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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.

The sheer length of some of the most famous anime series can be something of a turnoff for newcomers, leading some fans to wonder what the best short anime are. Friends may enthusiastically recommend Naruto, One Piece, or The Legend of Galactic Heroes, but those shows, classics that they are, have hundreds of episodes, making them something of a time commitment, to say the very least.

Maybe a viewer is new to anime and isn't sure that they want to sink that much time into a single piece of media, or maybe they're a longtime fan who simply doesn't have the time or patience to sit through another 70 episodes until they finally reach the story arc their friends keep raving about. Luckily for those pressed for time, anime has a lot of excellent shorter shows that aren't held back by their length, coming in at 13 episodes or less. The best...

One of the biggest trademarks of anime is its proclivity for intense action, leading to some of the greatest actions movies of all time. While many great shows have nothing to do with the genre, many of the biggest anime in history have been ones that have had a heavy focus on action, whether it be grounded in reality or the fantastical.

Feature-length anime films are often when animators are given complete time and freedom on a project, and that often leads to anime movies focused on action, which takes their stories and animation to incredible levels, especially if they were part of an ongoing franchise, and being some of the best things to watch in the entire medium. This has always been the case for old and new movies alike, with a few taking it far enough to be some of the best action-centric anime films for fans to watch.

Shnen is one of the most popular genres in anime. It's a genre targeting boys and young men, featuring amazing fights, awesome world-building, and some of the best friendships around. While it might not seem so, friendships are huge in shnen anime. Most protagonists have a best friend they can rely on, helping to push them to new heights. Some of the best friendships in shnen aren't between the protagonist, but between two other characters who have each other's backs no matter what.

To be a good friendship in shnen, the two characters need to trust each other completely. They need to be able to rely on each other, and they also need to be able to push each other. A good friend knows their friend's limit, but also believes in them enough to help them surpass their limits too.

Kamina and Simon Gurren Lagann

Gurren Lagann

Cast Akio Suyama,...

At the Bats in Translation: “Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League” and “Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios” Video Presentation and Panel event today at New York Comic Con 2024, a new trailer was released for the upcoming Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League feature-length anime, revealing the rest of the voice cast for the Yakuza League, a Japanese-style spin on the Justice League. Additionally, the new trailer announced Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will be released in 2025 straight to digital and Blu-ray. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League - Nycc 2024 Trailer Filling out the ranks of the Yakuza League and beyond are: Green Lantern voiced by Ayane Sakura (Ochaco Uraraka in My Hero Academia ) Aquaman voiced by Akio Otsuka (Blackbeard in One Piece ) The Flash voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama (Ikkaku Madarame in Bleach ) Wonder Woman voiced by Romi Park (Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist ) Ra's al Ghul voiced by Kazuhiro Yamaji (Silver Fang in...

The Netflix Anime official YouTube channel has started streaming a main trailer for Baki Hanma Vs Kengan Ashura , an upcoming crossover film between two martial arts-themed manga series — Keisuke Itagaki's Baki and Yabako Sandrovich (story) and Daromeon's (arts) Kengan Ashura . The clip features the film's opening theme song "Fly High" performed by four-member Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko! (known as Atarashii Gakkou no Leaders in Japan). And it was also confirmed that the ending theme "Don't Stay" is provided by three-member hip-hop dance and vocal group Lead . Baki Hanma Vs Kengan Ashura main trailer Atarashii Gakko! Lead The three matchup cards depicted in the film were also announced as follows: 1st match: Yoroizuka Saw Paing (CV: Nobuyuki Hiyama) from Kengan Asura vs. Kaoru Hanayana (CV: Takuya Eguchi) from Baki 2nd match: Kurea Raian (CV: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) from Kengan Asura vs. Jack Hanma (CV: Kenta Miyake) from Baki 3rd...

Link has always been a character of few words, so it almost seems like a joke to say he's had 11 voice actors voice him over the years, but it's absolutely true. We're talking from the time Jonathan Potts first gave the character a speaking role in 1989's The Legend Of Zelda television series, all the way to Breath Of The Wild. Here are some facts on these voice actors who landed the gig of the century as they net money just grunting and screaming their way through a game. 

The Most Prevalent Actor In The Franchise Is Sachi Matsumoto

I guess we should say actress, as the female Matsumoto is known for her voicing of "Toon Link" in the Legend Of Zelda franchise. In total Matsumoto has voiced the character in 8 games, and only two of those games are canon (Windwaker and Phantom Hourglass). Hilariously enough, Matsumoto has voiced the...