Japanese Archives | Page 11 Of 86

Just How Much More Exciting Episodes of Ranma½ Will There Be? Questioning Netflix’s Commitment

Just like the West, some fond classics are getting a visual update, and Ranma½ looks great, but do we really need it?

Ranma½ Netflix Poster Streaming on Netflix

With the first season still going strong, I’m not finding the refreshed Ranma½ series significantly different from its predecessor. Sadly, the wait for stories from the manga which haven’t been adapted is going to be long. While the order of chapters is different between what I recall from the past version and the book, I’m okay with the alterations.

Here, Kodachi gets introduced much earlier; in the books, she doesn’t appear until chapter 17. In the first series, she didn’t get the spotlight until episode 11. And instead of following the six unit narrative arc from the books, the series condenses it into a well told two-part episode. With the latest, the deadly Golden Pair (ice skating duo), Mikado Sanzenin and Azusa Shiratori, appear to show that some members of the Tendo family have challengers.

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Celebrating An Anime X-mas with GKIDS and Shout! Studios In This Look Back of 2024 Releases

We got more to mention since also checking out the GKIDS & Shout! Studios’ website for the latest info on what else to expect early in 2025.

Shout! Studios and GKIDS have certainly kept busy with releasing some top hits this year, and in this roundup is a list of our favourites to consider for the gift-giving season. While some folks opt for an anime X-mas, others have their own traditions. Also, we got news about one wintery treat for next year.

We have also included reviews where possible, since they released earlier this year.

THE BOY AND THE HERON (4K) & REVIEW

The Boy and the Heron 4K Studio Ghibli’s latest release is Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal film to date! We’ve seen it on the big screen and to watch it again on the small screen with all the bonus material made me appreciate this movie more. For my original review, please check it out here.

There’s details that aren’t as well known, and what’s revealed here are featurettes to truly understand what went on.

This new release offers a 4K transfer with a superior color palette compared to previous works (which lacked an ultra-HD release), and it’s almost tempting for collectors like me to upgrade to the latest video format rather than keep them all. I began with region 2 DVDs, which I still own, and then blu-ray happened.

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Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf Connection is set to Feature the Musical Stylings of Kaede Higuchi and Kanae

There’s more than Dungeons and Dragons in store with Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! The music of Kaede Higuchi and Kanae will close off and may tie in to what’s going on when this anime debuts!

Kaede Higuchi and Kanae’s New Single Yummy Yummy VTubing is very popular in Asia and they’re becoming much more mainstream. According to the latest news, the ending theme for the anime, Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! will be sung by virtual idols Kaede Higuchi and Kanae. These two talents from the Nijisanji group operated by ANYCOLOR Inc. are getting noticee, and their song “Yummy Yummy” is set to debut January 29, 2025 and the series will begin broadcasting that month.

As for when this phenomenon will be noticeable in the Western world, that’s still an uncertainty. I fully expect it to happen at some point, but for now, I will just watch what this fast paced industry is pumping out and offer some editorial when it’s appropriate. I’m more curious about the anime, hence my interest about this news!

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A Time of Eve is Set For Dec 10, 2024! Thankfully, That’s Not the Final Countdown.

Pardoning the pun, the timely release of a Time of Eve is very relevant to today’s concerns regarding the propagation of robots with enhanced artificial intelligence in the commonplace. This latest release includes both edits (original streaming and theatrical cut)

A Time of Eve Complete Collection Blu-Ray Cover — Available to pre-order directly from MediaOCD or Amazon USA

Release Date: December 10th.

A Time of Eve may well be a spiritual precursor to other movies where androids are everywhere. Some look ready to upset the status quo. And like those tales like Blade Runner or even I, Robot where action and theosophy are intertwined, here, two teenagers are curious about a message found in their robot’s memory banks. It is an invitation to a café–whose name is also that of this movie.

This story made waves back when it was streamed on Yahoo! Japan in 2008, and simulcast on Crunchyroll. Two years later, they released a regional home video version. An international theatrical release followed. Back then, the ramifications of AI being everywhere was not as big as it is now. It’s mostly about Skynet back then, and now, MedicOCD/AnimEigo aims to change all that with additional material in this North American release.

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All Macross All The Time with Macross Frontier Nyan Nyan Greatest☆Hits!

Macross Frontier Nyan Nyan Greatest☆Hits! will be released on Ranka Lee’s Birthday, on April 29, 2025.

Macross Frontier is getting a new album. Despite the anime series being off the air, the subsequent movies have kept the love alive, and with Macross Frontier Nyan Nyan Greatest☆Hits album, there’s new tracks! Included are the theme song from the film Labyrinth of Time, “Labyrinth of Time,” “Sacrifice,” and “Good job!”

This release will be available in three editions: a limited-edition “Deculture” boxset, a special-edition, and a standard edition. The limited-edition boxset comes in a memorial box and includes the new album, a bonus drama CD with cover songs, a blu-ray disc, and an acrylic figure. The special-edition comes with the album and bonus drama CD in a decorative case.

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Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable v1.0 Who’s Ready to Rumble?

The fight is back with Attack on Titan VR, and for users of the Metx/Oculus, they can face these giants head-on!

UNIVRS, Inc.

To say virtual reality is dead depends on which industry giants you ask. As for Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, now in version 1.0, developers feel ready to unleash a version of this video game to the masses. With a frame rate issues corrected, added platforms to play in and now here as early access. Developers have added a few new features, and hope fans of the anime will check out this game on the Meta Quest. This first-person action-adventure VR platformer now has the final three chapters in this epic saga to play through. There’s also the newly added two-player Co-op mode, so friends can now work together to take down vicious Titans and save humanity.

This property is based on the manga/anime written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. In this apocalyptic world, Eran Yeager, vows to terminate giants who are threatening to destroy the last vintages of humanity. They love eating humans, and that’s never good. This series ran in the Japanese magazine, Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine (from September 2009 to April 2021), and has since been adapted to anime, live-action, video games and novels featuring other heroes joining in the fight. This latest only adds to the experience by providing a first person perspective that hasn’t been done before.

From the Press Release:

Join the Scout Regiment as an aspiring recruit and ready for battle. Quickly manoeuvre across building tops with Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, and change directions mid-air to avoid towering threats. Topple titans, complete timed objectives, unlock powerful new gear, and protect humanity from extinction.