Category: Japanese

Don’t Be Surprised When All You Need Is Kill… and Hope It Doesn’t Lead to Stranger Things

A new animated take on All You Need Is Kill finally brings the time-loop war story back to its roots, with Studio 4°C style and a sharper focus than the Hollywood version. The trailer suggests something leaner, stranger, and a little too close to Stranger Things for comfort.

When All You Need Is Kill Movie PosterRelease Date: Jan 16, 2026
Please check local listings for showtimes near you.

Back in 2014, a live-action adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s light novel All You Need Is Kill arrived as the blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow. Whether that version worked depended on how much affection you have for Tom Cruise or Emily Blunt. I won’t go there. What matters is that the story is finally being adapted and given the respect it deserves, rather than letting it be shaped by Hollywood’s elite. That alone feels like a game-changer.

GKIDS has picked up the licence for the North American release following its Japanese premiere, and this time the focus stays where it belongs. The premise is simple. In the original book, Keiji Kiriya is a lonely soldier boy caught in a time loop, and the only way out is to change something fundamental. What, exactly, is the mystery?

Continue reading “Don’t Be Surprised When All You Need Is Kill… and Hope It Doesn’t Lead to Stranger Things”

Black Jack Is No Bleak Phantom of the Opera, He Cuts for Compassion

Often mistaken for a cold, enigmatic figure, Black Jack is anything but heartless. This updated OVA release reveals a doctor driven by compassion, challenging rigid medical institutions and reminding us that empathy can matter as much as expertise.

Black Jack Blu-ray
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Released Dec 16, 2025

MediaOCD has taken a careful, almost surgical approach in updating Black Jack, the OVA series, treating it less like a nostalgia item and more like an essential entry point for a classic manga series that many viewers may have missed reading. Alongside a revised song translation, this release restores the two episodes absent from earlier editions and makes a clear effort to remaster the material for modern digital viewing.

For anyone unfamiliar with the property, this set finally presents the series as a complete experience. I’ll also include a brief guide at the end to help newcomers understand how this fits into the wider world of Osamu Tezuka’s work and the many versions of his famously unconventional doctor, Kurō Hazama.

Continue reading “Black Jack Is No Bleak Phantom of the Opera, He Cuts for Compassion”

Lights, Pencil, The Fable Manga Build Roguelike… in Action! A Playful Mash-Up in Mixed Genres.

The Fable Manga Build Roguelike is a fresh sense of style, turning every encounter into a right-to-left comic page that springs to life. It’s ambitious, clever, and an intriguing experiment for fans of the long-running series.



Mono Entertainment & The Fable Manga Build Roguelike key artKodansha
PC and Nintendo Switch

Instead of traditional turn-based combat or flashy real-time brawls, The Fable Manga Build Roguelike hands you a very different way to stage a fight. You’re not pressing attack buttons; you’re making a comic. Each action is defined by a randomized manga panel you must arrange, and the layout flows right to left like an authentic Japanese graphic novel. When the page goes live, the game animates those panels and decides the outcome.

It’s clever, and best appreciated on a big screen. My only regret during playtesting was requesting the Nintendo Switch code first. This isn’t a small-screen experience; after activation issues, shifting to the Steam version became necessary. Unless the handheld is attached to an adapter for a big screen, enjoying the art is like squinting to appreciate the details.

Continue reading “Lights, Pencil, The Fable Manga Build Roguelike… in Action! A Playful Mash-Up in Mixed Genres.”

Rediscover Sasuke: An Essential, Powerful Release for Classic Anime Fans

This restored edition of Sasuke breathes new life into a forgotten classic of #Anime and #Ninja storytelling. Whether you’re discovering it for the first time or revisiting its haunting journey, this Blu-ray delivers a crisp, heartfelt look at a young hero shaped by loss, honour, and survival. #Sasuke #AnimeCollectors #MartialArts

Sasuke Blu-ray CoverAvailable for purchase on Amazon

Before Naruto (both the manga and anime), there was Sasuke. This story about a young wandering ninja who lives by his own code, drifting from village to village to do heroics, shows that he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. He’s a hero to many, and this work marks a shift from youth-focused tales to more mature graphic novellas.

This hero’s epic journey was created by Sanpei Shirato, best known for his Legend of Kamui series. It was originally published as a manga before becoming an animated series. For those who haven’t read one but want to see the other, you’re not missing much; by episode seven, all the essential introductions are covered and newcomers understand what drives this boy. After his home is destroyed, a monk takes him in and teaches him the way of the ninja, and the lad soon discovers the rivalries and hypocrisies around him.

Continue reading “Rediscover Sasuke: An Essential, Powerful Release for Classic Anime Fans”

Coming Soon! Macross Frontier Galaxy Live☆Final 2025 on Blu-ray in 2026

Seventeen years after its TV debut, Macross Frontier continues to dazzle—and Macross Frontier Galaxy Live☆Final 2025 won’t be forgotten, with a blu-ray to show the largest concert in franchise history with new extras and exclusive artwork. The following is just a sneak peak at what’s being packaged up!

Macross Frontier Galaxy Live☆Final 2025Any fan of Macross will say this franchise is an institution. Whether you’re a fan of the original, or its later iterations, it’s always the music that’s the draw. Whether that’s with Minmei for Firebomber, the talents who can save the galaxy with their voice says something that’s universal. With the upcoming release of Macross Frontier Galaxy Live, those fans who couldn’t experience the concert for real can check out the taped edition.

Even after more than a decade, the franchise continues to reframe its own spectacle, and this latest news is no exception. With another major live release on the horizon—and timed perfectly with a pair of character birthdays—it’s clear this galaxy-spanning fandom shows no signs of slowing down.

From The Press Release

Macross Frontier Galaxy Live☆Final 2025 will arrive on Blu-ray on April 29, 2026. The two-day concert, held July 26–27, 2025 at K Arena Yokohama, drew 38,000 attendees—making it the largest live event in Macross history.

Continue reading “Coming Soon! Macross Frontier Galaxy Live☆Final 2025 on Blu-ray in 2026”

Mamoru Oshii at the Metrograph. A Cinematic Tribute to a Master

Metrograph honours Mamoru Oshii with restorations of Angel’s Egg and The Red Spectacles, plus influences from Tarkovsky to Yamatoya. It’s a must see for fans of this master auteur!

Mamoru OshiiVenue: Metrograph, 7 Ludlow St, New York
Dates: November 15–23

Among anime fans, Mamoru Oshii stands apart for his singular art-house aesthetic. Though most know him as a director, understanding the depth of his writing means looking closely at his filmography. Angel’s Egg remains his first truly original work, while Urusei Yatsura: Only You (1983) and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984) were where his unique voice first began to shine. From there, his contributions to some of the most influential anime of the 90s cemented his reputation as a visionary.

With Avalon (2001), Oshii explored the harmful effects of virtual reality long before it became a plaything of today, and parts of that story (written by Kazunori Itō) resonate. Through its existential themes, he explored what it means to live and dream inside a machine—ideas that would echo throughout science-fiction cinema for decades.
Continue reading “Mamoru Oshii at the Metrograph. A Cinematic Tribute to a Master”