Dungeons and Television’s Hilarious Debut At Fantasia Film Festival 2025 Will Want You Posing Too!

Set to release on YouTube next month, Dungeons and Television is fast-paced, charming series about dungeon livestreaming in a way where why isn’t that reporter running away from that dragon!?!?

Dungeons and Television PosterDungeons and Television is one of the standout new series introduced at Fantasia Film Festival, and what’s presented is merely a teaser. When the festival also becomes a launchpad for fresh shows, there’s more than one title I’m already tuning in to. Another is Night of the Living Cat, which is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and you can catch my review of the first two episodes here; Fantasia hosted a theatrical screening of episodes three and four (highly recommended—the plot finally thickens).

As for this fantasy series, this made-for-the-web anime will arrive next month on YouTube. Although I can’t find an official channel, I’m sure that’ll quickly be live very soon, and as soon as I know, I’ll posted updates! In this world, the discovery of the vacuum tube has reshaped life in the kingdom of The Grand Half-Moon Cauldron, turning once-mythic dungeons into hotspots for exploration and opportunity. The setup feels very Dungeons & Dragons-inspired, and that’s definitely a plus.

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Studio 4°C’s ChaO: An Enchanting Tale That’s More Than Just a Fairy Tale Romance

A bold and emotional story blending mermaid mythology, interspecies romance, wild mecha rides, and high-stakes drama, ChaO makes a memorable splash.

ChaO Movie Poster English)
This movie played at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival on July 27th.

GKIDS

When a movie simply titled ChaO begins with an account of a mermaid saving a boy from drowning, writer/director Yasuhiro Aoki moves away from the idea of presenting another fairy tale. Unlike those fantasy yarns from long ago, what we find here is perhaps more inspired from Splash! that Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah film is more of a sitcom about a fish out of water trying to get used to living in the human world, and in this anime, what’s offered here is similar.

In this presentation, Stefan (Oji Suzuka) and Princess Ao Sonni Chao Neptunus (Anna Yamada) haven’t even had their first date. Technically, this film begins in the present, where the surface world lives in harmony with the aquatic one. Here, we find that this human has moved on. Although the plot makes Juno (Shunsei Ōta) look like the protagonist, he is not. He’s a reporter who loses a scoop to a story, but when he finds Stefan, this chance to interview the sailor may well save him from being fired! During my second viewing, I noticed he’s similar to the actual lead, because both are wishy-washy.

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Fantasia Film Festival 2025 More Epic Picks of Must Sees!

When Fantasia Film Festival is the place to be for films old and new set within the genre of speculative fiction, it’ll have a bit of everything for everyone to enjoy, and this list considers them all!

Fantasia Film Festival 2025 Movie PosterWith the complete list of films and shorts fully announced, the 2025 edition of Fantasia Film Festival has a terrific selection of films to get fans of Asian cinema buzzing. That’s because anyone fresh from seeing STRANGE TALES: LAN RUO TEMPLE aka Curious Tales of a Temple (as Light Chaser Animation lists it) can see a revisionist version of “Nie Xiaoqian” with a cinematic presentation of Chinese Ghost Story 3 (Aug 3)

Even though that means racking up tons of air miles points to fly from China to Montreal, it might be easier to rent the film originally made in 1991. But then, one would miss out on seeing The Battle Wizard (July 20th), a fun Shaw Brothers Studio production considered by many a cult work.

With those two works said, the following remaining films make my list of must-see this hot summer season.

Queens of the Dead
Aug 02

Queens of the Dead Movie PoserIt’s Easter in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and a different resurrection is at hand. Dre (LOVE LIES BLEEDING breakout Katy O’Brian) is putting on a warehouse drag show, trying to deal with her lead performer’s last-minute cancellation, among other problems. One that she never could have imagined is a zombie apocalypse breaking out in her neighbourhood, which besieges her and her team while her wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome, THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW), a nurse at a local hospital, tries to dodge the flesh-eating hordes and get across town to Dre. As the trapped party crew deal with various interpersonal issues—most notably the sudden return of Sam, a.k.a. Samoncé (Jaquel Spivey, MEAN GIRLS), some time after abandoning Dre and her show at a crucial moment—they’re forced to resolve their differences and band together and survive.

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A Writer’s Odyssey 2 in Post Production. So When Will Lu Yang Release It?

While fans wait for Lu Yang’s A Writer’s Odyssey 2 to finish post-production, perhaps now is the time to look at the first film again.

Lu Yang A Writer's Odyssey Movie Poster
Freely available to view on YouTube

The likelihood of when A Writer’s Odyssey 2 will be ready for release is next year. According to IMDB, this movie is in post-production. Filming ended in late Summer. And when no studio wants to rush its release because of the complex special effects, I hope the wait will not be long. One source said Lu Yang spent up to five years perfecting Lord Redmane’s demon form.

And with this returning director at the helm, he wants every frame to look as good as the original. Based on what he said to press before, namely in building a proper backstory for the big bad, evil guy’s transformation into an evil force (than Li Mu in the real world), I hope the wait is worthwhile. Although the finale of the first film felt like one hero got his wish, I suspect that may not be the case. Also, I suspect Guan Ning’s reunion with his daughter is more a dream than reality, like in The Dark Knight Rises. I prefer more than a glimmer of a confirmation than what’s teased.

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The Animated Selections of Fantasia 2025 Guide

When this year’s slate of animated films is terrific, perhaps it’s time to travel to Quebec for Fantasia 2025!

Fantasia 2025 Movie PosterFantasia 2025 will soon be here, and this year looks very promising because of its animation slate. I always gravitate to this section since the films are often quick to continue playing at other events and head to distribution faster than the live-action works. Plus, when instant fans of the first entry in this list can see it even without attending, the presence is more than feline.

That’s because I’m a cat enthusiast. And when Takashi Miike is involved, just what’s offered may well top what last year’s Night of the Zoopocalypse did! This particular film (movie review link) did not screen at Fantasia, but I’m sure it would have been a contender had it finished post-production. Without further ramblings, I offer a list of feature length animated works to look forward to at this event at Montreal, Quebec.

Once when the event releases its full guide, I’ll also offer a top ten picks on what to see too.

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Who Is The Dream Hacker When Reality Gets Screwed?

“Dream Hacker” is an action thriller that explores a shared subconscious mind and dream technology, raising intriguing questions about sentience and the collision of waking and sleeping worlds, though some plot points and character explanations remain perplexing.

One Tree EntertainmentOne Tree Entertainment
Spoiler Alert

When the world the subconscious mind exists in is a shared environment, the concepts the movie Dream Hacker offers are right up my alley! I’ve been looking at works which explore this concept and readers can expect a few more reviews. When neuroscientist Jennifer Connelly (Molly Hanson) enters this realm and realizes the technology can also be used to enter the minds of others, her colleagues want to know more!

When this film is made up of two plots, this film isn’t just another action thriller. A significant plot point occurs when the protagonist accidentally enters the mind of Candy (Hannaj Bang Bendz), leading to problematic ramifications despite Jen’s good intentions to help her escape real-life problems. Also, when part of Jen’s technology includes a program named Adam (Luke J I Smith) to help her navigate this realm, I like to know how he upgraded itself.

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