Adventure Archives | Otaku No Culture

Top 12 Animated Films in 2023 Worth Checking Out

This list of animated films in 2023 is not restricted to just what’s coming out of America, but also internationally too.

There’s a fair number of animated films in 2023 worth checking out, and like my other lists about what’s new for this year, they are not limited to one platform. That is, these works are are coming to theatres, will be streaming or are direct to video releases. Also, I’m not limiting my list to mostly Stateside made works, either.

One movie that still hasn’t gotten a full wordwide release is Legend Quest: The Origin. It’s available in its native country to stream, but as for finding it elsewhere, hopefully, some distributor will pick it up. I adore this Mexican franchise and the Netflix series that’s available world-wide is not enough. Hopefully, it will get better distribution because it deserves not to be restricted to fans living in Mesoamerica.

Not on the list is Unicorn Wars because it’s getting specialised screenings. It’s staggered release can be confusing, and I’m only listing films that are coming out worldwide on the same date.

Listed in chronological order are:

We Lost Our Human (Netflix)
Jan 1

This interactive film is a comedy adventure that explores a classic sci-fi concept I seem to recall seeing in an old Twilight Zone episode. This work hasn’t been released to all territories yet, but I’m excited. Here, a cat named Pud and a dog named Ham wake up to find all humans have disappeared from Earth, and the adventure comes from searching for where they’ve gone.

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Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru and The Man Behind the Legend Quest

Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru is novel – comic book hybrid about two best friends on the quest for adventure!

People who attended SDCC a few weekends ago had plenty to look at. Whether that’d be comic books or the latest news on movies, there’s even something for the jungle explorer! Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru is novel – comic book hybrid about two best friends on the quest for adventure! Together with two archaeologists, they discover an ancient map and a compass that’ll point them to more than adventure, but also self-discovery.

It’s now available across various platforms to read, and we at otakunoculture.com got a chance to talk to the author:

Could you please introduce yourself to readers unfamiliar with your work?

My name is Omar Mora. I am a writer, producer and actor from Puerto Rico who lives in Los Angeles. I have written two independent feature films; 30 Days with my brother and Inside the Circle. Both available on VOD. I have written a series of comics called The Unearthians. You can find my work at MorasProductions.com

What made you decide to create a hybrid written work with graphic novel elements? (and was it difficult to decide what parts of the narrative should be illustrated rather than described?)

When Covid came, so did the economy. Producing a comic is expensive, so the finances weren’t quite right. So we decided to do it as a hybrid. And to be honest it was the best decision. Because the design of the book along with the comic pages looks great and gives a special touch to the story. I am very happy with the final results.

It was not difficult to choose which pages were going to be comics. I usually chose pages that introduced a character, a very important aspect of the story, or fantasy elements that I knew would look amazing as art. I also wanted to choose pages that would help create intrigue in the story and create that suspense necessary for the reader to be engaged.

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No Need To Cry. Goodbye, Don Glees! You’re Still Alive After Fantasia 2022

The anime, Goodbye, Don Glees! is written and directed by Atsuko Ishizuka is gorgeous on a narrative level.

GKIDS
Screened at Anime Expo and Fantasia 2022
Coming to theatres this Fall!
Home Video Release: Dec 27, 2022
* comes with Interview with Director Atsuko Ishizuka

the title of Madhouse’s latest animated film isn’t too telling, then what we learn from Goodbye, Don Glees! (グッバイ、ドン・グリーズ!) is that we should never let life pass you by. This heartwarming and sentimental film about two boys—Rōma (Natsuki Hanae) and Toto (Yûki Kaji)—enjoying the dog days of summer isn’t too bittersweet, but I had to ponder over the use of this title.

This coming of age drama has a lot of moments which hint at what it all means, but the adventure doesn’t really begin until after the duo meet Drop (Ayumu Murase), a new kid in town. He has something that others cannot see. For one thing, he’s so full of life, and what he wears is loud by conventional Japanese standards. His family moved from Iceland to Japan, and in what he externalizes hides something else. For one thing, he often talks about the ancient tree of life from Nordic lore. There’s something about Yggdrasil that he’s enthralled with, and it is referred to in anime or manga every once in a while.

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Maika: The Girl From Another Galaxy is More than a Charming Tribute to Spielberg

Maika: The Girl From Another Galaxy is a fun Vietnamese movie that will be very familiar to anyone who knows Steven Spielberg’s work.

Played at the LAAPFF 2022 at the Directors Guild of America May 7, 2022 12:15 pm (buy tickets)

Update: It’s coming to VOD beginning Sept 6, 2022 courtesty of Well GO USA.

Maika: The Girl From Another Galaxy is a fun Vietnamese movie that will be very familiar to anyone who knows Steven Spielberg’s work. It’s not meant to be thoughtful, but instead has fun with the boy meets alien girl concept. It’s also considered this country’s first family friendly created content that’s playing at specific film festivals before getting a wider release.

The story focuses on how Hung (Phu Truong) is having a rough go at life. He’s lost his mom to cancer and although that was over a year ago, his father doesn’t understand his boy. He tries to make ends meet to support them both. But he’s hardly ever around for the boy. While out on his own, Hung meets Maika (Diep Anh Chu), an alien who needs help. His frenemy, Beo (Tin Tin) and his older brother serves as comedic relief. The former is a chubby tyke who almost steals the movie. He’s clearly having fun playing up that spoiled child role–a stark contrast to who Hung is.

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The Lost City Teaser Trailer Drop

The Lost City Teaser Trailer Drop brings pulp action style romance and it’s no Jungle Cruise

Release Date:
March 25, 2022

Nothing can go wrong in a pulp action style romance flick starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt.

The Lost City shows a match made in heaven, and no, this movie is not about these talents getting together. Teasers have been out for a while, and after the big game–yes, that one concerning tossing a pigskin around–there should be a proper trailer release. This work is worth checking out since after the success of Jungle Cruise, I’m anxious for another adventure in the Amazon again! Both films have been fuelled by star power, and there’s something about Sandra to like.

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