I hadn't expected that we Americans would get access to Omori until next year at the earliest. That may still hold true for a full manga collection, but you can read the first chapter online right now courtesy of Kodansha, translated fully into English. The website also has accessibility pages to allow for easier reading. Nui Konoito is doing the adaptation with Omocat, writing and drawing the pages.

The responses I've seen have been mixed. Some people aren't fans of the art, and others are questioning why events are reordered. I feel it's a great way to enter a familiar world when we don't have the RPG framework as a guide to dreams and reality.

Omori, a 2020 RPG that was supposed to come out half a decade earlier, has become an international success. It depicts a boy named Sunny forced to either confront a great tragedy that weighs on him and his original friends or withdraw into his dreams to become a hero to dream characters. Since it was originally supposed to be a manga from the creator Omocat, the existence of a Japanese manga serialized in Kodansha may see her vision and original intentions mixed with a new interpretation of the source material.

Context matters

Manga can be trippy, and there are several contenders for zaniness from Kodansha, Viz, Shueisha, and other magazines. The problem, however, is that still art cannot convey the trippiness that anime or video game animation can. You can't have random jump scares or jumps to different forms of media to indicate a mood shift. Accordingly, when translating a video game into a comic, you have to know when to make sacrifices.

Manga creators also have less time to set the stage and win over the reader. You can't spend an hour in Headspace with Omori wandering outside and then pull a bait-and-switch when Sunny wakes up since that could take up twenty pages. The creator has forty or fifty pages at most to introduce us to this game and the world. They need to be pragmatic about the important details to show.

And we do see pragmatism, along with gorgeous art. Rather than follow the Main Route word-for-word (a wise idea since the Main Route in Omori takes 25 hours minimum to complete), we get the first night and day depicted in the story. The creators choose to start with Sunny rather than Omori in a happy flashback, hinting at the tragedies that have affected this friend group. Sunny, not Omori, is the real protagonist of the story, and you don't need to conceal this for the twist of what Omori really is.

The authors trust that most readers who will be picking up the manga already know what Omori's main story is. Ergo, we don't have to start with the bait-and-switch of Omori in Headspace, when Sunny is the protagonist. We also don't have to go through all the details of microwaving steak inside a fridge long after the power has been turned off when a few silent panels can indicate the depression and disassociation that Sunny feels. Detailed art can substitute for the many activities you undertake just to get Sunny and Omori through their first night in-game.

The problem, however, is that still art cannot convey the trippiness that anime or video game animation can.

And speaking of detailed art, Nui Konoito goes all out on the scares. Sunny's hallucinations twist around him, showing how visceral his fears of heights, spiders, and deep water are. You feel for the kid, even if you know why he has become such a recluse. Little details, like him shielding his eyes when he goes outside for the first time in years, become very relatable for those that had to deal with the pandemic shutdowns. The Something and Hellmari hallucinations gain depth and texture. Without the limit of sprites, we can understand why Sunny sees long black hair everywhere.

Keep in mind that I'm not saying the manga is better than the game. Instead, it's a different interpretation, with varying visuals as a result.

What could the next chapter bring?

It's highly possible that the next chapter will take place exclusively in Headspace, now that we have set the scene. Omori has taken Sunny's place as the central character and is seeing his friends as they were six years ago. On the other hand, we could find out the aftermath of the fight that Aubrey starts in the real world.

Konoito has succeeded in keeping the wary reader guessing, and that is an achievement when most coming to the manga would already know the full story. We don't know what specific plot points will emerge in the dream world or real world, or what flashbacks we will see in which order. I'm looking forward to seeing how the manga unfolds.

After a decade of serialization and a sucessful ongoing anime, My Hero Academia officially came to a close. Kohei Horikoshi’s legacy has been cemented with the conclusion of the series, with the mangaka’s colleagues and fans singing his praises from the moment the final chapter dropped on Augest 5, 2024.

Horikoshi has taken notice, of course, to the compliments being thrown his way, and has responded by speaking out to his supporters.

After the series originally ended, Horikoshi delivered a brief message as his final author’s note in Weekly Shonen Jump, which read:

“I was so glad to be in Jump! I’m so glad for everyone who read my series. Thank you so much!”

Kohei Horikoshi

The author recently came back on his X (formerly Twitter) to deliver another new message, telling fans:

The manga My Hero Academia has concluded in this week’s issue of Jump! I’ve been exhausted for a long time, but I managed to make it to the end! Thank you to everyone who read it!!!!!!

I will never forget the joy and weight of being able to battle with so many interesting manga in the coveted Jump. And above all, the fact Deku was entrusted by Luffy’s side, even if only for a short time, even if it was just luck!

I’m still drawing Deku and the others for the comics, the anime is still airing, the movie is in theaters, the games are still ongoing, the spin-off manga is still being serialized, there are events, and so many other people are keeping My Hero Academia going, so it doesn’t feel like it’s over at all.

Please continue to support My Hero Academia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus Ultra

While it’s still a bittersweet feeling to see the series go, it is an absolute delight to see how much love is being sent Horikoshi’s way to celebrate its big finale.

With the successful release of Deadpool & Wolverine, fans of the infamous anti-hero may be wanting to find more adventures featuring Wayne, and Sanshiro Kasama, the mangaka behind Deadpool Samurai, is here to deliver.

Though relatively underrated, Deadpool Samurai is a spin on the Merc with a Mouth by taking him on various adventures, some of which feature icons of Shonen Jump manga, like All Might from My Hero Academia. While it seemed as though the manga was over, Deadpool made an unexpected appearance in a brand-new Jump Plus manga.

The Merc With a Mouth’s Return To Manga

Initially announced as a project completely unrelated to the popular Marvel character, Viz Media announced that Sanshiro Kasama would be launching a new series on their online service titled Secret Steward, a relatively standard rom-com following a girl and her butler. When the series finally launched, though, it majorly deviated from what potential fans might have expected.

At the end of Secret Steward‘s debut chapter, the main character is struck by a giant truck in classic isekai intro style, instantly killing him. The driver who committed this heinous and gorey act is no stranger, though, with Deadpool proudly sitting behind the wheel, announcing the return of Deadpool Samurai to the manga reading service.

While unexpected, the twist was insanely clever – and was even partially set up, with Secret Steward‘s description being “Love hits you when you least expect it!” This type of return is rare, too, with many manga series returning without playing any sort of tricks on their readers. Regardless, it was the most Deadpool approach possible, and gave the anti-hero the opportunity to garner some new fans, too – if they weren’t too put off by the gore.

Spice and Wolf, based on the original light novel by Isuna Hasekura has a long-standing history with anime fans from the 2000s, however, the original anime adaptation, produced by Imagin and Brainbase fell into the same trap many other series from this era did – deviating from its source material and taking on a brand-new narrative.

The latest anime adaptation of the series, handled by Studio Passione, which began airing in April, 2024, has chosen to stay faithful to the source, and has officially entered a story arc that fans of the original anime haven’t experienced before.

Studio Passione Will Be Adapting an Arc the Original Anime Skipped

Skipped over in the original anime adaptation due to the production team not believing that the arc would be relevant, the upcoming story arc that will be adapted in 2024’s Spice and Wolf becomes crucial in the plot of the original novels. The official synopsis of the story arc from Spice and Wolf‘s English publisher, Yen Press, reads as follows:

“Continuing their journey north, Lawrence and Holo stop in the village of Tereo in hopes of finding a local abbey where they might uncover more information regarding the fate of Holo’s ancient home, Yoitsu. Soon after their arrival, though, the companions are caught up in a local dispute between Tereo and the neighboring town of Enberch that could cost Lawrence and Holo both their fortunes and their lives! With the Wisewolf’s help, can Lawrence devise a way to save an entire town from ruin – and his skin and that of his traveling companion in the process?”

The character’s that appear in this arc reappear later in the series, and serve as a pseudo-constant in Holo and Lawrence’s journey.

While some fans of Spice and Wolf are still mixed on their feelings toward the new adaptation, with many mourning the nostalgia of the original series, Studio Passione has made an effort to cut the filler from the original anime and tell a more direct, faithful story for fans of the light novels, and returning fans who are only familiar with the 2008 anime.

Naruto is full of its fair share of quotes as one of the best, most iconic shonen manga and anime. Its cast of beloved characters is loaded with quirks and distinct personalities. Some lines are generic, tropey shonen fare, but many words spoken by them will be remembered forever.

The all-time favorite series of many anime fans, and even after two decades, it still feels so familiar and comfortable. There are moments of sage wisdom and inspiration, along with potent themes like processing grief, overcoming isolation, and embracing love in all its forms.

10. “Those Who Break the Rules Are Scum, But Those Who Abandon Their Friends Are Worse Than Scum.” – Obito Uchiha

Obito Uchiha was a bit of a black sheep compared to the rest of the Uchiha clan. He was brash, incompetent, and didn’t show much promise. But what he had was a lot of heart that reminds us a lot of Naruto Uzumaki, and this potent line was enough to break through Kakashi Hatake’s walls and leave a lasting impression.

Well, if you’re just starting in the series, you might have thought this was originally a Kakashi quote. He may have said it the first time in the series, but Obito was responsible for reminding Kakashi that he could be an elite shinobi while still protecting his comrades. It’s something he’d impart on Team 7, and so forth from there.

9. “If you don’t like your destiny, don’t accept it. Instead, have the courage to change it the way you want it to be!” – Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto made a ton of profound speeches in his youth that would resonate with others around him, and it was quotes like these that would win over far more respected peers of his. Whether it was humbling Neji Hyuga, or convincing Gaara that he deserved to live like anybody else, Naruto’s endless optimism is a product of him refusing to be isolated as an orphan or an outcast.

8. “People Call Me a Failure…I’ll Prove Them Wrong!” – Naruto Uzumaki

Speaking of humbling Neji, this one goes out to the underachievers and those who weren’t nurtured for their strengths. This scene from the Chunin Exams Arc is among the many that cemented Naruto as one of my top Shonen manga, and seeing it brought to life in anime was gratifying as well.

It was so interesting that in the original series, he didn’t have an ounce of self-doubt, and in many ways left the strongest lasting impressions on major characters that rippled through the franchise. He won the respect of one of the most brilliant fellow genin of his generation in the moments that followed this line, to the point of him being followed into battle years later.

7. “If I Could, If I Were Able, I Would Want to Go to the Same Place on the Other Side As You.” – Zabuza Momochi

The afterlife is a tricky subject depending on who you ask, but for Zabuza Momochi, the first monstrously strong opponent Naruto and Team 7 would encounter, it was all but a given. This character left a strong impression on me, and it clicked many years later: aesthetically he had the tiniest hints of Guts from Berserk in him. He was ferocious, bloodthirsty, and wielded a giant sword, but most relevant to this discussion, he was a mentor to his comrade, Haku, and he loved him like a son.

Disarmed by Kakashi, injured and brought to death’s door, and able to take out one last act of defiance against Gato, he laid down next to his apprentice. Knowing that while he is likely destined for hell, all he cares about is seeing Haku again in the afterlife. I use the manga panel from Chapter 33 here because this arc endeared me to Naruto forever, and I still have that issue of Shonen Jump to this day.

6. “To Be a Parent Is to Have Undying Faith in One’s Child.” – Minato Namikaze

The Pain Arc is peak Naruto, and this ranks among the top individual moments. When Naruto met Minato, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It was seemingly impossible, but Minato left just enough of him behind after he died to guide Naruto past the lowest point in his life. The demon sealed inside him was wreaking havoc when he fell prey to his grief, and in this moment he ignited Naruto’s Will of Fire.

Naruto had plenty of doubt left in himself. His mentor was killed by his strongest opponent yet, and loved ones were mercilessly massacred all around him in this story. But Minato, in a moment where he’s confirmed as Naruto’s father and the Fourth Hokage, reminded his son of their mutual ability to be sanguine in the worst of times. Naruto needed that, just as much as he needed a father all these years.

5. “For You Are a Distinguished Student of One of the Legendary Sannin; Acknowledged by the Great Jiraiya Himself.” – Iruka Umino

Most of these quotes are total tearjerkers to play even now. The context is key here: Iruka was one of the first teachers to believe in Naruto, giving him the time of day when nobody else would. Cut to the present, when Iruka is saying this the night after Naruto learns Jiraiya was killed in battle, wandering at night, holding a popsicle he would normally split with his mentor.

It’s heartbreaking to think about even now. But Iruka did what he always did, reminding Naruto he is not alone and has accomplished a lot. The final kicker of this moment was when Iruka broke the popsicle in half and offered it to Naruto, mimicking how the late sage would do the same. Saccharine, yet fitting.

4. “As For Friends, I Have Lots of Good Ones. I Wish You Could Have Met Them. There’s One That I’m Not Getting Along With Though.” – Naruto Uzumaki

This one felt like a total gut punch that nobody talks about. Naruto has come so far and won over so many hardened, traumatized fellow ninja and improved their lives by being himself. So when he finally got a chance to tell his late mother beyond the grave about this, it was a reminder of his personal growth.

It’s also a reminder of how stubborn he was with the last part of that line. It’s loaded with subtext about his fraught friendship with Sasuke, who thoroughly betrayed all of Konoha multiple times. It was also foreshadowing how he’d never give up on trying to win back his friend. The moment he said it was also endearing for the fact that Kushina Uzumaki is a wonderful character and a charming mother figure.

3. “Rejection Is a Part of Any Man’s Life. If You Can’t Accept and Move Past Rejection, or at Least Use It As Writing Material — You’re Not A Real Man.” – Jiraiya

This one is a precious lesson for any adolescent males reading this, which is good because that’s the primary target audience of Naruto, and this is one of the best, most timeless quotes. I’d argue that it’s a lesson that can be transferred to any gender though. Jiraiya carved a niche for himself as not being able to practice what he preached in many ways (do NOT make him an idol) this speech should be mounted on a plaque in any father’s study that he can point to when lecturing his child.

2. “Because You Fail, You Have the Strength to Face Your Failure…I Think That’s Real Strength.” – Hinata Hyuga

Hinata Hyuga’s demure demeanor was adorable the first time fans were introduced to her. But in how she idolized Naruto, yet cheered him on and loved him from afar, she helped reassure him of his self-worth. The courage to embrace failure is what helps us grow, and Naruto certainly had his share of those in the series.

The story of their love made fans glad, not only because it deviated from a problematic pairing like him and Sakura (even if her pairing with Sasuke has some issues) but because they were perfect for each other. They were both looked down upon and found strength in being each others’ better angels.

1. “I’ll Pick Up Your Pieces.” – Shikaku Nara

For those unfamiliar, Shikamaru Nara’s favorite pastime is Shogi, aka Japanese Chess. The quote in question here has extra meaning as it caps off a potently delivered line by his father, Shikaku, seconds after Shikamaru tosses aside the board and all the pieces they’re using the play together. This one is a fantastic moment for the anime-only viewers in the audience.

It’s only fitting that one of the best arcs of the Naruto Shippuden anime would also get one of its best quotes. Shikamaru recently lost his mentor Asuma Sarutobi, and after a devastating scene at the beginning of the episode where he broke the news to Kurenai, Asuma’s lover, and mother of Asuma’s unborn child, Shikamaru went quiet.

But Shikaku did what any father should at this moment. He sat and played, coaxing Shikamaru’s grief and frustration, being just coarse enough to get across. When he goaded Shikamaru about his playstyle between questions about what he would do about his mentor dying, Shikamaru lost his temper, throwing the board and shogi pieces aside, and Shikaku said the following:

Just Let it all out. All of the sadness, fears, and anger, and everything else! You’ve got to let it go. It all starts from there. I’ll pick up your pieces.

-Shikaku Nara

It’s haunting, and such a powerful way for a father to say “It’s okay to cry, son.” It’s also not only one of the best quotes in Naruto but quietly among the best in popular fiction. You’d be surprised how many people need that in their lives. Shikamaru was given the space to grieve, and then to plan his next course of action, where he’d grow as a shinobi, and avenge the lost while keeping himself and his friends alive.

Shojo anime is a demographic of Japanese anime and manga that’s typically directed at younger female audiences. The word “shojo” means “young woman” in Japanese, and shojo anime typically features young girls or teenagers in the leading roles.

The stories found in shojo anime often revolve around deeper emotional themes compared to shonen, such as love, friendship, and coming-of-age stories.

Kimi Ni Todoke

Kimi ni Todoke is a staple shojo series that deserves to be on every anime fan’s watchlist, especially with the return of season 3 on Netflix. The anime follows Sawako, a 15-year-old girl in Hokkaido that is constantly picked on by her peers for her resemblance to Sadako from The Ring.

Despite her reputation, Sawako is very mild-mannered and kind. When the class clown and popular boy, Kazehaya, starts taking an interest in Sawako, her life gets flipped upside down as she’s finally able to live like a normal teenage girl; making friends and falling in love for the very first time.

Say “I Love You”

Say is a shojo romance anime that follows Mei Tachibana, a high school girl who doesn’t have any friends and doesn’t want any either. However, her life changes when she meets Yamato Kurosawa, the most popular boy in school.

The two eventually become friends, and then something more. The anime explores their relationship as they deal with the ups and downs of teenage love.

My Little Monster

The story shows the life of Shizuku Mizutani, a high school student who is content with her life being nothing but academics. She doesn’t have time for friends, let alone love.

However, everything changes when she meets Haru Yoshida, a transfer student with an unpredictable personality. Through their unlikely friendship, Shizuku starts to see the value in other things besides academics.

Yona of the Dawn

Akatsuki no Yona is about the life of Princess Yona as she lives a sheltered life in the Kingdom of Kouka. Her idyllic world is turned upside down when her father is murdered and she is forced to flee the palace with her bodyguard Hak.

As she sets out on a journey to find allies and take back her throne, she must learn how to survive in a world full of war and betrayal, while still building unbreakable bonds with the people she meets along the way.

Maid-Sama

Set in the modern day, Kaichou wa Maid-sama! is a story that follows the life of Misaki Ayuzawa. She’s the perfect example of a tough and independent woman; she’s strong, intelligent, and most importantly, she’s the president of her school’s student council.

But there’s just one little problem: Misaki secretly works part-time at a maid café in order to support her family. Of course, it doesn’t take long before Misaki’s biggest secret is revealed to the public by none other than her arch-rival, Takumi Usui.

But instead of using this information to blackmail her, Usui actually ends up falling in love with Misaki. And so begins a hilarious and heartwarming story of two people from completely different worlds learning to understand and accept one another.

Ouran High School Host Club

If you’re looking for a shoujo anime that’s both heartwarming and hilarious, then look no further than Ouran High School Host Club. The story follows Haruhi, a bright-eyed girl who stumbles into an elite club full of gorgeous boys who cater to the needs of female students.

While it may sound like a typical reverse-harem anime, Ouran High School Host Club is actually a clever satire that pokes fun at the shoujo genre while still managing to be a charming story in its own right.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Cardcaptor Sakura tells the story of Sakura Kinomoto, a fourth grader who discovers that she possesses magical powers after accidentally releasing a set of tarot cards from a book in her basement. She then embarks on a journey to capture all the cards while dealing with everyday life and relationships with her friends and family.

Cardcaptor Sakura has a rich history in the industry, and for many anime fans that grew up with old-school shojo, Sakura’s adventures made a huge impact on them as children, well into their adulthoods.

Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight introduces viewers to Yuuki Cross, a student at Cross Academy. The academy is home to two groups of students: the Day Class, which is made up of humans, and the Night Class, which consists of vampires.

Yuuki is tasked with protecting the Day Class from the Night Class, but she finds her world turned upside down when she meets Zero Kiryu, a vampire who hates all bloodsuckers with a passion.

Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket is the story of a girl, Tohru Honda, who’s living in a tent after her mom dies in a car accident. She then gets taken in by the Sohma family, who have a curse where they turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac when hugged by someone of the opposite sex.

Tohru tries to help break the curse and falls in love with one of the members. The anime adaptation of Fruits Basket was originally released in 2001 but it was remade in 2019. Both have a certain kind of charm that makes them an enjoyable watch.

Sailor Moon

The OG shoujo anime, Sailor Moon, is one of the most popular and enduring franchises of all time. It’s the story of a group of super-powered girls who use their powers to defend the world from evil. The show is full of action, romance, and comedy.

It is also significant for its strong female friendships and its positive portrayal of women in general. Sailor Moon definitely has something for everyone, not just young girls.

This trope-breaking shonen romance Romantic Killer is the perfect blend of hilarity and expressive moments, all while giving fans a unique perspective on the romance genre. It’s a series that caters to every type of anime fan, regardless of their preconceived notions.

There are plenty of incredible shows with similar premises, humor, and characters for fans of the series to watch next.

10. The Wallflower

After being cruelly rejected and made fun of her looks by the boy she liked, Sunako began distancing herself from the world and gained an interest in the occult. Sadly, her plans of living a lonely life get thrown out the window when she is sent to live with her aunt and the four young men who live with her.

The older woman promised the four men that they would be given free rent if they helped turn her loner of a niece into a classy lady. As the five of them get to know each other, Sunako realizes that maybe she is not as much of a loner as she first thought.

9. Maid Sama!

After decades of men being the ones to hold the position, Misaki becomes the first Student Council President in her high school. While she is kind and helpful to women, men fear her for how strict and ruthless she can be with them. One day, as she walks around the school looking for troublemakers, she finds a girl crying after being rejected by Usui, the most popular boy in school.

Misaki tries to scold the boy for being so cruel, but she is ignored by Usui. Later, Misaki is working at a maid café when Usui enters the establishment, recognizing his classmate. She begs Usui to keep her secret, to which the boy surprisingly agrees. From that moment on, Usui begins visiting the café almost daily, anime Misaki begins to question his true intentions.

8. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Without warning, the noble young woman Catarina Claes begins remembering her past life. This would have been an amazing occurrence, if not for the fact that she was reincarnated into the body of the villainess of her favorite game, Fortune Lover. In all the routes of the game, Catarina meets with a terrible fate.

Determined not to die in such a manner, the young woman begins using her knowledge about the world she now lives in to change history. Nonetheless, this mission will not be as easy as she expected, as death could be lurking around any corner.

7. Recovery of An MMO Junkie

For 11 years, Moriko worked herself to the bone at the same company. Now that she has quit her job, she can relax and immerse herself in an MMORPG. Assuming the identity of the handsome warrior Hiyashi, Moriko spends most of her days playing the world-famous game Fruits de Mer.

Accompanied by her close online friend, the beautiful healer Lily, Moriko begins spending more and more time playing, neglecting every other need in her life. The only times that she steps out of her apartment are when she needs to go to the store. During one of these trips, she encounters Yuuta, a shy worker that could change her life completely.

6. Kiss Him, Not Me

Unknown to most of her classmates, the caring and friendly Kae is a massive fan of Boy Love stories. She spends most of her time at school imagining her male classmates falling in love with each other. One day, as she is watching one of her favorite shows, her favorite character is killed, severely depressing the young woman.

Unable to do anything due to the sadness, Kae begins to lose weight and misses school for a week. When she comes back, her classmates are shocked, as she now looks like a completely different person. Her new beauty attracts the attention of most male students, who wish to date her. Still, Kae is more interested in seeing the boys fall in love with each other, creating a hilarious and complicated situation.

5. God Troubles Me

The Gods and Demons of Earth are in trouble, as the world they once controlled is rapidly plunging into chaos. Desperate to find a solution, the Gods team up with various monsters to find something or someone that can help them. As this is happening, a young woman named Su is being kicked out of her parent’s house for her bad attitude.

While roaming the streets, Su encounters Tianjin, a charismatic and attractive God who asks the young woman to help him search for an answer to the problems of the world. With them is an enigmatic demon cat, who will also aid in their mission. Can this unlikely trio find a way to prevent utter chaos from taking over the planet?

4. The World Only God Knows

Best known for his title of God of Conquests, Keima is a young student who became famous for being able to complete any dating sims that he plays. The boy is a firm believer that video game girls are superior to their real-world counterparts, as they are not as unpredictable as the girls he knows. Woefully, his worst fears come to life when a demon named Elsie asks for his help.

The female demon informs him that she needs to capture runaway souls that have been hidden inside the hearts of human girls. The only way for them to drive them out is by filling the heart of their host with love. Without any choice, Keima will have to use everything that he learned while playing dating sims to conquer the hearts of various girls.

3. Horimiya

Against all odds, the loveable and charismatic Hori and the meek Miyamura became friends. Most of their classmates could not believe it, as they had always been complete opposites. Their peers do not know that there is much more to the duo than what they let everyone else see. Hori is not popular outside of school, as she is often too busy helping at home.

On the other hand, Miyamura is not as timid as everyone else thinks, as his school uniform hides his various tattoos and piercings. Aware of the other’s secret, Hori and Miyamura begin hanging out after school, a decision that will forever change their lives.

2. Tomo-chan Is a Girl

Since childhood, Tomo and Junichirou have been best friends. They were inseparable, doing everything together from playing to sleeping. As they grew up, Tomo began developing feelings for her best friend, all while Junichirou remained oblivious to her affection. When the duo began their first year of high school Tomo decided to confess her feelings for Junichirou.

Lamentably, due to her tomboyish attitude and looks, her friend rejects Tomo’s confession, telling her that he sees her more like another male friend. Dejected, Tomo begins a journey to become a woman that Junichirou will want to date. Can she enchant her best friend without changing who she is at heart?

1. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun

When Sakura confessed to her crush Nozaki, she never expected him to give her an autograph. As it turns out, the young man is a notorious shojo mangaka, publishing his work under the pseudonym of Sakiko Yumeno. Nozaki confused Sakura’s love confession with an adoring fan praising his work.

To make matters worse for Sakura, she ended up becoming Nozaki’s assistant, working with him to make sure that his manga gets published in time. As Nozaki’s assistant, Sakura meets many attractive and unique young men, who begin showing an interest in the young woman. Can Sakura use her new position as Nozaki’s assistant to make the mangaka aware of her true feelings?

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Oshi no Ko.

Oshi no Ko is one of the most compelling, layered manga series currently available. It is at times a bleak and poignant critique of the entertainment industry in Japan, while also remaining relentlessly entertaining and filled with strong characters.

Its grasp on subtlety in visual storytelling and characterization is no less apparent than in one feature shared by several key characters. This sparks the question, what’s with the star eyes in Oshi no Ko, and why do some characters’ eyes have bright or dark stars?

Star Eyes in Oshi no Ko Fan Theories: Explained

The most important thing to note about the star eyes in Oshi no Ko is that while it’s not been explicitly explained, there’s a significant and conceivable set of reasons. Some are simple and have some layers of truth and logic behind them, such as being hereditary, inherited by Ruby and Aqua from Ai Hoshino.

Others dive deeper, looking into the previous reason’s inconsistencies, and finding symbolic meaning behind the stars. There’s even meaning behind why they are bright or dark for some characters at different points, and why certain characters have them at all.

Are Starry Eyes Hereditary in Oshi no Ko?

There’s some half-truth to starry eyes being hereditary in Oshi no Ko, but the full answer is complicated. While it might be a simple conclusion to say they’re not genetic, with characters like Akane Kurokawa developing them through intensive method acting, Aqua and Ruby still had one each at birth.

This is partially due to inheriting Ai’s characteristics genetically, but there are reasons for each of them having starry eyes beyond this simple connection, that vary depending on who you’re talking about. This includes Ai herself.

Two Bright White Lies: Why Does Ai Hoshino Have Dark & Bright Star Eyes?

Ai Hoshino is the driving force of the story’s main plot, despite being murdered in the prologue arc. Her eyes are undeniably the most spellbinding in the series, while also being a loaded subject.

Being described as coming from a broken home with an abusive mother, Ai was incapable of recalling a moment she felt loved, and unable to express it to others. This intimidated her as a prospective idol in Chapter 8 / Episode 1, but upon being scouted, she was taught that lying was a desirable skill and a way to protect herself. She resolved to tell lies to please others, even though it would be her downfall.

While she had stars in her eyes at this moment, it was more thoroughly conveyed in the anime when her eyes went from dark stars, to full of radiant, glittery light. The brightness and charm of her eyes were fueled by lying, and the darkness was due to her fraught past and less desirable, or even ostensibly human traits.

What makes this meaningful is the moment of Ai’s murder in Chapter 9 / Episode 1, where she lay dying, back against the door, professing her love for her children. She had previously said that she was afraid of saying it only for it to be a lie, but at this moment, she speaks her final truth, acknowledges it, and dies.

It’s heartbreaking that the moment she feels safe to speak her truth is also the one she draws her last breath. The life, and stars, fade from her eyes the moment she stops lying, leaving her children to carry on in their ways.

Where Do Aqua and Ruby Get Their Starry Eyes From?

Even as infants and toddlers, Aqua and Ruby bore these eyes as traits from their mother. But the meaning behind these eyes goes deeper than the surface. Each of these characters is the reincarnation of people who were victimized by cruel circumstances, forced now to play the part of Ai’s children.

Goro was murdered while trying to protect Ai from her stalker, while Sarina died as a terminally ill child, abandoned by her parents in her final moments. Their respective identities of Aqua and Ruby are charades to mask their troubled past lives.

Aqua’s star eyes in Oshi no Ko are often dark, with him concealing his soul’s desire to kill Ai’s murderer, while also using manipulation of others as a means to an end. Even being reborn and starting with a bright star in his right eye, losing his new mother sent him into a dark spiral of vengeance in a chilling scene from the anime premiere. This moment was even accented with crow imagery, which we’ll explore later.

Aqua occasionally has bright starry eyes, indicating more innocent or palatable motives, yet upholding the lie, in that he maintains the illusion that he’s just another aspiring teen actor. He also uses his dishonesty and manipulation for the gain of others in these moments, with the black stars seemingly hinting when his actions are tied to his personal goals.

Like most of the other characters, at one point the stars left Aqua’s eyes entirely. In Chapter 68, upon learning what he believed to be the truth about Ai’s killer and that he would never get his vengeance, he resolved to live a normal life at first.

He even claimed to be leaving that path behind in Chapter 78, but upon learning about Ai’s true killer, not just the original eye, but both eyes now sported a grim, black star by Chapter 98. Aqua then began to use more shameful tactics to achieve his goals, once more to track down this killer.

In true seinen fashion, instead of Aqua becoming a misunderstood villain in an inferior story, this just creates a more layered, nuanced protagonist. But this does nothing to discredit just how compelling the rest of the characters are.

Ruby Hoshino is the reincarnation of Sarina Tendoji, a cancer patient from the same hospital where Goro worked and treated Ai during her pregnancy. She was a fan of Ai’s since the start, introducing Goro to her, and her death was not discussed in greater detail until Chapter 75. What’s more, her troubled past and similarly absentee mother made this second life as the daughter of her idol a blessing of sorts of which she could live blissfully unaware. In the beginning, Ruby’s eyes symbolized her lying to herself.

Ruby’s eyes have the distinction of becoming possibly the most complex in the series. As she loses sight of her goals, you see the points of the stars waning in her eye, such as in Chapter 79. There are even moments where one eye is black while the other is still light such as when her desire for vengeance is softened by her urge to protect her friends. When she determines that Goro’s killer could still be out there, and the star comes to both eyes, a deep, menacing black.

Ruby’s past as Sarina is exceptionally cruel, and one I noticed her finally realizing in Chapters 118-119, or at least grasping at it. Sarina’s mother was too “busy” to be present in her final moments, yet appears outwardly normal later when Aqua meets her, beloved by her family as a present mother figure.

This part hurts particularly to read again, but as you see the mask slipping, Ruby has been lying to herself for so long that she is on the verge of a breakdown. Upon reading Ai’s script, where Ai’s mother similarly neglected her, Ruby is frozen. In a moment where she appears to come to terms with this about her past, the stars leave her eyes entirely in the final moments of Chapter 119.

Why Does Akane Kurokawa Have Starry Eyes?

Akane Kurokawa was the main anomaly of this series for this reason alone. Originally a supporting character and member of the reality show cast Aqua joined in pursuit of Ai’s true killer, Akane Kurokawa recovered from the brink of suicide and bounced back hard. In a bid to protect herself from online abuse while also cultivating a persona onscreen, she studied Ai Hoshino’s past and channeled her personality quirks. Akane wound up becoming a carbon copy of Ai, as wonderfully brought to life in Episode 7.

But Akane’s eyes indicate two main things: star eyes in Oshi no Ko are not necessarily hereditary, and they can fade and reappear frequently for some characters. More importantly, Akane’s performance and persona which causes these eyes to appear, in essence, is another form of lie.

Despite immersing herself the most overtly in this lie, Akane is also one of the most outwardly honest characters, and this honesty is on full display when you don’t see the stars in her eyes. In moments like Chapter 116, she confronts Aqua wanting to stop his violent revenge fantasy, not a star in sight in her eyes.

Why Does Hikaru Kamiki Have Black Star Eyes in Oshi no Ko?

While Hikaru Kamiki is the least-known character in Oshi no Ko for fans of the anime, the stars in his eyes have a more obvious meaning thanks to the precedent set by other characters. His eyes are seemingly permanent black stars, telegraphing his darker qualities as the main overtly evil character in the series. His blonde hair and starry eyes make him a dead giveaway as the biological father of Aqua and Ruby Hoshino.

Hikaru Kamiki doesn’t lie for his own protection or to look out for others, but rather to gain the trust of his future victims, before staging their death as an accident or tragedy. Hikaru appears to fit the bill of a serial killer and mastermind. He orchestrated Ai’s murder, and even the murder of Goro before he was reincarnated.

Kamiki has had visibly black stars in his eyes in every appearance since his introduction in Chapter 96, and his teased appearance in Chapter 72. His motives remain unclear, but a glimpse at his targets hints at something else: Yura Katayose (from Chapter 109) briefly showed a glimpse at a star in her eye, at the time the #1 actress in Japan. After learning of her mountain hiking plans, he warned her as a show of trustworthiness, only to follow her and kill her, adding to his list of victims.

Perhaps he’s after the lives that show this quality, and the stars have a deeper purpose than simply the capacity to lie, which brings us to a mysterious connection. This leads us to the crows and a mysterious ethereal girl who appears before Aqua.

Yatagarasu: What’s Up With the Crows?

One of the most striking recurring images in Oshi no Ko, aside from the star eyes, is the use of crows. They accentuate the scene of death such as Goro’s death in Episode 1 of the anime. They even form the black star in Aqua’s eye in a brilliantly illustrated moment in the prologue, but they are also connected to divine guidance and intervention in Japanese folklore. They’re intensely symbolic, such as in the closing scene of Chapter 79, where a tearful Ruby sits in a pool, surrounded by falling crow feathers.

This suggests a connection to Yatagarasu, a guiding God in Japanese culture. This connection was implied since the beginning when Aqua and Ruby as children pretended to be divine messengers, invoking the name of Amaterasu. It could suggest a divine presence in the series that makes the reincarnation happen, with the clearest possible manifestation of this being of course, crow girl.

The crow girl is often sardonic but guides Aqua when his path falters in dreamlike sequences, possibly suggesting that she’s the embodiment of Yatagarasu. Her connection in the series plot is unclear but hints at enormous potential beneath the surface of this drama.

Conclusion: What Do the Star Eyes and Crows in Oshi no Ko Mean?

Lies, reincarnation, and a divine connection are fascinating but entirely fan theories about the stars in peoples’ eyes in Oshi no Ko until explicitly confirmed. They make the most sense, but the truth will probably be stranger than fiction when it’s introduced. The meaning behind these eyes could be the primary motive of the antagonist and is a secret closely guarded, possibly by divine forces.

It’s far less likely that it’s just an aesthetic choice given how much detail has been put into these gorgeous eyes. It’s too anglocentric to assume that the character Ai’s name is just a pun, too. That’d be too overt, especially since no characters seem to talk specifically about the stars. Finally, it’s too tantalizing a secret for Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari to keep locked up for too much longer.

Oshi no Ko is a stellar anime and manga series from Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. The Oshi no Ko story arcs enable us to see the entertainment world from the starry eyes of Aqua and Ruby, as they make a name for themselves in order to honor their mother.

What Are the Story Arcs of Oshi no Ko?

The main plot begins after a poignant prologue beautifully told in Episode 1 of the Oshi no Ko anime, while the manga does so from Chapters 1-10. Beyond this, we see a time skip where Gorou, Ai’s doctor reincarnated into the body of her son, Aqua, goes into the entertainment industry to identify his father and the culprit behind Ai’s murder.

The ensuing story arcs concern different facets of the entertainment industry the siblings go through, such as TV dramas, dating shows, stage plays, and even movies.

Every Oshi no Ko Arc & Its Corresponding Anime Episodes

While it’s unclear whether we’ll get another season or cour of Oshi no Ko, the common consensus among viewers is that it’s a high-quality anime drama with a lot to offer. It’s a great reason to consider a HIDIVE subscription, as well. The anime typically adapts 3 chapters from the manga at a time, with the story arcs varying in length.

The 2.5D Stage Play arc is currently the longest of the series, as it had the most compelling concept until the Movie arc, and forced Aqua further out of his comfort zone as an actor than ever before. One neat part about that arc, in particular, is the meta-commentary on manga creators, and just how many times a story changes hands before it’s turned into a script for an adaptation.

In fact, much of the series enables us to look at the entertainment industry in a rather satirical sense, seeing our preconceptions about dying sectors of the industry turned on their head, and other seedy elements put on display. While the identity of the culprit behind Ai’s killing at this point has been revealed, he has not been brought to justice yet, and we’re along for the ride, however long it takes.

Originally beginning serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014, Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia has finally come to an end. With 430 chapters, a successful anime adaptation, merchandise, spin-off films, and even video games – the series has become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

The action shonen initially became popular for its unique artstyle and zero-to-hero story that resonated with manga readers around the globe. Now, with the series having officially ended, those effected by Horikoshi’s groundbreaking series are giving thanks for his hard work over the years.

Fellow Mangaka & Other Industry Professionals Praise Horikoshi For My Hero Academia’s Impact

My of Horikoshi’s colleagues have been sharing sentiments toward the popular mangaka over the past week commending him on his newfound legacy with the conclusion of My Hero Academia, including the likes of One Piece‘s Eiichiro Oda and Gege Akutami:

So now you get to play Pokémon Go as much as you want! Congratulations on ten years, Horikoshi Sensei!

Eiichiro Oda

Jujutsu [Kaisen] would not exist without My Hero. Congratulations!

Gege Akutami

Other mangaka with newer series running in the magazine, like Koji Miura, the creator of Blue Box, also shared their love for Horikoshi on social media, stating:

Congratulations on the final chapter of My Hero! Ten years of some of the most passionate manga ever. Well done!

Koji Miura

Other newly published mangaka, like Kagurabachi‘s Takeru Hokazono, shared how My Hero Academia affected them before ever pursuing manga, saying:

I still remember reading volume 17 while I was in high school. From Mirio to One For All 100 percent. What a legend!

Takeru Hokazono

Professionals within the manga industry weren’t the only ones to send Horikoshi praise, however, with the Animation Director of My Hero Academia‘s anime adaptation, Anna Yamaguchi, sending Horikoshi a special message to celebrate:

Kohei Horikishi-sensei,
Congratulations on completing My Hero Academia!!

I personally empathized with and sympathized with the villains, thought about many things, was emotionally stirred, and shed tears as I read every week. I love the world of Hero Aca where they struggle to survive.
I have gained a lot from Hero Aca.
It is an important part of my life.
Now and forever PLUS ULTRA!!
Thank you very much!

Anna Yamaguchi

and Chief Director, Kenji Nagasaki, saying:

Congratulations Horikoshi-sensei on completing the series! [My Hero Academia] is the best hero to me! Not only does the manga give me energy, but I also gained a lot of new experiences from working on the anime, and I was able to grow along with Deku and the others. I’m really glad I came across this work, which changed my life. Thank you very much!

Kenji Nagasaki

The Best Fan Contributions To #ThankYouHorikoshi

Fans of the beloved series have been pitching in to send love to the mangaka, too, with an influx of gorgeously illustrated fan art and other fan projects being uploaded to sites like X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the series’ legacy.

Other projects are illustrations celebrating My Hero‘s entire ensemble cast, such as this piece by @nstime23:

Another gorgeous illustration featuring the full cast, created by @NovaNeonDream celebrates the relationship between Bakugo and Deku:

It’s clear that My Hero Academia‘s impact will be sitting with readers for years to come, and with the anime adaptation still ongoing with season 7 currently airing, and a brand-new My Hero Academia film, My Hero Academia: You’re Next releasing in the U.S. in October 2024, fans of the series still have plenty more of Deku and his friends to look forward to.

My Hero Academia is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The original manga is available on Viz Media’s Shonen Jump app.

Source: Weekly Shonen Jump volumes 36-37, Koji Miura on X, My Hero Academia’s Official Website, Shonen Jump

Kaiju No. 8 has quickly become one of the most popular new shonen anime of the year, with exciting kaiju action and an endearing underdog story at its core that makes the series relatable to just about anyone.

The anime’s first season did incredibly well, garnering a devoted fanbase and meeting the expectations held by longtime fans of Naoya Matsumoto’s original manga. While season 2 was announced right away when season 1 of the anime adaptation concluded, the budding franchise has even more in store for fans of Kafka’s journey.

Kaiju No. 8’s Anime Adaptation Is Set To Return In 2025

On Monday, August 5, 2024, the official website for Kaiju No. 8 announced that season 2 of the popular shonen series would release in 2025. At this time, there’s no confirmation on when in 2025 the new season will drop, however, the website did provide some additional news for fans: a brand-new anime original episode titled, “Hoshina’s Day Off” is currently in production alongside a feature-length compilation film meant to compile the events of season 1.

The new episode and the compilation film will be screening alongside one another in Japanese theaters sometime in 2025.

Kaiju No. 8 season 1 can be streamed on Crunchyroll. The original manga can be read through Viz Media’s Shonen Jump app.

Source: Kaiju No. 8 Official Site

Warning: The following contains major spoilers for My Hero Academia.

After ten long years, My Hero Academia has finally come to a close, and of course, the manga‘s official ending has sparked controversy among fans and non-fans of Kohei Horikoshi’s superhero-centered action manga.

While definitive endings rarely work for everyone, regardless of medium, My Hero Academia has been notorious during its run for having judgement passed on the character writing and handling of the narrative. It begs the question on whether the finale truly works to wrap up the story, or if it missed the mark.

My Hero Academia’s Ending Isn’t What Fans Expected

After defeating Shigaraki, the world is finally at peace now that the League of Villains have been thwarted, all thanks to Midoriya. This conclusion is then followed by an epilogue detailing the events and fates of the core cast now that the war is over. Chapter 430 opens with an 8-year-old time-skip, showing how much has changed after nearly a decade in My Hero‘s world. Ochaco and Deku have both been left feeling haunted and forever jaded after their experiences with Toga and Shigaraki, respectively.

During My Hero Academia‘s final arc, Deku officially lost his Quirk and is no longer a hero. Now in his mid-20s, Deku has become a teacher working in UA, teaching a brand-new generation of heroes. Despite being left Quirkless, Deku felt satisfied with the brief experiences that he had with his friends during the time of the war. Despite his being satisfied with a quiet life, his friends refused to let him retire, and it’s revealed that Deku has a special set of battle armor – making him almost adjacent to a hero like Iron Man.

Did My Hero Academia’s Ending Live Up To Expectations?

While there is beauty in an ending that prioritizes how one can be happy living a slow, average life, My Hero Academia fails to deliver its message effectively. Something Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, has struggled with over the series’ run is wrapping up story arcs in a satisfying way. One of the most glaring examples of this comes from Deku’s “rogue” or “dark” arc where the young hero very briefly goes rogue before turning around and returning to his friends shortly after.

While Horikoshi occasionally does an excellent job delivering his story to readers, the grand finale, unfortunately, just misses the mark. It doesn’t fully commit to Deku’s satisfaction with a normal life by giving him a super-powered suit, and doesn’t truly allow him to live the life as one of the most impactful heroes in the world, either. While My Hero Academia certainly has a legacy, it is unfortunate to see how the series struggled to stick the landing.

The Summer 2024 Anime season has been absolutely excellent, with big-hitters like Oshi no Ko season 2, Tower of God: Return of the Prince, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, and Suicide Squad Isekai leading online discussions within the anime community.

One of the resident rom-com additions to the season, Too Many Losing Heroines, has proven itself to be the perfect subversion of many of the standard tropes found in shonen rom-coms, and from everything that’s been released from the anime so far, it’s looking to be the summer season’s best.

Too Many Losing Heroines Gives Shonen Rom-Com Fans Everything They Could Ever Want

Produced by A-1 Pictures, the anime adaptation of Too Many Losing Heroines by Muru Imigi and Takibi Amamori follows Kazuhiko, a friendless and plain young man who unexpectedly catches the cool and popular Anna Yanami getting friend-zoned by her childhood friend. In an interesting domino effect, all the popular girls at Kazuhiko’s school are getting rejected left and right by the guys they like.

Kazuhiko subsequently ends up surrounded by said popular girls, and his boring, quiet high school life gets flipped on its head as he helps keep the shockingly eccentric girl-failures’ spirits up in the face of heartbreak. While the plot may initially sound pretty standard for an anime in this genre, the execution of Too Many Losing Heroines makes it stand out in an oversaturated genre for the performances delivered by the main cast and the show’s incredible writing.

Hikaru Toono, the voice actress that plays Anna, is particularly talented, perfectly bouncing between the typical “popular girl” persona and being a total eccentric when she thinks nobody’s watching. The rest of the cast feel equally lively, and when pairing this with A-1’s vivid and stylish animation, the anime has been nothing short of incredible.

Of course, for anime fans not keen on shows that delve into harem tropes, this one may be a miss. While it definitely focuses more on the struggles of the girls after being rejected and moving on, there is still just a hint of a harem brewing beneath the surface. Whether the show will commit to this or truly subvert the genre by staying removed from the harem trope has yet to be seen. Despite that, though, Too Many Heroines’ first three episodes have been infectiously fun and any fan of rom-coms should give it a try.

San Diego Comic-Con is one of the hallmark fandom events of the year that promises new and exciting announcements from just about every industry imaginable, including anime and manga.

This year’s programming was no different, and as the manga industry’s presence has become stronger at Comic-Con, so too have the influx of new series announcements from English manga publishers.

Twilight Out of Focus Box Set – Kodansha USA

Originally created by Jyanome, Twilight Out of Focus is a popular Boys’ Love romance manga Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Otomo, two second-year high school students sharing a dorm. The pair of them have three core rules: Mao can’t tell anyone that Hisashi is gay, Hisashi will never look at Mao as a romantic partner, and that they must always knock before entering – just in case one of them is having a private moment. While their plans seem airtight initially, things slowly fall apart as the two grow more attached to one another over time, developing into a steamy relationship.

The new box set from Kodansha USA will contain all four volumes of the original manga as well as a special U.S.-exclusive art book, a short story that has never been translated in English, and brand-new, full color illustrations.

The POOL – Kodansha USA

From the creator of Ajin: Demi-Human, The POOL is Gamon Sakurai’s next sci-fi thriller that follows Chief Yugi Oishi, who’s tasked with leading her men on an alien planet after finding themselves barricaded in an abandoned mine as alien threats close in around them. While the series only has a handful of chapters currently, each new release has been absolutely spine-tingling.

Plus, Sakurai’s signature artstyle really brings the story to life, with horrific looking alien beasts that add a particular eeriness to the paneling.

Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze – Kodansha USA

From the creator of the classic Blade of the Immortal, Hiroaki Samura’s Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze is an award-winning political drama making it to English-speaking bookshelves beginning in 2025. The series follows Bielka, a young woman in a wheelchair, and Schenok, her companion, who must keep their true identities concealed in the harsh political climate of the Soviet Union.

Weaving together events between the Romanovs and Rasputin alongside Hiroaki’s knack for historical fiction, the series is absolutely incredible and something that every fan of manga and comic books should pick up.

Sailor Moon Naoko Takeuchi Collection Manga Box Set – Kodansha USA

Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon is a hallmark shojo and a magical girl staple whose popularity and influence can still be felt across the industry today. While the series is no stranger to English releases, Kodansha unveiled a special box set edition of the latest print edition of the series, dubbed the “Noako Takeuchi Edition” which is packaged in a special holographic box with 16 art cards and the first 6 volumes of the Sailor Moon manga.

While there’s no updates on when the second box set will release, the box set announced by the publisher will be available for purchase during the Holiday season.

Issak – Kodansha USA

One of the American Manga Award nominees for 2024 that up to this point had only been released digitally, Taking place in 1620, Catholics and Protestants have been in conflict right at the crux of the Thirty Year War. Amid the battlefield is a lone Japanese soldier named Issak, who’s come to Europe in pursuit of the man who killed his master. The physical release of the series will be in a 2-in-1 omnibus format that will begin publishing in Spring 2025, but the series is available digitally through Kodansha right now.

A new manga trailer for Jujutsu Kaisen has been released, paying tribute to the series' characters as the story nears its conclusion. The video, available on the official Shonen Jump YouTube channel, features a mix of iconic scenes and heartwarming moments from the manga. 

You can view the official trailer video below:

The trailer, presented as an edited motion comic, culminates in a face-off between Sukuna and Itadori Yuuji, highlighting the dramatic stakes the series has taken on as it approaches it's final five chapters. In addition to the manga trailer, Shueisha announced they are offering 245 chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen for free on the Jump+ app and Zeblack platform. This initiative allows readers to relive key moments or catch up on the series as it heads towards its conclusion.

This trailer follows a similar style to a previous teaser released for the third season of the anime, which focused on the Culling Game arc. That teaser used stylized manga animation and video editing to give a preview of the upcoming anime adaptation of the arc.

With only five chapters left until the finale, the trailer serves as a poignant reminder of the journey the characters have been on and the challenges that still lie ahead.

The post Heartbreaking Jujutsu Kaisen Manga Trailer Pays Tribute to Characters appeared first on Siliconera.

After six years, Shonen Jump’s mega-popular sorcery-fighting manga, Jujutsu Kaisen, will publish its final chapter on September 30. In the years since it began syndication, it was nominated for (and won) a few literary awards, and both seasons of its anime series brought home Crunchyroll’s Anime of the Year. But as a…

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Sand Land (2024), the latest action-adventure game from ILCA and Bandai Namco Entertainment, has caused some debate among manga readers that can be summarized this way: some consider it to be an independent story-arc adventure, others contend it acts both as a continuation of an original manga published back in 2000 (carrying the same title). So, which side has it right? Is Sand Land the solution or just more smokescreen that makes things look through the fog? A definite answer is impossible to get (like many things in life, like philosophy) but, in any event, it is worth investigating and learning about it. The journey is many times better than the destination, so let us navigate this fascinating desert journey that Sand Land offers us and find out together its connections to the source material at the beginning of the millennium, as well as what it may signify for potential newcomers.

The Link with the Past

Sand Land's inconsistency stems from its source material because why else would the game have the same name as the Manga book? Akira Toriyama himself (known to players through Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot) created one short manga series in 2000 titled Sand Land that took place after an apocalyptic desert event and featured Beelzebub and other unlikely allies working together (attempting to locate water sources, and more). Similar to Cowa, another of Toriyama's comics, Sand Land was collected in a tankobon manga and it is 14 chapters long. The game is inspired by this book, so here is the link to the past. However, the video game is not a 1 to 1 representation of the book, how could be, after all, it is a short comic that tells a story, whereas the video game does more.

Bridging the Gap for Newcomers

Sand Land the video game is an adaptation and in a way, a sequel of its respective manga counterpart, keeping much of what makes it special - among those, themes, characters, and plot elements - intact while expanding upon these in a manner the limited manga could never do. Sand Land is clearly one ideal entry point for newcomers to the universe. Sand Land's world of quirky characters and fantastical creatures features familiar elements from both media (including characters from the Dragon Ball series), so it is worth starting here. If you have the chance to buy Sand Land and play it, and at the same time enjoy the Manga book, you will experience both sides with rich narrative tapestries to explore.

So, who will get the most value out of Sand Land? This desert adventure is perfect for:

• Fans of Akira Toriyama's work: The vibrant world design and quirky humor will delight fans of Dragon Ball and other Toriyama creations (Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot), and being able to recognize some new work in Sand Land is a gift.
• Exploration enthusiasts: The vast desert world filled with loot, hidden secrets, and ancient ruins is a mesmerizing playground for those who buy cheap PS4 games and love to uncover every nook and cranny of the new game.
• Casual RPG players: This is not a role-playing game but it features elements of this genre, so if you're looking for a lighthearted and engaging RPG experience with a focus on fun over extreme difficulty, Sand Land fits the bill (and gives you some change back).

Verdict

Sand Land is a delightful, visually striking open-world adventure that makes it possible to admire once more the art of Akira Toriyama. It is simply enjoyable and adds a fresh breath to the genre via its distinct art style. The engaging story, exploration focus, and quirky characters are among its key strengths that enhance, in my opinion, the work of Akira Toriyama. Some purists might find similarities with its source manga disappointing but they are missing the point: the game is not the book. Its expanded narrative options and accessible entry points make this game great for newcomers who should be appreciative of the entire work. 

Season 2 of Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World has been airing weekly since early July, but the show’s broadcast has come to an abrupt pause as quality concerns arise.

Episode 5 of Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2 has been delayed indefinitely to maintain a high quality of production. In its place, episodes from the first season of the show will be broadcast to fill the show’s slot in the Summer 2024 anime season. This news was announced in a statement from the show’s production committee, along with more details regarding the decision.

“We have decided to postpone the broadcast and streaming of Episode 5 and onward in order to maintain the quality of the main story,” The statement reads. “The entire staff will make every effort to meet the expectations of those who have been looking forward to the work.”

Series creator Kei Sazane also chimed in on the decision to pause the broadcast schedule for Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World, noting that they’d heard feedback from fans that the animation quality hadn’t been up to par. 

“Some people voiced their concerns that the quality of the visuals in some parts of the animation was questionable. The production committee and the production studio took these concerns seriously, and that is how this decision came to be,” Sazane wrote.

While it might be disappointing to fans that they’ll have to wait for more of the anime, ultimately this is a good thing. It means that instead of getting an anime adaption that fans will despise for years, what we ultimately receive will be much closer to what fans initially expected.

If you’re looking to see and judge the animation yourself, you can still stream the first four episodes of Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Season 2 on Crunchyroll now.

After ten years and lots of critical acclaim for both the manga and the anime, My Hero Academia has come to an end, and I can’t muster any feeling towards it one way or the other.

It’s a sentiment similar to the one I had when Attack on Titan ended last year. Yes, I can acknowledge the amount of love and attention that the series has garnered since it debuted in Shonen Jump and how its more measured anime adaptation prioritized quality over pumping out new episodes as quickly as possible. But much like Attack on Titan, I could never get into the series, no matter how hard I tried. Whether it was watching the anime or reading the manga, every attempt I had to engage with the series left me cold. And now it’s all over.

On August 5th, 2024, Kohei Hirokoshi’s superhero epic wrapped up. As I’m writing this, the final chapter has yet to be released, but even if it somehow offers a finale that lives up to everyone’s expectations, I don’t think it will incentivize me to start following the series now that it’s all said and done. So, much like last time, I wanted to offer up an explanation as to why I never got into one of the most popular Shonen properties of the last decade.

I admit, when I first heard of My Hero Academia in 2014, I didn’t care for it. I had already written it off before reading a single chapter. Why? Because of its inspiration. While Kohei Hirokoshi had said that he was inspired by manga like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, most of the aesthetics and themes of the series took their cues from American comics. Hirokoshi has been a huge fan of American comics and read them even before they became popular in Japan thanks to the worldwide success of numerous Hollywood superhero franchises like the MCU, Spider-Man, and the X-Men series. Because of that, Hy Hero Academia was seen as a blending of the two cultures – making an American superhero epic from the perspective of a Japanese Shonen action series.

But it’s because of that blatant connection that I became disinterested in the series, whether it was fair or not. I’m someone who loves to read American superhero comics. I’ve been a DC fan for most of my life and at the time I was reading comics like Scott Snyder’s run on Batman, Brian Azzarello’s wonderful run on Wonder Woman, and various smaller series like Secret Six, Animal Man, and Batgirl. These titles gave me exactly what I wanted – stellar artwork, great action, and solid character drama. These series were also part of a large, interconnected world that would come together in grand events that would shake the fabric of the world. When I saw My Hero Academia, I had assumed that the series was a pale imitation of those tropes.

On that, I can safely say that I was wrong. My Hero Academia takes a lot of the iconography of superheroes and puts its own, worthy spin on it. In the world of My Hero Academia, anyone is capable of being a hero. Even if you’re like Deku, a person who was born without a Quirk and logically shouldn’t be able to become a superhero, still tries to. He pushes himself to be accepted into U.A. High School and slowly becomes the hero he always wanted to be. It’s a theme that’s universal in superhero comics. It doesn’t matter if you have powers or not. Anyone can be a hero with enough determination and perseverance.

But still, my bias against the series stood. Even as the series exploded in popularity with the anime’s release in 2015, I tried to engage with it but found one part that stopped me in my tracks – its supporting cast. In the first season of the show, the series introduced an absurd amount of supporting characters to populate Class 1-A. While some of them received worthwhile development as the series went on like Bakugo and Todoroki, there were just too many characters to keep track of. Some of them were insufferable, like Mineta (though I won’t hold that against the series), but most just kind of existed, not providing a lot to the ongoing narrative. But instead of fleshing out this core class that Deku and his friends spend most of their time with, the series keeps trying to add even more characters.

My Hero Academia takes the concept of a large and shared superhero universe goes overboard with it yet doesn’t know what to do with it. Not only is Class 1-A introduced, but Class 1-B is also shown off despite most of its students hardly doing anything. It’s been shown that there are superheroes outside of Japan, but we hardly see any of them since the series is solely focused on Deku and the people surrounding him. The manga did get a spin-off, Vigilantes, that attempted to flesh out the world somewhat, but had minimal impact and those characters, yet again, rarely, if ever, factor into the events of the main series. Why bother designing all of these characters if the series doesn’t do anything with them outside of sporting slick designs and using their power for fight scenes?

Developing and maintaining a large supporting cast is tricky, especially for a long-running series. At the risk of sounding like a One Piece apologist, one of the strengths of that series handles is its supporting cast. They’re established within the confines of an arc and then are left once their story is concluded. There are rare instances where some side characters will reappear in future arcs, but they’re exactly that – rarities. Plus the series has trained its audience to expect check-ins with its cast in between major arcs or during global events, to remind audiences about the scale of the world and the events happening. My Hero Academia seems its supporting cast as background fodder and every time I interact with the series it just continues to prove that point.

A few years after the anime debuted, I gave the series another chance by watching the original movie, World Heroes’ Mission. I was given a screener in the lead-up to New York Comic Con and watched it, hoping that this non-canon film would generate some interest in exploring the series in more detail. I’ve always believed that non-canon anime films, or at least the good ones, should be a distillation of the strengths of their source material and are easy jumping on points for newcomers. But as I watched the movie, I was just bombarded by tons and tons and tons of side characters that ultimately didn’t matter and served as glorified cameos. The film centered on Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki, with barely any thought being given to anyone else. Is this true of the rest of the series? Does the show center on these three and their struggles to be heroes? That’s the impression that I got from World Heroes’ Mission.

So I continued to ignore the series. As I did, I started to hear more and more criticisms about the series. Keep in mind, these criticisms weren’t the majority consensus, but much like how people began to become dissatisfied with Chainsaw Man’s erratic tone or Jujutsu Kaisen’s treatment of its characters, people became comfortable sharing their dissatisfaction with the series. One of the biggest criticisms I saw of the series was the general lack of consequences that certain actions had. It’s a criticism I’ve heard a lot these past few weeks as the series’ epilogue doesn’t address the impact the final arc had on the world. While I couldn’t confirm nor deny these criticisms, what I will say is that this isn’t a problem this is exclusive to My Hero Academia.

If we’re going to argue that My Hero Academia is somehow weaker because it doesn’t show lasting consequences for its actions, then I would say that’s just par for the course with superhero comics and their constant need to maintain a status quo. How many times has there been a critically acclaimed run of a comic book that was quickly a swiftly ignored the second a new writing team stepped on board? It’s unfortunate, but if My Hero Academia suffers from a lack of repercussions, then it’s not the only series to be guilty of it is all I’m saying.

I love reading manga and comic books, but for some reason, My Hero Academia never came across like peanut butter and chocolate to me. These two parts should compliment each other well, and they do for most people, but for me they never quite sat right with each other. My Hero Academia came across as a pale imitation of the genre that I loved and instead of mixing superheroes and manga seamlessly, it instead took a lot of the comic book industries worst tropes and just put a Shonen spin on them.

But let me make one thing perfectly clear – if you are someone who loves My Hero Academia and are saddened to see it go, then I feel for you. I wish I could have overcome my biases and enjoyed the series just as much as you did. I have friends who don’t watch anime or read manga, yet they kept up with My Hero Academia for the better part of a decade. It clearly hit a nerve that affected millions upon millions of people, so who am I to say that someone shouldn’t enjoy it? If you were emotionally impacted by Deku’s journey to be a hero, then I hope this finale serves as the coda that you were looking for. I just won’t be one of the people looking back with reverence for a series that I thought never lived up to its full potential.

After 10 years My Hero Academia’s manga has concluded its run, but fans have one more chance to get their voices heard, and for the first time that will include fans outside of Japan.

The My Hero Academia World Best Hero poll has now begun to determine who is the definitive favorite amongst the My Hero character cast. This comes as Chapter 430 concluded the series epic story earlier today. Fans can lodge their votes on the World Best Hero official website, and polling will remain open from now until Sept. 30, 2024, at 7:59 am PT.

If you’re truly set on getting your favorite character to the top you can lodge one vote each day. Stage one will narrow the options down to just three characters who will compete in the Plus Ultra Stage set for Dec. 2, 2024, at 4 am PT, where one will be crowned the winner. When this phase begins fans will have 24 hours to cast their final votes and determine the victor from these finalists. During the Plus Ultra Stage, you can vote up to once per hour, with a maximum of 12 votes for the day polling is open.

Results will be announced via the official Jump YouTube Channel. The character who emerges victorious in the World Best Hero poll will get a new illustration from the series creator Kohei Horikoshi which will then be used for the creation of a bronze statue, so the stakes have never been higher.

Popularity polls have been something that My Hero fans have loved throughout the serialization of the manga with results being revealed as volumes arrived in stores. Previously only Japanese fans could vote in these polls, but now is the time for everyone around the world to get involved.

If you haven’t yet read the finale, My Hero Academia Chapter 430 is available to enjoy via the Viz Media website and Manga Plus app, alongside every previous chapter. Now’s the best time there has ever been to binge through the series once again.

Viz Media’s SDCC 2024 panel has given anime fans a lot to look forward to in the next year, including the release of a Rooster Fighter anime adaptation on Adult Swim. One of the biggest manga announcements made during the event, though is a collaboration between two iconic heroes.

Officially announced to release in August 2024, Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man is set to bring together the two heroes in an epic battle against Doctor Doom and Alien Mefilas.

Everything We Know About Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man

The upcoming Ultraman team-up manga will be written by Shigenobu Matsumoto and Shinji Oishi, with illustrations by Tomo Hirokawa (Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris). The series is getting a simultaneous English and Japanese release beginning on August 14, 2024.

The plot of Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man has been described as:

On Marvel Earth, Spider-Man joins forces with the Avengers to battle Doctor Doom in New York City, but when several civilians are killed in a building collapse as a result, Spider-Man becomes demoralized and finds himself whisked away in a strange spacecraft called the Interdimensional Train. Doctor Doom stows aboard and both find themselves in the Tokyo of the Ultraman universe! Witnessing Ultraman battle a giant Kaiju, Doom craves the Giant of Light’s power and joins forces with Alien Mefilas and his army of Kaiju from the Monster Graveyard to steal it.

Viz Media

While Ultraman has teamed up with Marvel heroes in the past – like Ultraman x Avengers, which will also be dropping on August 14, this is the first time the kaiju-fighting tokusatsu legend will be teaming up with the world’s favorite neighborhood hero.

SDCC 2024 has given fans from every corner of the world something to be excited about – especially anime fans. As part of Viz Media’s panel, one of the biggest news the publisher shared with fans was the official anime adaptation announcement for Rooster Fighter by Shu Sakuratani.

After beginning serialization in 2020, Rooster Fighter quickly went viral for its hilarious premise, and its self-aware humor.

Rooster Fighter’s Anime Adaptation Helped Sakuratani Fulfill a Lifelong Dream

After announcing that the Rooster Fighter anime would be airing on Adult Swim, being produced by Sanzigen and Sola Entertainment, the mangaka shared his thoughts on the adaptation, stating:

Ever since becoming a manga artist, my biggest goal was to have my work adapted into an anime. So, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see my dream come true! This is all thanks to my readers’ continued support and Hero’s and VIZ Media’s contributions. I extend my gratitude to all of you.

Shu Sakuratani

He continued, saying this about his action comedy series:

I believe Rooster Fighter is very blessed. We have the best director, the best writer, the best production staff, and the best voice actors all working together to create the best anime. As the original creator, I am ecstatic! I can’t wait to see Keiji and the gang come to life on TV. I hope that everyone out there will enjoy this anime where chickens take center stage!

Shu Sakuratani

The upcoming anime will be directed by Daisuke Suzuki, previously known for his work on D4DJ Double Mix and 009 Re:Cyborg. Series composition will be handled by Hiroshi Seko, whose credits include Attack on Titan, Mob Psycho 100, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

While fans are still waiting on an official release date, the mangaka’s enthusiasm has the community excited to see what’s to come from the series when it finally airs on Adult Swim.

After what feels like forever, the team behind the anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki have finally dropped a new trailer and an official release date for the project.

The New Trailer Shows Off How Hard the Team Worked To Adapt Ito’s Unique Style

In the official post from Adult Swim, it’s officially been confirmed that Uzumaki will begin airing on September 28, 2024, with episodes landing on the streaming service Max the day after.

the new trailer shows a number of updated visuals in the latest trailer, and it’s obvious the studio behind the upcoming adaptation, Studio Drive, have put a lot of love, care, and passion into the adaptation.

Romantic Killer is a subversive romantic comedy series, originating from a 2019 manga, and recently adapted as an anime on Netflix. It follows protagonist Anzu Hoshino, an endearing teenage girl who loves three things: video games, chocolate, and her cat. However, when she discovers a game she is playing was swapped out for a romance game, a tiny wizard named Riri appears to her and turns her life upside down.

She is promised a paradise of male suitors but has her favorite things taken away until she chooses a boyfriend. The story is hilarious, heartwarming, and self-aware, so readers/viewers might wonder, who does Anzu end up with in Romantic Killer?

Does Anzu End Up With Tsukasa in Romantic Killer?

Anzu x Tsukasa

Tsukasa Kazuki is the first love interest introduced in episode 1 of the anime, but the pair are not end game. Anzu and Tsukasa encounter each other in numerous instances that seem to parody the meet-cute trope, where future couples meet under seemingly random and often humorous circumstances.

Tsukasa’s good looks and initial cold demeanor belie his kindness, with him becoming a wonderful friend to Anzu. While he finds himself falling for her, Anzu does not feel pressured to reciprocate his feelings.

Anzu x Junta

Junta Hayami is propped up by Riri as the encapsulating the childhood friend archetype, even referring to him as ‘easy mode’ in the context of otome games, but these two just weren’t meant to be. He idealized Anzu since elementary school when he was teased for being overweight and called Tonta by their classmates, becoming a baseball prodigy when he learned that Anzu liked athletic guys. While seemingly cowardly and resentful of Tsukasa, Junta is steadfast and loyal to his friends.

Anzu x Ryuya

Ryuya seems like the closest romantic fit for Anzu, but does not end up with her in Romantic Killer. Their mutual appreciation for video games is a strong indicator that they could have chemistry, but this alone doesn’t seem to be enough to bring the pair together. However, Ryuya joins other characters in protecting Anzu from some rather scary circumstances by the end of the series, and remains her friend.

Anzu x Koganei?

Hijiri Koganei is the rich, handsome suitor sent after Anzu by Riri, but they do not end up together in Romantic Killer. Their personalities clash, with Anzu going as far as to taunt him for his attitude, referring to him as a tsundere. Despite his arrogant demeanor, Anzu still regards him as a friend, playing into his confidence and showing him affection as she does for her other friends.

Anzu x Riri

One of the more complicated and admittedly odd pairings in the anime – these two do not end up together, but when Riri wishes to stay in her life, Anzu shrewdly uses the technicality that there’s a fraction of a percent chance they could end up together romantically. This forces Kate, a later wizard assigned to her case, to allow Riri to stay in the human world.

Will There Ever Be an “Endgame” Pairing For Anzu?

For those who have caught on at this point, the story isn’t meant for Anzu to end up with anybody, at least, not definitively. The series does a wonderful job showcasing the importance of platonic love, which is often devalued in romance stories as only another avenue for people to end up together. Anzu eventually is given access to her possessions, while keeping her invaluable friends, and keeps the autonomy to not have to date any of them or respond to their advances.

However, the anime ends on a cheeky ‘to be continued…?’ note while setting her up with a new quest given by Kate, to find a boyfriend before graduating. We’ll see if there’s ever a continuation, but for now, the anime and manga end on the same note, with Anzu ending up with her favorite things: video games, chocolate, her cat Momohiki, and her friends. The ending of the manga is equally open-ended, however, there are some hints that she and Tsukasa could eventually develop something, since the final chapters give him the spotlight.

Romantic Killer was released on Netflix on October 27, 2022, and is based on the manga originally released on July 30, 2019. You can read Romantic Killer on Shonen Jump.

Blue Lock has quickly become one of the biggest sports anime in the world, and after the success of the Episode Nagi film, fans all around the world were excited to see new updates regarding the 2nd season’s release.

In an exciting new teaser trailer uploaded by EMOTION Label Channel and a post made on the official X (formerly Twitter) accounts revealed that Unison Square Garden will be returning to perform the new opening song, as well as showing off some flashy new footage from Blue Lock season 2.

When Will Blue Lock Season 2 Release?

The second season of Blue Lock is slated to release during the Fall 2024 Anime Season, on October 5, 2024. Just like the first season, season 2 will be streaming on Crunchyroll, subbed and dubbed. The new season will be featuring some new additions to the voice cast, including Satoshi Hino as Oliver Aiku, Kakeru Hatano as Nijiro Nanase, Eiji Mikami as Yo Hiori, and Akihisa Wakayama as Shuto Sendo.

The Summer 2024 Anime season has introduced anime fans to a variety of new and returning series that have more than lived up to the hype. With obvious heavy-hitters that were guaranteed to draw in fans

My Deer Friend Nokotan

My Deer Friend Nokotan brings back the same style of comedy anime that the community had been missing out on once the 2010s came and went, filled with slapstick reference humor that resonates with fans of every genre. Poking fun at properties like Dark Souls, the original Spider-Man trilogy, and other anime, it seems as though there’s no limit to the different places My Deer Friend Nokotan will draw inspiration from. Plus, the opening theme is infectiously catchy and hard to avoid.

The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies

Based on the manga series of the same name by the late Cocoa Fujiwara, The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies is a light-hearted spin on the classic Magical Girl – or mahou shojo – genre. The series takes place in a world where the villains have taken over, spearheaded by the son of the evil overlord, named Mira. Their plans for domination begin to struggle when the organization is contested by a magical girl named Byakuya, who turns Mira’s world upside-down when he finds himself falling in love with the enemy. As the two begin growing closer, their relationship becomes more complicated.

Perfectly capturing the classic enemies-to-lovers trope without all the angst but plenty of pining, The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies may not have had a proper serialized ending, but the unlikely adaptation from Studio Bones may give the series the closure it deserves after all these years.

Twilight Out of Focus

One of the biggest BL releases in the last year, Twilight Out of Focus is a wonderfully well-produced anime that, despite some issues with its initial release in the west, has been met with overwhelming positivity from fans of the genre. Opening by following a school film project that blossoms into young love, the series’ two leads are easy to care about and root for as their relationship develops. The build up is done perfectly throughout the show, and each episode is laden with romantic tension.

Senpai is an Otonoko

Anime that explore nuanced LGBTQ concepts aren’t a rarity in today’s landscape, it is rare when one comes along that’s able to captivate an audience beyond its target demographic. Senpai is an Otonoko is a show that’s hit how with anime fans around the globe for discussing the complex journey that comes with navigating one’s gender identity and how we choose to present ourselves to the world. The show is filled with incredibly heartfelt moments discussing the topic of gender expression and learning to accept oneself despite what society may think, and it’s truly stood out this season because of that.

Wistoria Wand & Sword

The non-isekai high fantasy anime of the season, Wistoria has, so far, managed to draw in a sizable audience with a bright, colorful artstyle and high quality magic battles. Adapted from the original series written by the creator of Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?, Wistoria has an arguably stronger premise while still holding on to the same “dungeon crawl” inspiration that made the creator’s first series so successful.

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest

Fairy Tail was a long-running shonen series that got popular for its world-building and characters, but it’s been a while since the series received any new anime content, with the final season of the original series coming to an end in 2018. However, the shonen fantasy has made a big comeback with the release of the 100 Years Quest anime adaptation, and to the delight of longtime fans, Fairy Tail hasn’t lost any of the charm that made it so popular when it originally released.

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a (Cour 2)

Video games being adapted to anime have always had a dicey track record, with other A-1 Pictures’ attempts at this, like Persona 5: The Animation missing the mark on what makes the source material so special. Luckily, the studio has been taking back their reputation with their animated adaptation of NieR: Automata, which has done a decent job at adapting the game’s storyline and bringing its complicated characters to life. The first cour performed excellently among fans, and Cour 2 has, so far, been a strong sequel that keeps up the same quality and consistency as its first half.

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

While the anime is gaining a solid audience, Too Many Losing Heroines is absolutely the Summer Season’s sleeper hit anime. Despite its initial set-up being the typical “plain male lead surrounded by cute girls”, Too Many Losing Heroines! succeeds in actually shaking up this formula in a compelling way. The leading lady of the show, Anna, is a hilarious subversion of the standard “popular girl” trope, and the anime’s sense of humor perfectly encapsulates what makes these characters so fun to follow. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this show receive a 2nd season once the season comes to a close.

Oshi No Ko Season 2

After the unprecedented success of Oshi no Ko‘s first season around the world, it shouldn’t be surprising that a second installment was quickly greenlit and thrown into production. Oshi no Ko season 2 keeps the same level of quality from the first, and is focused on adapting one of the manga’s best story arcs, which has its audience absolutely enthralled. As the anime begins to dig deeper into its psychological crime thriller themes, fans are more devoted than ever to follow Aqua’s journey to unmask his mother’s killer.

The Elusive Samurai

The anime adaptation for The Elusive Samurai was initially met with a small level of excitement from longtime fans of the original manga, but from the moment episode 1 released, the series exploded in popularity. Complete with CloverWorks’ signature colorful animation style and striking color palette, and paired with an extremely well executed story, the anime has seen an extreme amount of success with only a handful of episodes currently available to stream.

On Monday, IGN officially announced what a few leakers had been speculating over the weekend: Naruto and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are joining forces in a collaborative crossover comic consisting of four issues between IDW Publishing and Viz Media.

When Does the Naruto x TMNT Comic Release?

The first issue of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is set to release on November 13, 2024.

IDW has said the following about the collab:

“It’s the coolest ninja matchup you could have ever dreamed of, had you dared! The Heroes in a Half-Shell meet the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox in the crossover everyone will be talking about.

When teenage reporter April O’Neil has a clandestine meeting with Tsunade, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, it garners the attention of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. They aren’t the only ones who are wondering what the two women were discussing, though. The sinister Foot Clan have their own interest in April’s visit, as they think she might hold the valuable information on mutation research being conducted by the scientist Baxter Stockman. With April caught between the forces of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Foot Clan, it can’t be long before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show up to lend her a hand!”

Who Is Working On Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto?

There’s an incredibly talented staff working on the upcoming collab, including Caleb Goellner (known for his previous work on Sonic the Hedgehog) is writing the story, Hendry Prasetya (known for his work on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) will be handling the drawing, Raúl Angulo (known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) will be coloring, and Ed Dukeshire (known for his work on Irredeemable) is lettering the issues. The cover artwork for Issue #1 is being handled by Hendry Prasetya and Jorge Jiménez.

The last time Naruto and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaborated was for a merchandise line through BoxLunch.

The anime adaptation of Naruto can be streamed on Netflix, the original manga by Masashi Kishimoto can be purchased through retailers like Amazon.

Warning: The following is a developing story and contains mentions of sensitive topics such as death and domestic violence.

Former Kodansha editor Jung-hyun Park, known for his work on Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan and Seven Deadly Sins has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for the murder of his wife.

Everything We Know About the Jung-hyun Park Case

On July 18, 2024, the former Kodansha editor was sentenced to 11 years in prison following a retrial for the murder of his wife, which had originally been investigated during August 2016. He was initially arrested for the horrific event back in January 2017, with prosecutors initially pursuing a 15 year sentence.

When the investigation began, Park gave a series of unreliable stories. Initially, he told investigators that his wife had committed suicide, and then changed his story, stating that she had fallen down a flight of stairs. Once the ambulance arrived, her body was found at the base of the stairs with the cause of death ruled as suffocation. In the court proceedings, when Park’s claims of suicide were challenged, he claimed that his wife has been acting violently before taking her own life. He continued to tell Tokyo Reporter that the reason for the inconsistencies in his story was to avoid their children learning of what happened with their mother. The judge concluded on July 18 that Park’s story had too many inconsistencies, stating, “It is too sudden and unnatural that the wife lost consciousness and then moved around so much that she made a noise, and then committed suicide.”

Park has announced that he intends to pursue an appeal on the decision. Park had been working for Kodansha since 1999, and had worked on the Bessatsu Shonen magazine as the editor for Attack on Titan, and later moved to begin work as an editor for Weekly Morning.

Source: Tokyo Reporter

Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter is a staple shonen series, with both the manga and 2011 anime adaptation having a huge impact on the industry. Due to the original creator’s health, though, the series has struggled to continue, but it looks as though Gon and his troupe of friends will finally be making a comeback.

With frequent updates from Togashi, an upcoming 3v3 fighting game, and a brand-new tankoban release confirmed by Shueisha, Hunter x Hunter is making a huge comeback in 2024.

Hunter x Hunter’s Indefinite Hiatus May Finally Be Coming To an End

With a record of taking multiple breaks due to his health, Togashi placed Hunter x Hunter on an indefinite hiatus in early 2023 due to his ongoing health and personal issues after the release of chapter 400. Though saddening to many fans, they’ve regained hope that the series could potentially begin serializing again after Togashi’s X (formerly Twitter) account had begun putting out multiple updates from the end of 2023.

These increasingly frequent updates have featured page numbers, and even fully-colored artwork. His most recent post at time of writing is a full color illustration of Chrollo from the Phantom Troupe.

In addition to this, Shueisha recently volume 38 of the manga for a Fall release on September 4, 2024. Togashi has also made posts stating that the new chapters are ready to hand off chapters 409 and 410 to his assistants, and has teased progress all the way through hapter 416. Despite the long break Togashi has taken, fans are elated for any potential updates, and are rooting for the mangaka to continue monitoring his health while working hard on the upcoming chapters.

The Upcoming Nen x Impact Game Has a Lot of Promise

While anime fighting games are often hit or miss with critics, the upcoming Hunter x Hunter video game project, Nen x Impact, looks incredibly promising, and the promotional videos showing of the game’s roster have been anything but bland.

From Arc System Works and Bushiroad Games, Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact features a variety of iconic characters from the series, including the core protagonists, and most recently announced the addition of Feitan and Meruem to the roster. While anime tie-in fighters often have lower budgets, it’s still interesting to see the amount of marketing Nen x Impact is receiving, so hopefully the project will have something for hardcore Hunter x Hunter fans to enjoy.

Hunter x Hunter‘s anime adaptation can be streamed on Netflix, the official manga can be purchased from retailers like Amazon.

The Summer 2024 Anime Season has introduced a variety of exciting new shows to the community, including the zany comedy My Deer Friend Nokotan, and shows like Suicide Squad ISEKAI the reimagine classic characters in a new way.

A surprising hit from this season, however, has come in the way of CloverWorks’ adaptation of The Elusive Samurai, which has a remarkably high score on MAL despite only having one episode available at the time of writing.

What Makes The Elusive Samurai So Sensational?

While CloverWorks has solidified themselves as a solid and reliable studio, producing standout hits like Horimiya, Black Butler -Public School Arc- and My Dress Up Darling, from time-to-time their new releases can get buried amid a season filled with other promising titles. While there weren’t many anime fans talking about The Elusive Samurai before episode 1 dropped, it’s now become hard to avoid seeing Tokiyuki’s face all over the internet.

It’s clear that CloverWorks is putting a lot of love into this adaptation, with many fans of the original manga commenting on how well the studio has done to re-contextualize small details that were left in dialogue boxes in the source material, as well as offering the studio’s signature fluid animation to the show.. The characters and setting are fun and refreshing, with the series taking place during Japan’s Nanboku-cho period (1333), and following the up-and-coming successor of the Kamakura Shogunate. Historical fiction isn’t uncommon in anime, but it is rare to see something that sticks so closely to the era it’s attempting to portray.

Not to mention, watching the first episode, it’s fun to see child characters that actually behave like curious children, instead of having their personalities aged up. All around, The Elusive Samurai is a gem of a series, and we can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

Fans interested in getting caught up with The Elusive Samurai can stream the show on Crunchyroll.

The latest installment in the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball Daima, was originally announced during the Dragon Ball Special Panel during New York Comic-Con in 2023, and we finally have confirmation for when fans will be able to enjoy the late Akira Toriyama’s final project.

Toei Animation recently dropped a new trailer filled with details about the anime, including its official release date.

Dragon Ball Daima Will Officially Drop In October 2024

The trailer shows of Daima‘s flashy animation style and high-energy vibe, once again showing a child version of Goku taking on the upcoming anime’s biggest threats. In addition to the new trailer, the official Dragon Ball X account dropped a new key visual for the anime.

The new visual is reminiscent of early Dragon Ball manga cover artwork, injecting the project with a rush of nostalgia.

My Deer Friend Nokotan gained online notoriety rather quickly thanks to its unapolegitcally silly marketing tactics and relatively wholesome comedic delivery, the series ticked a lot of boxes for anime fans before it began streaming on Amazon Prime and Crunchyroll.

Based on the original manga by Oshioshio, My Deer Friend Nokotan follows an ex-delinquent-turned-honor student named Torako Koshi, who, after rescuing a human-deer hybrid on her way to school becomes plagued by the presence of her “new” friend Noko. The worst part of her dilemma is that it seems as though nobody else around her sees anything wrong with their new classmate.

The First Two Episodes of ‘Nokotan’ Live Up To Wit Studio’s Zany Marketing

Something that’s noticeable from the opening animation in My Deer Nokotan is how much this series loves reference humor. Including hilarious tidbits like a nod to Dark Souls and other famous properties, the series wears its love for other media like a badge of honor, and takes every opportunity to fit some referential gag into the story. While this, understandably, isn’t every anime fan’s cup of tea, My Deer Friend Nokotan feels so genuine with its humor, that its hard not to crack a smile when a gag like this pops up.

In many ways, the series feels reminiscent of some of the 2010s best comedy anime, like Nichijou, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and Mr. Osomatsu. The show’s humor isn’t limited to poking fun at other anime and video games, however, with episode 2 dropping a reference to Peter Parker’s iconic dance sequence in Spider-Man 3.

Wit Studio’s signature animation prowess can be seen even in Nokotan‘s silliest moments, proving once again that the studio has a broad range outside of more action-oriented productions like Vinland Saga and Spy x Family. Not to mention – the voice acting performances from the two female leads, Megumi Hand and Saki Fujita (as Noko and Koshi, respectively) add to the show’s persistent style and charm.

While this is an early take away of the series’ quality, episode 3 drops on July 21, 2024, and fans will know for sure if My Deer Friend Nokotan is one to keep on their watchlists for the remainder of the Summer 2024 Anime season.

Studio Trigger’s anime adaptation of Ryoko Kui’s high fantasy dungeon-delving fantasy series Delicious In Dungeon was iconic, and its fanbase has skyrocketed ever since.

While its great to see more people talking about the series, its even more incredible to see the vast number of fan projects pop up following the anime’s success, with many of the perfectly capturing the underlying themes of the series.

@mihaelillustrates Captures a Heartwarming Meal Shared By Laios’ Party

This gorgeously illustrated fanart features Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi sharing hotpot together. The color palette chosen for the piece gives it a warm and cozy feel – even with Marcille’s disgruntled expression. It beautifully captures one of Delicious In Dungeon‘s core themes: the importance of taking the time to share a meal with the people you care about.

With the tense season 1 finale ramping things up leading into the already announced second season, it can be easy to forget that some of the show’s best moments come from Laios and the rest of the party connecting with friends new and old through the power of home cooking, even if they are making their meals with monsters.

Delicious in Dungeon is available to stream on Netflix.

Off the heels of the new Urusei Yatsura anime adaptation’s success, fans of Rumiko Takahashi were delighted to learn that another one of the iconic mangaka’s series was coming back with a fresh new anime.

Rivaled in popularity only by her massively popular shonen series Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2 is by far one of Takahashi’s most recognizable works around the globe, and now even newer anime fans will have an opportunity to experience it.

The New Ranma 1/2 Trailer Perfectly Captures the Manga’s Energy

It’s been officially announced that the new anime will be produced by Studio MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuri!!! On Ice, Chainsaw Man) and is set to air on October 5, 2024 in Japan, with Netflix picking up the series for a worldwide release on October 6, 2024. It’s also been announced that much of the original voice cast will be returning to reprise their roles from the original Ranma 1/2 anime from the 80s and 90s, including Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, and Noriko Hidaka.

In addition to the exciting cast announcement, ano will be performing the opening song for the new series, also known for performing the 7th Chainsaw Man ending song, “Chu, Tayousei”. One Piece anime director Konosuke Uda will be directing the upcoming anime alongside Kimiko Ueno (Delicious In Dungeon) handling series composition, Kaoru Wada (Inuyasha) handling music composition, and character designs by Hiromi Taniguchi (FLCL Alternative).

The anime and manga industry have always been huge in the Western world, but there’s no denying that over the last decade the two mediums have absolutely exploded. While plenty of mainstream fans are familiar with their favorite anime series, and even some of the best-selling manga titles, there’s a vast array of content that tends to be overlooked and under appreciated despite the immense amount of hard work that goes into translating, localizing, and bringing these titles to English-speaking audiences.

That’s where AnimeNYC and the Japan Society come in, uniting to create the American Manga Awards. Aiming to celebrate and acknowledge the dedicated and hard-working individuals making our favorite titles more accessible, the American Manga Awards have finally revealed their nominees for 2024.

Every American Manga Award Nominee

The American Manga Awards are shaping up to be a huge event, and the committee in charge have selected a number of stand-out titles to join the ranks of their nominations for 2024.

Best New Manga:

• The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa | Kodansha
• #DRCL Midnight Children by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, based on Dracula by Bram Stoker | Viz Media
• Just Like Mona Lisa by Tsumuji Yoshimura | Square Enix Manga & Books
• Mothers by Kusahara Umi | Glacier Bay Books
• Soara and the House of Monsters by Hidenori Yamaji | Seven Seas Entertainment

Best Continuing Manga Series:

• Blood on the Tracks by Shuzo Oshimi | Kodansha (Vertical)
• Delicious In Dungeon by Ryoko Kui | Yen Press
• Dinosaur Sanctuary by Itaru Kinoshita | Seven Seas Entertainment
• She Loves To Cook, She Loves To Eat by Sakomi Yuzaki | Yen Press
• The Summer Hikaru Died by mokumokuren | Yen Press

Best New Edition of a Classic Manga Series

• Minami’s Lover by Shungiku Uchida | Fantagraphics
• My Name Is Shingo by Kazuo Umezz | Viz Media
• Okinawa by Susumu Higa | Fantagraphics
• UFO Mushroom Invasion by Marina Shirakawa | Living the Line / Smudge
• Neighborhood Story by Ai Yazawa | Viz Media

Best Translation

• Kevin Steinbach – for Issak by Shinji Makari & DOUBLE-S | Kodansha
• David Evelyn – for Doll-Kara by Kazuyoshi Ishii, Hanamura, and Kei Ryuzoji | J-Novel Club
• Stephen Paul – for Akane Banashi by Yuki Suenaga & Takamasa Moue | Viz Media
• Stephen Kohler – for Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha
• John Neal – for Bocchi the Rock! by Aki Hamaji | Yen Press

Best Lettering

• Vadim K. – lettering for They’ll Make a Man Out of You by Shiwasu no Okina | J18 Publishing
• Rebecca Sze – lettering for Tokyo Interstellar Immigration Volume 3. by Mado Guchimoto | VAST Visual
• Tomoko Saito – for letteing & retouch for Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Edition Volume 10 by Hiroaki Samura | Dark Horse
• Lys Blakeslee – lettering for Witch Hat Atelier | by Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha
• Phil Christie – lettering & retouch for Search & Destroy Volume 1 by Atsushi Kaneko, based on Dororo by Osamu Tezuka | Fantagraphics

Best Publication Design

• Nicky Lim & Sandy Grayson – box set design for Orange Complete Box Set
• Nicky Lim & Karis Page – cover design, lettering, & interior design for My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness: Special Edition by Nagata Kabi | Seven Seas Entertainment
• Phil Balsman – design for Initial D Omnibus by Shuichi Shinego | Kodansha
• Andrea Miller – cover design for Tokyo Aliens by NAOE | Square Enix Manga & Books
• Adam Grano – design for My Name Is Shingo by Kazuo Umezz | Viz Media

The American Manga Awards Aim To Celebrate the Individuals That Make the Industry What It Is

The Western manga industry – and the manga industry in general – have faced a number of challenges over the last few years due to struggles with AI generated translations and publishers underpaying staff for work on a medium that is nothing short of lucrative. It can be easy to forget that there are very real, very passionate individuals that work on manga in the process of bringing it to English-speaking bookshelves, and that social media echo chambers discussing the industry often lack an ounce of empathy when it comes to understanding the workload.

That’s where the American Manga Awards come in – the committee seem dedicated to celebrating and acknowledging the behind-the-scenes folks that work hard every single day to bring the community’s favorite books to the West. The judging committee are all longtime members of the industry, and have been very vocal for their love of the medium.

Our Favorite Picks From the Nominees List

Obvious favorites from this year’s American Manga Awards are of course big-hitters like Delicious In Dungeon that have recently broken into the mainstream thanks to its impeccable anime adaptation on Netflix. The series is a wonderful high fantasy romp that wears its Dungeons & Dragons influence on its sleeve, as well as pulling from other major fantasy properties.

Something else we’ve loved seeing on this years nominations list is the recognition of smaller publishers, like Glacier Bay Books – which made it onto the list for their work on bringing Mothers to English readers. Mothers by Kusahara Umi is a debut work compiling fifteen years of self-published short stories. As described by the publisher:

“Mothers is Kusahara Umi’s debut English title, collecting and translating 15 years worth of self-published short stories developed on themes of love, family, and loss. Offset printed on a luxury cream paper stock, with a sewn binding. The cover will feature gatefold flaps spot printed with a mix of red and blue inks on uncoated paper, showcasing brand new artwork created by Umi specially for this, their first collected edition. Mothers contains 12 short stories that encapsulate different facets of the human experience.”

There’s also been a return of many iconic classics becoming more accessible for new manga fans, like the gorgeously designed Initial D Omnibus collection. One of the biggest series we’re rooting for is The Summer Hikaru Died, a haunting supernatural mystery that beautifully discusses the nature of loss and its relationship with grief.

While we’re still waiting for final results, in our eyes, this event marks everyone working in the industry as a winner. Those interested in voting for their favorite series and supporting their favorite publishers can find the link through AnimeNYC’s official website, here.

Demon Slayer has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, with the original manga being a smash-hit in terms of sales and the anime adaptation produced by Ufotable made the series a mainstream success around the world.

Despite having a dedicated fanbase, mountains of merchandise and record-breaking sales, fans have grown exhausted with the franchise – but why?

Despite Its Success, the Anime Is Drawing the Story Out Too Much

The original Demon Slayer manga, which was created by Koyoharu Gotouge and began running in Shonen Jump magazine from February 2016 to May 2020, with its chapters being collected into 23 single volumes, or tankobon. The series was an instant success, and in 2020, the year that the manga concluded, had an estimated ¥1 trillion ($8.75 billion USD) in annual revenue. According to Shonen Jump‘s editor-in-chief, Hiroyuki Nakano, the series’ sales began skyrocketing after the first season of the anime had concluded.

This makes total sense – Demon Slayer season 1 was nearly flawless. Featuring Ufotable’s signature animation style and introducing audiences to the main cast in a way that made it easy to get invested in their stories, the series had something for everyone. While action-packed and filled with terrifying demons, the anime also boasted one of the most endearing takes on the “found family” tropes in the industry.

The praise continues when the Mugen Train arc’s animated adaptation released – a feature length film that pushed the boundaries of modern anime cinema in terms of animation quality, storytelling, and hype. The film became an absolute sensation, and the perfectly orchestrated beats throughout the film highlighting the pivotal Hashira Rengoku is something that’s still discussed today. However, from this point onward, the anime starting facing controversies for something unexpected: “canon” filler.

Demon Slayer’s Reliance On Reusing Story Arcs Is Hurting the Series’ Reputation

While there are plenty of criticisms to be made about Demon Slayer being a shorter series and debates on whether or not it stuck the landing with its final arc, one thing is clear – the anime adaptation’s reliance on reusing content is a massive problem that’s causing fans to feel a lot of burn out.

As previously mentioned, the Mugen Train film was absolutely incredible – but then, when the subsequent televised season released afterward, Ufotable returned by retelling the film’s plot all over again. While the studio did add a precursor to provide extra Rengoku content which many fans of the series enjoyed, they proceeded to release an episodic “cut for television” version of the film. This was easy to overlook at the time with the addition of the new content, but this was an unfortunate trend that persisted into the Entertainment District arc and the Swordsmith Village arc, which saw a theatrical release of what ultimately culminated in a compilation film of the Entertainment District’s final episode, and the first episode of Swordsmith Village.

While marketing efforts made the formula seem as though it was doing well – and financially, it was – fans began to sour on this approach to the anime’s release. This happened again with the initial release of the Hashira Training arc, which has undoubtedly been the series’ lowest point.

Everything Wrong With the ‘Hashira Training arc’

The Hashira Training arc is relatively short in the manga, acting as a very brief montage that leads directly into the manga’s grand finale: the ‘Infinity Castle’ arc. Despite maintaining a good chunk of its popularity due to audience investment, the consensus is clear: this is the Demon Slayer anime’s lowest point, and fans of the show are exhausted.

While the animation quality is still solid, the arc added quite a bit of filler to pad out its run time, and had a record number of exposition dumps between characters that could have easily been cut for time. Why the team behind the anime made this choice is unclear, but grim speculation from fans are obviously accusing the team behind the anime of stretching out its length for money.

Not to mention, Demon Slayer is an easy money maker. The manga was the first series to ever take every single top 10 slot in Oricon’s weekly manga charts, and occupied the top 10 for an entire month. Even with the popularity boom of anime and manga in the last decade, those kinds of numbers are almost unheard of. Hopefully the anime adaptation can win its fans over and stick the landing with the adaptation of the final arc, which, in classic Demon Slayer form, will be split into an entire feature-length film trilogy. We just hope that they’re capable of sticking the landing and that the series won’t go out with a disappointed community.

Demon Slayer is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The original manga is published in English by Viz Media.

It’s not every day that you wake up to find a company with a legacy like anime studio Gainax is shutting its doors. The prolific studio behind works like FLCL, Gurren Lagann, and the legendary Neon Genesis Evangelion has been struggling financially for several years. On June 7, the company announced it’s filing for…

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Viz Media announced today that Spy x Family creator Tatsuya Endo has a collection of one shots coming this Spring titled Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family. As you might have guessed from the name, it's giving serious Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man vibes and will surely give a look inside the creations of Endo before the release of the popular Spy x Family manga.

Like Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man, Viz Media will be publishing the Tatsuya Endo collection. As of just a couple of months ago, the Spy x Family manga had over 35 million copies in circulation making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

Following Viz Media's tweet that confirmed the collection would be dark and gritty, fans have already started drawing comparisons to TISTA, a 2007 series by Endo that followed a young assassin named Tista Rockwell. If you've not seen it, it may be hard to picture Endo getting overly dark and gritty, but if you've seen TISTA, you know it's certainly in his wheelhouse.

Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family will be released in Spring 2025.

The post A one-shot collection from Spy x Family author Tatsuya Endo is coming this spring appeared first on Destructoid.

Taky jste už unavení z toho, že téměř každá postava, která vznikne z per dnešních autorů, vždy oplývá nejméně jednou přepálenou superschopností, okolo které se následně točí celá premisa příběhu? Blue Lock přichází s určitou variantou, která by vás mohla zajímat. Má to ale jednu podmínku…

Musí vás zajímat fotbal. Blue Lock je totiž příběhem Yoichi Isagiho, fotbalového útočníka a snaživého týmového hráče. Jednoho dne je společně s dalšími 299 útočníky pozván na místo zvané Blue Lock. Zde si všechny chlapce vezme do parády podezřele energický Džinpači Ego. Ten se svým posluchačům představí jako fotbalový trenér a zasvětí je do jeho životního poslání.

Po roce 2018, kdy japonský národní tým nešťastně vypadl už v osmifinále, se tamní fotbalový svaz rozhodl rázně zakročit. Od té doby hledá Japonsko prvotřídního střelce, který zemi dovede k titulu. Takového střelce ale není tak lehké najít, což Džinpači dobře ví, proto se rozhodne takového fotbalistu vychovat. A přesně k tomu slouží „věznice“ Blue Lock. Cílem je vychovat perfektního egoistu, který pro vítezství udělá cokoliv. Dokáží se ale chlapci vzdát svým dosavadních úspěchů, vztahů a plánů, kvůli bláznivě působícímu trenérovi? Ten kdo tuhle hru vydrží až do konce, odejde jako nejlepší útočník na světě!

Všichni přítomní mladíci jsou rozděleni do 5 oddělení, které každé obsahuje 5 jednotlivých týmů a nějakou chvíli jim trvá, než pochopí systém, který zde funguje. Než se všichni zvládnou pořádně rozkoukat, začne první hra. Jedná se o první díl sbírky Blue Lock a tak lze knize odpustit, že právě ona první hra je jedinou akční scénou, kterou zde najdete. To nejdůležitější přichází hned po skončení této minihry, a tím je prozření hlavního hrdiny, kterému dojde co znamená ono číslo na jeho dresu a písmenu ve středu místnosti. A není to nic dobrého. Našemu hrdinovi nestojí v cestě jen množství nástrah uvnitř Blue Locku nebo 299 cílevědomých mladíků, ale také niterní souboj, který svádí již dlouhá léta. Dokáže se Yoichi prosadit a jít si za svým snem?

Blue Lock od vydavatelství Crew má na svědomí Munejuki Kaneširo. O velmi solidní art-style se postaral Júsuke Nomura. Příběh prvního dílu se rozprostírá na 212 stránkách s brožovanou vazbou a o český překlad se postarala zkušená Anna Křivánková. Mangu Blue Lock můžete aktuálně zakoupit s 10% slevou, a to přímo na stránkách Crew.cz.

Upřímně jsem nečekal, že se dokážu pro Blue Lock tak nadchnout a celý první díl jsem doslova proletěl během 4 hodin strávených ve vlaku. Kromě hlavního hrdiny mě zaujal i neortodoxní trenér Ego a už teď mi vrtá hlavou to, kam se jeho postava posune v druhém díle. 

Článek RECENZE: Blue Lock – Zoufalý krok nebo revoluce na fotbalových trávnících? se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Persona 3 is almost 20 years old, and as I stated in our review, Persona 3 Reload, the new remake of the classic RPG, solidifies how it was incredibly ahead of its time. Reload knows not to mess too much with a good thing, and that includes preserving its ending, which, after recently experiencing for the first time…

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A New Villain will be joining My Hero Ultra Rumble from February 21, 2024.

A bit high-strung and not overly coherent in word and deed, but he’s a villain who loves his friends – Twice joins the rumble!

My Hero Ultra Rumble has many characters with visuals and Quirks that are faithful to the original manga. Twice is one of them, and players can experience the same skill as shown in the original, including the iconic skill that create alter egos with the Quirk “Twice”.

We’re thrilled to bring this popular character to this battle royale. Here to tell you more is our game producer, Aoba Miyazaki, who has put together some tips and insights on the Twice character development so you can maximize, and dare we say, duplicate your best efforts with his Quirk!

Skill Introduction

Defeat your opponent, get their measurements, and create clones of yourself or your enemies with your Quirk when you choose Twice.

“The charm of Twice in the original story has been incorporated into his techniques as a playable character,” says Miyazaki. “He has a tricky special action that lets him duplicate the enemy, and we hope you will use it to cause mischief and add a new element of excitement to your battles.”

“We put a lot of effort into keeping his voice and visuals to be authentic and just as appealing as the original, and we hope you will connect with him in game!”

Quirk Skill – Dagger Shot

Feature: Long-range attack utilizing multiple thrown knives. Strike your opponent in a burst of blades.

Tips: As you will be throwing multiple knives, it is possible to limit the opponent’s movement by aiming for hit stops with multiple hits.

While the Quirk Skill is hitting, and the opponent’s movement is slowing down, work together with your allies to inflict massive damage.

Quirk Skill – Self Duplicate

Feature: Create a clone of yourself. Clones disappear after approaching and attacking an opponent.         

Tips: When fighting in an area with many objects, use them to hide yourself or get out of sight of your opponent, and aggressively use the Quirk Skill to confuse your opponent by attacking in such a way that they cannot tell whether you are the main body or an alter ego.

Quirk Skill – Foot Boost

Feature: Move in the direction of your extended measuring tape and use knife to attack. It can be used as a means of transportation, as it can travel to the tip of the tape measure.

Tips: Since it can also be used to move vertically, this Quirk Skill can be used while looking up to move on top of buildings in the new U.A. Island stage, which has many buildings. The Quirk Skill can be used for both surprise attacks and evacuation, allowing the user to move freely around the stage.

Special Action – Mud Imitation

Feature: Deals the final blow to a downed opponent and creates a clone of them. The clone will remain active until they are defeated or the opponent is revived.

Tips: The HP of the alter ego created by a Special Action is based on the character’s HP. Currently, there is no upper limit to the number of alter egos that can be created by a Special Action, so Twice players can actively aim to create alter egos of characters with high HP and overwhelm the battlefield.

PUR Costume for Twice – Paper Bag Disguise

This costume is from the original anime, and it is faithfully reproduced down to the handles of the paper bag.

The costume also comes in color variations original to the game. We hope players will have fun expressing themselves by unlocking color variations that suit their personal styles.

And there you have it! Confuse your opponents and overwhelm the battlefield with countless imitations of your fallen foes when Twice joins the fray on February 21.

MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 414

★★★★★

Get it now

Season 3 is here! A new stage, U.A. Island, is added in Season 3! Don't miss out on battling on a new stage which includes new areas, such as U.A. High School and shopping malls! Izuku Midoriya's Quirk skill set, Full Bullet, is now available! Change Izuku’s Quirk skill set for a new way to achieve victory! Don't miss out on Season 3 Licenses and new PUR costumes! New characters will be added during Season 3! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Leap into the fray with your fellow heroes…and villains! Use communication, tactics, and synergize Quirks with your team of 3 to be the last ones standing in this 24-player Battle Royale! MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR QUIRK! Pick up your favorite characters from a quirky roster divided into 5 archetypes: Strike, Assault, Rapid, Technical, and Support. The strengths of each character are completely different depending on their unique Quirk. COLLECT ITEMS AND GET STRONGER! Find items, interact with civilians, and defeat opponents to improve your abilities and get the upper hand over other teams! CUSTOMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE! Unlock new characters and customization options by gaining experience and completing missions. Participate in seasonal events and try your luck with tickets to glam up with exclusive items! The game will be updated each season to include new elements, focusing on new characters and costumes! Jump in and get a hold of the rapidly changing battle conditions! *This game is meant to be played online only. It cannot be played in offline mode. *An internet connection is required to play this game. *The service and its contents are subject to change or end without prior notice.

The post Fool Them Twice in My Hero Ultra Rumble: Villain Twice Joins The Roster appeared first on Xbox Wire.