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Oshi no Ko's Ruby, Aqua Grace Cover of SPUR Fashion Magazine
Characters wear Tiffany, Dior jewelry on cover
― Ruby and Aqua from Oshi no Ko may still be a budding idol and actor respectively in the currently airing anime, but they're already gracing the covers of fashion magazines in Japan. The August issue of the women's fashion magazine SPUR will feature the twins on the cover, wearing high-end jewelry. True to their names, Aqua is wearing a Tiffany aquamari...
You Too Can Drink Titan Spinal Fluid in New G FUEL Energy Drink's Attack on Titan Collaboration
Apparently titan spine juices taste like green tea
― Attack on Titan fans: ever wanted to know what a titan's spinal fluid tastes like? Well now you can find out since energy drink company G FUEL will launch a "G FUEL Spinal Fluid" drink in collaboration with the Attack on Titan franchise. The green tea-flavored energy drink will be available for pre-order on June 26. G FUEL describes the drink: When...
Voice Actor Claims Crunchyroll Blocked Auditions to Reprise Tower of God Role in Video Game
Laura Post spoke out about perceived contract inequalities and wrote that Crunchyroll told the videogame developer they could not legally use the cast in the game in any capacity.
― Voice actor Laura Post spoke out about perceived inequalities in Crunchyroll's contracts for voice work. In a Twitter thread posted on June 2, Post wrote that a new Tower of God mobile game will not feature reprisals fro...
BPO Watchdog Group Publishes Complaint About Toxic Subset of Oshi no Ko Fandom
Viewer commented that the relatives of Hana Kimura received harassment after expressing their discomfort with the series
― Warning: This article describes suicide and cyberbullying. If you or anyone you know is suicidal or having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to a suicide prevention organization in your country. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-80...
Mysterious Doorways to Nowhere Appear in Suzume's Real-Life Locales
Tourism continues strong in Iwate Prefecture's Miyako, Yamada towns after doorways were erected in February
― Suzume is a film that seems tailor-made for anime pilgrimage lovers. The action is sprawled all the way across Japan, from the Miyazaki Prefecture on the Kyushu island to the Iwate Prefecture in the Tо̄hoku region. Some of the locations depicted in the film are notably very remote, but fans h...
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Anime Promotes Real-Life Bear Park
Okuhida Bear's Park keeps over 100 non-hibernating bears
― In what has to be the most unsurprising collaboration ever, the Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear Punch! anime announced a promotional campaign with Okuhida Bear's Park, a zoo which keeps over 100 non-hibernating black and brown bears for tourists to feed and take photos with. From June 16 to July 31, visitors can receive a paper mat, guiding them to vario...
Voice Actress Tomoyo Kurosawa Announces Marriage
Sound! Euphonium, Land of the Lustrous voice actress vows to continue working hard
― Voice actress Tomoyo Kurosawa announced through her agency and Twitter account on Thursday that she has gotten married. She wrote in a handwritten message: "Today, I would like to announce that I, Tomoyo Kurosawa, have married the person I love. I will continue to expend all my efforts, never forgetting my feelings o...
angela Certified by Guinness World Records For Most Songs in Animated Franchise by Same Artist
angela has performed 31 theme songs for the Fafner franchise since 2004
― The staff of the Sōkyū no Fafner Behind the Line spinoff anime announced at a screening event on Sunday that the duo angela has been certified by the Guinness World Records for "Most songs sung by the same artist for an animation franchise." angela has performed 31 theme songs for the franchise (including opening, ending, and i...
Oshi no Ko Anime's Opening Theme Song 'Idol' by YOASOBI Tops Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Chart
"Idol" is the first song originally performed in Japanese to top the chart
― Oshi no Ko and YOASOBI achieved a tremendous milestone for Japan this week. The English version of YOASOBI's "Idol," the opening theme song for the Oshi no Ko anime, ranked number one on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey (dated June 10). "Idol" is the first song originally performed in Japanese to reach the top of the Globa...
Sony Music Entertainment's VTuber PRISM Project Announces 6th Generation Talent
Jun Akane, Yuki Kitashiro debut on June 9 as agency's 1st male-presenting talent
― Sony Music Entertainment's English-speaking Virtual YouTuber PRISM Project announced on Sunday that it will debut two new talents—Jun Akane and Yuki Kitashiro—on June 9 starting from 7:00 p.m. PST (10:00 p.m. EDT). They are the first male-presenting talent to debut with the agency. Further information about the debutin...
Hayao Miyazaki's How Do You Live? Film Will Get No Trailers Before Release
Producer Toshio Suzuki explain why July 14 film has not revealed plot summary, voice cast
― If you've been wondering why you've heard hardly anything about Hayao Miyazaki's latest feature film, How Do You Live?, despite the fact that it is opening in Japan next month, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki revealed the answer in a video interview with Bungeishunjū magazine last Friday. Suzuki remarked ...
Mighty Jaxx Unveils New Figurine Set of One Piece's Ladies
Collect Nami, Nico Robin, O-Tama, Toko, Kozuki Hiyori, Carrot (Normal Form), and Carrot (Sulong Form) in half-dissected form
― In anticipation of the upcoming One Piece live-action TV series on Netflix, pop culture collectibles company Mighty Jaxx launched the "Freeny's Hidden Dissectibles: One Piece Ladies Series" set on Wednesday showcasing the franchise's prominent female characters in figurine fo...
Man Steals 2.2 Million Yen in Pokémon Cards
One card was reportedly worth up to 180,000 yen (US$1,288)
― NHK reported on Tuesday that a 25-year-old company worker was arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of stealing 2.2 million yen (about US$15,738) worth of Pokémon trading cards from a store in Yamanashi Prefecture's Fujiyoshida City. One card was reportedly worth up to 180,000 yen (US$1,288). The police reported that the suspect, Yūki Murakami fro...
Sailor Starlights Become Fashion Models on anan's Latest Cover
June 7 anan issue will feature interviews with voice actresses Kotono Mitsuishi, Marina Inoue, Saori Hayami, Ayane Sakura
― The Three Lights/Sailor Starlights, who are getting a major role in the upcoming Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos the Movie film project, have kickstarted a career as fashion models. The fashion magazine anan shows the three handsome ladies on the cover on its upcoming 2,351st...
Ribon, Shо̄nen Jump, Saikyō Jump Launch Manga Prize for Elementary School Kids Only
Judges include The Promised Neverland, Reborn creators
― Three of Shueisha's leading manga publications—Ribon, Weekly Shonen Jump/Shonen Jump+, and Saikyō Jump—are teaming up for a manga competition aimed specifically at elementary school children. Submissions for the "Ribon x Jump Elementary School Student Manga Prize" opened on Friday. The deadline is March 31, 2024. All applicants must be 12 years...
Over 130 Volumes of Hiro Mashima Manga Available Digitally From Humble Bundle
Complete sets of Fairy Tail, Edens Zero, Rave Master more available for just US$30
― Over 130 volumes of Hiro Mashima's manga—valued at over US$1400—launched on Humble Bundle on Thursday for just $30. The set includes Fairy Tail, Edens Zero, Rave Master, and various spin-off manga and miscellaneous works. The bundle tiers are as follows: $5 tier: Fairy Tail, Vols. 1-10
Edens Zero, Vols. 1-2
Rave Mast...
Brave group's 1st English-Speaking VTuber Group Debuts on June 10
Princess-Songstress Serina Maiko, Magician-Comedian Abi Kadabura debut with V4Mirai group
― The IT service company Brave group, best known for running the popular Virtual YouTuber groups Vspo! and Palette Project, announced on Friday that it will debut its first English-speaking VTuber group, V4Mirai, on June 10 at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST). The group consists of two talents for now: Princess-Songstres...
Transformers Toys Contribute to JAXA's Space Program
JAXA, Takara Tomy team up to develop small-scale transforming robot for precision landing on the moon
― How's this for a cutting-edge toy idea? Takara Tomy is partnering with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other organizations to develop a miniscule transforming robot inspired by the Transformers series. This robot, called SORA-Q, will be equipped to JAXA's Smart Lander for Investig...
Dolphin Emulator's Steam Release Indefinitely Postponed After Nintendo's DMCA Notice
Nintendo sent notice to Valve citing emulator's violation of DMCA's Anti-Circumvention and AntiTrafficking provisions
― The Wii and GameCube emulator Dolphin revealed on its website's blog on Saturday that its Steam release is indefinitely postponed. The team stated that Valve notified them that "Nintendo has issued a cease and desist citing the DMCA against Dolphin's Steam page." The team added that...
Korean Webtoon Accused of Using AI Images, Tracing Mushoku Tensei Anime
Blue Line Studios claimed images were not AI-generated, although they did use AI to apply finishing touches
― Blue Line Studios' manhwa adaptation of Salamsallyeo's Singwahamkke Dol-aon Gisawangnim (The Knight King Who Returned with a God) Korean web novel became the center of controversy when it debuted on the Naver Webtoon platform on Monday. Readers were quick to point out that the art looked AI-g...
Bay Area Rapid Transit Unveils Anime Mascots for FanimeCon Weekend
Meet Baylee, Nimbus, Jasmine, Mira, and Barty
― The San Francisco bay area's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system unveiled five anime mascots, debuting at Northern California's FanimeCon convention this weekend. BART staff will physically attend the event to unveil the new mascots and distribute merchandise, promotional tickets, collectible postcards, and other miscellany. BART is also previewing pos...
BUNBUN, Mai Yoneyama, Taiki, More Artists Featured at LA's Gallery Nucleus
SSS by applibot illustrator group's exhibit runs from May 27 to June 4
― The illustrator group SSS by applibot will hold a free exhibit at the Alhambra-based art gallery/boutique Gallery Nucleus from May 27 to June 4. The group consists of the popular artists Bunbun/abec (Sword Art Online, Yuki Yuna is a Hero), Mai Yoneyama (Kiznaiver), Taiki (Chain Chronicle, World of Final Fantasy), Sevnzel (Pokémo...
Japan's Self-Defense Force Band Performs Uma Musume Songs at Tokyo Racecourse
JMSDF Band performs "Glorious Moment!", "GIRLS' LEGEND U" for Japanese Oaks race last Sunday
― What do horseracing, anime, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force have in common? Last Sunday, the JMSDF Band performed two Uma Musume Pretty Derby theme songs at the Tokyo Racecourse. This was for the Yushun Himba race, also known as the Japanese Oaks. The Nerima Horseracing YouTube channel captured th...
Fate/Grand Order Arcade Game No Longer Adding New Servants
Game will still continue updates for game balance, new limited-time events
― The official website for Type-Moon's Fate/Grand Order Arcade game revealed on Wednesday that it will no longer be adding new playable Servant characters. The game will still continue updates for game balance and new limited-time events. In addition, the game will distribute a summon token every month and regularly adjust the...
MyAnimeList, Honeyfeed Announce 3rd Web Novel Contest
Entries accepted from June 1 to August 31
― Anime database website MyAnimeList and web novel platform Honeyfeed announced the details of their third web novel contest on Tuesday. In addition to US$3,000 cash prizes for the top three submissions, the stories will be sent to manga publisher Kodansha to review for possible publication and/or manga adaptation. The prompt is "Wholesome Romance novel from ...
Voice Actresses Chinatsu Akasaki, Naomi Ōzora Announce Pregnancies
Naomi Ōzora also announces her marriage
― Two prominent voice actresses announced some big life moves this past week. First, on Tuesday, Chinatsu Akasaki announced that she is pregnant with her second child. She expects to give birth around fall. Akasaki added that she wants to take things at a moderate pace so that she can give birth to a healthy baby. She will continue to work while taking her body...
LiSA Enters the Spider-Verse for Japan-Exclusive Theme Song, Jacket Art
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film opens in the United States on June 2; Japan on June 16
― The beloved anisong artist LiSA will be contributing her powerful vocals to the upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film—at least for its Japanese version. LiSA will perform the theme song "REALiZE" for the Japanese dub, and to mark the occasion, the singer is receiving unique jacket art depicti...
Somari and the Guardian of the Forest's Creator Still Struggling Financially, Has Regrets Over Anime Adaptation
Manga ended in 2020 due to Yako Gureishi's worsening health
― Manga creator Yako Gureishi tweeted last Tuesday about their Somari and the Guardian of the Forest manga status and their personal life. The most notable takeaway is that they are currently asking fans for financial support in order to help cover the cost of their rent and utility bills. Gureishi asked for contributions to their pixiv Fanb...
Agency for Cultural Affairs Website Accidentally Lists Manga Pirate Site URLs For 6+ Months
Government website hastily took down list on May 16 after social media exposure
― Last Tuesday, social media exposed a rather embarrassing mistake by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The Sankei News reported that the agency's website, which has long been dedicated to cracking down on piracy, had accidentally made public the URLs of the top 10 most accessed manga pirate websites ...
Hi Score Girl Manga Creator Rensuke Oshikiri Recalls Editor's Meeting That Went Horribly Wrong
Editor thought Oshikiri was The Flowers of Evil manga creator Shūzō Oshimi
― It's hard to imagine two manga artists with more wildly contrasting styles than Rensuke Oshikiri (Hi Score Girl) and Shūzō Oshimi (The Flowers of Evil). However, perhaps because their surnames sound slightly similar, there was a time when a manga editor mistook one for the other. Oshikiri decided to share this anecdote in al...
Deceased Pro Wrestler Hana Kimura's Mother Criticizes Oshi no Ko Episode 6
"I can't overlook the fact that Hana's death is being used like free source material.”
― Warning: This article describes suicide and cyberbullying. If you or anyone you know is suicidal or having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to a suicide prevention organization in your country. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255. In Japan, the TELL Lif...
Top-Tier Voice Actors Star in LINE GAME 10th Anniversary Anime Short
Akari Kitō, Yūsuke Kobayashi, Aoi Yūki, Hiro Shimono, Takuya Eguchi, Noriko Hidaka join cast
― The LINE GAME brand began streaming the long version of its 10th anniversary anime short on Friday. The story is cute, depicting the friendship between a group of high school friends over the course of 10 years. The LINE GAME service is their common interest, and it even plays a part in helping a boy and gi...
Chiyomaru Shares Story of Scrapped Japanese Live-Action Steins;Gate Adaptation
Chiyomaru objected to casting Johnny & Associates talent as Okabe
― Back in 2020, the Science ADV franchise announced that Steins;Gate would getting a live-action television adaptation in Hollywood. Long before that, however, there were plans for a live-action adaptation in Japan. This project was never announced, but MAGES. executive producer Chiyomaru Shikura revealed on Twitter last Thursday the c...
Gridman Universe Director Akira Amemiya Draws Ultraman Final Illustration
Final Ultraman CG anime season premiered worldwide on Netflix last Thursday
― Tokusatsu fans unite! The Ultraman Final 3D CG anime debuted worldwide on Netflix last Thursday, and to commemorate the occasion, Gridman Universe director Akira Amemiya and animation studio Trigger produced a stylish illustration. The Ultraman series' official international website translates Amemiya's comment as follows: ...
Exclusive: pixiv Announces 4th Annual Drawfest Event for June 10, June 17
KawaiiSensei, OMOCAT, Ogipote, other popular illustrators to hold lectures
― Attention to all artists: pixiv announced on Thursday that it will host its fourth annual Drawfest event on June 10 and June 17 (JST). The online drawing festival hosts live streaming workshops and lectures in Japanese and English; this year will feature Chinese and Korean language support for the first time. The event will ...
MAPPA CEO Reflects on Financial Performance of Chainsaw Man
Manabu Otsuka says the anime returned its entire investment, although he wishes for better BD/DVD sales
― One of the most notable aspects of the Chainsaw Man anime was that the production studio MAPPA invested the entirety of the production costs. This is a rarity among anime productions, as most titles are funded by a collection of companies known as the production committee. So how well did Chainsa...
Keiichi Arawi Shares Why He Resumed Nichijō Manga After 6 Years
Manga originally ended in 2015 with 10 volumes; resumed in October 2021
― The beloved 4-panel comedy manga Nichijō first ended in 2015 with 10 volumes. But in October 2021, manga creator Keiichi Arawi resumed the series after nonchalantly announcing on Twitter that he wanted to draw it again. Last Monday, German manga news website Manga Passion published an interview with Arawi that goes into more de...
Crunchyroll, Duolingo Team Up For Anime-Inspired Japanese Language Learning
Japanese language course adds nearly 50 phrases from popular anime
― If you're an anime fan learning Japanese, then you may be interested in Crunchyroll and Duolingo's new tie-in promotional campaign. The anime streaming service partnered with the language learning platform on Tuesday to add nearly 50 phrases inspired by popular anime to its Japanese language course. In addition, premium Crunchyroll ...
Shonen Jump+ Editors Co-Develop AI Tool For Manga Writing
Comic CoPilot tool suggests titles, names, shortened dialogue, etc.
― AI art may be a contentious subject these days, with Japanese content websites DLsite, Ci-en, pixiv FANBOX, and Fantia all banning or restricting its use on their platforms just last week, but there are still many other avenues for AI tools in creative work that don't involve a machine generating the entire product for you. Shueish...
Vinland Saga Creator Recommends My Girlfriend's Child Manga
Series won Best Shōjo Manga award at Kodansha's 47th annual Manga Awards last week
― Vinland Saga manga creator Makoto Yukimura is a voracious manga reader, having recently commented on Twitter that he reads as many as a thousand manga volumes per year. He frequently recommends manga he founds interesting (such as Tis Time for "Torture," Princess), and he has praised Attack on Titan. One of his newes...
HoloCure Fan Game Announces Future Steam Release
Popular "bullet heaven" hololive fan game will launch on Steam with release of update 0.6
― The popular hololive fan game HoloCure announced last Friday that it will be available on Steam with the release of update 0.6. The team stated that it has been in discussion with hololive parent company Cover Corporation, and has received permission to publish the game on Steam as an unaffiliated and non-comm...
Arts Workers Japan Survey: 94% of Japanese Creators Concerned About AI
Creators cited negative experiences with AI, such as stolen AI art distributed on foreign websites
― TBS News Dig reported on Monday that around 94% of Japanese creators were "concerned that AI could have harmful effects such as rights infringement," according to an Arts Workers Japan survey of around 25,000 creators. The survey also listed reports by creators citing negative experiences with AI, suc...
Cinnamoroll on Track to Topping Sanrio Character Ranking For 4th Consecutive Year
Badtz-maru sneaks into top 10 for 1st time in 12 years
― Sanrio released the interim results of its annual character popularity poll last Thursday, and the numbers show that Cinnamoroll is the favorite to win yet again. The adorable dog mascot character topped the poll for the past three consecutive years. The top 10 mascots (so far) are as follows: Cinnamoroll
Pom Pom Purin
Pochacco
Kuromi
Hello Kit...
Japanese hololive Members Also Join hololive English's 1st Concert
Tokino Sora, Hoshimachi Suisei, Houshou Marine join July 2 event
― Straight on the heels of hololive Indonesia's addition to hololive English's first concert, hololive production announced last Thursday that three Japanese members of the agency will also make guest appearances during the event: Tokino Sora, Hoshimachi Suisei, and Houshou Marine. The three Japanese talents have over one million subscr...
Kinema Citrus Art Challenge at Anime Central Offers Chance to Animate for Cardfight!! Vanguard will+Dress Anime
Character designer Tomokatsu Nagasaku to hold lecture, introduce challenge at May 20 panel
― The Anime Central (ACen) event is offering a unique opportunity for artists to not only learn about the craft of animation but even potentially contribute to an actual TV anime production. The "Ins and Outs of Character Animation" panel by Kinema Citrus on May 20 will feature a lecture by character designer a...
Crunchyroll Streams Bastions Korean Animated Superhero Show With BTS Songs
BTS, other K-pop groups provide music
― Here's a show for all the K-pop stans out there! Crunchyroll began streaming the Bastions Korean 3D animated superhero series on Saturday. The series is streaming worldwide, excluding China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, and South Korea. Notably, the series features music by the popular Korean boy group BTS, as well as the girl group Le Sserafim and si...
UPDATED: Gundam Franchise Grosses Record High 131 Billion Yen in 2023 Fiscal Year
Gundam: The Witch From Mercury cited for acquiring new fans among young people, women
― Here's the proof you need that Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury was a good idea for revitalizing the Gundam franchise. Bandai Namco Holdings announced its 2023 Fiscal Year (FY) sales results on Wednesday, revealing record-breaking revenue for the Gundam IP. Group-wide sales amounted to 131.3 billion yen ...
Los Angeles Chargers NFL Team Releases Yet Another Anime Schedule
Here's a comprehensive guide to another edition of anime and NFL memes
― The Los Angeles Chargers has done it again. The popular NFL team posted its upcoming schedule as an anime video; just like last year's schedule, it is chock-full of anime references and NFL in-jokes. The highlights this time include Chainsaw Man, Hunter x Hunter, Kaiji, and My Hero Academia. should we REALLY make our schedule re...
Lasengle President Yoshinori Ono Gifts Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Copies to Employees
The Fate/Grand Order devs are enjoying the new Zelda game as we speak
― Best known for his long tenure as a CAPCOM producer, where he worked on the Street Fighter games up to Street Fighter V, Yoshinori Ono is currently the president of Lasengle. The game development company sprang off from Delight Works, and it works on the mobile game megahit Fate/Grand Order. Judging by Ono's recent tweets, the te...
Trigun Fan's Book Recommendation Tweet Escalates Fast
Even Trigun Stampede's producer bought This Is How You Lose the Time War after bigolas dickolas woIfwood's tweet went viral
― A humble Trigun fan's book recommendation spread much further than anyone was expecting. Last Sunday, an account by the name of "bigolas dickolas woIfwood" tweeted an effusive recommendation of Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone's This is How You Lose the Time War sci-fi novel. ...
Persona 5 Royal LED Lamps Will Light Up Your Fandom
Nine designs available for US$35 each
― The anime LED lamp brand Otaku Lamps launched a Persona 5 Royal tie-in line on Tuesday. Each lamp costs US$35, and comes with 16 changeable colors, a variety of settings and modes, a remote control, and thematic packaging. The lamp designs are as follows: Joker
Ryuji (Skull)
Ann (Panther)
Morgana (Mona)
Yusuke (Fox)
Makoto (Queen)
Futaba (Oracle)
Haru (Noir)
Ph...
Artist Apologizes, Deletes Chibi Maruko-chan Dōjinshi of Maruko as Drug Addict
Gachi Muchi Pants claimed he received warning from rights holder
― A Chibi Maruko-chan dōjinshi (fan-made) manga featuring the controversial subject of drug abuse has caused quite a stir on social media—enough for the dōjinshi creator to delete it altogether. YouTube video maker and manga artist Gachi Muchi Pants tweeted on Monday that he has deleted several tweets featuring his fan creative work aft...
Former NIJISANJI EN VTuber Zaion LanZa's Testimony Goes Public
VTuber's contract was terminated in March
― A virtual YouTuber named Sayu Okami posted a TwitLonger on Saturday detailing the testimony of the former NIJISANJI EN VTuber Zaion LanZa, whose contract was terminated on March 10. The post individually lists the context behind the offences listed in the official termination notice, including: Using a copyrighted song in her stream without prior authorizat...
History of BL Manga Exhibition Opens on May 20
Exhibit explores genre's origins at June magazine, yaoi doujinshi, '90s magazines
― You can be assured that boys' love (BL) manga culture is steadily becoming more mainstream when it gets a major exhibit tracing its history and influence. The "BL Evolution: From Pioneers to Global Phenomenon ―Tracing the 50 Year History and Impact of Boys' Love through Manga, Literature, and Media" exhibit will open ...
Mushoku Tensei Joins The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross Game
Rudeus, Eris, Roxy, Ghislaine join the roster
― It's always fun to see an "isekai" anime cross over with a different high fantasy series that doesn't necessarily share the world-hopping theme. A Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation crossover event launched on Netmarble's The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross smartphone role-playing game on Tuesday; most of the content will remain live until the game's ...
NFL Star Jamaal Williams Hosts Naruto Charity Auction With Voice Actor Maile Flanagan
Funko Pops, action figures, manga box sets, headbands, custom sneakers up for sale in May 9 auction
― NFL star Jamaal Williams, noted Naruto fan, will hold a charity auction for Naruto merchandise alongside Naruto Uzumaki English dub voice actor on Maile Flanagan. The auction will take place through on May 9 at 8 p.m. EST on the Whatnot livestream shopping platform. The items up for auction will incl...
Veteran Producer Masao Maruyama Warns of Anime's Creative Decline
"The only reason China hasn't quite caught up with Japan yet is because of a bunch of restrictions imposed on free expression there."
― Veteran anime producer Masao Maruyama had some pessimistic comments about the anime industry in an interview with AFP last week. The 81-year-old warned that Japan's animation will lose out to China because of commercialism stifling creativity. "In Japan, people are n...
hololive Indonesia VTubers Join hololive English's 1st Concert
Ayunda Risu, Moona Hoshinova, Pavolia Reine join July 2 event
― Three prominent hololive Indonesia Virtual YouTubers are slated to perform at hololive English's first concert: “hololive English 1st Concert -Connect the World-.” Ayunda Risu, Moona Hoshinova, and Pavolia Reine will join Virtual YouTubers Mori Calliope, Takanashi Kiara, Ninomae Ina'nis, Gawr Gura, Watson Amelia, IryS, Ceres Fauna, Ouro ...
Oshi no Ko Anime Posts Behind-the-Scenes Documentary
Staff explain why the first episode is 90 minutes long
― The Oshi no Ko anime's official YouTube channel posted the first episode of its behind-the-scenes documentary on Wednesday. The first episode covers the pre-production, script (referred to as "scenario" in the video), character design, and concept art for the series. The documentary is available with English subtitles. If you were curious why t...
Unaired Pokémon: Black and White Anime Episode Scripts Go Public
Episodes introducing Team Plasma were indefinitely postponed after 2011 earthquake
― After 12 years, Pokémon anime fans are now finally receiving closure on one of the series' most infamous loose ends. The unaired 23rd and 24th episodes of Pokémon: Black and White anime were supposed to kick off a new plotline introducing Team Plasma, but after the events of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, th...
Witch Hat Atelier Manga Creator Shows Off Her The Owl House Fandom
Kamome Shirahama draws fan art, has heartwarming interaction with The Owl House creator Dana Terrace
― Ever wanted to see The Owl House characters drawn in manga style? Witch Hat Atelier manga creator Kamome Shirahama showed off her appreciation for the series by posting a fan art in her signature gorgeous and delicate art style last Sunday. #毎日 カモメモ #TheOwlHouse pic.twitter.com/RNHA2wmssC— 🏳️🌈白浜 鴎 🇺🇦と...
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Game Trailer Highlights 'Narutop 99' Character Poll Winners
Minato, Itachi, Sakura, more highlighted in game launching this year
― Bandai Namco Entertainment began streaming a trailer on Friday for the Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections game. This one does not reveal any new characters, but rather a slew of familiar and beloved faces: the top 20-ranked characters in the "Narutop 99" worldwide character popularity poll all got the chance to show ...
AKB48 Idol Group Ends Its Team, Captain Systems
Team 8 held last concert on Saturday; teams A, K, B, 4 to hold farewell concerts on August 4-6
― The AKB48 idol group has long been iconic for its team system. This has allowed an extremely large group to split off into various sub-units, each with their own specialties. By shuffling members around and announcing new teams at concerts, the group could give their fans surprise experiences. Each team i...
GREE Subsidiary Agency Launches 1st VTuber Auditions
Specialite agency is looking for female-presenting characters who are skilled at video games
― REALITY Studios, a subsidiary of the Japanese Internet media company GREE, launched auditions for its new Virtual YouTuber agency Specialite on Monday. The auditions are open in both Japan and globally. The agency is looking for female-presenting characters who are "skilled at computer/video games regardles...
Super Mario Bros. Movie Camrip Gets Over 9 Million Views Through Unauthorized Twitter Upload
Twitter Blue subscriber uploaded film across 2 parts, was accessible for at least 7 hours
― A full-length camrip of The Super Mario Bros. Movie received over nine million views on Twitter before finally being taken offline, Forbes reported last Sunday. (Note that this number does not represent the total number of users who watched the film in its entirety; Twitter defines a video view as "watched in ...
ANN Readers: Your Favorite Demon Slayer Kizuki
Which Demon Slayer baddie won our readers' hearts?
― The Mugen Train film evidently made the biggest splash on ANN readers, given that Rengoku Kyojuro topped our Hashira popularity poll. So perhaps it should come as little surprise that Akaza, the Upper Rank 3 demon who also featured prominently in that arc, would top the 'Twelve Demon Moon' (Kizuki) poll too. Akaza received one of the flashiest figh...
Newest Iichiko Anime Ad Features Star-Studded Voice Cast
Yūsuke Kobayashi, Yusuke Shirai, Kōhei Amasaki play members of struggling indie band
― The iichiko shochu brand launched the third episode of its iichiko story promotional anime short series last Wednesday. Each episode so far is based on themes from the brand's various promotional posters over its 38 years of business. The newest episode, "Mitsu no Oto no Katachi to Yukue" (The Shape and Destination...
Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Manga Inspires Live-Action TikTok Shorts
Story follows gorgeous girl trying to catch attention of stone-faced guy
― Ran Kuze's Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms is a perfect manga for the TikTok generation: the amusing mini-stories about a gorgeous girl trying to catch the attention of a stone-faced guy are easy to adapt into short TikTok videos. As a case in point, TikTok creator group Gokko Club began posting live-action adaptatio...
Heavenly Delusion Comes to Nakano, Asakusa 16 Years Early
Solve puzzles, track down a Hiruko in tie-in promotion with anime's real-life locations
― The story of Heavenly Delusion is set in the year 2039, or 15 years before a mysterious global calamity. But before the apocalypse comes, you can enjoy an adventure with Kiruko and Maru in the streets of Nakano and Asakusa, the real-life areas of Tokyo where significant parts of the story take place. In Nakano, ...
Singer, Voice Actress Shoko Nakagawa Announces Marriage
She described her partner as "someone of the same generation as me who loves animals"
― Singer and voice actress Shoko Nakagawa announced through her agency and fan club website on Friday that she has gotten married. She described her partner as "someone of the same generation as me who loves animals." She added that she intends to continue her work after getting married and concluded: "Shoko Nakagaw...
Fan Voting Opens for Best Delicious in Dungeon Dish
Voting ends on May 7, results announced on May 15
― Delicious in Dungeon is filled with scrumptious-looking meals based on bizarre monster ingredients. If you're eager to let the world know your favorite dish, you may be pleased to know that the series opened an official poll last Friday. Head to the campaign website to cast your vote any time between now and the end of May 7 JST. (Note that the webs...
Art Corporation's Move to the Future Web Series Posts 7th Episode
New episode shows the big reveal about Izumi's identity and A-bot's motivations
― House-moving business Art Corporation streamed the seventh episode of its Move to the Future series of sci-fi anime shorts on Sunday. This episode shows the big reveal about Izumi's identity and the motivations behind the robot A-bot. The shorts tell the heartwarming story of a girl named Izumi, who meets a robot named ...
Summoners War: Chronicles Game Launches 'Serious' Collaboration With One-Punch Man
8 One-Punch Man characters available as Monsters through gacha
― The Summoners War: Chronicles action RPG launched a worldwide "serious" collaboration with the One-Punch Man anime on Thursday. "Serious" is a reference to Saitama's series of "Serious" finishing moves, which he uses when he wants to put more effort into fighting his opponents. It is presumably not an indicator to the tone of Summoners ...
CODA: Anime, Manga Piracy Cost Industry Around 2 Trillion Yen in 2021
Figure marks five-fold increase from association's previous 2019 study
― Japan's Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) released a study last Friday citing losses of between 1.9 and 2.2 trillion yen (US$14.2 to 16.5 billion) in 2021 due to piracy of Japanese entertainment, including manga, anime, music, and video games. The figure marks a five-fold increase from the association's previous 2...
Italian Artist's Award-Winning Manga Debuts on Shonen Jump+
Elena Vitagliano's Miriam of the Skulls debuted Monday
― Congratulations to Elena Vitagliano for being the first Italian artist to be published on Shonen Jump+. Vitagliano's Miriam of the Skulls manga launched on the website and app on Monday. The manga's story is set in an ossuary in Naples, the city where the artist hails from. The eponymous protagonist Miriam is devoted to skulls and wants to prot...
Singer LiSA Announces Birth of 1st Child
LiSA announced her marriage to voice actor Tatsuhisa Suzuki in January 2020
― Anime song singer LiSA posted on her Instagram account on Tuesday that she gave birth to her first child the other day. She commented: "Having powered up, I am looking forward to being able to deliver my music. I ask for your continued support. Today is also a good day." The singer had not previously announced her pregnancy...
Sony Music Entertainment's VTuber PRISM Project Announces 5th Generation Talent
Ami Amami, Kou Tsubame, Lana Shikami will debut on April 28
― Sony Music Entertainment's English-speaking Virtual YouTuber PRISM Project announced last Friday that it will debuting three new talents—Ami Amami, Kou Tsubame, and Lana Shikami—on April 28 starting from 7:00 p.m. PST (10:00 p.m. EDT). Further information about each debuting talent is as follows: Ami Amami Ami Amami is designed by Miyu Miy...
Live-Size Moving Gundam Learns Rock Paper Scissors
Rock paper scissors tournament scheduled at Gundam Factory Yokohama on May 5
― The life-size, moving RX-78-2 Gundam statue at Gundam Factory Yokohama has picked up some new tricks. The Gundam is now capable of performing all the movements required to play rock paper scissors. To demonstrate its powers, the Gundam Factory Yokohama will hold a rock paper scissors tournament on May 5. How will the tourn...
hololive's Houshou Marine's RPG Maker Game From High School Inspires Professional Trailer
Marina Inoue, Ayane Sakura, Ryoko Shiraishi, Mie Sonozaki more voice actors participate
― The popular hololive Virtual YouTuber Houshou Marine has a self-described "cringe" history to share: When she was in high school, she made an RPG Maker game by herself. The Second World, as it was called, was a mashup of early '00s anime and video game tropes, with inspirations ranging from Higurashi: When They ...
ANN Readers: Your Favorite Demon Slayer Hashira
Which Hashira has won our readers' hearts?
― Earlier this month, we asked Anime News Network readers to pick their favorite Hashira to ring in the new season of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The new season sees Tanjiro interacting with more of the fearsome demon slayers, but despite more screen time for Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichiro Tokito, fans' hearts are still burning for Rengoku Kyojuro. The big...
Looper: Makoto Shinkai Says He's Tired of Making Boy Meets Girl Stories
Suzume was originally planned to be a "sisterhood type of romantic story"
― If you watched Suzume and was struck by how the male love interest spends a solid chunk of the film as a chair while the heroine hangs out with other female characters, it turns out that there was a reason behind it. In an interview with Looper, director Makoto Shinkai explained that he wanted to downplay the romance, hence S...
New Scans of Pokémon Original Art Show Drastically Different Look
It turns out that the official western guides distorted Ken Sugimori's art all along
― New scans of Ken Sugimori's iconic art of the original 251 Pokémon have surfaced online, showing a drastically different look from what western Pokémon fans may be familiar with. It turns out that previous scans, which were sourced from the official western Pokémon Red, Blue, Gold, and Silver guide books, were of l...
hololive Returns to World of Warships With 4 New VTuber Commanders
World of Warships' latest update sees the return of hololive with four new VTuber Commanders!
― On April 20, World of Warships dropped its latest update includes the return of hololive VTubers as four new Commanders. World of Warships' Update 12.3 features four popular Japanese VTubers—Shishiro Botan, Moona Hoshinova, Takanashi Kiara, and Watson Amelia—to provide individual voiceovers for the new Com...
Square Enix Applies AI Tech to Classic Detective Visual Novel
Square Enix AI Tech Preview: The Portopia Serial Murder Case educational demonstration game gets free Steam release on April 24
― Square Enix is demonstrating the powers of AI technology in an illuminating revisit of the classic The Portopia Serial Murder Case visual novel by Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii. The game was first published in Japan in 1983, featuring a gameplay style typical amon...
Nintendo Changes Name of Character in Japanese Version of Super Mario Bros. Movie
"Blackie" from Wrecking Crew NES game will be named "Spike" to match U.S. version
― Nintendo's Japanese Twitter account announced on Thursday that the company is changing the name of the character "Blackie" from the Wrecking Crew NES game to "Spike" to match the U.S. version. Notably, the character plays a key role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie film, which the Japanese name change will also apply to...
One-of-a-Kind Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Receives US$100,000 Bid in 1st Hour of eBay Auction
"Tyler the Great Warrior" card was created for child cancer patient Tyler Gressle in 2005
― The rarest Yu-Gi-Oh! card in existence—"Tyler the Great Warrior," which was only ever printed once—surpassed US$150,000 in bids as of Thursday. The card first went on auction on eBay on Wednesday. YouTube documentary maker Alex Cimo, who interviewed the card's owner Tyler Gressle, told ANN that the card receiv...
Detective Conan Films Get Ranked By Onscreen Property Damage
The Fist of Blue Sapphire takes top spot with destruction of Singapore's Marina Bay Sands
― For many years, Detective Conan movies have been an annual opportunity for the series to indulge in high-stakes, adrenaline-filled action set pieces. On one hand, they're satisfying films that offer a different experience from the TV series, but on the flip side, some of the more extravagant scenes depict a le...
Demon Slayer Invades Shinjuku Station to Promote Milk
A massive 80-meter poster featuring chibi-fied characters from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba drinking milk has appeared in Shinjuku Station.
― From April 17 to April 23, a massive 80-meter (approx. 87-yard) poster and numerous monitors featuring chibi-fied characters from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba drinking milk can be found in the underground section of Tokyo's Shinjuku Station. Japanese fans h...
Game Developer COLOPL Offers Monetary Awards to Staff Who Use ChatGPT for Work
Employees selected each month will receive 50,000 yen with a maximum limit of 150,000 yen (US$1,120) per person per month.
― On April 10, 2023, COLOPL, the company behind games such as White Cat Project and Alice Gear Aegis, released a statement that it would offer financial bonuses to employees who use AI chatbot ChatGPT to increase their workflow. “In order to quickly increase the number of cases w...
Street Fighter Keyboards Hit Higround Store Internationally on April 19
Basecamp 65, Summit 65 models available for pre-order for one week in Europe, Japan, United States
― Following the heels of its Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Sega collaborations, the lifestyle and gaming peripheral brand Higround announced on Monday that it will launch pre-orders for a Street Fighter gaming equipment collection on its online store from April 19 at 12 p.m. PST (3 p.m. EDT) to A...
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Gets Limited Edition Whiskey Blend
Each bottle of “Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Collaboration AMAHAGAN World Blend contains 700 ml of world-blended whiskey with a 47% alcohol content
― Bar Lemon Heart is selling limited edition bottles of “Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Collaboration AMAHAGAN World Blend” whiskey. Made by Japan's Nagahama Distillery, the label features an original drawing by Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid creator Coolkyou...
Eat a Kirby Car Cake and More at the New Dessert-Themed Kirby Café
April 13 marks the opening of the new takeout-only Kirby Café Petit which features a menu of adorable desserts, all themed after everyone's favorite pink puff ball.
― While there's already a Kirby Café in Tokyo that has everything from pink hamburgers to Waddle Dee-shaped rice omelets, April 13 marks the opening of the new takeout-only Kirby Café Petit which features a menu of adorable desserts, all ...
Crayon Shin-Chan Asks Fans to Vote on Which Old Characters Should Return
With more than 1,100 episodes and new ones still coming, a lot of characters have appeared on Crayon Shin-Chan over its 31 years on the air.
― With more than 1,100 episodes and new ones still coming, a lot of characters have appeared on Crayon Shin-Chan over its 31 years on the air. As a celebration, the anime's creators have announced the “Ohisashi Buriburi Project.” From now until May 31, fans will...
Kodansha Halts Sales of Error-Filled Game History Books, Offers Refunds With Apology
Pokemon, Sega developers pointed out inaccuracies on Twitter
― The three-volume The History of Games book series has been pulled from shelves by its publisher, Kodansha, after those related to the events and companies mentioned in the books pointed out numerous inaccuracies. One prominent example is how the books describe the creation of Pokémon. While The History of Games states that the idea for P...
Super Mario Bros. Is 1st Game Music Inducted to U.S. National Recording Registry
Super Mario Bros. is making history again. The video game series' iconic theme was inducted into the U.S. National Recording Registry on Wednesday, the first-ever video game theme song. The original tune, also called the "Ground Theme" or "Overworld Theme," was composed by Koji Kondo for the 1985 Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The song was chosen among 25 other reco...
Genshin Impact Recasts Tighnari with Zachary Gordon
Gordon previously voiced Hayner in Kingdom Hearts III and Kotaro in the Afro Samurai: Resurrection anime film.
― Staff announced on the Genshin Impact video game's official Twitter account they had recast character Tighnari with voice actor Zachary Gordon. Gordon previously voiced Hayner in Kingdom Hearts III and Kotaro in the Afro Samurai: Resurrection anime film. Genshin Impact staff announced in F...
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