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Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has been something else! The bright neon colors set in the cybernetic dystopian world of Night City, making its audience get lost in the action and temptation that even makes CyberPunk 2077 popular again! The show is a complete package of never-ending, which recently got renewed for a standalone season 2. Surely, for many, the Netflix adaptation was the definition of Cyberpunk, but it appears that Prime Video hides a title that did it even better with Madhouse’s undiscovered gem, Texhnolyze.

The series first came out in 2003, which shook the otakus to the core for being dark and taking a detour, reshaping their notions on “What can you consider too depressing to watch?” But more importantly, it makes us wonder if this show laid the foundational blueprint that made the 2022 series so unforgettable.

Did Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Copy Their Success From Prime Video’s Texhnolyze?

The world of anime is unfair,...

This post contains major spoilers for "Texhnolyze."

The world of cyberpunk anime is vast and promises distinct stories. There are foundational genre titles like "Akira" and "Ghost in the Shell," along with underrated entries like "Blame!" or "Akudama Drive" (that have covertly shaped our understanding of cyberpunk over the decades). But cyberpunk also houses experimental anime in the same vein as "Serial Experiments Lain," which promises a grim, mind-bending sci-fi tale about the horrors of being an adolescent girl in a world rapidly overtaken by corrosive cyberspace. Chiaki J Konaka, who wrote "Lain" and fleshed out its philosophical vignettes, also penned a lesser-known spiritual successor steeped in nihilism and a thousand ethical dilemmas. This overlooked gem is none other than "Texhnolyze," which Konaka made in collaboration with producer Yasuyuki Ueda and legendary character designer Yoshitoshi ABe (who also worked on "Lain").

Calling "Texhnolyze" a cult hit is an understatement. It...

If Ken’ichirô Akimoto’s new anime feature “All You Need Is Kill” feels familiar, that’s because it is. The film is an adaptation of the Japanese light novel of the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe that also inspired “Edge of Tomorrow,” the 2014 Tom Cruise hit directed by Doug Liman.

Liman’s film, a sci-fi thriller about an ordinary man (Cruise), forced into battle during a massive alien invasion and cursed with having to relive the same day over and over and over again, took plenty of liberties with the source material. Akimoto’s new take, written by Yûichirô Kido and Hiroshi Sakurazaka takes its own liberties, but it keeps the novel’s much better title — and also maintains the flinty charm of the Liman movie.

As “All You Need is Kill” opens, Earth is dealing with the arrival of Darol – a massive outer space plant whose intentions are unknown.

It's the end of another week, which means the Bam Smack Pow team is here to recap the biggest anime news you may have missed. This week, we've got film festivals, concerts, and a work from one of the most iconic anime and manga creators of all time getting a chance to reach a whole new audience.

So, let's take a look for some of the biggest anime news from the end of April and the start of May.

Transformers One Statue Photocall / Annecy Festival | Richard Bord/GettyImages Annecy International Animation Film Festival announces anime screenings

As reported by Anime News Network, the 2025 iteration of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (scheduled June 8-14) will screen several anime in showings that will serve as their Western premieres. The anime screenings announced include Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage; the anime adaptation of the light novel All You Need is Kill,...

Is Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow getting a manga sequel?(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Tom Cruise’s sci-fi actioner Edge of Tomorrow stands as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, and the credit reaches beyond mere Hollywood. Co-starring Emily Blunt and directed by Doug Liman, the movie engages with a time loop plot where Cruise’s William Cage incessantly wakes up and dies.

However, only few know the ingenious concept sprang from a manga writer in Japan and traveled a long way before landing on Cruise’s frequent collaborator and Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie’s desk. Originally known as All You Need Is Kill — once a tentative title for Cruise’s film — author Hiroshi Sakurazaka and illustrator Yoshitoshi Abe’s thought-provoking work was published as a light novel, bridging the gap between literary media and manga.

Abe’s artistic style shone through, though it only hinted...

The anime industry has several incredible original stories, but most times, the biggest anime properties are based on manga. These adaptations make the manga even more popular, essentially acting as commercials for this source material. Most of the popular manga are turned into anime, but that's not always what happens, especially for a few hits.

Some of the best manga still lack anime adaptations, and the reasons are usually unique for each one. Sometimes, it's inexplicable why there's still no anime, whereas other properties have gone on hiatus and thus possibly missed their window. Others have only live-action adaptations, and given where they stand next to other franchises, they may not have enough proverbial juice in the tank to justify a worthwhile anime adaptation.

Vagabond Is Too Beautiful for a Generic Anime Created by Takehiko Inoue

Beginning its run in the late 1990s, Vagabond was created by the same mangaka behind Slam Dunk.

A woman of many yet unconventional talents, Saiki Misaki juggles three jobs: Mistress in a Bdsm club, columnist for an erotic magazine, and necromancer at the local municipal office. Of the three, being an underworld detective for the Livelihood Preservation Section is the one she enjoys the least, but the alarming rate of suicides in Tokyo leaves her no choice but to try and understand what is bringing so many people to take their own lives. With the help of her colleague Soichiro and her demonic familiar Kinue, Saiki will come to realize how seemingly unrelated cases lead up to a mysterious organization, plotting in the shadows to wreak havoc on the country.

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A quite unusual mix of sexual deviance, spiritism and dad jokes, “Ghost Talker’s Daydream” is a manga as unappreciated as it is worthwhile, embodying the turmoil of early...

Adult anime fans may have a hard time finding series that fit their needs. The world of anime is incredibly vast, covering stories from a variety of genres. From romance to action, and even sci-fi, there's an anime series for every type of fan. However, for older fans of the expressive animation medium, it can sometimes be hard to find characters to relate to their own lives.

Many popular titles focus on young protagonists, often featuring high school students as the main characters. While there's nothing wrong with these titles, it's also nice to see someone more like yourself reflected on the screen. Still, there are plenty of options for the adult anime fan wanting a break from high school anime, looking for an emotional story, or simply wanting to laugh at the situations that every adult finds themselves in.

Welcome To The N.H.K. Anime Series By Gonzo...

Angels in anime break the stereotype with unique personalities and forms, from curious Rakka to assassin Dokuro Mitsukai. Ranging from angelic to destructive, anime angels like Ikaros and Emi Yusa navigate complex emotions and relationships. With charming quirks and abilities, angel characters like Shimoda and Whis bring humor and depth to their roles in anime.

The best angels in anime each come with their own unique quirks outside the stereotypical portrayal of peace, miracles, and purity. While some of these angels possess those qualities, it is not their defining characteristic. Oftentimes, a darker side of the angelic species is brought to the surface, such as when they encounter those they deem a threat.

The celestial beings known as angels may take on a different appearance in anime. They do not always take on angelic forms complete with golden halos and white-feathered wings, but come in a multitude of forms, from the ordinary to the monstrous.

It was always only a matter of time until modern Hollywood resigned itself to remaking anime. Which isn’t to suggest that the uniquely Japanese medium is somehow unworthy of being used as fodder for Western blockbusters — on the contrary, anime has provided some of the most progressive, adventurous, and visionary filmmaking of the last 30 years — but rather to acknowledge the palpable whiff of inevitability with which Paramount is releasing “Ghost in the Shell.”

It’s not like studio executives are obsessive fans of the franchise, it’s not like former Paramount CEO Brad Grey bought every new DVD of “Stand Alone Complex” as it was released in the United States and can walk you through every detail of the Laughing Man case, it’s not like the people in power were just patiently waiting for the entertainment climate to warm up to the idea of a star-studded Major Kusanagi...

A weird truth: Even in the midst of the current comic book gold-rush, major studios can't seem to get a good anime or manga adaptation off the ground—although the influence of those works can be seen everywhere. This weekend's Big Hero 6 is based on a Marvel comic that's heavily (perhaps even problematically) inspired by anime and manga. As tangentially connected to the art form as Big Hero 6 is, could it be the harbinger of a sea change in Hollywood's approach to manga and anime? Tackling this question can be kind of tricky—after all, "anime" and "manga...

In the past few years, time loop movies have been making a slight comeback in mainstream Hollywood. The genre is one rarely ventured into, with good reason, but the quality we’ve seen recently has been spectacular. So with baited breath, and fingers cross, I am wholeheartedly looking forward to Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow this summer.

The biggest reason I am it is not the fact that Tom Cruise is front and centre, but rather that Emily Blunt is right beside him in the female lead.

Blunt has been rising through the ranks over the years, making huge strides across a slew of genres with movies like The Adjustment Bureau, Your Sister’s Sister, and Looper, not to mention Disney’s upcoming Into the Woods. She traverses independent and blockbuster movies like few are capable of, and seeing her return to blockbuster territory here is what’s got...

Tom Cruise is currently filming All You Need Is Kill, which is based on the sci-fi ‘light novel’ written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and illustrated by Yoshitoshi Abe. The story takes place in the near-future and revolves around a human soldier (Cruise) who is killed during a battle against an invading alien army. However, because he came into direct contact with one of the extraterrestrials before his death, Cruise ends up stuck in a time loop where he relives the final day of his life over and over.

Scroll on down for the first official screenshot from All You Need Is Kill, along with additional information about the adaptation of Sakurazaka’s novel (which, for the record, was published after Groundhog Day but before Source Code hit theaters).

All You Need Is Kill, ...

Click to continue reading Tom Cruise Wears a Mech Suit in the First ‘All You Need Is Kill...

Bill Paxton has entered All You Need is Kill talks. The Haywire actor is in negotiations to join Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in the Warner Bros sci-fi action film, reports Variety. The film is based on the animated Japanese novel by writer Hiroshi Sakurazaka with artist Yoshitoshi ABe, which centres around Cruise as a warrior fighting to defend a futuristic Earth against an alien invasion. Finding himself caught in an inexplicable time loop, he fights the same day (more)...

It's a banner day for fans of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," since Bill Paxton and Tom Cruise may finally star together for the first time in their thirty-year careers.  Paxton is in negotiations to join director Doug Liman's All You Need is Kill at Warner Bros.  The sci-fi actioner based on a Japanese graphic-novel already stars Cruise as a soldier in a war against aliens who relives the day of his death over and over.  His repeated battle experience hardens his resolve and makes him a better soldier.  Paxton is in talks to play Cruise's tough platoon leader.  Hit the jump for more on All You Need is Kill. From Variety comes the report that Paxton may star alongside Cruise for the first time in All You Need is Kill.  The picture, which also stars Emily Blunt and Charlotte Riley, was scripted by Dante Harper and Joby Harold...

Tom Cruise has finished work on Oblivion, Joseph Kosinski’s followup to Tron Legacy (which was his freshman directorial effort). The A-lister is preparing for his next sci-fi/action vehicle, All You Need Is Kill, from director Doug Liman, whose resume includes Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Jumper.

All You Need Is Kill is based on the Hiroshi Sakurazaka novel with illustrations by Yoshitoshi Abe. The Warner Bros. film is ramping up for an October start date overseas in London. It would make sense if the studio is planning to release the movie during the Winter 2013 season, following the pattern of last year’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and this December’s Jack Reacher (both Cruise vehicles, obviously). That’s not a given, though.

The project is expected to retain ...

Click to continue reading Update On ‘All You Need Is Kill’ Adaptation With Tom Cruise...

Tom Cruise is in talks to star in Warner Bros.' sci-fi film "All You Need Is Kill."According to Variety, Doug Liman is directing from a script by Dante Harper with Joby Harold penning the rewrite.Erwin Stoff, Tom Lassally and Jason Hoffs are producing through 3 Arts Entertainment.The film, based on the 2004 Japanese graphic novel "All You Need Is Kill" by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe, centers on a soldier (Cruise) in a war against aliens who finds himself caught in a time loop in which he wakes up in the past after having been killed on the battlefield. As his death and resurrection repeat, he tries to change his fate.Cruise will be seen in "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol"...

One thing is for certain, that man Cruise likes to keep busy, not content with having one film in the bag with Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol, one more currently in production (Rock of Ages) and a further one set to start (Horizons) word is that the star is also considering lining up sci – fi adventure We Mortals Are. The Yoda sounding title (Star Wars get it?) is based on a 2004 Japanese graphic novel entitled All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe. The plot would see Cruise playing a soldier defending Earth from an alien attack, getting killed in battle the hero then becomes stuck in a time loop and becomes involved in the most testing of groundhog days over and over. With each passing day he gains strength and skill and as he tries to change his fate. Cruise is no stranger to taking on alien...

Tom Cruise is set to star in Doug Liman’s adaptation of All You Need Is Kill. Variety reports that Cruise will star in the film from Warner Bros. based on the Japanese novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka that features art by Yoshitoshi ABe.

Here is the description of the story: There's one thing worse than dying. It's coming back to do it again and again... When the alien Gitai invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many raw recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to find himself reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On the 158th iteration though, he sees something different, something out of place: the female soldier known as the B*tch of War. Is the B*tch the key to Keiji's escape, or to his final death? Dante Harper wrote...

Tom Cruise has agreed to star in the Doug Liman-directed All You Need Is Kill at Warner Bros. Pictures, reports Variety . The film will be based on the Japanese novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka that features art by Yoshitoshi ABe. It is described as follows: There's one thing worse than dying. It's coming back to do it again and again... When the alien Gitai invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many raw recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to find himself reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On the 158th iteration though, he sees something different, something out of place: the female soldier known as the B*tch of War. Is the B*tch the key to Keiji's escape, or to his final death? The trade adds...

Variety reports that Doug Liman (Fair Game, Jumper, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity) will direct the big-screen adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka's 2004 science fiction-actioner, All You Need is Kill, for Warner Bros. Liman will direct All You Need is Kill from Dante Harper's screenplay. Harper sold a spec script to Warner Bros. this past April for seven figures. Liman was attached to direct a new adaptation of Alexander Dumas' The Three Musketeers as well, but another, unrelated adaptation (in 3D, of course) has already gone into production, putting Warner Bros.' take on hold for the foreseeable future.

Described as a Groundhog Day/Starship Troopers mash-up, All You Need is Kill was originally published for a young adult audience ("light novel" in publishing parlance) with illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe. All You Need is Kill centers on a future war between humans and aliens, the Gitai. The central character,...

Doug Liman has officially signed on to direct the big-screen adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s 2004 novel “All You Need is Kill” for Warner Bros. More about Sakurazaka’s award-winning novel (with illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe): The story is told from the first person point of view of the protagonist Keiji Kiriya. Keiji is a new recruit in the United Defense Force, fighting against the mysterious creatures called ‘Mimics’ which have laid siege to Earth. Keiji is killed on his first sortie, but through some inexplicable phenomenon wakes up having returned to the day before the battle, only to find himself caught in a time loop as his death and resurrection repeats time and time again. Keiji’s skills as a soldier grows as he passes through the time loops trying to change his fate. According to Wiki, there are four main characters in the novel: Keiji Kiriya - A...