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The anime adaptation of Yomu Mishima’s light novel I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! will premiere on April 5, airing at 2:00 a.m. (April 6) as part of Japan’s “Animazing” block. The series is based on the light novel, which has already been published in English by Seven Seas.

Along with the debut, new cast members have been revealed. Shinichirō Miki will voice Yasushi, a sword teacher to the main character. Yōji Ueda takes on the role of Brian Beaumont, a long-time servant to the Banfield family. Tetsu Inada will voice Goaz, a space pirate leader.

The opening theme will be performed by the idol group Saishū Mirai Shōjo, while the ending theme will be sung by Nagi Fujisaki.

The cast includes several notable names. Natsuki Hanae voices the main character, Liam, and Reina Ueda voices Amagi. Takehito Koyasu and Ayana Taketatsu also star as Guide and Nias Carlin,...

While not as iconic a decade as the 1990s, the 2000s were nonetheless a great era for anime. Some of the most famous and popular anime of all time like Naruto, Bleach, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann took off during this time, and with how many people grew up with those anime and others, it’s hard to deny the era’s impact and influence on the community for years to come.

The 2000s was a great era for anime, but unfortunately, not everything from that era left a mark. Whether due to a lack of proper licensing or the story simply failing to maintain relevancy after its conclusion, many anime from the 2000s have all but been forgotten by mainstream culture, despite how much they hold up after so many decades. A few of those anime are especially worth highlighting, as despite their lack of attention, they’ve long...

While everyone loves a good fantasy film series or franchise, there's no question that Hollywood movies have become more and more reliant on the idea of sequels in recent years. Massive franchises like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean dominate box offices to the point that out of the 10 highest-grossing fantasy films of all time, every single one is either part of a film series or a remake of an older movie.

That isn't to say that sequels are bad, but there is a certain power to a movie that doesn't need a sequel. Fantasy films that stand alone and tell complete stories can be far more satisfying to watch than ones that are clearly putting far more energy into establishing franchise potential than into crafting a compelling narrative. And, of course, there are fads like Disney's avalanche of 90s direct-to-video sequels, with their shoestring budgets and disappointingly outsourced animation.

Featuring "Ano ne," by Polkadot Stingray ( Radiant Ed) and "Futarijime" by pachae ( TsumaSho Op), respectively, creditless versions of the I Have a Crush at Work anime's opening and ending song sequences are now available to watch below. I Have a Crush at Work Opening Video I Have a Crush at Work Ending Video The anime's announced cast is now as follows: Masugu Tateishi voiced by Seiichiro Yamashita (Cid in The Eminence in Shadow ) Yui Mitsuya voiced by Yume Miyamoto (Rouge in Metallic Rouge ) Shizuno Hayakawa voiced by Shizuka Ito (Miku in The Way of the Househusband ) Keisuke Somei voiced by Reio Tsuchida (Sota in My Senpai is Annoying ) Maria Morizono voiced by Yo Taichi (Guideau in The Witch and the Beast ) Chiharu Uto voiced by Misaki Watada (Yaeka in The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting ) Yukiko Sakura voiced by Sora Tokui (Akari in Jujutsu Kaisen ) Itsuro Mita voiced by Kentaro Tone...

The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup Semifinal will be airing its final episode on December 25, but the fun is just beginning! The Prince of Tennis Fest fan event will be returning for 2025, marking the first event of its kind in what will be nearly two years. Check out the teaser trailer and visual for the fan event, showing off footage from previous events and new art for next year's celebration: Related : The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup Semifinal Anime Casts Shinichiro Miki The event will take place September 20-21, 2025 at Kanagawa Prefecture's Pia Arena Mm. Tickets will be available by lottery, with lottery applications available in the series's upcoming Blu-ray box. Crunchyroll currently streams The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup Semifinals , describing it thus: When tennis phenom Ryoma Echizen is kicked out of Japan’s elite U-17 training camp for breaking the rules,...

The official website and accounts for I Have Crush at Work today revealed that the upcoming office romance anime will clock in for its first shift on January 6, 2025 at 23:00 Jst . A second full trailer was also unveiled, which highlights the series' opening and ending songs, "Ano ne," by Polkadot Stingray ( Radiant Ed) and "Futarijime" by pachae ( TsumaSho Op), respectively, and its roster of cast members. I Have a Crush at Work Anime Trailer 2 The anime's announced cast is now as follows: Masugu Tateishi voiced by Seiichiro Yamashita (Cid in The Eminence in Shadow ) Yui Mitsuya voiced by Yume Miyamoto (Rouge in Metallic Rouge ) Shizuno Hayakawa voiced by Shizuka Ito (Miku in The Way of the Househusband ) Keisuke Somei voiced by Reio Tsuchida (Sota in My Senpai is Annoying ) Maria Morizono voiced by Yo Taichi (Guideau in The Witch and the Beast ) Chiharu Uto voiced by Misaki Watada (Yaeka in...

The official website and accounts for the Beastars anime today announced that Part 1 of the final season will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix from December 5, 2024 . A main trailer was also unveiled, previewing ending song, "Feel Like This" by Yu-ka ( Metallic Rouge Op), and five additional cast members as follows: Gosha voiced by Shigeru Chiba (Jogo in Jujutsu Kaisen ) Yahya voiced by Shinichiro Miki (Urahara in Bleach ) Melon voiced by Koji Okino (Tetsutetsu in My Hero Academia ) Sagwan voiced by Tessho Genda (Isao in Kaiju No.8 ) Seven voiced by Fumiko Orikasa (Rukia in Bleach ) Beastars Final Season will release in two separate parts . A release date for the latter part is yet to be confirmed. Beastars Final Season Part 1 Main Trailer Related: Beastars Final Season Anime Reveals Two-Part Release With Teaser Visual Based on the manga by Paru Itagaki, Shinichi Matsumi continues to direct Beastars at studio Orange, with scripts by...

Studio Fugaku and Studio Akatasuki's anime adaptation of Junji Ito's hit manga Uzumaki has been making waves as of late and the series is finally making its way to Netflix, albeit with a small catch. Though the reception to Uzumaki has been quite mixed, as an adaptation of one of Ito's best works, demand for the series remains strong as ever and fortunately, Uzumaki is finally coming to one of the biggest streaming platforms.

According to a post on X by NetflixAnime, Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror will be making its way to Netflix in Asia in 2024. Netflix has not specified an exact release date for the show just yet, but fans can expect the series to join the streaming giant's library at some point between November and the end of December.

Junji Ito's Uzumaki Anime Comes to Netflix Asia The Series Will Likely Be Available in Other Regions...

Voice actor Shinichiro Miki (Sir Nighteye in My Hero Academia ) has joined the cast of The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup Semifinal – the ongoing anime adaptation based on the sports manga by Takeshi Konomi – as the enigmatic Antonio da Medanoré, the captain of the Spanish national team. Related: The Prince of Tennis II: U-17 World Cup Semifinal Anime Shares New Trailer and Visual Shueisha has serialized the original The Prince of Tennis II manga in their Jump Square shonen manga magazine since March 2009, and a total of 42 collected volumes have also been published in Japan. Keiichiro Kawaguchi directs the anime adaptation at animation studios M.S.C. and Studio Kai. Crunchyroll describes the series: When tennis phenom Ryoma Echizen is kicked out of Japan’s elite U-17 training camp for breaking the rules, he’s despondent. But a stroke of good luck hits when he’s able to try out for the U.

Animator Henry Thurlow who is popular for his work on One Piece, Boruto and other anime, recently put out a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) shedding light on what possibly could have gone wrong with the Uzumaki adaptation.

The anime has gone through an alarming downward spiral when it came to its animation quality, leaving everyone quite disheartened.

While Thurlow admitted that he was not fully aware of what happened behind the scenes of Uzumaki’s production, he lashed out at western producers for probably having ruined the show.

He pointed out that some producer from the anime, in a bid to just get done with production and release it, might have involved some subpar studio to work on the it.

“As for the Uzumaki production, at the end of the day it’s almost certainly *some* western producer’s fault. ‘This is taking too long so force...

Uzumaki anime’s executive producer Jason DeMarco recently took to Bluesky account to address fans’ concerns about the sudden dip in the animation quality of episode 2.

Despite the anime being in production for over 5 years, there were many issues and setbacks, according to DeMarco.

The team was ultimately faced with three options, i.e., to cancel the show, air only the first episode, or complete all four episodes despite the issues.

In the end, they chose the third option out of respect for the hard work invested in the series, even though they anticipated some backlash.

“It’s fine, we knew this would happen. I can’t talk about what went down but we were screwed over and the options were A) not finish and air nothing and call it a loss, B) Just finish and air ep 1 and leave it incomplete or C) run all four, warts and all.

After eagerly awaiting Uzumaki for over five years and enduring multiple delays, there was a considerable hype when the anime finally started airing.

However, there has been a noticeable drop in animation quality of the anime in episode 2, which premiered on Oct 6.

The moments of the characters were robotic and stiff, while the art itself was questionable at many points. In fact, if you mistake this episode for a fan animation, there would be no surprises.

Following the impressive debut of the first episode, which showcased stunning visuals and atmosphere, the drastic dip in the animation quality of episode 2, has naturally led to a wave of critical reactions online.

Many expected the animation to maintain the same high standard seen in episode 1.

Uzumaki Anime Sees a heavy drop in animation in episode 2.

What actually even happened??pic.twitter.com/c2aZznqsDm

— Anime News And Facts (@AniNewsAndFacts) October 6, 2024

This setback will...

A handful of vampires from movies and TV shows emerge as the most powerful in all fiction due to their unique powers and invulnerabilities. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Twilight Saga, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries dominate the vampire fantasy subgenre, as these series all feature numerous vampire characters constantly shifting between ally and enemy. However, it is clear that a select few vampires from other properties would wipe the floor with the most popular vampires from movies and TV.

Each property tends to position one or several vampires as the most powerful in their world, often due to age and specific abilities acquired over time. The basic trope of vampire mythology is that one original vampire is the ruling force in vampire society, although Twilight depicts political tension derived from conflicts between different covens and recruiting members with specific powers. They are among the minor Twilight characters the TV remake can further explore,...

After facing multiple delays, San Diego Comic-Con unveiled the much awaited release date for the anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki.

Uzumaki anime is all set to start airing on Sep 28 at 12:30 a.m. Edt on Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block. It will also stream on the Max streaming service.

A brand new trailer was also revealed to commemorate the announcement.

The anime was initially set to premiere on Toonami in 2020, ahead of its Japanese debut. However, the production faced multiple delays. Initially postponed to 2021, it was later rescheduled for October 2022. In June 2022, another delay pushed the release date further.

Uzumaki anime’s cast includes:

Uki Satake as Kirie Goshima Shinichiro Miki as Shuichi Saito Toshio Furukawa as Kirie’s Father Takashi Matsuyama as Shuichi’s Father Mika Doi as Yukie Saito Mariya Ise as Azami Kurotami Katsutoshi Matsuzaki as Katayama Wataru Hatano as Okada Tatsumaru Tachibana...

Ahead of an October 2024 premiere, the official website and accounts for upcoming fantasy anime Party kara Tsuiho sareta Sono Chiyushi, Jitsu wa Saikyo ni Tsuki revealed a brand-new trailer and a pair of additional cast members. As previewed below, the series' opening song will be "Saikyo? Saiko! Brave My Heart" by the voice of Armia, Hina Tachibana. The latest cast additions are as follows (character romanizations unconfirmed): Ralma voiced by Yukari Tamura Ronaldo voiced by Shinichiro Miki Ralma Ronaldo Related: Party Kara Tsuiho Sareta Sono Chiyushi, Jitsu Wa Saikyo Ni Tsuki TV Anime Teaser Trailer Confirms October 2024 Premiere Based on the light novels by Kagekinoko and Kakao Lantern, Keisuke Onishi ( Call of the Night episode director) directs Party kara Tsuiho sareta Sono Chiyushi, Jitsu wa Saikyo ni Tsuki at Studio Elle, with series composition by Kurasumi Sunayama ( Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World ), character designs by Yumiko Mizuno...

We finally have a date for the Uzumaki anime, which is on the way to adapt Junji Ito's horror manga classic. The series will make its Adult Swim debut on September 28, 2024, with streaming on Max to follow the next day. Uzumaki Anime Trailer The Japanese and English voice cast members were previously announced, including: Kirie Goshima voiced by Uki Satake / Abby Trott Shuichi Saito voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki / Robbie Daymond Azami Kurotani voiced by Mariya Ise / Cristina Vee Kirie's Dad voiced by Toshio Furukawa / Doug Stone Shuichi's Mom voiced by Mika Doi / Mona Marshall Shuichi's Dad voiced by Takashi Matsuyama / Aaron Laplante Katayama voiced by Katsutoshi Matsuzaki / Max Mittleman The Uzumaki anime was first announced in 2019 and planned for 2020 before being hit with multiple delays. Hiroshi Nagahama ( The Flowers of Evil ) directs, with Aki Itami on the script for the Akatsuki and Drive production. Viz Media currently publishes Uzumaki...

Two new cast members have joined the ranks of Delico's Nursery , the vampire-centric anime now scheduled to premiere in August. The news went public at today's advance screening of the first two episodes. Ai Kayano (Darkness in Konosuba - God's blessing on this wonderful world! ) will play Frieda Delico. Joining her will be Shinichiro Miki (Kisuke Urahara in Bleach ) as Klaus. Related: Delico's Nursery Anime Reveals Start Date and Theme Songs in New Trailer Hiroshi Nishikiori ( Trinity Seven ) is directing the anime at studio J.C.Staff, with character designs adapted for animation by Yoko Ito ( Amanchu! ) and music by Shunsuke Wada. The original Trump stage play, conceived by Kenichi Suemitsu, inspired a series of short stories, additional stage play performances and concerts. The anime's story centers around a member of the highest-ranking vampire family in Dali Delico, in a tale of noble vampires and the spectre of the highest-ranking vampire named...

The English voice cast for Adult Swim’s upcoming adaptation of Junji Ito’s horror manga “Uzumaki” was announced at Anime Expo over the weekend. Created in partnership with Production Ig USA, the animated TV series is currently in production.

The Japanese and English voice actors, respectively, for the series include:

Kirie Goshima – Uki Satake / Abby Trott Shuichi Saito – Shin-ichiro Miki / Robbie Daymond Azami Kurotani – Mariya Ise / Cristina Vee Kirie’s Dad – Toshio Furukawa / Doug Stone Shuichi’s Dad – Takashi Matsuyama / Aaron Laplante Shuichi’s Mom – Mika Doi / Mona Marshall Katayama – Katsutoshi Matsuzaki / Max Mittleman

Written and illustrated by Ito, the original manga series told the story of the citizens of Kurōzu-cho, a fictional city that is plagued by a supernatural curse involving spirals.

“Let’s leave this town together,” asks Shuichi Saito, a former classmate of Kirie Goshima, a high school girl who was born and grew up in Kurouzu-cho.

The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies , an upcoming TV anime based on the romantic comedy manga, has published a new trailer and revealed that three voice actors from the drama CDs will reprise their roles for the TV anime. The series will broadcast in Japan on Tokyo Mx, BS11, and At-x beginning in July 2024. The new cast members confirmed for the series include: Cat Familiar voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki (God in Fluffy Paradise ) Cat Familiar and Shin-ichiro Miki Hibana Kagari voiced by Mariya Ise (Opera in Metallic Rouge ) Hibana Kagari and Mariya Ise Bird Familiar voiced by Hikaru Midorika (Vanitas in Brave Bang Bravern! ) Bird Familiar and Hikaru Midorikawa The original The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies manga by Cocoa Fujiwara was published from 2013 – 2015 in Square Enix's Monthly Gangan Joker shonen manga magazine. An English language version is in-development from Yen Press.

Ahead of an April 7 premiere in Japan and subsequent simulcast on Crunchyroll , a creditless version of age-regression comedy anime Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again 's ending theme sequence, featuring "Soitoge Yo-yo!!" by lead voice actors Shinichiro Miki and Mamiko Noto as their characters, is now available to watch below. Related: Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again TV Anime Shares Creditless Opening Based on the manga by Kagiri Araido, Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again is directed by Masayoshi Nishida at studio Gekkou, with series composition by Yukie Sugawara ( The Vampire Dies in No Time ), character designs by Nagisa Takahashi ( TenPuru prop designer) and music by Tomoki Hasegawa ( Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! ). The story follows Shouzou and Ine, an elderly couple who are living a quiet life in a farming village in Aomori Prefecture. After eating a mysterious apple that they discover on their apple farm,...

Jiisan Baasan Wakagaeru (“Grandpa and Grandma are Rejuvenated”), an upcoming TV anime based on the romantic comedy web manga about an elderly couple who spontaneously regain their youth, has revealed a new trailer, new cast additions, a new key visual and the opening and ending theme song performers for the series. Jiisan Baasan Wakagaeru will broadcast in Japan beginning on April 7, 2024. The new cast members include: Shota voiced by Junta Terashima (Shiki Ando in Paradox Live The Animation ) Shota character visual Yoshiaki voiced by Kazuyuki Okitsu (Nick in Magical Destroyers ) Yoshiaki character visual Kaede voiced by Tomo Sakurai (Asuka Sora in The World God Only Knows ) Kaede character visual koresawa performs the opening theme song for the series, which is entitled “Kimi ga Ojii-chan Atashi ga Obaa-chan” (“You're Grandpa I'm Grandma”). The ending theme, entitled “Soitoge Yo-yo!!” (“Until Death Do Us part Yo-yo!!”), is performed in character by Shozo (voiced...

The official website for the upcoming original TV anime Astro Note released a new trailer featuring its theme song, "Hohoemi no Oto" ( The Sound of A Smile ), by voice actor/singer Ai Furihata. She is best known as Ruby Kurosawa in Love Live! Sunshine!! , and as well as her solo singer career beginning in September 2020. In addition to the previously announced cast of Soma Saito (Yoshikazu Miyano in Sasaki and Miyano ) as Takumi Miyasaki and Maaya Uchida (Catarina Claes in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! ) as Mira Gotokuji, seven more voice cast members, including the theme song singer Ai Furihata, were announced: Ren Wakabayashi voiced by Rie Kugimiya (Alphonse Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist ) Tomihiro Wakabayashi voiced by Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki Sakata in Gintama ) Shokichi Yamashita voiced by Shinichiro Miki (Stardust in Shy ) Teruko Matsubara voiced by Ai Furihata (Ruby Kurosawa in Love Live! Sunshine!

Jessie and James' relationship on the Pokémon anime has always been unclear, with no hint of romance between them. The Japanese voice actors for Team Rocket find the idea of romance between Jessie and James laughable. According to the voice actors, Jessie, James, and Meowth form a strong team because of their differences, not because of romantic feelings.

In the Pokémon anime fandom, it's common for fans to have strong opinions on whether Team Rocket's Jessie and James have romantic feelings for each other or not. While there's evidence to support both arguments in the colossally large series, it seems that the Team Rocket Trio's Japanese voice actors have strong feelings on the matter, too.

Jessie and James' relationship has been pretty unclear since the moment the two appeared on-screen. They've been revealed to have backstory with each other even predating Team Rocket, and have used disguises where they appear...

San Francisco, CA — May 28, 2023 —Viz Media, a world-leading producer of manga and anime, today announced Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 based on mangaka legend Tite Kubo's manga will return to Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in select countries internationally on Saturday, July 8th, 2023.

Part 2 will premiere with episode one at 7:30 Am Pdt on Hulu, Star+ and Disney+ and the simulcast will have English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, and Italian subtitles. Viz Media holds worldwide rights (excluding Asia). Part 1 of the series is currently streaming in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Baltics, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Now that he’s officially become the very best, like no one ever was, Ash Ketchum is heading into retirement. The long-running and perpetually 10 year-old star of the beloved “Pokémon” anime will exit the series with an upcoming 11-episode run airing in Japan this January, the Pokémon Company announced Friday.

In his place, two new protagonists, Liko and Roy, will be introduced in a new series set in the Paldea region, first seen in this year’s Generation IX “Pokémon” games “Scarlet and Violet.” The series will premiere sometime later in 2023, and feature the starters from the game: Sprigatito (a grass cat), Fuecoco (a fire-breathing crocodile baby), and Quaxly (a water duck).

The news of Ash’s retirement from the anime comes a month after the Japanese airing of the 132nd episode of the “Pokémon Journeys” series, and the 1,217th episode of the anime overall, which saw Ash (voiced in...

While many genres work on certain formulas and conventions, which can make some of them predictable and tedious in the wrong hands, perhaps no other genre is quite as elusive as comedy. Often said to be one of the hardest crafts to master, finding the right kind of irony or punchline can be quite tricky, many times resulting in features not clicking with audiences, but being appreciated more and more by later audiences. As many cultures have their own unique brand of comedy, Japan’s concept of the genre is perhaps one of the most hermetic, as it often refers to ideas, topics or themes which are exclusive to the country’s (pop) culture. In the early 2000s, a number of unique comedic features were released, with “Funky Forest: The First Contact”, a collaborative effort of directors Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine and Shunichiro Miki being among the most interesting entries,...

A city enjoying a spectacular growth spur and a metropolis dying out as we speak. A star looking for a way out from a deadly trap and a teenager determined to have a say in her own future. Japanese feel-good movies and terrifying horrors. As always, Five Flavours offers a full spectrum of moods, emotions, and themes. We announce the complete program of the Festival and kick off tickets sales!

Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is the annual review of the best cinema from East, Southeast, and South Asia organized in Poland. Since 2006, it presents the premieres of the newest, carefully selected films from the region, the classics from Asian archives, retrospectives of selected filmmakers, and reviews of national cinemas.

This year’s selection includes 39 meticulously chosen films, 30 of which will be available online, on the territory of Poland only. After the success of last year’s hybrid edition, Five...

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You only need a passing interest in world cinema to realise that no other country makes as many crazy movies as the Japanese. This is a culture which sells used underwear from vending machines and celebrates Christmas with a bucket of KFC, so it isn’t surprising they approach filmmaking a little differently.

Japan’s unique culture is a reflection of its unique history: after centuries of isolation from the outside world, the defeat at the end of the Second World War and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was quickly followed by a huge influx of Western culture. The impact this had on Japanese cinema was enormous, with many films exploring the collective trauma of the war while simultaneously borrowing heavily from American genre movies.

Japanese directors have continued to make films which explore the history and mythology of their country to this day, pushing the...