Tag: Slice of Life

AnimEigo Brings Home Five New Licenses (and Why I’m Excited for The AD Police Files) From Anime Expo 2026

AnimEigo is dusting off another shelf of anime history, bringing long-awaited classics, namely the The AD Police Files, and the underdogs into the spotlight for a new generation.

AnimEigo logoAt Anime Expo 2026, AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD announced a handful of titles set for release next year. And one of them has been desired for a long time. And for fans of the Bubblegum Crisis saga, it’s about time The AD Police Files is getting a Blu-ray release.

No, we are not talking about the television series. Instead, it’s the three original video animations that predate Bubblegum Crisis. So the story goes, it seems some of the original material was lost, and it was impossible to remaster back then. But now, with someone discovering what’s needed to finally get it done, it now is! And who knows, maybe afterward, there may be a Mega Tokyo Mega Set that packages them all. While that’s hard to say if that will happen, this fan wants to be hopeful.

But there’s more than just one announcement. The two companies also said they will be releasing the following series to North America.

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Fans of Chan Can Find Unexpected Family (过家家) Delivering A Different Side of Him to Cry For

Jackie Chan trades swagger for vulnerability in Unexpected Family, a warm slice-of-life drama where mistaken identity becomes a lifeline. As an elderly man’s memory fades and a stranger slips into the role of “son,” the film finds its power in small moments, quiet grief, and the kind of belonging people build when they need each other most.

Chinese Family Jackie Chan PosterJackie Chan isn’t quite his usual self in Li Taiyan’s quietly charming story about an Unexpected Family coming together. Ren Jiqing (Chan) is losing his memories due to age. He is often unsure who is whom, and seeing him not rise to the occasion, instead playing a befuddled role, is rather amazing. Instead of turning on the charm, he has to dial back the athleticism we know him for.

It’s easy to sympathize with him when Bufan (Peng Yuchang) drifts into town looking for work, only to be mistaken for the old man’s estranged son, Zhuangzhuang. There’s gentle humour woven into this slice-of-life drama, released during Chinese New Year. The festive backdrop contrasts the passage of time as we watch Jiqing slowly deteriorate. It’s heartbreaking, and even when I caught myself thinking, “oh, he knows,” what follows still had me reaching for the tissue box.

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Eephus – A Quiet Ode to Baseball, Memory, and Community

Eephus Movie PosterBaseball—often called America’s greatest pastime—takes centre field in Eephus. Even the title hints at its niche appeal: the “eephus” pitch is a slow, deceptive throw that only true baseball aficionados will recognize. But beyond its clever name, this film is less about the sport itself and more about the people playing it—a group of small-town locals in Massachusetts gathering for one last, low-stakes game on a fading field.

What makes Eephus intriguing, or perhaps alienating, is its minimalism. There’s no scoreboard tension, no politics, no conventional drama—just a handful of folks taking turns at bat as they wrestle with the minor frustrations of life. The camera observes quietly, offering a slice-of-life portrait of a community holding on to something simple and sacred before it all gets, literally, “mowed over.”

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Beyond the Spectrum: The Colors Within Unveils a Picture of Self-Discovery

The Colors Within is a heartwarming “Iyashikei” anime that explores self-discovery and communication through the journey of a young girl. Despite being unsure of herself, what she learns can teach viewers too.

The Colors Within Blu-ray release
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

GKIDS & Shout! Studios

When I’m a fan of Science Suru’s films, especially when dealing with fantasy, The Colors Within is a change of pace. This sentimental work directed by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz, and the Blue Bird) and writer Reiko Yoshida differs significantly from this studio’s other works. While some similarity exists with Lu Over the Wall and Inu-Oh on the surface level, because music is central in both works, the narrative arcs are very different.

Their latest home video release is for fans who enjoy slice of life moments. The bit of magic used here concerns Totsuko Higurashi (Sayu Suzukawa), a high school student, who sees other people’s auras. I use this description over simply saying colors, because the difference between reading auras and seeing varied tones is negligible.

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When Endless Cookie Offers A Touch of the Surreal

No, this film isn’t about food, but the metaphors are certainly evident in Endless Cookie. It’s a very quirky slice-of-life work by animator/filmmaker Seth Scriver.

Endless Cookie Movie PosterNow playing at select cinemas in Canada. Please check local listings (or see below)

Unlike similarly styled comedy sketches that were popular in its day, Endless Cookie is an animated film that’s basically a vignette of moments about two half-brothers. What this work delves into concerns what life is like between Seth Scriver (who is white and lives in Toronto) and Peter Scriver (who is Indigenous, from the Shamattawa First Nation in northern Canada). It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 and is certainly heartfelt. After it’s run at imagineNATIVE Film Festival, it’s now playing at select cinemas across Canada which started June 13th.

When compared to the shenanigans on what I recall from SCTV and The McKenzie Brothers, the situations are similar. And the approaches to making a subtle social commentary are dead on. While these live-action skits are certainly more of a parody of Canadian identity, this animated biography goes much further.

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With (S)KiDs, It’s Not Just But Still Rock and Roll to Me

The beauty with independent animated works is that they don’t have to play by the rules. For (S)KiDs, the creators must make sure the message is heard, not just blasted.

(s)kids movie posterAvailable to stream on YouTube (free, see below)

The year (S)KiDs take place in may seem unusual, but it feels appropriate to show what teenage life was like back in the early 90s. In a nutshell, I can’t help but think this film is Smells Like Teen Spirit meets The Breakfast Club. This song released by Nirvana in 1991 is more than age-old to reflect upon what this film is about.

Here, this animated film looks at the life of Scotty (James Priestner), a self prescribed punk poet who finds life in a new town difficult. Although he finds a few friends, others soon label them skids, not typical outcasts. Although this derogatory term is not in vogue these days, to escape that label is tough. Molly (Michele Garceau), Billy (Will Letos), and Craig (Les Solis, who also directed this film) are fairly chill, but the fact they all have demons is more telling as the film progresses through their final year at St. Elmo’s High School.

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