Aninews Paste

Shirobako Movie: Unbox anime's nitty-gritty

2020-03-05T16:46:00.000+07:00

From "8½" to "Day for Night" to "Dolemite Is My Signature," movie history is full of filmmaking. The latest addition to this self-referential genre is Tsutomu Mizushima's "Shirobako the Film," an anime about the blood, sweat and beers that brought an animated film on screen.

It is the sequel to the television series "Shirobako," which aired from 2014 to 2015 and focused around Aoi Miyamori (voiced by Juri Kimura), a newly minted production assistant at the fictional Musashino Animation who, along with the viewer, discovers the ins and outs of how anime is produced from scratch to screen — and all the speed bumps that pop up along the way.

Since canceling an in-progress sequence, the film opens four years later, with the great Musashino Animation a shadow of its former self. With the studio floundering, one of its executives comes to Miyamori with a bold plan: make an original theatrical film to be completed in less than a year. With a skeleton crew working studio, it's up to Miyamori to get the band back together and pull off an animated miracle.

Like the show that preceded it, "Shirobako the Film" provides a satirical but down-to - the-details realistic anime industry depiction. This involves the various creative decisions that go into an anime production, including which pieces to animate by hand and which to create machines, who to cast in which parts, etc.

But where "Shirobako" is particularly strong is its portrayal of all the more ordinary elements that go into bringing anime on screen— from production assistants driving through west Tokyo to picking up completed drawings from freelance animators to handshake deals that take place over late-night, beer-fuelled meetings in cheap Tokyo pubs.

One pivotal scene in the film involves Miyamori storming a rival company and handing her rivals a crushing blow by — waiting for it — pointing out how the small print in a contract benefits her studio. For those unfamiliar with anime production's sometimes chaotic setting, there's probably no better introduction to how the sausage gets (and sometimes doesn't get) made — and for diehards, there's plenty of clinks to real-life places and people to enjoy.

The above is for both the series and this new film, but that's where the latter lost me a bit: "Shirobako the Film" doesn't bring much to the table that the series didn't do five years ago. Like many films about bringing the band back together, it essentially acts as some form of biggest hits for the original, with many situations and jokes repeated almost line-for-line. The new characters created for the film don't add much to the dynamic, and while Miyamori and her friends are four years older, they face the same existential questions as they did in the show, including exactly why they choose to work first in the low-paid, work-life-balancing anime industry.

Nonetheless, though "Shirobako the Film" doesn't feel necessary, it's a lot of fun seeing these characters again, struggling against scheming rights holders, seemingly impossible deadlines and imaginative doubts to dream up anything worth their viewers ' time. Certainly "Shirobako"'s real-life creators.

Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare Anime, Live-Action Video Streamed

2020-03-04T01:21:00.000+07:00

Anime film hits theaters on May 29, live action on August 14

Toho MOVIE's official YouTube channel has released a 30-second collaboration clip featuring the new video of Io Sakisaka (Ao Haru Ride)'s romance shoujo manga Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare / Love Me, Love Me Not.

Serialized in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret from June 2015 to May 2019, the manga released 12 volumes of tankobon. His English version Love Me, Love Me Not, publisher VIZ Media presents the tale of his first volume as: "Fast friends Yuna and Akari are complete opposites — Yuna is an idealist, while Akari is a realist. When lady-killer Rio and the naive Kazuomi join their ranks, love and friendship become complicated!"

Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (Say I Love You) directs the anime film adaptation of the manga at A-1 Pictures (Oreimo, Sword Art Online) on a screenplay by Erika Yoshida (Tiger & Bunny). It will be released in Japan on May 29, 2020. Then will follow the live-action film directed by Takahiro Miki, who previously worked on Sakisaka's Ao Haru Ride's live-action film adaptation in 2014.

Anime film main voice cast:

Yuna Ichihara: Marika Suzuki (her anime debut role)
Akari Yamamoto: Megumi Han (Hime Shirayuki/Cure Princess in Happiness Charge PreCure!)
Kazuomi Inui: Soma Saito (Yukinojo Tachibana in King of Prism)
Rio Yamamoto: Nobunaga Shimazaki (Shido Itsuka in Date A Live)

Live-action film main cast:

Yuha Ichinose: Riko Fukumoto (18/Kiki in Kiki's Delivery Service Musical)
Akari Yamamoto: Minami Hamabe (18/Yumeko Jabami in Kakegurui live-action drama)
Rio Yamamoto: Takumi Kitamura (21/Boku in I Want to Eat Your Pancreas)
Kazuomi Inui: Eiji Akaso (25/Ryuga Banjo/Kamen Rider Cross-Z in Kamen Rider Build)

An anime-inspired campaign by anime director Mads Broni and Passion Animation Studios

2020-03-04T01:00:00.000+07:00

MullenLowe partnered with Danish director Mads Broni and Passion Animation Studios to create an anime-inspired advertisement for one of UK's favorite restaurant chains, Wagamama.

Called Bowl to Soul, it's based on the brand's affiliation with Japanese food and its founding philosophy that food not only feeds our heart, it "feeds our soul." The ad shows this by demonstrating Wagamama food's restore sensation.

Upon taking her first taste, the ad's heroine tumbles into a magical land filled with streaming ramen rivers, ondulating coriander fields and spice fireworks. That doesn't sound bad. And it's a good way to appeal to those of us who haven't appreciated the magic of "your food will come out when it's ready."

Created by a mixture of hand-drawn and computer-illustrated artwork, the film brings together a wide range of modern, diverse images and characters, each frame being a unique illustration influenced by anime art. MullenLowe also collaborated with the music supervisor (Thirty Two Music) and the artist Invisible Minds to create a customized version of the album, recording new instrumes.

Mads Broni, Director of Passion Animation Pictures, said: "I enjoyed the challenge of using anime, a style synonymous with Asian cultures, to portray life in London. It was a joy to express my love of illustration, appreciate the history of animation and make it feel modern, important and adventurous."

Anime, what is it?

2020-03-04T00:41:00.001+07:00

It's a Japanese word for film or comic book animation. It features large doe-like eyes. It features vivid characters and bright graphics. It could be a comic book used to attract youth and adult audiences.

An anime may feature complex and sophisticated episode-forming storylines. The genre may be horror stories, martial arts, ninjas, romance. It could be space ships and robots fantasy.

Animations have been around for a while. They were invented in 1917. Their growth has gradually progressed into today's doe-like animation. The anime art style originated in Japan in 1960. But it later spread to many parts of the twentieth century. Today, anime distribution is carried out by TV broadcasting, internet and house media. It's classified into genres targeting a wide range of niche audiences.

Anime blends cartography, narrative, graphic art, and other innovative techniques. This focuses more on realism and camera effects than gesture animation. Anime is hand-drawn and consists of fiction, often appealing to the target audience. Use various art forms. It could include different features with large eyes.

In 1960, first cartoons were televised. From there, anime's success started growing. This triggered further releases. Additionally, anime's expanded home distribution in the 1980s is believed to have popularized it in the 1990s. Besides, DVD formats emergency made anime more available. It had several drawbacks. Some of the drawbacks involved piracy and dubbing on the same disk. Internet development has further increased online animator distribution.

Brief story

In Japan, filmmakers learned 20th century animation techniques. They used methods already in use in countries like Russia, USA, Germany, and France. Katsudō Shashin is credited for the earliest animated work despite other works by unknown people. Animation was well-developed in Japan by 1930. Even so, foreign producers faced stiff competition. Masaoka created first talkie anime in 1933. The Seo directed the first animated film in 1944.

His past doesn't end here. The 1950s saw short animated commercials emerge. The commercial was transmitted in Japan. The 1970s ' anime became quite successful. Manga graphic novels and Japanese comic books appeared. Earlier, these books were animated. In the 1980s, anime became Japan's mainstream. It spread to overseas markets where it was embraced.

Points to be remembered

Anime types differ greatly from other animation forms. It varies in animation style and process. It also varies in method and art types. Although no single art style flourished. Some share features like animation techniques, character design, etc.

Before the digital age emergency, the pose-to-pose process was used to create animation.

11 Anime Classics Everyone has to watch

2020-03-03T11:08:00.001+07:00

Around 90 percent is crap, according to Sturgeon's Policy. Probably closer to 99.9% for anime. Much is meaningless, over whimsical, and/or uncomfortably aggressive and pervasive. Yet, like every other genre, some utter gems are concealed among the refuse that needs to be loved by all.

Here are 11 anime classics that you should certainly take the chance to purchase in Australia. Below are 11 anime classics that every movie buff should see — from vintage Ghibli Studio to modern masterpieces like The Tale Of The Princess Kayuga.

Grave Of The Fireflies

After a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in Japanese countryside, feeling their countrymen's helplessness and indifference. In desperation, hunger and sorrow, these children's lives are fragile, but inspiring is their spirit and love.

Wolf Children

Hana was bright and beautiful, and her future was endless. She met a man who became a wolf and they formed a family. Hana loved her husband fiercely, but fate took him from her, leaving her alone with two odd kids she couldn't raise. Fearfully found, Hana and her wolf children fled to the countryside to build a new life. It's a mother's journey to teach your kids to chase their dreams when they explore who they will become.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Makoto Konno has the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time. She immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps but soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems.

Ponyo

Five-year-old Sosuke lives in a small, rotten seafront cliff overlooking the Inland Sea. When playing on the rocky beach, he finds Ponyo, a goldfish, her head stuck in a jam jar. Sosuke rescues Ponyo and the new friends are intrigued by each other and pledge to remain firm friends until Ponyo's father, once a human, now a sorcerer who lives deep under the sea, forces her to return to the ocean depths with him.

Ninja Scroll

Jubei is a masterless ninja in Feudal Japan, wandering the land alone, hiring his services to gold or a worthy cause. His powers have served him well, but he must face an old nemesis, bent on overthrowing the Japanese government and aided by a fearsome gang of superhuman-powered demons.

Princess Mononoke

The technology march created in the ambitious Tatara clan's iron forges challenges the natural forces of the Forest's benevolent Great God and wide-eyed, spectral spirits he protects. Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote village tribe, kills a monster and learns that the beast is a "ghost god," transformed by human fury. Inflicted with his deadly curse, he looks for the antidote to save his life in the mountains. He meets Princess Mononoke, a young woman with wolves.

Spirited Away

Chihiro discovers a world of strange spirits, creatures and witchcraft. When her parents are suddenly changed, she must evoke the bravery she never realized she had to free herself and return her family to the world outside.

Perfect Blue

Mima Kirigoe is a squeaky-clean Japanese pop singer who decides to leave the music industry and try her hand at acting. Finding her way into her new field is hard as she is forced to do degrading work in twisted low-budget films. Mima is stalked by an obsessed fan, angry at her decision to abandon her successful music career.

Akira

After World War III, Neo-Tokyo is being rebuilt. Kaneda and Tetsuo, two high school dropouts come upon a secret government project to develop telekinetic humans, presumably for use as weapons. Tetsuo hears about Akira, the most important subject of the project, and decides to challenge him.

My Neighbor Totoro

Satsuki and Mei move to a new country home with their father while their mother recovers from illness. They soon discover sharing the home with some rather unusual creatures and even stranger neighbors-forest guardians dubbed Totoro by the girls.

The Tale Of The Princess Kayuga

A tiny girl discovered in a polished bamboo stalk develops into an elegant young lady facing her destiny. Based on the Japanese folk-tale, "The Bamboo Cutter Tale" is the culmination of decades of reflection by producer and co-founderof Studio Ghibli Isao Takahata.

Sony announced officially the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2

2020-03-03T10:41:00.000+07:00

Spider-Man: One of last year's best animated surprises was definitely in Spider-Verse. It boasted an immaculate mix of heart and laughter, not to mention some stunning visuals and an excellent soundtrack, grabbed nearly $400 million worldwide and shocked Isle of Dogs for the Academy Award.

So when it came to making a Spider-Man, the question quickly changed from "if" to "when?""While we don't know much about the highly awaited sequel yet, it seems that Sony's gears are now starting to pick up steam. That's because this afternoon the studio took Twitter to officially confirm the follow-up, even announcing its release date.

Please see below:

April 8, 2022 🕷 #SpiderVerse pic.twitter.com/FC5nVIuciB
— Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (@SpiderVerse) November 1, 2019

As thrilling as this news is, fans will know that Spider-Vers 2 isn't the only thing spawned from the animated classic. We've also heard that, at some point, several alternate dimension characters from the film will get their own cars. Okay, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and Spider-Gwen Stacy will all appear in spinoffs.

And not only that, but also producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller are busy cooking a whole bunch of TV spider-verses. That means this is a franchise that will not slow down anytime soon. Not that we're moaning.

Yet tell us, are you as curious as we are about a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel? And didn't you dig the first movie? As always, sound off below and share your thoughts with us and stay tuned for further updates.

'My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising' Breaks Anime Box Office Record

2020-03-03T10:32:00.003+07:00

Anime isn't known for American box office success, and when there are successes they appear to be Studio Ghibli fare, Pokemon movies, and other family-friendly features. More mature anime seems to get small releases and thus little chance for blockbuster success. However, Japanese animated films for teenagers and grown-ups are growing at the box office thanks to specialty event-style distribution.

FUNimation Entertainment's latest release, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, premiered domestically last Wednesday and reportedly first-placed the box office, grossing $2.5 million on its opening day. The manga adaptation had reached a domestic total of $8.5 million by Sunday, including the official opening-weekend $5.1 million, ranking fourth. Showing at only 1,260 theaters, the movie had the second-best per-screen average of all small theater releases.

Heroes Rising is My Hero Academia's second feature. In the fall of 2018, FUNimation released My Hero Academia: Two Heroes domestically, holding the anime box office record for films rated PG-13and R so far. Two Heroes grossed $1.4 million on the U.S. and Canada opening weekend. Having debuted Tuesday before, its total was around $4 million through its opening weekend. Released on less than half as many screens, the theater average was higher.

Because other big anime features of the past received small theatrical releases, the average attendance per screen for those non-kid-friendly films was also higher. The new feature My Hero Academia only saw about 300 tickets sold per venue, while in 1999 one of Ghibli's earlier PG-13 attempts, Princess Mononoke, sold about 3,500 per screen. Some big per-screen hits include Akira in 1988, Perfect Blue in 1999, and Metropolis and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie in 2001.

For a comparison of anime box office for titles not suitable for children, an approximate opening-weekend attendance / ticket sales ranking:

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2020): 0.55 million
Weathering with You (2020): 0.52 million
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004): 0.51 million
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018): 0.2 million
Night is Short, Walk on Girl (2017): 0.039 million
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001): 0.039 million
The Wind Rises (2014): 0.038 million
The Boy and the Beast (2016): 0.032 million
Princess Mononoke (1999): 0.028 million
Steamboy (2005): 0.021 millions

I kept the numbers by millions of tickets because that's what I always do, plus it makes the above titles more noticeably lower than the list of the top 10 anime releases in general, irrespective of the MPAA score, by opening-weekend attendance:

Pokemon: The First Movie (1999): 6.1 million
Pokemon: The Movie 2000 (2000): 3.6 million
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie (2004): 1.53 million
Pokemon 3: The Movie (2001): 1.46 million
Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2019): 1.1 million
The Secret World of Arrietty (2012): 0.81 million
Digimon: The Movie (2000): 0.79 million
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2020): 0.55 million
Weathering with You (2020): 0.52 million
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004): 0.51 million

However, in terms of worldwide box office grosses, three PG-13 launches rank in the top 10, which can not be broken down by ticket sales: Weathering with You ($193 million), and Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke ($161 million) and The Wind Rises ($136 million). Of the others, only Pokemon: First Film ($173 million) and Arrietty's Hidden World ($146 million) rank among the highest. Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai have always done much better outside the US.

Yet oddly enough, the movies My Hero Academia aren't that big in Japan (although they are still considered hits even if not among the top 50 best-selling anime releases), so their success in America is noteworthy. Weathering with You was a comparable success in both territories, but of the other titles on the mature domestic anime list, the two Miyazaki films and The Boy and Beast did much better overseas than was common here. I confess I don't know why My Hero Academia's American fanbase is analogously greater than mine.

Meanwhile, new animated features of Pokemon also missed theatrical release. While 2017 Kunihiko Yuyama features Pokemon the Movie: I chose you! And Tetsuo Yajima's 2018 feature Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us both hit theaters very briefly courtesy of Fathom Events, the new computer-animated feature Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back–Evolution, led by Yuyama, Yajima, and Motonori Sakakakibara, made its debut in Netflix last week. And there, it's one of the top 10 most popular titles available (by Netflix).

Apple Ad shows how famous the Mac is with an anime characters in Japan

2020-03-02T17:53:00.001+07:00

As part of its ongoing "Behind the Mac" initiative, Apple has launched a new ad in Japan featuring clips from popular anime shows using its MacBook range. 30-second montage of prominent anime scenes like Your Name, Weathering With You, Mr. Osomatsu, Gridman, New Game! And The Wonderland includes Yoshiho Nakamura's hit, "I am Shujinko."

Apple makes the most of its bragging rights by demonstrating how prevalent its computers have become in popular culture. We still often joke about how odd it is to see someone not use Mac in a movie.

It's not just a Mac commercial, as the ad shows both AirPods and EarPods.

ONE PIECE VOICE ACTORS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AT C2E2 2020

2020-03-02T17:41:00.000+07:00

Epic pirate adventure One piece may get Netflix's first-ever live-action adaptation, but the incredibly long-running Eiichiro Oda manga still marks a big milestone on the anime side of things.

For over 900 episodes released over the 20-year series (officially recorded last October), Monkey D. Luffy's fans and his motley crew know that the voice cast has plenty of war stories from their seven-seas tenure. That means that when voice actors Brina Palencia (Tony Tony Chopper) and Colleen Clinkenbeard (Luffy) sat down at the C2E2 2020 anniversary panel— while marking the return of the Funimation One PIece dub— it wasn't hard to spread an ear to what they had to say.

"We recently made special features of the 20th anniversary" about how One Piece came to America, Clinkenbeard said. She produces the special features on Funimation films, and she explained she had to go deep into One Piece's history for this epic interview-laden mini-doc to be released on a special anniversary disc.

Speaking of their roles, the actresses clarified that they had to hear their Japanese counterparts ahead of time — a rare event for the industry— because those behind One Piece wanted them to be as close to the original voices as possible. Since Funimation has not yet obtained all of One Piece's episodes, the series ' American dub is not quite caught up with the original Japanese, but both panelists were determined to continue their positions in the foreseeable future.

And how does the hyper-prolific show hold its audience? The actresses give the author all credit. "Oda does such a great job of making it ever-interesting," said Clinkenbeard. "Never boring," Palencia said. From here, the show will only get wilder, as the series moves to live action next at a big streamer.

Netflix's One Piece take will carry Netflix's first 10-episode season in the near future.

30-year-old anime prediction talks of Olympic cancelation

2020-03-02T15:32:00.000+07:00

A scene from a popular 1988 Japanese animated movie that famously predicted Tokyo would win the right to host the 2020 Olympics on Friday over a potential cancelation of the games.

A scene from Akira's 2019 movie shows a signboard counting down the days until the Olympics.

The sign reads "147 Days Until The Games" and invites people to endorse a successful event. Below, someone graffitied, "Just cancel!”

とうとうその日がやってきた#AKIRA #147日 #中止だ中止 pic.twitter.com/MfHDbTf9g9
— じん＠武漢 (@jin00001) February 27, 2020

With Friday marking exactly 147 days until the opening ceremony on July 24, and discussing the possibility of canceling games due to the coronavirus as the epidemic spreads in Japan, the subject "Just cancel it!"Trends top of Japanese Twitter.

The cyberpunk animated film, set in a post-apocalyptic Neo Tokyo, is considered one of the most influential anime and science-fiction films of all time, and has influenced properties from The Matrix to Stranger Things.

Netflix takes Anime more seriously

2020-03-02T15:23:00.001+07:00

Anime is certainly something that attracts a wide range of fans, but it's also an acquired taste for many people as others may be interested but still don't know enough about it, while others don't completely enjoy the way stories are told or not on board with the animation that goes into each project.

Like anything in show business, anime is a product that some people like and others dislike for their own reasons, but as GeekTyrant's Tommy Williams stated, Netflix is taking their interactions with Japanese anime very seriously at this point as their anime menu has steadily grown over the past few years. Most people see this as a positive move as it encourages the network to be more inclusive and allows new stories to appear on the web for anime fans and those who may be interested but aren't sure what they want to see. While I can say personally that I'm not the biggest fan of anime, I can also say that as a storyteller it's something that has caught on and become a phenomenon, or perhaps a movement that has evolved for years now and is still building up as more and more people enter the fold. While not being enamored of style, it's still easy for me to say yes, there's a lot of value in anime, particularly since it's widely accepted by such a vast and diverse number of people.

The stories can be as grounded and limited to life as possible, or as far out and fantastic as one can imagine, but generally they seem to be able to accommodate a fairly wide variety of people who are interested in different genres that anime is great to portray. In one story to the next, people can find what they like and maybe even be interested in something they have little or no previous knowledge of and may enjoy just sitting for a while and seeing what it's all about. One thing about anime is that it's vivid, imaginative in many respects, and the stories are well-written, so it's easy to think that many people will be drawn into whether they're expecting it or not. It might be a wonder how anyone can resist a good anime tale and while there's a simple answer, the best way to say it right now is that not everyone loves the storytelling style, no matter it's not nearly enough to suggest it's not worth the effort. Anime has proven to be a well-established and enjoyed style that a legion of fans has agreed is worthwhile and should stick around, and it's been on the rise over the decades now in a way that hasn't always been as obvious, but hard to overlook at this stage. When Netflix first came out anime was still building to what it might be one day, but now that it's given a platform on the popular streaming site it's undergoing another big rise that should help with publishing as well and in other places where continued love for anime can help it become something even more amazing than it has already been.

A day may come when I sit down to watch a whole series of anime and think to myself what I missed, but at this moment it's enough to think that people know what they like, or at least what brings them to anime, and are satisfied with the way things are going and the ongoing list of titles Netflix is working to bring them. The fans ' response to date has been quite positive, so it's easy to think that Netflix will continue to develop its relationship with anime in a very profound way and continue to bring more and more titles over time. Whether the standard will always be as good is hard to say, since such a thing is usually subjective and does not inherently accurately reflect each fan's opinions. The argument is that anime is mostly here to stay and will only continue to grow if more and more people keep watching and, of course, if streaming networks like Netflix continue to collaborate with storytellers ready and willing to bring new material and ideas to people that will keep them watching and wanting more. As I said, one day I might find time to sit down and watch an anime series, but now it's enough to know it's not going anywhere.

Netflix & Ghost in Shell Studio's radical New Anime

2020-03-02T14:50:00.000+07:00

Netflix revealed that its first partnership with Production I.G., Sol Levante, would finally be on streaming on March 23. Sol Levante was initially scheduled to launch last fall, but delays were likely caused by difficulties faced with the groundbreaking 4 K HDR animation technology.

The project is considered highly experimental, so production problems were planned. According to Netflix's innovative development developer, Haruka Miyagawa, the entire production consisted of test rounds, new ideas and team input to develop and improve the process of drawing a 4k HDR anime. The team is basically writing the book on how this type of project will be made, and this groundbreaking work has generated much excitement among both anime fans and film buffs.

SOL LEVANTE: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

So far, nothing has been revealed about Sol Levante's plot in traditional Netflix fashion, but the tiny behind - the-scenes glimpses shown reveal stunning talent and beautiful art. Netflix content creation department head, John Derderian suggests that if they can truly experience the creator's point of view, the viewer will be more inspired and interested with what they see. Theoretically, 4 K HDR is the best way to create this unified creator-viewer interface.

Sol Levante is listed as an ONA, meaning it's an original web animation in Japan. The word derived from OVA, Original Video Animation, meaning the title is released directly to video and has no theatrical release. Streaming as a means of consuming content has become a standard of modern popular culture, leading to the rise of ONA as a major branch of anime distribution.

Historically, OVA or ONAs were shorter, sometimes just a few minutes per chapter. Streaming services like Netflix, however, changed the way these ONAs are delivered. Netflix has a built-in user base accustomed to watching feature films and binging whole TV shows in a single sitting from the convenience of their own homes. This has contributed to a forum where ONAs can flourish with longer runs.

WHAT IS 4K HDR?

Not only is Sol Levante notable for Netflix's collaboration with Production I.G., it's also the first hand-drawn anime in 4 K HDR standard. HDR stands for high-dynamic imagery. It is an image production method that allows a "greater range of luminosity within a shot to improve color contrast and clarity" in Netflix's own words. Netflix first rolled out its HDR line-up in 2016, beginning with Daredevil.

This added luminosity should be good for Sol Levante's expressive anime art. The team thought the most powerful way to tell their tale and drive the medium forward was using the HDR format. Miyagawa also claims that Netflix is the "crossroads between entertainment and technology," a crossroads seen in other Netflix properties such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which was previously impossible to accomplish without at-home streaming services.

WHO ARE PRODUCTION I.G.?

Development I.G. Established 1987. He had a global influence on the anime industry and became a household name among devotees. Oblivion Island: Haruka and Magic Mirror and Miss Hokusai are among the studio's critically acclaimed and better-known properties, although the business is best known for Psycho-Pass, Eden's East, Guilty Crown and its Shell Ghost job, which spawned a controversial live-action remake in 2017 with Scarlett Johansson.

Sol Levante will be available on Netflix from March 23, in 4 K HDR.

Anime Japan 2020 Officially Canceled Outbreak

2020-02-28T22:09:00.001+07:00

A new announcement confirmed this year's cancelation of Anime Japan 2020 due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. A few hours ago, the announcement went live from Japan with the event's planning committee giving profuse apologies. But as Japan's infection rate continues to rise, the public will be well ahead of their otaku needs.

On Twitter, Anime Japan released a short message explaining this year's need for cancellation. The organisation warned participants earlier that the event might be cancelled depending on how the Coronavirus continued to spread across the country and Asia as a whole.

"Faced with the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the Japanese government's call to cancel large-scale events on February 26, but most of all thinking about the health and safety of our guests and everyone involved in the event, we decided to cancel AnimeJapan 2020 and Family Anime Festa 2020," reads the message.

Large-scaled anime events in Tokyo, AnimeJapan 2020 and Family Anime Festa 2020 (21 to 24 March) announced the cancellation due to the call from the Japanese government to prevent the novel corona virus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/0CDxVmKYK8

— otakujp (@otakucalendarjp) February 27, 2020

The event staff kept expressing apologies for the cancellation, thanking everyone for respecting the difficult decision.

"We are extremely sorry for all the anime fans looking forward to this year's edition and all the stakeholders planning for the case, but the decision has been reached to avoid further spread of the infection. We appreciate your understanding and support in this matter. As for what will happen next, fans expected the companies intended to appear at Anime J. It was said shows like Bleach will appear along with Attack on Titan and more. Clearly, these titles can use social media to make their announcements, enabling lots of anime fans to rejoice at the comfort of their own homes.

Top 5 Netflix Anime Trending Week!

2020-02-28T22:00:00.000+07:00

Animes have fun watching with their amazing graphics and exciting plot. Here's a compilation of Netflix's top 5 animes that will win your heart!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

As the name suggests, it's indeed weird. It's currently trending on the internet and will surely make a sexy appearance in the meme universe. Netflix has three streaming seasons right now, and it's a perfect fit to spend a rainy day.

Attack on Titan

Ready to watch this year's best anime? There is no confirmation that Attack on Titan merits this spot. Anime's plot revolves around a man-eating creature. The show has an outstanding animation team and soundtrack.

Violet Evergarden

You're sure the show just looks brilliant at the preview! The series has outstanding animation and worldwide recognition. The tale will bring you tears. It's a nostalgic tale of lead trying to understand society and dealing with post-war life.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

This anime revolves around two brothers facing physical consequences after resurrecting their mother. It's made a comeback after a while, and it's up to you to decide which one's better!

Trigun

Cowboy Bebop fascinated you? If so, you'll certainly enjoy this incredible anime! Described in the Old West, the show revolves around Vash. To our dismay, Japan's series didn't receive much recognition, but it did fantastically well in North America since screening on Adult Swim. The critics praised the film, becoming a legendary anime.

What animes you're excited to watch? Let us know what you feel in the section below!

The 5 greatest heroines in the world (We can't stand)

2020-02-28T21:11:00.000+07:00

Shoujo is a young women demographic. Although it incorporates many kinds from fantasy to reality, the main protagonist is a woman, so she can draw more to the population objective. In the course of the years, the era has changed. The protagonist can be a girl in high school who saves people from demons or an adult who works to support his family at a restaurant.

Sadly, we couldn't bear an awful number of heroines when some of us should applaud our poms. We will mention in anime the five best shoujo heroines and we can't stand five.

10. BEST: TOHRU HONDA (FRUITS BASKET)

We continue this list with Fruits Basket's Tohru Honda, the perfect example of ideal shoujo heroine. She's kind, friendly, and adorable, usually what other shoujo heroine wants to replicate. Tohru lost her mother and became an orphan before the Sohmas took her in, but she never worries and puts others ' well-being before herself.

While she always does her best to stay optimistic so others don't think about her, she isn't a robot at all and can express herself. Tohru is a character who sets an excellent example for young women, with her 2019 counterpart behaving less like a maid and more like a teenage girl, making her appropriate for the times.

9. WORST: MEI TACHIBANA (SAY I LOVE YOU)

Say I Love You're not somebody young girls would aspire to be. Mai is a shy girl who captured the school's most popular boy's attention and was essentially harassed in dating him. One of the first scenes between them is he cornering her after school in a back alley, taking her first kiss.

Then what's Mai's problem? She's OK with his behaviour. What needs a heroine encouraging a boy to do stuff because he's attractive?

8. BEST: SAKURA KINOMOTO (CARDCAPTOR SAKURA)

Cardcaptor Sakura Kinomoto delights the magical girl genre. This famous magical girl series is a delight to watch. Sakura does her best and her school activities. She's a cheerleader, great cook, great friend.

Since entering middle school, a wonderful girlfriend can be added to that list as she begins Syaoran Li. Nothing comes to mind when trying to badmouth her either, making her one of the rare shoujo heroines.

7. WORST: NAHO TAKAMIYA (ORANGE)

What makes Naho Takamiya a poor heroine depends heavily on Orange's behavior. Everyone should know that the future depends on your experience. If you have the power to change the future, you shouldn't because it just twists the present further.

But even after finding her future, Naho can not seem to leave the past behind, and even her future self seems the same. She marries her childhood friend and has a boy. Why want to change something so drastic?

6. BEST: SAWAKO KURONUMA (FROM ME TO YOU)

Sawako Kuronuma, From Me To You's heroine, is lovely. She's possibly also today's biggest cinnamon roll in shoujo anime and manga. Despite her peers and the whole school spreading a lie about her as she looks like The Ring's protagonist, she doesn't give up her efforts to change herself.

She smiles brightly and is surprisingly persistent when times come. She's nice to people who certainly don't deserve it. Who could hate Sawako when she shines brightly?

5. WORST: SATOU MATSUZAKA (HAPPY SUGAR LIFE)

Happy Sugar Life's Satou Matsuzaka should be reported to Child Protective Services, rather than attending high school or wandering around freely. Satou sworn to protect Shio, an anonymous girl living in her flat. She doesn't allow her outside.

She likes a little girl. She's got two-faced personality. She's manslayer. Satou is such a bad heroine for many reasons. It doesn't matter if her aunt rendered her crazy— that's no reason for the horrendous things Satou did throughout the show.

4. BEST: MISAKI AYUZAWA (KAICHOU WA MAID-SAMA!)

Kaichou wa Maid-sama's Misaki Ayuzawa was a wonderful heroine when she made her debut, reigning as an outstanding heroine to this day. It's understandable why Takumi finds it attractive. Although Misaki is the typically stone-faced, stern school council chief, she works after school in a maid cafe to support her poor family.

She's not one to fall easily for Takumi's teasing, but she also shows her a somewhat girly side she normally conceals. Why aren't all heroines as good as Misaki?

3. WORST: ERIKA SHINOHARA (WOLF GIRL AND BLACK PRINCE)

Erika Shinohara is Girl and Black Prince's heroine(?). She, though? First, she lies to her so-called friends that she has a boyfriend to suit them. Second, she snaps a picture of the most popular boy in school (how, then?) and asks him to lie.

Finally, she decides to become his dog and falls in love with him because he saved her from a man who is as bad as him. Think of lacking self-worth.

2. BEST: KYOUKO MAGAMI (SKIP BEAT!)

Skip Beat's Kyouko Magami is a timeless representation of what the genre wants in its works. How hard can we all cheer for a strong, no-nonsense, and hard-working heroine regardless of gender?

When her childhood friend, who treated her as a maid, scorned Kyouko, she wants to revenge him by beating him at his own game: showbiz. But when she discovers she is honestly interested in the art, she begins to work harder. She's easy to like and cheer on, which is the most important aspect any shoujo heroine should have.

1. WORST: HEROINE (AMNESIA)

Finally, we come to the worst shoujo heroine in shoujo anime: a character not even worth a name — Amnesia heroine. Or what fans call anime sexual harassment. Because in the otome game it's based on, she's not saying anything in the series.

In twelve series, she said no more than ten words. While the main character should be the best thing about an anime, the only good thing about adaptation is the bomb launch. Owing to how stale and boring Heroine is, she's the shoujo heroine we can't stand most.

Netflix creating a battleground Anime Streaming

2020-02-28T20:33:00.001+07:00

Netflix is a titan of streaming services. That's pretty obvious because they shrugged off a $17 billion loss without much difficulty, while streaming companies like Viacom, Roku were worth less than $17 billion at the time. But there's one place where Netflix isn't making much strides yet, and that's anime. Meanwhile, their competition is growing strong.

Netflix and Anime

Netflix has over 50 anime. They've been there for years, but few of their shows are above average. Some of them are really decent, but a site like Netflix would deserve far better content. "Devilman Crybaby" , "Violet Evergarden" , "Castlevania" are some of their best works. And the funny thing is, not many remember "Castlevania" as an anime. Most of Netflix's original anime only appeals to a small group of viewers, although their unorthodox animation and art style repels other viewers. Yet Netflix has a huge collection of top classic anime that wins and holds many subscriptions. And recently they acquired Studio Ghibli's license to stream movies, which is a significant milestone.

How has it affected the status quo?

Netflix appeared as a major threat (it still is) to previously existing anime streaming services such as Crunchyroll and Funimation, but these services survived very easily due to Netflix's poor performance in original anime production. These services keep producing and streaming great anime. Amazon Prime Video generates some sun, though. In North America and Australia, they obtained the license to stream "Vinland Saga." This series is hailed as one of 2019's best titles. This shows that Amazon Prime Video means business. This comparatively new streaming service follows Netflix into anime streaming world.

Where do things stand from now on?

With massive 158.3 million subscribers, Netflix has an overwhelming advantage over other streaming services. And with their impressive anime list, they obviously have an advantage over their competition. So, it's unlikely rivals will push them anytime soon. They need their A-game to beat Netflix.

What does that mean for the viewers?

It means viewers will enjoy more quality content. Competition can sometimes lead to even better results. This new war will certainly add more quality anime.

Six Japanese Producers for Netflix Anime Originals

2020-02-28T20:22:00.000+07:00

This week, Netflix revealed that it has collaborated with six Japanese creators to create original anime series for fans around the world as part of the company's continuing effort to build on its best-in-class anime originals with deep artistic roots in Japan.

The six authors — CLAMP (Cardcaptor Sakura), Shin Kibayashi (The Kindaichi Case Files), Yasuo Ohtagaki (Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt), Otsuichi (Goth), Tow Ubukata (Mardock Scramble) and Mari Yamazaki (Thermae Romae) are a blend of manga artists, novelists, screenwriters and filmmakers who have played an integral part in today's anime success.

"We're excited to work with these extraordinary creators to bring Netflix's best class anime," said Taiki Sakurai, Netflix's chief producer, Anime. "These collaborations are part of our wider investment strategy to support Japanese anime— giving creators the ability to tell brave, creative stories and give them access to fans around the world, as creativity is boundless in anime world."

These collaborations are part of Netflix's increasing anime and local industry commitment. Last year, Netflix collaborated with five Japanese animation producers: production I.G, bones, anima, David Production and Sublimation, and with today's announcement, Netflix will continue to expand the creative and manufacturing process of some of the most innovative and high-quality anime.

Besides the new originals being created, Netflix will also explore ways for members to engage with these new off-screen shows through publishing and consumer products.

"We are excited to be accepted into this brand new project. We look forward to the day when our shows produced with Netflix will touch fans across 190 countries ." — Nanase Ohkawa (CLAMP)

"Being part of a Netflix show that reaches viewers worldwide as a Japanese maker is satisfying. I'm excited to work on new characters, worlds and storylines ." — Shin Kibayashi.

"As a creator, it's such an honor to have this opportunity to reach out to a global audience. From my homeland in Japanese manga to the world's major leagues — it's a thrilling time for me to believe in my craft and aim for new heights ." — Yasuo Ohtagaki.

"For me, part of a Netflix show takes a lot of commitment. I imagine watching shows to 190 countries all at once would feel like joining content creators ' world championships. Just thinking of a global audience hungry for new shows blows my mind." — Otsuichi.
"It's a proud moment to join Netflix's world-class producers! I'm excited to start working on larger-than-life space sci-fi shows that fans around the world would enjoy!" —Ubukata Tow

"I can't wait to see how fans around the world will respond to our shows. These answers will help me become a better creator and inspire my next creations. It's important to me to show the transcendence of cultures and to touch the hearts of Netflix members around the world ."— Mari Yamazaki.

Details of the new series are announced later.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Extended Movie Trailer Memories

2020-02-28T20:00:00.000+07:00

Today, Bandai Namco released a new trailer of his upcoming anime soccer game Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions.

To be more specific, this is the extended story trailer released a few weeks ago featuring Tsubasa Episode mode.

This time around on top of the field's epic action, we see many of the familiar scenes from the original anime and manga that happened outside the field, including some of the secondary characters like mentors from our heroes and girlfriend Yoshiko Fujisawa from Hikaru Matsuyama.

Attach the game's own version of Moete Hero theme song, and the impact is complete.

If you've grown up with the anime, prepare to tear up as you watch the trailer below.

While the franchise is certainly very good, you may not be familiar with it, as its popularity varies greatly from region to region.

The original Captain Tsubasa anime never rose to comparable popularity in North America, I don't think I'm exaggerating by saying that in many European and Latin American countries (and, of course, Japan) almost every kid grown up in the past forty years knows about it.

Captain Tsubasa is an absolute legend in the countries where he regularly airs on TV for decay, and probably one of the most well-known and loved anime ever.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is being developed by Tamsoft to release PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC worldwide in 2020.

The best anime to watch when you're sad

2020-02-28T16:25:00.000+07:00

Are you existentially exhausted? Does this almost never-ending winter saddle you? Has a medical professional told you your anime is dangerously low? If so, don't worry, they're the best anime guaranteed to turn your frown upside-down.

On today's Explainiac, we'll showcase anime to water your crops, clear your head, and cure your depression. Ok, maybe not all these things, but they're the best feel-good anime you can enjoy. If your favorite feel-good anime is not on this list, yes, it's a personal attack, and I'm sorry you've come this way.

A Place Further Than the Universe

If the cold weather gets you down, just watch this fun anime about a group of high school girls to join an Antarctic expedition. This relentlessly upbeat show has its fair share of emotional moments, but the other side will always feel better and packed with a sense of adventure to boot. So make a nice mug of hot chocolate and settle in for the best series most people slept on.

Haikyuu

If you've heard me talk about anime before, you know I'm a sucker for any sport / competition show. There's just something about how anime treats intense sporting moments–complete with lengthy inner monologs as the game progresses in bullet time–that totally kicks ass and puts me in great mood, and that's double for Haikyuu's volleyball play. "But Dan, a volleyball anime sounds stupid," you might say. Yeah, you're wrong. Seeing Shoyo Hinata and his teammates facing crushing defeats, personal rivalries, and unforeseen obstacles is a good, extremely bingeable treat. That's how I feel about Extra Toasty Cheez-Its, minus the healthy part.

K-On!

Have you ever formed a band with your younger friends? Didn't you know how to play your instrument, but didn't stop you anyway? So K-On's in good company!That's Yui's story, a carefree high school student who joins the music club of her school despite having absolutely zero experience. Sometimes the music can take a backseat to the shenanigans of Yui and her friends, but this slice of life story is a great way to change the world for a while, and watch as they strive to make their own songs. If your inner band geek yearns for a more 1:1 comparison, you should watch Music! Then, euphonium.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

If you're having a bad day, just sit on your sofa, put on an episode of Jojo's Insane Adventure — any episode really — and laugh your entire ass as the muscle-bound mayhem unfolds before your very eyes. Whether you're trying to decipher his nonsensical musical references like Robert E.O. Speedwagon, losing your mind about the non-Euclidean geometry behind their signature poses, or cackling gleefully because you're expecting something else, but it's been Dio all along, Jojo's Bizzare Adventure is a guaranteed serotonin shot.

Usagi Drop

How many times has this happened? Have you ever been a 30-year-old man with no direction in life who suddenly discovered that your grandfather had another hidden daughter? You might be Daikichi Kawachi, Drop's star. When nobody in Daikichi's family wants to take care of Rin, the aforementioned hidden daughter, Daikichi takes it upon himself to become Dadkichi. What follows is a truly heart-warming tale of an unlikely family that perfectly captures all the little moments in life in a way that will make you feel warm and fluffy inside.

Yakitate Japan

If Food Wars is too horny for you, then the doctor ordered Yakitate Japan. It's all about an aspiring young baker named Azuma with unnaturally hot hands. Again, it's not sex. It's some weird prophesied thing called "Sun's hands." Since anime. Anyway, Azuma brings "let's get the bread" to another level. He's had a lifelong bread obsession and his vision is to create a unique Japanese bread that can stand up to the world's iconic breads. So, if you love carbs as much as I do, this delightfully stupid culinary comedy is a crust-see.

Barakamon

Sure, guys, calligraphy anime! There's an anime for everything. In this scenario, Seishuu Handa's story follows, an arrogant, narcissistic young calligrapher who loses his temper so badly that his dad sends him to the countryside to cool off and analyze his conduct. This slow-paced story of a young man coming to terms with himself and community simple joys is a breath of fresh air in a medium that can so often be frenetic, fast-paced, and frenzied. The expert heart-humor balance makes this show about the unlikeliest subjects a surefire way to put a smile on your face.

Aria: The Animation

When the moon hits the eye like a pizza pie, it's anime. I'm sorry some Italian watching literally. Aria happens in the far-flung future of the 24th century, when humanity colonized Mars, now known as Aqua. Set in the city of Neo Venezia, Venice's recreation, Aria tells the story of a group of young women employed as gondola tour guides because, as I said, this takes place in Venice's recreation and they're really dedicated to it. Anyway, if I had to describe this series in a phrase, it would be "peaceful." Watching this legally counts as a practice of mindfulness because its calm pace and the soothing way it unfolds is the best way to relax after a stressful day.

Nichijou (My Ordinary Life)

What's missing most slice-of-life anime? If you said "robotic caretakers" and "talking animals," I have good news for you: Nichijou has all those and more. This slapstick comedy series holds the Azumanga Daioh torch with its lighthearted, dumb storytelling that follows a group of people in Tokisadame's daily life. Relentlessly charming and amusing, Nichijou's madcap sensibility will banish the blues to another level.

Silver Spoon

Imagine if someone could turn the sudden zen of farming games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon into an anime. That's what Silver Spoon does. Follow-up show of Fullmetal Alchemist author Hiromu Arakawa is pure bliss. It's the story of a studious city-slicker who wants to enroll in a farm school, anticipating a lighter academic workload. But in the countryside, he gets more than he has bargained for and knows the value of hard work, natural life, coping with uncertainty about one's future. Coming out of water comedy for the fish, but stay for insightful life lessons and this cute pig named Pork-Bowl.

And you've got it, folks: some of the best feel-good anime you can put in your eyeballs so you can cheer up and carpe the diem's ever-loving hell. What's your favorite? What's on your list? Let me know in the remarks below.

Remember — it can't explain everything in life. It's this series for everything else.

One Piece Anime Two Week Hiatus

2020-02-28T15:52:00.000+07:00

After beginning Wano Kuni arc in One Piece anime, it's safe to say the anime's fan base has increased dramatically. This is due to improved direction and animations, which was a pleasure to behold. So, not watching One Piece is hard to do nowadays. I'll discuss in this post One Piece anime going on a two-week hiatus and the reasons behind this surprise break.

Before we start, please note this post may contain official one-piece anime spoilers. If you're not wealthy, I suggest you stop reading the post here. If spoilers don't bother you, we can continue. Mind that we didn't create or leak spoilers.

Why is One Piece Anime on a Two Week Hiatus?

One Piece anime creators didn't want this split deliberately, so you can avoid criticizing the poor team behind the scenes. This two-week break in the anime is due to Japan hosting a sports festival. The sports festival is scheduled to be on television on the same day as One Piece anime, so there will be no space for One Piece anime to air not just this week, but also next week. This is definitely really disturbing news for One Piece anime fans.

This isn't the first time a situation like this happens. Last year, we saw the same thing happening with One Piece anime. Anime like Fire Force and Vinland Saga were forced to take mini-hiatus from TV slots for the same reason. Anime of One Piece was in a good moment when Big Mom hit Wano's shores. In the next season, we'll see how King drives her ship down the waterfall, causing Big Mom to forget her memory for the time being. One Piece 924 release date is March 15, 2020.

One Piece Synopsis: One Piece is an Eiichiro Oda manga from Japan. In 1997, the manga began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump and an anime adaptation began in 1999, two years later. One Piece follows Monkey D Luffy's tale, a boy who wishes to become the Pirates ' King. Luffy inadvertently eats a Devil Fruit, which gives him a rubbery body in exchange for swimming. Ten years later, Luffy set sail for his own crew and discovered the legendary treasure of the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, known as One Piece.

Top 10 Black Anime characters

2020-02-28T15:31:00.000+07:00

Anime and black protagonists have had a sketchy past. We took on stereotypical looks in anime's earliest days and were often either played as characters or more simple criminals. But that doesn't mean all black anime characters were bad — we've seen plenty of really awesome black characters of all kinds over the past four decades.

And they weren't just cameo appearances or performed as jokes. For this list, we're looking at ten of the most famous black anime characters ever, meaning we're looking at series worth many decades, so don't be shocked to see characters from much older series than usual. Let's just look!

10. MICHIKO MALANDRO - MICHIKO & HATCHIN

Michiko acts as one-half of the Michiko & Hatchin series ' main characters, serving as the fiery adult to her reserved child partner. She's an Afro-Latina with a design based on R&B singer Aaliyah. In pursuit of her one true love, Hiroshi Morenos, she breaks out of a seemingly impossible jail to escape.

Of course, the show is about more than that, and so far Michiko gets credit for being the only black female protagonist. Clever, stunning, she deals with everything from police to bounty hunters with ease.

9. BOB MAKIHARA - TENJOU TENGE

A South African student, Bob comes to Toudou Academy with his school friend Souichiro Nagi. The two immediately think they'll have no trouble winning Toudou, only to get both humiliated by people who aren't even the school's best.

Earlier, however, people recognize Bob for his tremendous strength and ability to tap into a fight's rhythm with his capoeira skills. Although the anime eventually leaves him somewhat behind, the manga gives him his due, establishing him as one of the series ' strongest characters.

8. CLAUDIA LASALLE - MACROSS

Young fans won't remember Claudia LaSalle. After all, her show is from the' 80s, and thanks to Robotech we have never seen the pure Macross approved in the States.

Claudia LaSalle is a key character running the Macross series bridge. Although she's not a main character in the show, she's a big part of what makes things run smoothly on the ship while everyone else is panickingbecause... well, because they're at war with a group of alien giants who don't understand what culture is.

7. KILLER B - NARUTO: SHIPPUDEN

Who dislikes Killer Bee? A Kumogakure leader, Killer B is amazing because not only is he the person in whom the Eight-Tails reside inside, but he managed to friend his Tailed Beast. Therefore, the level of control he shows over his abilities is second only to Naruto... maybe.

He's one of the ninja world's most impressive shinobi, because literally all about him is unique— his wrestling combat style, link with his tailed beast, and particularly his swordsmanship. He still has time to think dope rhymes despite being one of his village's best ninjas.

6. MARIK ISHTAR - YU-GI-OH: DUEL MONSTERS

There's space for a villain, of course. If people thought Pegasus was frightening, they'd never seen anything. He was still playing kid sports, locking relatives in Viewmasters and Betamax tapes. Marik attempted genuinely to kill Yugi, intent on taking out his cruel Pharoah upbringing.

He came to beat Yugi legally without cheating with his crazy Infinite Card Ra scheme, and he was responsible for almost killing Joey twice. First, by brainwashing him, second, by making him contend with Ra's power in a Shadow Duel.

5. CAROLE STANLEY - CAROLE & TUESDAY

One of Carole & Tuesday's main characters, Carole Stanley is a young orphaned girl in Alba City on Mars. She spends much of her time working a variety of jobs that never seem to go well until she meets Tuesday because she refuses to take any shit from her clients or bosses, she's a hero before she even starts working with her musical partner.

Despite living in a dump, Carole never gives up on her dreams. She's constantly working on music and playing before crowds in her spare time.

4. NILS NIELSEN - GUNDAM BUILD FIGHTERS/FIGHTERS TRY

Nils feels like Gundam Build Fighters ' cheat code. His mom and dad are popular, and he managed to exceed them both somehow, gaining three Ph.D.'s. He's just 13 when the series shows off. Using his Sengoku Astray Gundam, he pushes Sei and Reiji to their limits, and they showed him Gunpla's joy when he lost.

But, as he appears again in Gundam Construct Fighters Seek, we're not shown what he can do anymore. His understanding of Plavsky Particles is so strong that he considers it an unfair advantage to compete.

3. CANARY - HUNTER X HUNTER

Hunterx Hunter rarely saw Canary, but she still deserves our respect. She's going to be an apprentice butler to the Zoldycks, a family of the world's deadliest assassins. But, despite being an apprentice, there's no problem putting Gon down.

Admittedly, Gon wasn't really the man to conquer the odds like most shonen protagonists, but he was still good enough to win Hunter's license... and Canary was sure enough not to care. But she also has a tender spirit, and Killua's loyalty trumps her loyalty to the Zoldyck family.

2. YORUICHI - BLEACH

Anyone who doesn't like Yoruichi? A member of the Soul Society's Four Noble Families, she became the first woman to become her clan's chief, becoming one of the Gotei 13's most powerful captains. Despite being a century out of work, Yoruichi can still keep up with many of the modern-day heavy hitters.

She's also so good at Flash Move she's being known as the Flash Queen, and as such we've seen her wipe out entire squadrons in seconds. After a century, even her lieutenant couldn't keep up with her power.

1. AFRO SAMURAI

C'mon, he was on this list right? Afro Samurai is a cold manga written by Takashi Okazaki. After all, having Number 2 headband means you're the world's second best swordsman, capable of challenging Number 1. But only if you can withstand any other warrior constantly challenging you for your spot.

Grabbing actor Sam Jackson for the lead role, Afro Samurai brings us a show that is as much in love with hip-hop culture as it is with sleek battle scenes, giving us one of the best anime swordsmen.

Demon Slayer Named Most Satisfying Anime for COMPLEX CONTENDERS 2019

2020-02-28T15:16:00.001+07:00

Kadokawa Game Linkage via Crunchyroll asked thousands of anime fans across Japan to share their favorites with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has been called the most satisfying anime of 2019.

The anime show, based on Koyoharu Gotoge's dark fantasy manga, was given top spot in the survey domestically and internationally with 49 percent of respondents rating the series "highly satisfied." In 2019, the series rose to superstardom, boasting impressive animation and a solid premise. Following the story of a kind-hearted protagonist, Demon Slayer focuses on a boy named Tanjiro who is pushed (appropriately enough) into a quest to save his sister.

Standing alongside Demon Slayer, Attack On Titan entered his third season. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind came third with the highly successful show resonating with viewers.

2019 had a strong year of anime debuts and continuations, making Demon Slayer's recognition more significant. The performance reverberates through the TV screen, but also the initial pages. Demon Slayer's manga outsold the famous One Piece.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba marks a structure and sound return to classic anime. With its contemporaries becoming more nuanced and complicated, Demon Slayer enjoys being easy and clean. Tanjiro has a sense of goodness and innocence that makes him convincing, while the complexity of the story and high stakes make the show feel fresh and exciting.

Demon Slayer fans won't have to wait too long to see more series. Tanjiro returns for a feature film in 2020.

Live-Action Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles With All-New Cast.

2020-02-28T14:49:00.001+07:00

Hiyori Sakurada stars showing Koizumi in March 27; Akari Hayami returns in different roles

Fuji TV announced on Friday that it is producing a second season for Naru Narumi's live-action television series Ms. Koizumi loves ramen noodles (Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san) manga titled Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san Nidaime (Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles: Second Generation), which will debut on March 27. The new season will have an all-new cast, with Koizumi protagonist Hiyori Sakurada (Saki Achiga-hen live-action show Shizuno Takakamo, seen below). Akari Hayami, who played Koizumi in the previous season, will be the star in the show, but in a different role.

Dark Horse Comics has licensed the manga and describes the story:

In this fun food manga, let sweet, mysterious high school student Ms. Koizumi and her girlfriends show you the authentic ramen culture of everyday Japan. Noodles, toppings, broth— stalls on the street, restaurants, and home cooking... and yes, cup ramen too! You'll slurp a whole new knowledge of Japan's greatest fast food that many Japanese don't know... but Ms. Koizumi doesn't!

In 2013, Narumi released manga in Takeshobo's Manga Life Storia website, and last September, Takeshobo published the eighth compiled book series. Dark Horse Comics released last September's first volume.

Previous live-action television series debuted in 2015, followed by a New Year's Special in January 2016, a New Year's Eve Special in December 2016, and last April's special. The manga inspired a January 2018 television anime. Crunchyroll broadcast the show in Japan.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto Game Trailer Momoshiki, Kinshiki

2020-02-27T17:54:00.000+07:00

Bandai Namco Entertainment America started streaming a trailer for the Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto game Wednesday. Trailer introduces Momoshiki and Kinshiki playable characters.

The game will ship on April 24. The Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 title released in February 2016 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in North America and Japan. Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto, an expansion for the game, was released in February 2017. The expansion will arrive in Japan on April 23.

The Switch version includes the update of the "Next Generations" DLC pack, featuring Kinshiki al-Sutsuki and Momoshiki al-Sutsuki as playable characters, and adding 11 Boruto-era costumes. The update will also be available for other game versions on the same day as the game release Switch.

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy, which includes the first three games in the game series Ultimate Ninja Storm, launched on PS4 in Japan in July 2017. Bandai Namco Entertainment released the PS4, Xbox One, and PC digitally outside Japan through Steam in August 2017. Nintendo Switch released the game collection in April 2018.

Bandai Namco Entertainment has launched the game Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Legacy, which includes Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy and Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto— for PS4, Xbox One, and PC West in August 2017.

One Piece Treasure Cruise Journeys to Land of Wano

2020-02-27T07:44:00.000+07:00

Wano's land awaits you ... On mobile phone, at least.

Starting today to celebrate One Piece Treasure Cruise's fifth anniversary, Bandai Namco will let free-to-play mobile game players sail to Wano Country. The special in-game campaign, which runs until March 17, is inspired by the same-name arc currently in the One Piece anime series.

Wano Country, once known as Gold Country, is an independent land ruled by the tyrannical shogun, Kurozumi Orochi, along with the mighty, Kaido and his Beast Pirates. Luffy and his pirate crew from Straw Hat travel to the samurai-themed island where the Beast Pirates — along with Luffy's older adversaries, the Big Mom Pirates — have designs of world domination.

Players will be able to access Land of Wano-themed Recruitment Banners based on Kaido and his animal crew, including Dragon-form Kaido as an Exclusive Sugo-Fest, as well as a new Treasure Map event from March 4 and new Co-op and Beginner-friendly Missions. Completing these events and missions will enable players to recruit fan-favorite characters such as Zoro and Trafalgar Law as well as the Beast Pirate's own Headliner, Basil "Magician" Hawkins.

A quest for a new version of the former Straw Hats— and highly beloved— ship, the Going Merry will also start on March 2, as well as a Reward Quest offering up to 500 Rainbow Gems on successful completion alongside the daily Login Bonuses.

Based on the ever-popular manga series of Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece anime series is currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and VRV. The App Store and Google Play can download One Piece Treasure Island.