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Introducing Witch Hat Atelier And What You Need To Know Before Its Simulcast Debut

Witch Hat Atelier is finally making the leap from page to screen, bringing Kamome Shirahama’s lush fantasy world to life in what looks like a visually rich and ethically charged anime adaptation.

©Kamome Shirahama/KODANSHA/ Witch Hat Atelier Committee

Coming to Crunchyroll on April 6, 2026 7:00PT

Fans of the high-fantasy manga series Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama will be glad to hear the anime series will be simulcast in Japanese and English in April, and it’ll be the first two episodes back-to-back! It’ll be interesting to see how the manga translates to animation, and if the trailer is any indication, it’s energetic and wastes no time diving into what helps form the illusions and alters reality to those able to witness it. This series might look like another magical school story on the surface, but there’s much more going on beneath it.

Here, anyone can alter creation in little subtle ways. We don’t need the God Thoth to assist. Well, that’s just one school of thought which might get explored. Hermeticism focuses on the divine arts, the nature of reality, and the soul’s liberation flow of the universe. But in this tale, all it takes is knowing what to pen with the right ink, and letting the ideas flow. But when a mistake is made, what can our heroine Coco do? She’ll have to learn the craft, and hope to undo the stone curse….

This revelation transforms the series from a whimsical fairy tale into a high-stakes ethical drama about the morality of gatekeeping knowledge, all while being presented through some of the most stunning, storybook-inspired art in modern manga.

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An Italian Kung-Fu Hustle Is Happening In The Forbidden City. Is Yaxi Prepared?

The Forbidden City blends Italian gangster cinema with martial arts action as a woman searches Rome’s Chinatown for her missing sister. Yaxi Liu’s transition from stunt performer to leading actor anchors the film, even if the choreography and story occasionally stumble. Strong cinematography and cultural tension keep the experience visually engaging.

Well GO USA
Digital Release: March 17, 2026
Home Video: April, 21, 2026 (available to pre-order here)

When filmmaker Gabriele Mainetti mixes high-octane gangster action with martial arts in modern-day Rome’s Chinatown, The Forbidden City becomes a clash of cultures that feels both unusual and ambitious. Whether the conflict comes through fists or gunfire, two very different worlds collide when Mei (Yaxi Liu) arrives searching for her missing sister. The reason for that search becomes clearer in the opening sequence. The siblings were secretly raised during China’s one-child policy era, and although the film never fully reveals when they were separated, the implication is that Mei has spent years searching.

Part of me still feels this story might have worked better as a period piece. That said, what Mainetti presents is effective in its own way. The film offers a glimpse of how Chinatowns exist beyond the usual cinematic settings of North America or Asia. In this case, the story unfolds in Rome. Without the occasional landmark or explicit mention, the location can be easy to miss, but the cinematography and production design give the city a textured, lived-in feel.

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Run, Kitty, Run! The Legend of Hei 2 on Blu-Ray! Coming Soon

The beloved Chinese animated fantasy returns with The Legend of Hei 2, continuing the story of spirits and humans struggling to coexist. With new dangers emerging from the spirit world, this sequel expands the mythology with a fresh adventure and stunning hand-drawn animation.

The Legend of Hei 2 Blu-ray GKIDS and Shout! Studios
Release Date: May 12, 2026

The story continues in The Legend of Hei, the acclaimed Chinese animated film that won audiences over with its beautiful hand-drawn animation and heartfelt storytelling. For anyone who missed the original, the movie is available online, with the home video still easy to find. Now the sequel, The Legend of Hei 2, arrives with a brand-new adventure filled with fresh dangers and a looming threat from the spirit world.

While the premise of maintaining balance between worlds may sound familiar, this story takes its own path. The conflict between spirits and humans is a universal theme, but this sequel expands the mythology in new directions rather than echoing other animated series. Readers can check out my review of the first film here.

The upcoming Blu-ray release of The Legend of Hei 2 arrives May 12, 2026 from GKIDS and Shout! Studios, bringing the acclaimed animated sequel home with several behind-the-scenes extras.

From the Press Release:

Revered for its luminous hand-drawn animation and emotionally rich storytelling, The Legend of Hei 2 reunites audiences with a world where spirits and humans coexist in uneasy harmony, raising the stakes with a sweeping new chapter that balances heart, humor, and kinetic action.

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Combo on the Run Primed and Ready to Showcase The Eraserheads and Their Amazing Legacy

Abramorama have acquired the Eraserheads documentary Combo on the Run, fast-tracking it for a North American theatrical release on April 24, 2026. The film explores the band’s legacy, reunion era, and cultural impact.

Release Date: April 24, 2026

AB2 Media Group and Abramorama have acquired the Eraserheads documentary Combo on the Run, fast-tracking it for a North American theatrical release. For many Filipino music fans, signature tracks like “Ang Huling El Bimbo” and “With a Smile” remain cultural touchstones. While the band may not be widely known in North America, their impact in the Philippines is undeniable, and this film explores the depth of that legacy.

Director and producer Maria Diane Ventura calls the partnership with Abramorama a natural fit. Known for distributing culturally significant music documentaries, the company brings experience and reach to a story that extends beyond music. Ventura notes that although the film centers on the band’s catalog, it also speaks to division, reconciliation, and healing during politically turbulent times.

Though rooted in the Philippines’ social realities, the themes of unity and rediscovery resonate globally.

From the Press Release:

Eraserheads: Combo on the Run chronicles the full arc of the Eraserheads phenomenon — from their formation as UP Diliman students in 1989, in the wake of the EDSA People Power Revolution that restored democracy in the Philippines, to becoming the defining soundtrack of a generation and staging a historic reunion run that drew nearly a quarter of a million fans. This marks the first Philippine music documentary distributed by Abramorama.

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Titan Manga and Five Star Stories. The Anxious Wait Won’t Be Long.

Let’s hope Titan Manga and Five Star Stories remain committed to deliver this lucious saga to the English-speaking masses instead of stalling.

Titan Manga
Volume One releasing July 7, 2026
and Two on Oct 6, 2026

Thankfully, the Five Star Stories manga is still going strong in Japan. Even though it has effectively reinvented itself after Volume 12 of the tankōbon release, most people have rolled with the changes. While purists may take issue with the work being referred to as Gothicmade, the shift at least establishes a foundation for where future stories are headed. The scope feels less like a simple continuation and more like a reframing, one where the saga leans into legacy rather than immediate battlefield drama.

Instead of diving into a massive editorial on the changes, I’ll simply say this, as long as sales remain strong, I’m hopeful Titan Books’ new label stays committed to republishing the full Toypress run up to that volume, where it never saw a translation for the English-speaking market, and continues onward into the expanded era of the story. With a possible release of three volumes per year similar to the previous run, it won’t take long to catch up! To note, the English edition was further separated into smaller chapter releases. There are 26 books which cover Japanese Volumes 1 through 10. Volume 11 and onward have yet to be translated.

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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 Poster Release 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?

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