Disney Plus Archives | Otaku No Culture

2 Reasons on Why Disney’s Marvel Zombies Fails to Surprise and Deliver

When Marvel Zombies on Disney Plus feels very compressed and is not part of the comic book canon, this entry feelslike Halloween-season fan service instead of a bold new chapter.

Marvel Zombies Poster When Captain America sinks his teeth into his comrades, the Marvel Universe stops being heroic and starts being hungry. Not every zombie-head will appreciate what Marvel Zombies on Disney Plus is really about. When the story first appeared in 2009, I was mildly curious but hardly impressed. The premise seemed like a marketing stunt to boost sales—and to be fair, there’s some truth in that. The early 2000s saw zombie fiction claw its way back into the mainstream. With 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead reviving the genre, it wasn’t shocking that Marvel tapped Robert Kirkman to script a tale where the world’s greatest heroes became the world’s hungriest monsters.

The concept endures because it’s more than gore; it’s shock, novelty, and a grim fascination with corrupted heroism. Seeing Spider-Man or Iron Man as cannibals turns morality inside out. These aren’t mindless corpses but beings who keep shards of their conscience even as hunger consumes them. Those too far gone devolve into primal predators, while the surviving humans live in a shattered world that’s no longer theirs—a true Zombie Earth where no refuge lasts.

Continue reading “2 Reasons on Why Disney’s Marvel Zombies Fails to Surprise and Deliver”

Dog Days of Animated Wonders: 8 Streaming Picks to Beat the Heat

There are various ways to pine away during the last few days of this summer season. What we offer is a list of our favourite picks to peck the last dog days of animated wonders with ease.

Inu to Neko anime characters relaxing on a summer map background — playful scene capturing the Dog Days of Animated Wonders theme. This long weekend marks the Dog Days of Animated Wonders, with Netflix, Shout! Studios, and Crunchyroll offering escapes tailor-made for summer. If you’re skipping a last-minute vacation, the sun might feel more like an opponent than a friend.

Even on Disney Plus (availability varies by region), Summer Time Rendering pulls you into a sun-soaked island mystery, while on Crunchy Laid-Back Camp lets you enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of your couch. And this year, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is returning in a 4K restoration to be released onto home video and getting theatrical screenings, just as the season winds down—making it the ideal end-of-summer watch.

Continue reading “Dog Days of Animated Wonders: 8 Streaming Picks to Beat the Heat”

Heritage in Motion: Iyanu Outshines Iwájú with Vibrant Yoruba Storytelling

Iyanu brings Yoruba culture to life with vibrant storytelling and striking animation, standing apart from Disney’s futuristic Iwájú. And we got info from SDCC regarding the former’s future. It’s bright!

Iyanu Movie Poster If you’re seeking an animated series that fuses vibrant cultural storytelling with striking visuals, put Iyanu on your radar. This isn’t just another fantasy—it’s a journey through a mythical African world where tradition drives destiny. Unlike Disney’s Iwájú, Iyanu offers a grounded, heritage-rich take on Yoruba culture that feels timeless and authentic. The two shows present contrasting visions, and while both have their place in examining this fascinating world, fans will play favourites–Iwájú races through a sleek, futuristic Lagos, while Iyanu thrives in a mythical past steeped in lore.

Iyanu draws strength from echoes of Princess Mononoke and Avatar: The Last Airbender—not as imitations, but in its balance of adventure, character growth, and cultural depth. Whether Roye Okupe’s graphic novels carry the same energy remains to be seen, but the adaptation compels me to find out.

Iwájú promotional poster Disney’s Iwájú ambitiously blends African, Eastern, and Western animation styles, yet the fusion sometimes feels disjointed. Its uneven pacing and high-tech, Wakanda-like aesthetic often eclipse traditional Yoruba elements. Tola Martins (Simisola Gbadamosi) is the young girl who learns how to reconnect with the past.

When that happens, the scenes that should showcase ceremonial rites or folklore fade into the background. In what’s more prominent are the bold neon skylines and high technology. Even the costumes, while bold, lean toward sci-fi glamour rather than authentic tradition. Although it shares Yoruba roots with Iyanu, its futuristic framing dulls the impact of those cultural beats.

Continue reading “Heritage in Motion: Iyanu Outshines Iwájú with Vibrant Yoruba Storytelling”

Returning and New Animated Series Worth Tuning In For!

Although there isn’t a huge slate of new animated series to debut in the coming months, what’s presented is a wylde selection from North America and Japan

Phineas and Ferb leading the charge for summer animated series Now that we’re well into Spring and school is almost over, some kids may well want to laze about watching various animated series on television while others go to camp. Alternatively, some families may well be preparing for going on a massive vacation. Whatever the case, the upcoming slate of programming is small, but I’ll be tuning in to watch at least half of the returning if not new shows.

What’s offered is a handful of series coming out not only here in North America but also Japan. These are shows I’m looking forward to, and list includes broadcast dates where possible.

June 2025
Phineas and Ferb—Season 5

When the beloved step brothers return with new summer adventures, just what these two can get up to is only more chaotic fun, and more tales about what makes this pairing the oddballs that they are. When Michael Bublé and Meghan Trainor have guest roles, there’s something to be excited for!

Continue reading “Returning and New Animated Series Worth Tuning In For!”

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is Amazing! But Will Pete Get A Day Off like Ferris Bueller?

The producers behind this latest take on Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man have a lot of unique twists and turns planned on what’s familiar. When this story takes place in a much distinct reality from what we know, the different relationships elevate the mythos to an edgy new level.

Now Playing on Disney Plus
Spoiler Alert

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is a refreshingly different take about our favourite wall-crawler. And as for who are his worst enemies, it is slowly developing. Without it, I doubt I’d care about the antihero Tombstone as much. Unlike other animated series which cut to the chase, the best part concerns Lonnie (Eugene Byrd) before his fall and Miko (Grace Song) her transition. Their side stories develop along with the hero’s, but as for if they will be his amazing friends, that’s debatable.

Here, Peter Parker (Hudson Thames) is learning the ropes in what it takes to be a hero. Here, he doesn’t meet the Avengers or even get recruited. The random reference to those events from the Captain America films is just that! As for where the other superheroes are, we only catch two in action, and hear about others.

Continue reading “Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is Amazing! But Will Pete Get A Day Off like Ferris Bueller?”

Thoughts, Concerns and Praise for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

After giving Star Wars: Skeleton Crew a full watch, I have new hope for what may be offered going forward. Not every series has to be unique. It just has to honour what fans love about this franchise back when George Lucas was in charge.

The latest entry to Disney’s Star Wars, curiously titled Skeleton Crew is boldly offering a concept that has been done before. It’s too similar to Star Trek Prodigy. In the world of literature, some fans have compared it to Treasure Island and I agree. Although the circumstances are different, Wym (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) is a kid who likes to dream big and wants to explore the galaxy. After discovering a spaceship buried underground, the group he brought together to investigate goes in, and it blasts off into outer space! Pretty soon, this lad, Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter) and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) are lost in space.

Afterwards, they encounter space pirates. Although they figure out they’re at least not jettsoned to the opposite side of the galaxy, all is not well. They want to go home, but nobody knows where the planet of At Attin is located. All viewers know is that it’s hidden in a sector known as the Unknown Regions. Everyone from this world seems to be involved in some grande experiment, and I have to wonder if the scientists are working on deconstructing the atom? It’d be a terrible pun should that be the case, but there’s a meme to be made with the name of this planet.

Continue reading “Thoughts, Concerns and Praise for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.”