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Gou Tanabe’s Next Manga, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is on Trial!

Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward has begun in Japan, but English-language readers may have a long wait ahead. Thankfully, several Lovecraft-inspired graphic novels are arriving soon to keep cosmic horror fans busy.

The news is real. Gou Tanabe is adapting The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and the first chapter is out in print! Although a translated release is likely years away, fans can either seek out the original or wait. The current release is seeing print through Kadokawa’s Comic Beam magazine. Fan translations may exist, but for now, that’s all readers are going to get. And considering this is one of Lovecraft’s longer works, don’t expect the story to wrap up for at least two years.

Tanabe tends to expand source material with sweeping vistas and densely detailed art. Like other artists invested in world-building, such as Mamoru Nagano and Gothicmade, formerly Five Star Stories, readers living abroad are at a disadvantage. By the time this adaptation reaches tankobon format, there may be two volumes.

While fans wait, the following are due out soon:

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When Hotori Doesn’t Have To Sing Along to Billy Joel’s “Pressure”

Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope is a short anime about a girl losing herself to an unknown condition and the android built to inherit a dead child’s memories, and their unlikely bond asks the most essential questions about what makes us human.

Hotori Wishing for Hope The quest for memories is the focus in Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope, a short film about a girl who can’t have a tomorrow. She’s struggling with an unknown condition that’s steadily erasing who she is. She’ll become a shell of what she was, and in contrast, she meets an android built to inherit the memories of a deceased child. His parents know Suzu is no replacement, but when a life is cut too short, is it a fair trade to gain what another has lost? That’s the existential crisis at the heart of this heartbreaking (or is that warming?) story about why life is precious, and why we shouldn’t take every day for granted.

Hotori originally aired as a Japanese television special and was directed by Takashi Anno (Maison Ikkoku, Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma). It won third place at the 2004 Animax Grand Prix awards and although this release comes very late, the themes feel timely when you consider what defines an AI, its personality, and what exactly constitutes a soul. Memories aren’t the only piece of the puzzle. There’s “Personality,” which can apparently be extracted and put into code. We’re not meant to unpack how all of that works, and what’s genuinely poignant is the relationship these two tweens share.

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Is It Souls Chapel or Soule’s Chapel? Even Kentucky’s Ghosts Can’t Decide.

Souls Chapel builds on real-world folklore but struggles to ground its story in Appalachian roots. Strong ideas and atmosphere are there, but uneven pacing and missed cultural depth keep it from fully landing.

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Available on DVD and VOD

Jack C. Young and D.W. Daring’s Souls Chapel has its heart in the right place. It draws from what they present as a real-life legend, with Young directing and Daring digging through urban legends to shape the story. I suspect just where the writer found inspiration is from the Lake Cumberland Tactical Innovations LLC website.

What is confirmed is that a chapel once stood there, and that the American Civil War fractured its congregation. Those are noted in historical records. Beyond that, the details which included who was the pastor fade into speculation. That isn’t necessarily a flaw. Folklore often fills gaps where history falls silent. When stories pass through enough voices, they shift and take on a life of their own, especially when tied to a burned site and that there’s a cemetary nearby.

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Go Nagai’s Giant Secret: Why the World Already Knows Grendizer U Inception (And You Should Too)

Grendizer U Inception revisits Go Nagai’s legendary super robot saga with expanded backstory, deeper character motivations, and a modern retelling that gives longtime mecha fans and newcomers alike a fresh way to enter the world of Duke Fleed.

Grendizer U Inception Titan Manga

With Grendizer U Inception, this latest take is not necessarily part of a reboot that began with Grendizer U, but instead is a deeper layer of backstory added on top. With Tatsuto Higuchi handling this prequel of sorts, the update feels like it’s in good hands. Back when Go Nagai shifted from one kind of story to another, he probably didn’t realise his work would help define the giant robot genre. It began with Mazinger Z in 1972, and when he introduced Grendizer three years later, the 74-episode series set a precedent before Gundam came along.

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Alien Nine Is Landing Soon Courtesy of MediaOCD!

AnimEigo and MediaOCD are bringing Alien Nine to Blu-ray, giving this oddball schoolgirl sci-fi horror OVA a new HD life with restored visuals and plenty of archival extras.

Alien Nine Cover — **Available to pre-order on Amazon USA and MediaOCD**

Anime distributor AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD have announced that Alien Nine is coming to Blu-ray on June 9, 2026. And while this original video animation focuses on elementary school girls battling aliens, I’m wondering when teens will get in on the act too. Technically, they have with Prefectural Earth Defense Force, but that prior licence belonged to ADV Films rather than this partnership to redistribute older titles. Technically, the original North American release was handled by Central Park media, so who knows?

Although the animated adaptation didn’t continue as the manga continued with Emulators and Next, chances are very slim when considering the height of its popularity was back in 2001.

From the Press Release:

This upcoming release is based on a manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Tomizawa that was originally serialized in Akita Shoten’s manga magazine, Young Champion. Set in the not-too-distant future, alien invasion is a daily occurrence. Someone must save the planet, so Yuri and her 6th grade classmates are elected for this important assignment. Can a trio of cute schoolgirls defeat terrifying creatures from outer space?

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The Best Animated Short Films To Remember From The 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival offered a strong slate of animated short films this year, with stories ranging from quiet science fiction to cultural memory, climate anxiety, and personal identity.

After certain events, sometimes it’s hard to get all my thoughts compressed down fast, especially after watching some short films. The time even spent remotely becomes a blur. And for events that span less than a week, it can feel like a weekend. As a result, it’s hard to believe the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is over. May the Fourth brought its own challenges for obvious reasons, so offering the last day online was a smart call. Not only can those not able to attend catch a selection from home, but also, what’s offered isn’t always geolocked.

This year, I opted to focus almost entirely on animated works, and the shorts since they rarely get their due. And what’s covered here are my thoughts on those pieces that really impressed me:

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