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The upcoming anime adaptation of The Catcher in the Ballpark! has drafted two new cast members—this time filling out more positions in the Motorsuns baseball team. Get to know Dennis and Brian, two overseas players making a name for themselves in Japanese baseball! Kentaro Tone (Chingosman in Zenshu ) voices Dennis (left), the Motorsuns third baseman who bats cleanup. A former major leaguer from Chicago, Dennis is aiming to impress any scouts who might be in the stands and return to the majors. Ko Bonkobara (Kuro in Shibuya♡Hachi ) voices Brian, the Motorsuns' designated hitter. After a long history in the minors, he took off in the world of Japanese baseball. The two players' numbers will be of interest to baseball fans. Dennis sports #34, a number belonging to two prominent Chicago Cubs players of years past. Meanwhile, Brian wears Jackie Robinson's legendary #42—a number retired from use except on...

Upcoming sports-fan anime The Catcher in the Ballpark! continues to populate its cast with people from all parts of the business and fandom of baseball. Today's cast additions are something of a power couple! Joining the cast are Rika Tachibana and Hiroki Tochi (Maine in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners ) as married couple Yuki and Kojiro. Playing right field and batting seventh is Kojiro (right), a veteran player with 200 career home runs. His wife Aki (left) is a retired baseball announcer who now watches from the stands. In a moment of art imitating life, Rika Tachibana has something in common with her character: she is also married to a baseball player! In 2019, the voice actress announced her marriage to Orix Buffaloes catcher Kenya Wakatsuki. Related: The Catcher in the Ballpark! Anime Casts Jin Urayama and Chiharu Sawashiro Related: Momoko Seto Joins The Catcher in the Ballpark! Anime Cast as Kokoro Junichi Kitamura ( Fluffy...

The official website of AnimeJapan 2025 revealed the line-ups for its main stages on Jan 17, 2025.

This year’s event will feature four main stages—Red, Green, Blue, and the newly introduced White stage, hosting a total of 52 programs over two days.

An overview of the stages can be viewed below:

Red Stage & Green Stage: These are closed stages with designated seating. Attendees will need both an admission ticket and a stage viewing ticket to watch programs on these stages. Blue Stage & White Stage: These are open stages. The front-row seats for viewing will be designated seating, requiring both an admission ticket and a stage viewing ticket. However, free viewing areas are available at the back, though space is limited.

It was also revealed that some stage programs will be streamed online. Further details about the streaming schedule and availability will be revealed in the coming weeks.

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Your Favorite Manga Might...

The time for more Solo Leveling is upon us! Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- makes its hotly-anticipated debut today on Crunchyroll, and we have a handy little guide to prepare you for all the action to come. Read on for an overview of the anime's cast, staff, trailer, visuals and everything else that's been leveling up steadily since the new season was revealed! Solo Leveling Season 2 Release Release Date and Exact Time Where to Watch Official Trailers Characters and Voice Actors Anime Staff Anime Key Visuals Plot When is Solo Leveling Season 2 Coming Out? Solo Leveling Season 2 Release Date and Time English Sub Release Date: - Solo Leveling Season 2 premieres on January 4, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Pt Territories: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, Cis and India Related: Crunchyroll Winter 2025 Anime Season Lineup Announced! Where Can I Watch Solo Leveling Season 2? You...

At the stroke of midnight on Christmas Day in Japan, the official accounts for Sanda released the TV anime adaptation's first teaser trailer and a new teaser visual, both revealing main cast and staff members and a Fall 2025 release window. The mystery drama series will star Ayumu Murase (Hinata in Haikyu!! ) as Kazushige Sanda and Hiroki Tochi (Heiter in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ) as Santa Claus. Sanda Anime Teaser Trailer The visual's tagline reads, "Santa, please find my friend." Sanda Teaser Visual Related: Paru Itagaki's Sanda Manga Gets TV Anime from Science Saru Based on the manga by Beastars creator Paru Itagaki, Tomohisa Shimoyama ( Yurei Deco ) directs Sanda at studio Science Saru, with series composition and scripts by Kimiko Ueno ( Delicious in Dungeon ), character designs and chief animation direction by Masamichi Ishiyama ( Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ) and music by Tomoyuki Tanaka. Set in a future with a declining birth rate,...

As fans of the series will know, A-1 Pictures’ anime adaptation of the popular South Korean manhwa series Solo Leveling finally aired earlier this year after numerous delays and cancelation scares. And while the series has received more or less positive reactions, fans of the original work were not as overwhelmed as they had hoped.

In light of this problematic first season, Solo Leveling was nevertheless renewed for a second season, which is scheduled for a 2025 release, but before that, as you might probably know already, a movie titled Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- is going to be released in late November this year.

The movie will give us a recap of the first season and tease the first episodes of the second season (which is becoming a tradition in the industry!), and we are happy to confirm that a new trailer has just been released and that you will be able...

It's all coming up roses for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End fans, as the beloved anime's official website and X (formerly Twitter) account today unveiled a flowery new visual to pre-emptively celebrate one year passing since a silver-haired elf and her companions first graced our screens on September 29, 2023 — even though it feels like an immortal lifetime ago. To further commemorate the occasion, a special screening of the first four episodes will be held at Toho Cinemas Hibiya with six cast members in attendance on Saturday, September 28 . Atsumi Tanezaki (Frieren) Kana Ichinose (Fern), Chiaki Kobayashi (Stark), Nobuhiko Okamoto (Himmel), Hiroki Tochi (Heiter) and Yoji Ueda (Eisen) will be present at the event, which will be streamed simultaneously in six other theaters. New merchandise inspired by the below visual have also been made available on the Toho Animation Store . 1st Anniversary Visual Related: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Exhibit Gives a Full Chance to...

Fall 2024 is looking to be a busy season, and one of the many series vying for Autumnal Supremacy is Mecha-Ude . The anime revealed plans for an October 2024 premiere along with the launch of a new trailer at its AnimeJapan 2024 stage event. Check out some stylish action with a dash of comedy in the video below. Mecha-Ude Anime 2nd Trailer There are also three more cast members , including: Sinis & Dex voiced by Kaito Ishikawa (Tobio Kageyama in Haikyu!! ) Tohdoh voiced by Amatsuki (Kei Miyama in Paradox Live The Animation ) Aljis voiced by Hiroki Tochi (Bard in Black Butler ) Additional staff members were announced , too: Sound Director: Takeshi Takadera 3Dcg Director: Shota Kawamura Related: Mecha-Ude Anime Series Premieres in 2024 As previously reported, the staff and cast for the series include: Original Concept and Director: Okamoto Series Composition: Yasuhiro Nakanishi, TriF Character Design: Terumi Nishii, Yoko Uchida Mecha-Ude Design, Concept Art: Nurikabe Music: Kohta Yamamoto,...

Trillion Game , an upcoming TV anime based on the seinen manga of the same name, has revealed a wealth of new information including additional cast members, key staff, a new trailer, and a new key visual. The series will broadcast in Japan on Tokyo Broadcasting System and other stations beginning in October 2024. The new cast members include: Kirika Kokuryu voiced by M・A・O (Ruri Matsuri in The Fire Hunter ) Kirika Kokuryu character visual Kazuki Kedoin voiced by Hiroki Tochi (Baek Yoonho in Solo Leveling ) Kazuki Kedoin character visual Rinrin Takahashi voiced by Yuki Tanaka Rinrin Takahashi character visual The original Trillion Game manga is written by Riichiro Inagaki, illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, and published by Shogakukan in their Big Comic Superior seinen manga magazine. An English language version is currently in-development from Viz Media. Yuuzou Satou directs the TV anime at animation studio Madhouse. Ryunosuke Kingetsu provides the series composition,...

The official website for the forthcoming TV anime adaptation of Ken Kawasaki (story) and Yu Furusawa's (arts) golf-themed manga Oi! Tonbo announced four additional voice e cast members in addition to the previously-announced Rika Hayashi as the protagonist girl, Tonbo Oi, and Hiroki Touchi (Heiter in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ) as Kazuyoshi Igarashi. Shin Aomori plays Gon-jii, a skilled fisherman and Tonbo's grandfather, who has taken in and raised her. Mizuka Arima plays Gonji's childhood friend, Setsu-baa, who runs a guest house and looks after Tonbo. Bunpei, an island branch office employee, is played by Junya Enoki , and Yoko Adaniya, a nurse working at the island clinic, is played by Mimi Maihane . Junya Enoki said, "The scenery of Tokara combined with the depiction of golf makes for a very beautiful and dynamic work. Bunpei, who I play, is a cheerful and kind islander, and I hope to have a good conversation with Tonbo and others.

The official website for the forthcoming TV anime adaptation of Ken Kawasaki (story) and Yu Furusawa's (arts) golf-themed manga Oi! Tonbo has confirmed that it is set to premiere in Japan on April 6, 2024. The site has also released a new clip to announce the premiere date, with the same trailer as the previously released one, plus messages from the two main voice cast members. Rika Hayashi , who is cast as the protagonist girl, Tonbo Oi, says, " My first impression of Tonbo was that she is a powerful girl who lives a stretched life. I am doing my best to impress you all a lot! Please enjoy the show!" Meanwhile, Hiroki Touchi (Heiter in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ), who plays Kazuyoshi Igarashi, adds, "I hope you will enjoy watching the first episode, which is packed with the beauty and vastness of the island, the great outdoors, and the charm of golf there!

A new "Character and Cocktails" visual is here for the Bartender Glass of God anime, this time serving up some real experience and a classic drink with the help of Kitakata. The character who now runs the North Wind bar in Kabukicho will be voiced by Hiroki Tochi (Heiter in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ), and he's featured alongside the timeless Old Fashioned cocktail in the visual below.  You can also see Kitakata's character setting at the top of the article.  Related: Bartender Glass of God Anime Visual Prepares a Mojito with Yuri Kinjo The TV anime  Bartender Glass of God  is set to premiere in Japan in April 2024, and will also be streamed on Crunchyroll as it airs for members in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East and Cis. The anime is directed by Ryoichi Kuraya ( Tsugumomo ) at Liber Inc. with series composition written...

The official website for the forthcoming TV anime adaptation of Ken Kawasaki (story) and Yu Furusawa's (arts) golf-themed manga Oi! Tonbo has released a 90-second new trailer. The TV anime is set to premiere in Japan in April 2024. The clip introduces the anime's main characters with their voices for the first time, including the protagonist Tonbo Oi played by Rika Hayashi and Iga Igarashi by Hiroki Touchi (Heiter in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ). "Tonbo is just a straight kid. All the balls she shots break to the left and right, though! (laugh)." Hayashi said on the website. "The world in Tonbo's eyes is all fresh and full of excitement and thrill. You can't miss the free thinking and many golf scenes. I am very honored to be involved in this very wonderful work. I will do my best to play the role so that everyone who supports Oi! Tonbo will enjoy.

The official website for the forthcoming TV anime adaptation of Ken Kawasaki (story) and Yu Furusawa's (arts) golf-themed manga Oi! Tonbo has announced that the anime is set to premiere in Japan in April 2024. The site has also announced the anime's two main voice cast members — Rika Hayashi as the protagonist Tonbo Oi and Hiroki Touchi (Heiter in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ) as Iga Igarashi. Synopsis (via official website ): Igarashi, who Left the past behind and running away from the world, moved to the Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture. On Hinoshima Island, which is said to be "the last unexplored region in Japan," Igarashi meets Tonbo, the only junior high school student on the island. The innocent girl has an incredible talent for golf! This encounter will change the destiny of the two... Related: Oi! Tonbo Golf Anime Releases Teaser Trailer, Visual Additionally, the opening theme song "Habatake" ( Spread Your Wings...

Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation will be adapted into an anime, releasing on January 21 on Netflix in the West and January 22 in Japan. The anime is a prequel to One Piece, focusing on the samurai Ryuma's life before his appearance in the Thriller Bark arc. Despite some continuity errors with the One Piece series, Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation is expected to be a visually impressive and highly anticipated anime.

In 2023, as part of the annual One Piece Day event in Japan, it was announced that the One Piece prequel story, Monsters, would be adapted into an anime titled Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation. Of all of Eiichiro Oda’s pre-One Piece stories, Monsters had always been held in the highest regard, so it’s great to see the story getting the recognition it deserves.

Not much about Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation was revealed following the official announcement,...

Streaming giant Crunchyroll, in collaboration with Aniplex, announced the global release date for the highly anticipated Solo Leveling anime. It is set to premiere on the platform on Jan 6, 2024, and will be available for streaming in over 200 territories worldwide, including India.

Asa Suehira, Chief Content Officer at Crunchyroll, expressed excitement on the collaboration, stating, “At Crunchyroll, we are always looking for innovative ways to connect our audience with captivating stories from around the world. Solo Leveling is a groundbreaking series that has captured the imagination of fans globally, and we are thrilled to be part of the journey to bring this extraordinary manhwa to life as an anime. Our collaboration with Aniplex symbolizes our commitment to delivering high-quality, diverse content that resonates with our viewers.“

Shunsuke Nakashige is directing the anime, with Noboru Kimura serving as the script writer. Tomoko Sudo is in charge of character designing, and Hiroyuki Sawano will compose the music.

The live-action One Piece adaptation on Netflix has received praise for staying true to its source material and breaking the curse of failed adaptations on the streaming platform. Netflix has released a step-by-step guide to watch the Japanese dub of the live-action One Piece, which features the majority of the original anime cast. Bringing back the original anime performers for the live-action show's Japanese dub is a show of faith for longtime fans and adds an interesting dynamic to compare with the new live-action performances.

As the show continues to enjoy success on the streamer, Netflix has released a step-by-step guide to watch the live-action One Piece's Japanese dub. Led by Iñaki Godoy as aspiring King of the Pirates Monkey D. Luffy, the manga adaptation has garnered widespread praise from critics and audiences alike for staying true to its source material and successfully translating its epic scale to live-action,...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The series: "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners"

Where you can stream it: Netflix

The pitch: "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" is an original anime collaboration between CD Projekt Red ("The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt") and Studio Trigger, an anime production company that's become known for their high-intensity action sequences. The series follows all-new characters set in the same world as the "Cyberpunk 2077" video game from CD Projekt Red, following their adventures as cyberpunk "edgerunners" living on the fringes of society in the futuristic Night City. The series focuses on David (voiced by Kenn in the Japanese version and Zach Aguilar in the English version), who faces a choice between living (and probably dying) as a cyberpunk, or trying to make a life for himself by kissing up and following the rules.

Netflix is going all in on anime as they add the eagerly anticipated Godzilla movie and 12 other projects to their slate of upcoming programming. Deadline says in addition to the series the network is also overseeing the development of Cannon Busters, Devilman Crybaby, B: The Beginning, and Knights Of The Zodiac: Saint Seiya just to name a few.

The Godzilla and Saint Seiya grabs really show that Netflix is working to grab their Western audience who loves anime, but with competitors like Crunchyroll and Funimation (who was recently bought by Sony) in the mix, who knows if they'll be able to compete on that front. Time will tell, but the addition of so many projects seems promising for the future of anime on the platform.

Below you'll find details photos and some trailer for the anime projects that Netflix has picked up!

Cannon Busters

Created, directed and executive produced...

Fans of the heroic demon-hunting antics of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester in television's "Supernatural" should be happy to hear that the anime adaptation Supernatural: The Animated Series will be making its way to UK DVD shelves this May 27th courtesy of Warner Bros.

Read on for the skinny -- though Bobby would probably still disapprove.

Synopsis:

Having lost their mother, Mary, under mysterious paranormal circumstances at an early age, young Sam and Dean Winchester are raised by their father, who, driven by revenge, becomes an obsessive hunter and destroyer of supernatural creatures and entities. Years later, when their father mysteriously disappears and Sam’s girlfriend is killed in similar circumstances as their mother, the Winchester brothers follow in their father’s footsteps, traveling the back roads, highways and byways of America in search of answers and vengeance. It is a journey that brings them face-to-face with unimaginable horrors,...

Created by: Eric Kripke.

Directors: Shigeyuki Miya, and Atsuko Ishizuka.

Executive Producer: Masao Maruyama.

Character Designer: Takahiro Yoshimatsu.

Debuting to select audiences and currently available in Japan is Supernatural: The Animation. The first few episodes are now out on Blu-ray and DVD. Expectations are high that this series will soon see a North American release. In what is currently available, the show has both an English and Japanese voice track. All 22 episodes are tentatively expected to be available, direct to video, by April 2011.

The series is produced by Madhouse, an animation studio better known for titles like Vampire Hunter D (1985), Trigun (1998) and Monster (2004). This company is certainly no stranger to the science fiction/horror genre either. Their production values and their artistry is always visually striking. The tales they adapt are sometimes surreal.

In importing Eric Kripke's property, the company has instilled a unique take into the world of Supernatural.

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are getting animated. The "Supernatural" anime series, set for initial release in Japan on Feb. 23, is being dubbed for English-speaking audiences, and a U.S. version is expected to be released on DVD, though no release date has been announced.

In the English language version, Warner Bros. Japan confirms that Padalecki has signed on to dub all 22 episodes as Sam Winchester. Dean, however, may sound a little different - Ackles has signed on to voice only 2 of the episodes. He'll be heard on the final episodes... presumably in which Dean trades his soul for Sam's life. There's no word yet on who will fill in for the other 20 episodes, but we hope he's ready to get his growl on.

In the Japanese version, Sam and Dean Winchester will be voiced by Yuya Uchida and Hiroki Touchi, respectively. They're also the voice-actors who dub over the...

As the release dates for the Supernatural anime have been pushed back from January to February 2011, fans now have longer to wait for their first glimpses of the Winchesters turned animated stars. However, we are getting many tantalizing treats to tide us over; from character sketches to episode descriptions to a trailer worth its weight in gold.

When the anime project was originated, it was announced that while Dean and Sam's character sketches would look similar to Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, other characters as well as supernatural monsters would be re-imagined. Jessica Moore has become a redhead, John Winchester has become more grizzled, and Mary Winchester reminds me more of the actress than the character. However, the two characters that have departed from their actors the most seem to be Bobby Singer and Missouri Moseley. Bobby looks to be a bookie moreso than a hunter and Missouri has a...

See Sam and Dean like you’ve never seen them before. Well, actually exactly like you’ve seen them in their hunting adventures, but this time it’s animated! From series creator Eric Kripke and Madhouse, the anime studio that brought you Death Note, Vampire Hunter D, and Summer Wars, comes Supernatural: The Animation. This project is expected to yield twenty-two episodes for Warner Bros Home Video and will ship on DVD and Blu-Ray in Japan on January 12, 2011. No word yet on when it will be available to the American market.

The anime adapts the first two seasons of live-action CW series Supernatural starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as the demon-hunting Winchester brothers. According to Anime News Network:

“The anime project will not only remake the best episodes from the live-action version, but also depict original episodes not seen in the live-action version. Those original episodes will include prologues of the Winchester brothers’ childhood,...