave princess who transcends time and space."

FORMATS: 4K UHD Steelbook, Blu-Ray+ Digital

Buy From Amazon

Upcoming Releases

Fleischer Cartoons: Greatest Hits, Volume 1 May 26

Hoppers June 2

Masters Of The Universe: Revelation and Revolution June 2

Nana: Complete Collection June 2

The Land Of Sometimes June 08 [UK]

Alien Nine June 9

Sailor Moon Crystal Seasons 1-3 June 9

Hotori: Simply Wishing For Hope June 9

Heavy Metal L-Gaim June 16

Perfect Blue 4K Steelbook June 16

Rock Is A Lady's Modesty June 16

Yandere Dark Elf June 16

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight June 23

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! June 23

Doctor Stone: Season Four: Part One June 30

Lady Oscar: Rose Of Versailles June 30

Patlabor The Mobile Police: The Early Days June 30

Primal: Season 3 June 30

All You Need Is Kill July 07

Dan Da Dan Season 2 July 14

Lupin The 3rd The Movie: Immortal Bloodline July 21

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 [Steelbook] July 28

Re;Zero: Starting Life Again In Another World: Season 3 July 28

Sketch Book- Full Colors August 11

LAIKA Releases 'Wildwood' Teaser Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:24:59 +0000

We're now just a few short months away from the long (long long) awaited return of LAIKA to the big screen. Wildwood sees the stop-motion geniuses release their first film since 2019's The Missing Link. Based on the fantasy book of the same name by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, the film is directed by LAIKA CEO Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, and will open in the US on October 23. The first official teaser trailer has now finally been released.

We have previously seen some stills and some very limited footage and behind-the-scenes content, but now we get our first proper look at the film, in the (very generous) teaser.

The film follows a young girl named Prue, whose little brother is kidnapped by crows. To save him, she must journey into the Impassible Wilderness, an enchanted forest located just outside Portland, Oregon. Joined by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, she heads into the forest and encounters everything from talking animals and bandits to giant eagles and canine soldiers. Becoming caught up in a conflict that threatens the future of Wildwood itself, Prue must look within herself to find qualities she didn't even know she possessed.

Wildwood features the voices of Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Arthur Knight, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Rob Delaney, Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson, Len Cariou, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, with Angela Bassett and Mahershala Ali.

The film promises to set a new standard for stop-motion, and is definitely LAIKA's most ambitious film to date- by quite some way. The film has reportedly been in development for a decade, and you can definitely see where that time has gone. On a technical level, this is head and shoulders above anything any stop-motion studio has made to date.

Wildwood will be distributed in the United States by Fathom Entertainment, and FilmNation Events will handle the film in international territories. Tickets will go on sale this summer.

Check out the teaser trailer, below.

[source]

The Ghost In The Shell Gets Full Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:56:10 +0000

Ghost In The Shell is one of the biggest franchises in anime and manga. Originally starting life as a manga by Masamune Shirow in 1989, it's best known for Mamoru Oshii's 1995 animated movie. Since then, it's been adapted as the TV series Stand Alone Complex, Arise and SAC_2045. Then there was a Hollywood live-action adaptation, but we don't like to talk about that. Now, a new TV series is joining the fray.

Titled simply The Ghost In The Shell, this series differs from most previous adaptations in a number of ways. Firstly, the usual producer, Production IG isn't animating it (although they are still on the production committee). Taking over instead is Science Saru of Devilman Crybaby and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off fame. Secondly, the series is going back to the source material to make a much more faithful adaptation than we have ever seen before. We expect this to go deeper than the artstyle, which much more closely resembles Shirow's original manga artwork. The tone of the manga is also quite different than the previous screen adaptations, which tend to be very serious and sombre.

We've only really seen Shirow's artstyle brought to life once before, in the video sequences in 1997's Sony PlayStation game based on the franchise. It'll be an exciting time for fans of the original manga.

The producers have released a new trailer for the show, giving us our best look yet. The trailer shows off the art-style, which faithfully recreates Shirow's manga art. We see all our favourite characters, from The Major, to Batou and Togusa. Expect spider-tanks, brain-hacking and all the usual Ghost In The Shell antics, plus there are hints that this could be the first version to include some of the manga's racier scenes.

Science Saru are on the production committee, along with Production IG, Kodansha and Bandai Namco Filmworks. The anime is directed by Mokochan, with series composition and episode scripts by EnJoe Toh, and character designs and chief animation direction by Shuhei Handa. Music is by Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi and Yuki Kanesaka.

The anime is set to have its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June. The series will then premiere in Japan on the Ka-Anival block on Fuji TV and Kansai TV on July 7, 2026. It will then be streamed internationally on Amazon Prime Video, also on July 7.

Check out the trailer below.

Netflix Teases Their Annecy Line-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In a relatively short space of time Netflix has come out of nowhere to become a serious force in the world of animation. Both in in-house productions and in distributing animation produced elsewhere, they are easily now one of the biggest names in animation. Following an unprecedented year for Netflix Animation, where K-Pop Demon Hunters won two Oscars, Netflix won 13 Annie Awards and Ultraman Rising won 2 Children's and Family Emmys, the company has revealed its plans for this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

On Tuesday, 23 June Netflix will present a work-in-progress of their upcoming film Steps. Directors Alyce Tzue and John Ripa, art director Dan Casey, and head of character animation Jason Figliozzi will offer creative insight into this retelling of Cinderella from the perspective of the supposedly evil step-sisters.

Also on Tuesday is Anime Studio Focus titled “Netflix Anime: Bold Stories, Boundless Worlds”. The panel previews the slate of Japanese animated (and Japanese-influenced) shows and movies coming to the platform. Titles include The One Piece, Sparks Of Tomorrow, The Ribbon Hero, Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 and Bass X Machina.

The annual Next On Netflix Animation Panel returns on Wednesday, 24 June. Executive producers Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, and showrunners/Executive Producers Ben Hibon and Elliott Kalan will unveil a world-exclusive preview of next year's Ghostbusters animated series, produced in association with Sony Pictures Animation. Animation legend Brad Bird will take to the stage to talk about his long-in-gestation new passion project, Ray Gunn, produced at Skydance Animation. The conversation will be moderated by Peter Lord, co-founder and creative director of Aardman Animation, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The presentation also features sneak peeks at The One Piece, the forthcoming remake of the long-running One Piece anime and Charlie Vs The Chocolate Factory.

On the Thursday, Ricky Gervais hosts a masterclass. Ricky is the creator and director of the forthcoming adult animated comedy Alleycats, coming to Netflix on August 7. Audiences will also get to preview two episodes ahead of release.

Additionally, The Ribbon Hero will screen in the Annecy Presents strand. Sparks Of Tomorrow Episode 1, Long Story Short episode Shira Can't Cook and Love, Death + Robots episode How Zeke Got Religion will compete in the Annecy Official TV Films Competition.

Finally, to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of K-Pop Demon Hunters, an outdoor sing-a-long screening will be held on Wednesday, June 24 by Lake Annecy

Out This Week: The Legend Of Hei II, GOAT, Summer Wars 4K and More

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Mon, 11 May 2026 12:02:00 +0000

Well, hello there and welcome back to Out This Week, AFA's weekly round-up of what's new on physical media. Following an unusually quiet week last week, this week's list is similarly sparse. In actual fact, there is only one new release in the US in this edition.

Chinese animated sequel The Legend Of Hei II is the only title released stateside this week.

Over in the UK, Sony Pictures Animation's anthropomorphic sports movie GOAT is new on Blu-Ray. Also new is vampire anime Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp, and new to 4K is Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars, in an AllTheAnime.com exclusive Collector's Edition.

All information is correct to the best of our knowledge and is subject to change.

UK Releases For May 11, 2026

GOAT (Elevation, PG) "A small goat with big dreams gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball, a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Kizumonogatari: Koyomi Vamp Collector's Edition (MVM Entertainment, 18) "Spring break, an interval of time between the second and third year of high school. Koyomi Araragi encounters a blood-chillingly beautiful woman. The iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded Vampire, she calls herself "Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade." On the brink of death after losing her four limbs, she asks Koyomi to save her. After experiencing fear, chaos, and finally conflict, Koyomi gives his own blood in order to save her. But when he awakens, he finds himself re-born as her vampire kin. Koyomi wishes to revert to being a human from a vampire. However, he must take back all of Kiss-shot's limbs to do so. Working as a negotiator, Meme Oshino stands in middle ground as Koyomi attempts to recapture her four limbs by challenging three powerful vampire hunters. This hellish spring break, the final one of his high school life, is only just beginning."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Summer Wars 4K (Anime Ltd., 12) "Timid eleventh-grader and math genius Kenji Koiso is asked by his secret crush Natsuki to come with her to her family's Nagano home for a summer job. Turns out Kenji discovers his "summer job" is to pretend to be Natsuki's fiance, for the celebration of Natsuki's spunky grandmother's 90th birthday. There, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone which, being a math genius, he can't resist solving it. As it turns out, his solution creates chaos within the virtual world of OZ, translating into anarchy in real-life."

FORMATS: 4K UHD

Buy From Anime Ltd.

US Releases For May 12, 2026

The Legend of Hei II (GKIDS/Shout Factory, UR) "The film tells the story of a "new mission" from the Monster Hall. Faced with a series of mysteries, Xiaohei and his senior sister Luye embark on a new adventure to find the truth."

FORMATS: Blu-Ray

Buy From Amazon

Upcoming Releases

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 May 19

Arco May 19

Looney Tunes Cartoons: The Complete Series May 19

Scarlet May 19

Fleischer Cartoons: Greatest Hits, Volume 1 May 26

Hoppers June 2

Masters Of The Universe: Revelation and Revolution June 2

Nana: Complete Collection June 2

The Land Of Sometimes June 08 [UK]

Alien Nine June 9

Sailor Moon Crystal Seasons 1-3 June 9

Hotori: Simply Wishing For Hope June 9

Heavy Metal L-Gaim June 16

Perfect Blue 4K Steelbook June 16

Rock Is A Lady's Modesty June 16

Yandere Dark Elf June 16

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight June 23

I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! June 23

Doctor Stone: Season Four: Part One June 30

Lady Oscar: Rose Of Versailles June 30

Patlabor The Mobile Police: The Early Days June 30

Primal: Season 3 June 30

All You Need Is Kill July 07

Dan Da Dan Season 2 July 14

Lupin The 3rd The Movie: Immortal Bloodline July 21

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 [Steelbook] July 28

Re;Zero: Starting Life Again In Another World: Season 3 July 28

Sketch Book- Full Colors August 11

Young Animator of The Year 2026 Launches

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Perkins) — Thu, 07 May 2026 11:40:00 +0000

The Young Animator of the Year (YAY) competition returns for 2026, searching for young animation talent across the UK. The nationwide programme invites animators aged between 11 and 22 to showcase their skills in 2D animation, 3D animation and stop-motion. Winning films will premiere this November in a special ceremony at the Manchester Animation Festival, the UK's largest animation event.

Run by Blue Zoo Animation Studio and ACCESS VFX, in partnership with The Manchester Animation Festival and with support from HUE, YAY has become the country's leading competition of its kind. Central to its mission is building a diverse, industry-ready talent pipeline by connecting young animators directly with leading studios, professionals and industry bodies. Designed to be accessible and inclusive, YAY actively removes barriers to entry and welcomes young people from all backgrounds and levels of experience, empowering them to create original work and take their first steps towards creative careers.

New for 2026, YAY is introducing a new Best Group Project category, welcoming young animators who have already begun to collaborate and work as a team.

At a time when Generative AI is already beginning to reshape the creative landscape, YAY is doubling down on its commitment to human storytellers. By providing a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent, gain visibility and receive meaningful industry feedback, the initiative reinforces a clear message: creativity, craft and original ideas remain at the heart of the UK’s animation industry.

Tom Box, Co-founder and Managing Director of Blue Zoo Animation Studios and one of the competition’s founders, says: “There’s no doubt that generative AI is changing the creative industries, and for some young people this could feel like yet another barrier to breaking in. But we should not let that discourage the next generation of artists. Animation and VFX will always need brilliant storytellers, character designers and world-builders, the people who bring imagination, emotion and originality to the screen. If you are passionate about animation, follow that passion, although the industry will continue to evolve there will always be space for talented young creators with something unique to share.”

YAY has already helped propel young artists into careers at leading animation and VFX Studios including Industrial Light and Magic, The Mill, Blue Zoo Animation Studios, MPC and DNEG. Early access to industry professionals, meaningful feedback and recognition has given past winners a serious head-start in their careers.

Young animators can submit their films via the YAY website. Entrants must be UK-based and aged 11-22. Films can be created individually or as a team, with all members 22 or under. Entries can be 2D, 3D or stop-motion, and will be judged by a panel of industry experts. Entries close on September 1st and judging will take place during October.

This year's winners will also be invited on a tour of Aardman Animation Studio in Bristol and Blue Zoo Animation Studios in London.Winners will get a rare chance to see a working studio first hand, and will get to see film and television animation being produced, and get access to industry professionals.

Winners will be unveiled during a prestigious ceremony on Sunday, November 8, as part of the Manchester Animation Festival. Winners and their families will then be invited to an exclusive reception offering a rare opportunity to connect directly with a distinguished panel of judges from leading studios and production companies.

Enter here.