Category: Animation

Junk World Trades Junk Head’s Mystery for a Cybertech Nightmare

Takahide Hori’s Junk Head trades solo obsession for a bigger crew and a wilder, messier mythology — worms, cults, time loops, and all. As a prequel, some viewers will appreciate how it sedges into Junk World, but perhaps its best to see the two back to back.

Junk World Movie PosterFor those new to Takahide Hori‘s surreal stop-motion science fiction masterpiece, Junk World is the prequel to Junk Head. Even if you haven’t seen the middle film of the trilogy, thankfully there isn’t much you need to know going in. What gets explained about the Mulligans, robots made by humans to serve as slave labour droids who eventually rebelled, covers the basics, and as for why one droid has declared himself god at the start of the film, well, that’s the mystery.

It seems one of them didn’t fully evolve beyond its programming. His name is Robin (Souko Matsuoka) and he’s loyal to Captain Torys (Atsuko Miyake), who leads a team of humans to a summit to negotiate new terms. That’s how the moment felt to me, anyway. The rest of the film goes through the motions of showing just how fragile that peace is, while introducing new threats along the way. And the timeline gets muddled fast, with time-travel jumps back and forth that had me feeling lost more than once.
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Top 5 DiscoTek Deep Cut Picks for August! And We Promise A Devilish Good Time!

DiscoTek Deep Cuts is loading up August with Lupin the Third releases, the complete Symphogear collection, and a stacked run of Go Nagai adaptations, from Go Nagai World to the two-volume Mazinger Z set.

Go Nagai World Blu-ray DiscoTek Deep CutWith more Lupin the Third original video animations and television series releases than I can count, DiscoTek Deep Cuts is happily grinding out the hits for this IP in August, along with other series! While a lot more love is being offered for the complete magical girl series release of Symphogear (including G and GX; and available to stream on Crunchyroll), which is considered a musical wonder set in a futuristic world, I have to focus on my top picks from what’s been adapted from Go Nagai’s works. Yes, I’m a fan of his worlds than anything else, and that’s why the first item on this list is tops.

Go Nagai World Blu-ray

This one’s a fun oddity from Go Nagai’s massive catalogue: a three-episode OVA from 1991 that takes his famous creations and turns them super deformed. Akira Fudo wakes up with his body all wrong, and along with Miki and Ryo he’s got to figure out how to fix it while running into a bunch of familiar faces from other Nagai works.

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AnimEigo Brings Home Five New Licenses (and Why I’m Excited for The AD Police Files) From Anime Expo 2026

AnimEigo is dusting off another shelf of anime history, bringing long-awaited classics, namely the The AD Police Files, and the underdogs into the spotlight for a new generation.

AnimEigo logoAt Anime Expo 2026, AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD announced a handful of titles set for release next year. And one of them has been desired for a long time. And for fans of the Bubblegum Crisis saga, it’s about time The AD Police Files is getting a Blu-ray release.

No, we are not talking about the television series. Instead, it’s the three original video animations that predate Bubblegum Crisis. So the story goes, it seems some of the original material was lost, and it was impossible to remaster back then. But now, with someone discovering what’s needed to finally get it done, it now is! And who knows, maybe afterward, there may be a Mega Tokyo Mega Set that packages them all. While that’s hard to say if that will happen, this fan wants to be hopeful.

But there’s more than just one announcement. The two companies also said they will be releasing the following series to North America.

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Gotta Watch Them All. Fantasia Film Festival 2026’s Pearl Jubilee Top Selections! (Part Two)

In part two of our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 pre-event coverage, we dive into the zany and also include a blast of the past where needed.

Fantasia Film Festival 2026 poster
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.

When certain must-see lists get way too large, it’s best to split things up or subsection. This fact is especially true when planning on what to see at Fantasia Film Festival 2026; when this year has a lot more short film programs added to the party, it’s safe to say some people won’t be sleeping. Some enthusiasts may well be running frantically to catch the next work on their itinerary.

No big intro is needed, and that’s because with this part, I’ve included two movies freely available on YouTube that are required viewing before part three is viewed on the big screen!

The Fox

The FoxSet in a parallel world where animals talk, hustle, swear, and scheme, The Fox opens with Nick (Jai Courtney, Dangerous Animals, The Suicide Squad) discovering that his fiancée, Kori (Emily Browning, American Gods, Sleeping Beauty), is cheating on him. Forced to accept that their relationship has run its course, he’s devastated.

Everything changes when Nick captures a fox (Olivia Colman, The Favourite, The Lobster), who offers him some unconventional marital advice in exchange for her freedom.

Her suggestion? Push Kori into a magical hole, where she’ll emerge transformed into a woman who adores him unconditionally and will never leave. Not exactly a man known for making wise decisions, Nick thinks it sounds like the perfect solution, completely unaware that a much bigger plan may already be unfolding. – Fantasia Film Festival

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Vampire Princess Miyu, Back From The Dead … But For How Long?

40 long years (or two decades resting) won’t matter much for Vampire Princess Miyu! MediaOCD/AnimEigo’s next release brings back the original video animation that introduced this young girl to anime fans in the 90s. An Interview with a Vampire’s Claudia better look out!

Vampire Princess MiyuAnimEigo and MediaOCD

The resolution bump required to bring Vampire Princess Miyu back to home video is certainly needed to showcase why the original still matters. This latest rerelease features the classic U.S. and UK dubs alongside the original Japanese stereo track. However, it arrives without extensive extra features, largely due to the strict licensing time constraints parent company MediaOCD faced to get prints out to the masses.

That time crunch extended to the packaging, which utilizes a pure white case reminiscent of GKIDS’ release of Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time. This minimalist design works beautifully. It represents a canvas of purity before corruption can taint anyone’s soul, a visual metaphor that feels entirely apt when considering the tragic background of the titular character.

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Spending My Animated Summer with Netflix

Before we take the week off in recognition of Canada Day and the Fourth of July, even we have to offer our picks on how to spend the start of an animated summer with Netflix. More lists and reviews will be coming after we recharge!

Animated Summer with NetflixJuly is surprisingly quiet for viewers wondering what to watch on the streaming front. Apple TV+ and Prime Video are largely relying on returning series, making it easy to begin your animated summer with Netflix. Disney+ also has a couple of worthwhile additions.

Aside from Sparks of Tomorrow (see my preview), there are no major original animated premieres until August. Fortunately, the wait isn’t long. Kyoto Animation returns with an original television series, Ricky Gervais makes his animated sitcom debut for the streamer, and one of manga’s most influential classics receives a fresh reimagining.

Sparks of Tomorrow
July 5

Sparks of Tomorrow Anime

Produced by Kyoto Animation and based on Hiro Yūki‘s light novel 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku, the series unfolds in an alternate version of early 20th century Kyoto where steam technology flourishes instead of electricity. The story follows Kihachi Sakamoto, a young inventor who dreams of ushering in a new age alongside his older brother. After tragedy tears those dreams apart, he crosses paths with Inako Momokawa, the daughter of a sake brewer, and together they rediscover hope through science and innovation.

The project also marks Minoru Ota‘s directorial debut and showcases Kyoto Animation’s painterly backgrounds inspired by Impressionist artwork.

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