Animation

Image of manga/anime character Baki holding his fist up to the sky with text "Baki 30th Anniversary Project" across the center.

Netflix to Premiere New BAKI HANMA Anime This Fall

It was recently revealed by Weekly Shonen Champion magazine that streaming service Netflix will premiere the new Baki Hanma Anime this fall. The latest in the Baki the Grappler series, and sequel to recent Baki: Dai Raitaisai-hen, continue the story of the “strongest parent-child brawl in the history of the world” as referenced in the original manga. Additionally, Weekly Shonen Champion recently released a special website to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the manga in September. On this site, users can submit cosplay, videos, original art and manga to enter a fan art contest, closing August 31. The original Baki the Grappler (aka Grappler Baki) manga ran in Weekly Shonen Champion from 1991 to 1999. It also received to a series of 42 manga volumes, which have more than 63 million copies in circulation, two anime seasons and an OVA. It’s sequel, Baki, ran from 1999 to 2005, was released […]

GKIDS Sets 4K Restoration Of Miyazaki’s FUTURE BOY CONAN To Premiere For The First Time In North America Later This Year

Lee B. Golden III

The good folks over at GKIDS are no strangers to the work of Academy Award-winner Hayao Miyazaki, having stocked amply on a number of his titles for their catalogue. Their latest acquisition was announced this week with the anime auteur’s 1978 directorial debut, Future Boy Conan (Mirai Shounen Conan), which will bow in late 2021, newly restored in digital 4K with both the original Japanese audio and a new English dub track. Written by Akira Nakano and produced by Junzo Nakajima and Shigeo Endo, the 26-episode adventure is set twenty years after a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons has caused the earth’s axis to tilt, ensuing upticks in earthquakes and tidal waves that have destroyed civilization. For Conan, born into this new world and raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island, his life is forever changed when a mysterious girl named Lana washes ashore, pursued by shadowy […]

A poster for the film Evangelion 3.0+1.01, featuring the protagonists standing on a beach.

EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME Announced as Amazon Prime Video Exclusive

Edward Orndorff

Amazon has announced their acquisition of the streaming rights for the fourth film in the beloved Evangelion film franchise. EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME. The film is Chief Director and series creator Hideaki Anno’s (Shin Godzilla) highest grossing film ever, and the most-watched film in Japanese theatres this year. It will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video Additionally, the service will also feature previous films EVANGELION:1.11 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE., EVANGELION:2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE., EVANGELION:3.33 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO. These should release on EVANGELION:3.0+1.01′s release date of August 13th, in more than 240 countries and territories. Neon Genesis Evangelion, which originally debuted in 1995, follows the teenage pilots of strange mecha called Evangelion fight unknown alien life forms called Angels, years after a cataclysmic worldwide event. The show quickly became both a domestic and international hit, with several films and accompanying media The film features the return of […]

TRESE Battles Monsters And Mayhem In The First Trailer For The Animated Series!

Lee B. Golden III

If anime is at all on your list of priorities this summer, you’re welcome to add BASE Entertainment’s Trese, which has a trailer running ahead of its June 11 launch on Netflix. Both trailers are subbed and dubbed in English and Tagalog, respectively by Filipino-Canadian actress Shay Mitchell and Filipino actress Liza Soberano. Set in a Manila where the mythical creatures of Philippine folklore live in hiding amongst humans, Alexandra Trese finds herself going head to head with a criminal underworld comprised of malevolent supernatural beings.

YASUKE: Netflix Drops Official Teaser Trailer

Christina Ortega

When one thinks of different countries or cultures, there are certain things that are always thought of. What people most often associate with America, for example, is probably baseball and certain grilled foods like hot dogs. Whether or not people know a lot about Japanese culture, the samurai is probably most often associated with Japan. And what is better than an anime focusing on not just any samurai, but the first African samurai? Yasuke is a man who was the “first foreign-born man to achieve the status of a samurai warrior.” If you want to know more about his story, you can read this BBC article. Did you read it? Great. Now we can talk about the series that Netflix has created, based on Yasuke. Here is the official synopsis: In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest Ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a […]

BRZRKR: Keanu Reeves To Topline And Produce Own Live-Action Adaptation, Animated Series For Netflix

Lee B. Golden III

The internet’s ongoing love affair with Keanu Reeves continues to show longevity as of Monday, with reports from the trades announcing a live-action adaptation and forthcoming animated series expanding on Reeves’ hit comic debut, Brzrkr, for Netflix. Reeves penned the comic which campaigned on Kickstarter last year through its launch the following October, publishing then by BOOM! Studios. New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Bang!) also wrote the limited 12-issue series with Alessandro Vitti (Marvel’s Secret Warriors), colorist Bill Crabtree (BRPD), and letterer Clem Robins (Hellboy) providing the illustrative and textual touch-ups for the finished product. BOOM!’s Brzrkr centers on the titular half-mortal/half-God “cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, […]

DEMON SLAYER -KIMETSU NO YAIBA- THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN Slays On April 23 In North America

Lee B. Golden III

I only recently began catching up with Ufotable’s animated series hit, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba-, so if anyone can’t reach me lately in between my other tasks, at least in part you know now why. Beyond that, fans of the series which launched in 2019 have a feature film coming to the west now that Haruo Sotozaki’s Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train is officially dated for an April 23 theatrical release from Funimation and Aniplex of America. The film has already become a record-breaking hit since opening in Japan last October, and has since garnered praise from audiences in Australia and New Zealand via Madman. Set after the events of the television anime series, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train has Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke embark on a new mission. Together with one of the most powerful swordsmen of the Demon […]

TRESE: Netflix Casts Filipina Voice Talents For For Netflix Original Anime

Lee B. Golden III

Filipino actress Liza Soberano (My Ex and Whys, Alone/Together) and Filipino-Canadian actress Shay Mitchell (YOU, Pretty Little Liars) will voice the lead character in the respective Tagalog and English iterations of Alexandra Trese in Netflix Original Anime, Trese. Based on the Philippine graphic novel created by Budjette Tan and KaJO Baldisimo, Trese is set in Manila, where the mythical creatures of Philippine folklore live in hiding amongst humans. It is here our heroine finds herself going head to head with a criminal underworld comprised of malevolent supernatural beings. Jakarta and Singapore-based BASE Entertainment’s Shanty Harmayn and Tanya Yuson are producing with Jay Oliva (Wonder Woman, The Legend of Korra) exec producing. “As a fan of the komiks, I knew that the title role of Alexandra Trese was going to be challenging to cast for the animated series.” said Olivia. “It is important for the voice talent to embrace the layered […]

MASTER: Check Out A Supercharged First Look At The Upcoming Animated Martial Arts Thriller From Pop Willy And Steamroller

Lee B. Golden III

Ever the curious type to find animators who are keen on kung fu thrills to whet your appetite? Enter the world of Master, created by 20-year animation vet Jamaal Bradley who is proudly touting the latest trailer launch as of Tuesday. The project announced its acquisition by Central Florida-based Steamroller Studios, with whom Bradley’s Pop Willy Productions will be joining forces to develop an explosive animated feature based on the concept you now see above. Master follows the story of Olivia, a once-promising martial arts champion who is on a journey to guide her family to what she believes is a better life. Along the way, Olivia discovers that the life she is leaving behind is the one she should be fighting for. Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Rise of the Guardians) is serving as executive producer on the new film with a release date currently pending. Steamroller is […]

THE GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL Review: A Proper Martial Arts Tournament Adventure With Nearly All The Trimmings

Lee B. Golden III

Park Young-jie’s 2011 manwha and Naver webtoon finally saw life last year as one of the most explosive animated shows going into a new decade, launching just in time as millions were forced into quarantine as a pandemic spread across the world. Thus, folks lucky enough to have Crunchyroll access got to dive into the insane, fight-filled world that is director Park Sung-hoo’s treatment, The God Of High School. Set in South Korea where teenagers gather from around the world to test their skills in a spectacular no-holds-barred martial arts tournament, The God Of High School culminates around teenagers Jin Mori, and friends Han Daewi and Yoo Mira, who find themselves at a precipice of an epic, historical mystery within the tournament’s backdrop – one that will embolden them to not only discover the bond they share as budding friends, but the very keys to unlocking their fighting prowess as […]

PACIFIC RIM: THE BLACK Official Trailer Reveals A Little More Mystique Behind The Kaiju Battles

Lee B. Golden III

I’ve slowly been easing myself into some anime in the past few weeks on different platforms thanks to a few friends. Going forward though, Netflix will have arrived just in time as fans of the Pacific Rim franchise look toward the March 3 premiere of Pacific Rim: The Black, from Polygon Pictures (Godzilla animated trilogy, Blame!). There was a time when Kaiju rose from the Pacific Rim only to encounter gigantic robots, Jaegers, built to fight them back. That time has passed. Now, Australia has been overrun by Kaiju, forcing the evacuation of an entire continent. Left behind, teenage siblings Taylor and Hayley embark on a desperate search for their missing parents, teaching themselves to pilot a battered, long-abandoned Jaeger to help in their quest and give them even the slightest hope of surviving. Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson are Co-showrunners for Legendary Entertainment on the new animated venture following […]

SPRIGGAN, GODZILLA: SINGULAR POINT, HIGH-RISE INVASION, YASUKE And More Announced For Netflix’s Anime Slate Through Next Year

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix just unleashed a wave of titles in their latest announcment of anime forthcoming through 2021. Some of these titles are continuations of others, including Baki and Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy, but Netflix is only aiming higher it seems. The streamer already made headlines several days ago looking to bolster its anime slate with four major production studios: ANIMA & COMPANY owning NAZ, Science SARU and MAPPA. The titles included Spriggan (David Production), Vampire in the Garden (WIT STUDIO – a group company under Production I.G), and Super Crooks (Bones), two of which were part of the raft featured by way of NX on Twitter on Monday evening. Some of these include new teasers and posters for Eden, Godzilla: Singular Point and High-Rise Invasion, with visuals for the stop-motion Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure, Aswang fantasy horror, Trese, and African samurai epic, Yasuke, to name a few. Check everything out […]

GODZILLA: SINGULAR POINT: Netflix Targets 2021 For New Kaiju Animated Series

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix is returning to Kaiju territory next year with Godzilla: Singular Point, as announced by the streamer on Tuesday evening. bones and Orange, the animation studios behind My Hero Academia and Beastars, respectively, are collaborating on the project, combining hand-drawn and CG animation styles to feature brand new characters, with none other than director Atsushi Takahashi (Doraemon the Movie 2017: Great Adventure in the Antarctic Kachi Kochi) sitting at the helm. The new series comes in the wake of the streamer’s massive success of its current line-up of anime titles with the Toho favorite: Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018) and Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018). Japanese sci-fi novelist Toh Enjoe will make his TV screenwriting debut penning the series with Kan Sawada (Doraemon franchise, Yowamushi Pedal) on music, Kazue Kato (Blue Exorcist) on character design, and Studio Ghibli animation vet, Eiji Yamamori (Princess Mononoke, […]

I AM OMEGA: 1914 Sees A Timeless Battle Between Angels For Dan Gottlieb’s New Animated Feature In The Works

Lee B. Golden III

The past year or so has seen a massive effort for filmmaker and DC Comics veteran Dan Gottlieb for his own labor of love now in the form of I Am Omega: 1914. The project has undergone an evolution since last summer, with Gottlieb transitioning from live-action to a more bold animated storybook look. That vision is currently presented in a teaser just above which is now part and parcel to the latest Indiegogo campaign for Gottlieb to hire with a proper team of animators and creators after months of shepherding the concept himself. The campaign runs through early November as Gottlieb looks toward 2021 to help bring I Am Omega: 1914, into fruition. “To date, I have created all the content, drawn every line, and animated every frame and this project deserves a team of animators and sound engineers to step in and really bring it to life!” says […]

MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: SCORPION’S REVENGE Demands You ‘Get Over Here!’ And Check Out The Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

With a year to go until a new live-action film, a Spring 2020 release is in the works for Ethan Spauldings latest animated effort, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge. I’ve never seen Spaulding’s work apart from some clips, so at least I knew what I was in for with an animated film based on a fighting game property. At best, this will be an R-rated endeavor, so fans can hopefully look forward to an ample load of promising violence here. Collider brought the goods via IGN. Check it out above!

MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: SCORPION’S REVENGE Signals Key Art And Details From Warner Bros. Animation

Lee B. Golden III

It was last year at the tail-end of any thick speculation regarding a live-action film that Revenge Of The Fans touted news of an animated Mortal Kombat movie featuring the voices of Joel McHale (Community) and Jennifer Carpenter (Dragged Across Concrete). It wasn’t exactly news I welcomed at first given the 20+ years of frustration I felt from waiting for new live-action Kombat, but time does change perception; The live-action film from director Simon McQuoid is one year away from its release from Warner Bros. Pictures, while its neighboring animation shingle is now par for the course with Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge. The Hollywood Reporter has a look at the film’s new logo, with casting info that sees McHale and Carpenter in the respective VO roles of struggling movie star-cum-special ops kombatant Johnny Cage, and high-ranking special forces operative Sonya Blade. The VO cast also lists the following: •Jordan […]

DEEMO-Inspired Anime Film In The Works From Pony Canyon

Christina Ortega

Pony Canyon announced that it would be producing an anime film adaptation of the rhythm game “Deemo” at a panel during recent events at Anime NYC. What would an anime film based on a game look like? Here’s some insight from the movie’s official website: Alone in a castle, a figure plays a piano… Deemo. One day, a girl falls from the sky. A castle littered with mysterious inhabitants. A sacred tree growing by the melody of a piano. A girl with no memory, and Deemo. A gentle story that will touch your heart. Deemo: the rhythm game cherished around the world. Adapted for an animated film. According to the website, the film will based on the original Deemo story by Rayark Inc. with the screenplay written by Junichi Fujisaku and Bun-o Fujisawa. Fujisaku (screenwriter of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) will also be the Executive Director with […]

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Announced: Kevin Smith To Shepherd New Animated Netflix Series

Christina Ortega

We have just over eighteen months until Sony makes good on its incarnation of Masters Of The Universe by 2021. Fans also have a little over a week until High Octane releases documentary The Power Of Grayskull on DVD and digital while the conversation on Mattel’s popular He-Man brand grants the fans with a new evolution forthcoming in the next few years. Kevin Smith took to the spotlight last weekend to give fans of 80’s cartoon lore a gift: the announcement of upcoming Netflix series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Smith, whose Jay And Silent Bob Reboot opens this October from Saban Films, is serving as executive producer and showrunner on the new series set in the world of Mattel toys, which will focus on unfinished storylines from Filmation’s original show. “I’m Eternia-ly grateful to Mattel TV and Netflix for entrusting me with not only the secrets of Grayskull, but […]

STEAMING PILES: Profiling The World Of Steampunk In Media

Christina Ortega

Goggles, top hats, airships, and, of course, gears. These are the things that most often come to mind when someone hears the word “steampunk” but what is steampunk actually? Boiled down to the simplest explanation, steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that includes steam-powered technology. The technology can be current (like a computer) or based on older inventions, but is powered by steam. Most commonly, steampunk is set in the 19th century Victorian era. However, America’s Wild West is also a common setting. (Remember that Will Smith movie Wild Wild West?). That is just the basic concept, though. There’s much more to steampunk, a lot of which has found its way into literature, movies, video games, clothes, and music. Let’s take a look at each of these: What does steampunk read like? Many people associate the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne with steampunk. This is kind of […]

Otakon 2019: Cyberpunk Anime BUBBLEGUM CRISIS Averts As A Reigning Classic

Cesar Alejandro Jr.

You can find more extensive Otakon 2019 coverage at Filmsmash.com Director: Katsuhito Akiyama, Masami Obari, Hiroaki Goda The year is 2032. The city of Tokyo has turned into a sprawling metropolis now known as Megatokyo. With the advancement of robotics, mechanized servants known as Boomers are now a part of our everyday lives. However, whenever a Boomer loses control and goes berserk, a vigilante group of armored women known as the Knight Sabers fight to protect the public and expose the secrets of the Genom Corporation, the company responsible for developing the Boomers. One of the unarguable classics of 80s anime, Bubblegum Crisis is a complex science fiction series full of action, stellar music, and hand drawn animation that puts pretty much anything made these days to shame. Boasting rich themes and inspiring countless anime in the years since, Bubblegum Crisis was become the defacto representative of the ‘cyberpunk’ genre. […]