News

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Twisted Metal is a post-apocalyptic action comedy series co-developed by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Michael Jonathan Smith. Based on the video game franchise of the same name developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the Peacock series is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and it follows John, a talkative milkman with no memories of his past who transports packages from one city to another and faces off against ruthless marauders who want to get their hands on those packages. Twisted Metal stars Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa, Will Arnett, Thomas Haden Church, and Anthony Carrigan. So, if you loved the gory carnage, entertaining story, and compelling characters in Twisted Metal, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Fallout (Prime Video) Credit – Prime Video

Fallout is a post-apocalyptic Western action drama series co-created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

The second film in the three-part film series for Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club will begin its run in Japanese theaters on November 7, 2025, and today the official accounts published a new teaser trailer to hint at the upcoming idol adventures that will take place in Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. The staff also announced that the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club performs the official theme song for the film, which is entitled “Yakusoku ni Nare Bokura no Uta” (“Let Our Song Become a Promise”). Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Part 2 Teaser Trailer The Love Live! franchise is based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Kurako Kiminosa. Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club films at animation studio Sunrise. Jin Tanaka provides the script for the films, Takumi Yokota provides the character designs, and Naoki Endou provides the music. Love Live!

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway The Sorcery of Nymph Circe , the sequel to the 2021 anime theatrical film Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway , published a special teaser trailer today for the upcoming film, which begins distribution in Japanese theaters in winter 2026. The previous film currently streams on Netflix. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway The Sorcery of Nymph Circe Special Teaser Trailer Related: Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Anime Releases Kenshi Yonezu Music Video The cast for Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway The Sorcery of Nymph Circe includes: Hathaway Noa voiced by Kensho Ono Gigi Andalucia voiced by Reina Ueda Kenneth Sleg voiced by Junichi Suwabe Lane Aim voiced by Soma Saito The original Mobile Suit Gundam series was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate. Shukou Murase directs Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway The Sorcery of Nymph Circe at animation studios Sunrise and Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. Yasuyuki Muto provides the script, with pabolo uchida, Naoyuki Onda...

The Ronin Warriors (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers) anime is making a comeback after 37 years.

The new anime series, which is titled Yoroi Shin Den Samurai Troopers, has been officially announced and is set to premiere in January 2026. The series will serve as the direct sequel to the original Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, which aired from 1988 to 1989.

The upcoming anime will feature an entirely original story set in modern day Shinjuku.

A teaser trailer and visual were revealed to commemorate the announcement.

The protagonist of the new series is named Gai and will be voiced by Hiiro Ishibashi.

Yoichi Fujita, best known for directing Gintama and Mr. Osomatsu, will serve as the director, with screenwriting and series composition handled by Shogo Muto, whose past works include Kamen Rider Build and Crows Zero.

Character designs will be handled by Yuhei Murota, and villain designs by Tsukasa Kotobuki. Hideo Okamoto returns for Yoroi Gear designs.

The second Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club anime film now has an official poster! Unveiled at this weekend's fan event in Miyagi, the bright new visual heralds the middle section of the franchise's finale film series. Take a look at the Nijigasaki girls setting off for adventure—both in a reveal video and the poster itself: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Part 2 Poster Video Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Part 2 Poster Related: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Part 2 Release Date Set The new movies—the first of which opened in Japan on September 6, 2024—feature an all new story set in Okinawa focused on an event called "School Idol Gpx," taking place after the original series and Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Ova . The second film opens in Japan on November 7. Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the Love Live!

Daniella Pineda, who portrayed Faye Valentine in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, believes the show was cancelled too soon and says the series deserved a second season to prove itself.

Speaking to The Direct on the red carpet of her new film The Accountant 2, Pineda opened up about the abrupt end of the 2021 series and called out studios for failing to recognize the value of anime IPs like Cowboy Bebop.

“I feel like those animations, they mean so much to people, and they’re so personal, and I think people really connect to when they watched it and the point of their lives. And so, I just feel like, and I’ll say this, having been in one, I think that those studios, they need to do a better job at valuing that IP. It’s really special. And people on ‘Bebop,’ they worked very, very hard,...

Riding the excitement of this week's premiere of the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX anime series, Kodansha has announced plans to release a deluxe edition of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, the best-selling manga series based on 1979 anime classic.

Arriving this Fall, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Deluxe Edition will feature a faux leather debossed cover with larger 7.5"x10" trim size that highlights the artistry of the original manga. The publisher also promises "quality printing of the interior color and black and white pages that fans have come to know and love from Kodansha's Deluxe editions."

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is a retelling of the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam anime story by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate. The manga was written and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the original character designer for the anime series. Kodansha describes the story:

In the world of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin: It is...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Prime Video is ready with an entertainment-packed April this year. The upcoming month will see the return of the beloved Original series Leverage: Redemption and also the release of the much-anticipated horror action series The Bondsman. Just like every month, Prime Video is ready to overload you with great content. So, we’re here to tell you about the best 11 new movies and TV shows coming to Prime Video in April 2025.

Speak No Evil (April 1) Credit – Universal Pictures

Speak No Evil is a psychological horror thriller film written and directed by James Watkins. Based on the 2022 Danish-Dutch film of the same name by Christian and Mads Tafdrup, the 2024 film follows an American family on their dream holiday, which soon turns into a nightmare when a British family invites them to their quaint country estate to spend a weekend with them.

A date is officially in place for the second of three Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club anime films. As revealed during a stage event at this weekend’s AnimeJapan 2025, the second movie will open in Japan on November 7. An updated video was released along with the premiere date news. Related: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Part 2 Teases Winter 2025 Premiere The new movies—the first of which opened in Japan on September 6, 2024—feature an all new story set in Okinawa focused on an event called "School Idol Gpx," taking place after the original series and Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Ova . Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Kurako Kiminosa, Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club films at animation studio Sunrise. Jin Tanaka provides the script for the films, Takumi Yokota provides the character designs and Naoki Endou provides the music.

Once considered an obscure hobby with a very moderate following in the West, anime has boomed into a global phenomenon over the past few decades. Nowadays, Japanese media is accessible and sought-after by American audiences, its place in pop culture being prominent and esteemed. While anime remains much bigger domestically than internationally, fans’ tastes across cultures remain mostly consistent.

The anime series that make it big in Japan, like One Piece, Demon Slayer, Spy x Family, are the same fans adore in America. Some shows that take off domestically and become adored fan favorites end up with a much different reputation overseas, ending up misunderstood and forgotten at best and hated at worst. These anime series and franchises might have an enormous following in Japan, yet American audiences fail to see their appeal.

2:07

Related10 Best Anime That Are Way Bigger in America Than Japan

Although they were made in Japan,...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Love, Death & Robots is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller and David Fincher. The Netflix series is a collection of various animated short stories from different genres, including sci-fi, dark fantasy, horror, and mystery. Love, Death & Robots’ voice cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael B. Jordan, Topher Grace, Elodie Yung and many more. So, if you loved the imaginative stories, anthology format, and compelling plots and characters in Love, Death & Robots, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Secret Level (Prime Video) Credit – Amazon MGM Studios

Secret Level is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Prime Video series consists of fifteen standalone stories set in the universes of different video games, including Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, Sifu,...

Yoshiyuki Tomino has worked on many anime throughout the years, but he's best known for creating the Mobile Suit Gundamfranchise. At a recent academic lecture, the anime legend spoke about his creative process and what went into the venerable mecha brand.

Attending the 2024 Women's Education Lecture, Tomino answered questions about his personal development process. This included the themes he added to certain anime and the type of world he would like to live in. These narrative elements in question honed in on one series in particular, perhaps inspiring fans to revisit the controversial Gundam anime.

RelatedOne of Gundam's Most Underrated Anime Gets First U.S. Streaming Home After Nearly 30 Years

Debuting almost 30 years ago on Japanese television, an overlooked 1990s Gundam anime is finally available to stream internationally.

Gundam Creator's Life Desires Justify One of the Most Controversial Gundam Anime Image via Sunrise

Held at Okamoto Memorial Hall, the 2024 Women's...

Rebuild of Evangelion director Kazuya Tsurumaki has revealed his fears around helming the latest mainline entry of GquuuuuuX -- the new Gundam entry by anime studios Sunrise and Khara (all Evangelion 'Rebuild' films).

Anime blog Shinseiki translated the recent Creator's Talk held by Studio Khara's staff following the release of Mobile Suit Gundam GquuuuuuX. They delved into their intentions for the latest mainline Gundam entry, difficult aspects of production and the pressure of working on the new film. Sunrise's offer for Khara to make the new anime came as a shock to the whole team; producer Sugitani said he replied "Are you for real?", while a part of Director Tsurumaki hoped they rejected his proposal for the film.

RelatedNext Gundam: Hathaway's Flash Anime Film Finally Gets Production Update

Production of the highly anticipated second of three Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash films gets further confirmation from distributor Shochiku.

'They...

The Z'Gok mobile suit has been part of the Gundam franchise ever since it debuted in the first Mobile Suit Gundam anime. Now, the Cosmic Era equivalent to it is receiving a new model kit based on the property's latest movie.

The "Hg 1/144 Z'Gok (Seed Freedom Ver.)" is a new High-Grade Gunpla model kit that's derived from the 2024 movie Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom. Boasting incredible detail and articulation, the figure's box art is actually based on the winner of a Bandai poll from the same year. Able to showcase the armor in different states of damage, the upcoming figure is set to be released in less than a month.

RelatedGundam Wing Gets New 30th Anniversary Release With High Grade Gunpla Model Kit for the Anime's Biggest Mecha

One of the most iconic Gundam anime is getting a new model kit, with the clear collectible releasing to celebrate the popular show's 30th anniversary.

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.

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Secret Level is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Prime Video series consists of fifteen stories set in the worlds of fifteen different video games, including Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, Pac-Man, Sifu, Spelunky, PlayStation, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. So, if you loved the video game elements, the blend of genres, and compelling characters in Secret Level, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Love, Death & Robots (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Love, Death & Robots is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Netflix series consists of animated short stories in different genres ranging from sci-fi to fantasy and thriller drama to dark comedy. Love, Death & Robots stars Fred Tatasciore, John Dimaggio,...

Of all the various mechs in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, the Wing Gundam Zero is one of the most iconic designs. Now, the series' diminutive line of model kit figures recreates the robotic armor in super deformed style.

Part of the "Master Grade" variety of Sd Gundam model kits, the "Master Grade Sd (Mgsd) Wing Gundam Zero EW" will excite plenty of Gundam fanatics, despite (or perhaps even because of) the tiny size. Based on the design from one of the biggest movies in the franchise, it has every detail and aspect that fans would want in a model for one of the most beloved mobile suits in the property. While it might not have the height of other iterations, this collectible packs a lot into a tiny frame.

Related Bandai's New Take on Char Aznable's 'Zaku-kun' Gundam Is a Red Comet-Worthy Collectible

A cute new take on...

Following up on the September 6, 2024 opening of the first film, the second part of the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club anime film trilogy now has a release window. Part two is set to hit theaters in Japan in winter 2025, and a new visual arrived along with the news.  You can see the visual in the video and full image below. Related: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Releases New Trailer Featuring Fresh Dance Scenes The new movies feature an all new story set in Okinawa focused on an event called "School Idol Gpx," taking place after the original series and  Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club  Ova . Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Kurako Kiminosa, Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the  Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club  films at animation studio Sunrise. Jin Tanaka provides the script for the films, Takumi Yokota provides the character designs,...

"Batman: The Animated Series" was created at Warner Bros. Animation by and for an American audience. As is common practice in American cartoons, though, the animation work was outsourced to studios in southeast Asia.

One of those subcontractors was Japan's Sunrise, the home of the "Gundam" franchise and the studio that would go on to make "Cowboy Bebop." One of the most famous and well-regarded studios in Japan, Sunrise (officially known as Bandai Namco Filmworks these days) is where several animators (such as the founders of Studio Bones) first built their careers.

Sunrise handled seven episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series" — "Pretty Poison," "The Cat and the Claw, Part I," "Heart of Steel," "I Am the Night," "The Clock King," "Off Balance," and "The Man Who Killed Batman." Sunrise itself is divided up into several smaller studios; "Batman" was handled by Studio 6. The experience apparently left an impact, though,...

The Gundam.info official YouTube channel has started streaming a pre-show video for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. The movie's story is set in 0096 U.C. (Universal Century), around the same time as Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn . The video explains the history of the Universal Century world from the One Year War (0079-0080) to the Second Neo Zeon War (0093), as well as the introduction of the prorogue of the Silver Phantom story. And a 30-minute special program for the movie was streamed on September 29. The program features Shoko Nakagawa , who performs the theme song "Across The World." Additionally, exclusive interview footage with key staff members, such as director Kenichi Suzuki , scriptwriter Ryoji Sekinishi , and composer Yoshiya Ikeda , are included. Additionally, the movie's original soundtrack album., composed by Yoshiya Ikeda ( Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger ) will be available digitally first on...

The official website for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, today announced Japanese dub voice cast members for the eight main characters. Protagonist (male) voiced by Yuuki Shin (Iharu Furuhashi in Kaiju No.8 ) Protagonist (female) voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya Forger in Spy x Faimily ) Babia Lena voiced by Mariya Ise (Killua Zoldyck in Hunter × Hunter ) Fixzi Fix voiced by Yuki Kaji (Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan ) Haro voiced by Ryo Hirohashi (Alice Carroll in Aria The Animation ) Azami Meggineh voiced by Kikuko Inoue (Mirellia Q. Melromarc in The Rising of the Shield Hero ) Joff Idiy voiced by Hiroya Egashira (Carter in A Sign of Affection ) Mabel Lena voiced by Yukari Oribe (Ayano Watanabe in Squid Girl ) Japanese Trailer Comments from Yuuki Shin (protagonist - male): I am very happy to have had the opportunity...

Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror , a 2023 TV anime that serves as a fantasy re-imagining of Love Live! Sunshine!! , is being adapted into a theatrical compilation film that will have a limited, three week run in Japanese theaters beginning on November 29, 2024, and now a new piece of key art (below) and a new trailer have been published for the film. Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Sakurako Kimino, Asami Nakatani directs the Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror film at animation studio Sunrise. Toshiya Ohno provides the series composition, Yumiko Yamamoto provides the character designs, and Tatsuya Kato provides the music. Related: Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror Anime Announces Film Adaptation Crunchyroll describes Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror : This young fortune teller is desperate to escape her dreary small-town life. With dreams of making it big as a singer in Tokyo,...

With the upcoming release of the first part of a three-part film series from Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club , a new trailer was released today previewing performances from Ayumu, Kanata, Emma and Lanzhu. The first in the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club movies will release in Japanese theaters on September 9, 2024. Related: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Trailer Previews Part 1 The new movies will feature an all new story set in Okinawa focused on an event called "School Idol Gpx," and takes place after the original series and Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Ova . Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Kurako Kiminosa, Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club films at animation studio Sunrise. Jin Tanaka provides the script for the films, Takumi Yokota provides the character designs, and Naoki Endou provides the music. Crunchyroll currently streams Love Live!

The official website for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, announced today that the movie is set to release simultaneously worldwide on October 4 at 2:00 Pm (Jst), October 3 at 10:00 Am (Pdt). The price for the release is 2,800 yen (17.99 Usd). Those who pre-order the movie at Meta Quest Store can purchase it for 2,500 yen (15.99 Usd). Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest 3 is required to play. The Gundam.info's official YouTube channel is now streaming a new trailer announcing the worldwide release date. Related: Virtual Reality Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Movie Reveals Main Trailer, Visual Main visual Related: Shoko Nakagawa Sings Virtual Reality Movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Theme Song The main staff members include: Planning: Sunrise Distribution: Astrea 'Mobile Suit Gundam' original concept Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino Director Kenichi Suzuki ( Cells at Work! ) Scriptwriter: Ryoji Sekinishi...

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's official portal site Gundam.info released a main trailer and key visual today for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Japanese Trailer Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom English Trailer Key visual The main staff members were additionally announced, and include: Planning: Sunrise Distribution: Astrea 'Mobile Suit Gundam' original concept Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino Director Kenichi Suzuki ( Cells at Work! ) Scriptwriter: Ryoji Sekinishi ( Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury mechanical coordinator) Character Designer: Tsukasa Kotobuki ( Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin ) Mechanical Designer: Mika Akitaka ( Mobile Suit Gundam Zz ) Music Composer: Yoshiya Ikeda Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino Interactive Designer: Ferdinand Dervieux Technical Artist Director: Gaël Chaize CG Animation Director: Naoki Yamamoto An Atlas Ⅴ & Bandai Namco Filmworks production Related: Shoko Nakagawa Sings Virtual Reality Movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Theme Song...

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's official portal site Gundam.info announced on June 27 that singer/otaku idol Shoko Nakagawa sings "Across The World," the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the franchise. This is the first time that Nakagawa has sung a song for the Gundam franchise. She says, "An unprecedented cutting-edge immersion into the Gundam world! I never thought a future like this would come! I hope that the theme song 'Across The World,' which is linked to the movie, will become a memory of your new Gundam experience." "Across The World" will be available on digital services worldwide on July 3, 2024. At Anime Expo 2024, which will be held in Los Angeles from July 4 to 6, Nakagawa will take the stage at the Gundam Special Panel to present the latest information on Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom. The movie's official X...

Get ready, Gundam fans! Seed Freedom hits US theaters on May 7-8, 2024, with Japanese language and English dubbed versions. Seed Freedom is the long-awaited third installment of the Seed storyline, a culmination of years of work by Fukuda and Morosawa. Set after Seed Destiny, Seed Freedom delves into the conflicts between naturals and coordinators in a futuristic era of advanced mobile suits.

May is the month for Mobile Suit Gundam and mecha fans as the long-awaited release of the latest installment of the Gundam Seed series hits U.S. theaters this week for a limited time. Taking place in a time when humanity has successfully conquered space and our own human biology, the new release will explore the conflicts between humans native to Earth and those born and bred in outer space.

Mitsuo Fukuda, Chiaki Morosawa, and Riu Goto's Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom, which adapts Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate...

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's official portal site Gundam.info released a teaser trailer and key visual today for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the franchise. It was also confirmed that the movie's story is set in 0096 U.C. (Universal Century), around the same time as Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn . Related: Virtual Reality Interactive Film Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom in The Works The main staff members were additionally announced, and include: Planning: Sunrise Distribution: Astrea 'Mobile Suit Gundam' original concept Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino Director Kenichi Suzuki ( Cells at Work! ) Scriptwriter: Ryoji Sekinishi ( Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury mechanical coordinator) Character Designer: Tsukasa Kotobuki ( Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin ) Mechanical Designer: Mika Akitaka ( Mobile Suit Gundam Zz ) Music Composer: Yoshiya Ikeda Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino Interactive Designer: Ferdinand Dervieux Technical Artist Director: Gaël Chaize CG Animation Director: Naoki Yamamoto...

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie will be shown in over 300 theaters in the U.S. for three days only, from January 21 to January 23, as part of Anime Expoìs Cinema Night series. The movie takes place during the timeline of the anime series and focuses on a high-stakes bounty case that the crew of the Bebop must solve. Fans appreciate the movie's cool vibe and how it enhances the anime experience with better animation, storytelling, and mesmerizing music.

As part of its Cinema Night series, Anime Expo (Ax) is bringing back Cowboy Bebop: The Movie later this month for a limited time in select theaters across the United States. This will be only the fourth time the jazz-noir, cult classic film has been made available to watch in American theaters, with the most recent showing having come way back in 2018.

As revealed in a recent post on the X account of @ICONICEventsNow,...

Battle shonen and seinen anime can be some of the most entertaining genres to consume. These stories are often really fast-paced, making them exciting from beginning to end. The battles are often grandiose, with great stakes at hand. It's common to see the hero of the story break their limits to overcome a truly overwhelming force.

In doing so, they save the day and rescue those in danger. Even an anime about epic battles needs to have some manner of story. Fortunately, some of the best action-oriented stories also have compelling characters and amazing worldbuilding to keep viewers locked in.

Updated by Louis Kemner on December 19th, 2023: Series based around combat have been some of the most popular anime dating back to the '80s. These shows pull viewers in like nothing else, encouraging studios to keep making new ones, meaning there are plenty for fans to enjoy. This...

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" was a bittersweet movie. It will be the last time we'll see all these characters united, but not to fret. If you're in the mood for a story about misfits flying around from adventure to adventure in a starship, you're blessed with possibilities.

"Firefly," the cult classic space western by "The Avengers" director Joss Whedon, is an obvious one -- its influence hangs over the "Guardians" films. "Firefly," though, owed its own debts to past science fiction. There's a persistent rumor that the image of the naked River Tam (Summer Glau) in a box was taken from a nearly identical shot in a 1998 anime. The anime in question? "Outlaw Star."

Set in the far future when mankind has colonized the stars, our lead is Gene Starwind, who dreams of traveling space yet has been grounded since his father died in a pirate attack years prior.

How long will you stick with a new TV show before dropping it? According to acclaimed Japanese anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, the answer for most people is five episodes. He was sure to keep this in mind when heading the production team for "Cowboy Bebop" at animation studio Sunrise.

In "Cowboy Bebop," episodes are called "sessions," a reflection of Yoko Kanno's jazz-flavored score and how important music is to the show's identity. The first session, "Asteroid Blues," has some vague flashes of protagonist Spike Spiegel's past. However, for the most part, the first four sessions are standalone vehicles for introducing the show's primary characters. Session 5, "Ballad of Fallen Angels," is when things start to heat up and Spike's past comes to the forefront.

Watanabe bet a lot on session #5 by pulling back the curtain. In what might be an inside joke about these high stakes, Faye Valentine discovers...

Hajime Yatate/Sunrise's animated "Cowboy Bebop" series' first episode aired in America on September 2, 2001, on Cartoon Network, where it introduced a new crop of western viewers to anime in the early aughts. The neo-noir space Western concerns itself with the exploits of the exiled hitman Spike Spiegel, former cop Jet Black, and con woman Faye Valentine. The trio work as bounty hunters across the galaxy in 2071, in a show exploring themes of boredom and apathy, loneliness, and the demons of the past through dynamic visuals and sci-fi/action pastiches. "Cowboy Bebop" stands as one of the most influential animes of all...

The post The Cowboy Bebop Episode That Was Pulled From American TV After 9/11 appeared first on /Film.

1. “Cowboy Bebop” (available November 19)

Why Should I Watch? Calling the original anime “Cowboy Bebop” a cult classic doesn’t quite do justice to its impact on animation, television, and culture at large. Hajime Yatate’s neo-noir space western originally ran in the late ’90s, hopping across two Japanese TV networks to air its 26 episodes before becoming the first anime title to premiere on Adult Swim here in the States (circa 2001). Often referred to as a bridge for animation fans to invest in anime, as well as Western audiences to appreciate a medium originated in the East, “Cowboy Bebop” is also just a flat-out wild time. Bounty hunters are called cowboys, the Earth is practically uninhabitable, and space is the de facto travel frontier. Aboard the spaceship Bebop, a group of “cowboys” hunt down dangerous convicts for the right price, led by Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and...

November 19 can’t come quickly enough for fans of the legendary anime series “Cowboy Bebop.” That’s the date Netflix has set for its live-action reimagining, starring John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda. And to get fans extra-hyped, the streamer has just dropped a new teaser that’s also a “Lost Session” from the series.

That it’s a “Lost Session” means that this is indeed a standalone episode, even if running just a cool two minutes, 40 seconds. Directed by Greg Jardin, this is not, in fact, footage from forthcoming episodes set to be released November 19, but its own little story that gives you a tease of the style and tone and humor of the series to come.

Cho plays Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter of the late 21st century who tracks down riffraff all around the solar system from his spaceship, The Bebop. Along with his colleagues — competitors?...