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 PosterRelease 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?

Continue reading “Don’t Be Surprised When All You Need Is Kill… and Hope It Doesn’t Lead to Stranger Things”

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.

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

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Than Depending on Lady Luck

Just how difficult can mothers get? In the anime, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, we get to find out and only love them even more…

Fortune Favors Lady NikukoGKIDS and Shout! Factory
Available to order on Amazon USA

Revisiting Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (漁港の肉子ちゃん) is a pure joy, and to own it on home video only adds to the pleasure when considering the bonus material that’s included. Not only do we get to learn about the origins behind the production but also get to see those first reactions when it premiered in Japan. This behind the scenes look offers a look at the industry from the vocal talents perspective. This lengthy segment is one of six extras.

Because it clocks in at 72mins, I recommend making a separate night at watching this work after the film.

Other extras include:

  • Film Completion Press Conference – Cast and crew take questions from the audience in a funny, relaxed discussion on 5/26/2021.
  • Official Premiere Event
  • Sanma Akashiya Birthday Event – From 7/4/2021
  • Guest Speaker Event – Miu (Riho) Yoshioka and Shinobu Ôtake (Nikuko) share the stage answering questions.
  • Three Trailers\

Continue reading “Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Than Depending on Lady Luck”

From Book to Film and Beyond! Poupelle of Chimney Town

Poupelle of Chimney Town may well share similiarities with other films, like Urinetown, and thankfully how it wraps up is very different!

Poupelle of Chimney Town Film Poster – GenkinahitoScreening at Spark Film Festival 2022

The cinematic adaptation of Akihiro Nishino’s picture book, Poupelle of Chimney Town (映画 えんとつ町のプペル), is a wonder to behold. Its vibrant and highly detailed backgrounds spotlight a world not too different from Victorian Age Paris, and here, the skies are forever clouded by industry. Instead of a city covered in soot, the life we find on the streets is brought alive with autumn colours.

Who we are following in this film is Lubicchi (Mana Ashida). This boy lost his father some years ago, and on Halloween, a mysterious golem made of garbage emerges from the sewers and finds the boy by a quirk of fate. Its design is amazing, and some may think it’s a robot. Plus, this animated work is only scratching the surface of how this story can be retold as a Broadway play, perhaps in the style of Les Miserables. The fact that’s in the works (teasers can be found on YouTube) has me excited to see how many more songs are going to be offered.

Continue reading “From Book to Film and Beyond! Poupelle of Chimney Town”

The Children of the Sea Arrives on Home Video Sept 1st!

To get the most out of understanding this anime, I recommend watching the companion documentary, Turep – Looking for Children of the Sea.

Children of the Sea Blu-Ray + DVD Case
Available to preorder on Amazon USAChildren of the Sea

GKIDS & Shout! Factory

Release Date:
Sept 1, 2020

I’m sure the themes of life, death and rebirth play into the cinematic adaptation of Daisuke Igarashi’s manga series, Children of the Sea. The story simply begins on how Ruka gets kicked to the grind. She’s a bit of an outcast and being with others really doesn’t bode well for her. One troubled incident leads her to be kicked out of summer activities at school and having a crisis of faith.

Mom is no help (she’s an alcoholic) and Dad is too busy at work. He’s been “recruited” by the military to study the strange happenings going on with aquatic life in the seaside town they live in, and they somehow involve Umi and Sora. They’re slightly older boys and a relationship develops between the three.

Continue reading “The Children of the Sea Arrives on Home Video Sept 1st!”

Studio 4°C Genius Party is Happening Oct 15th! in North America

Although it took a long time for Studio 4°C Genius Party make it to North America, the wait was certainly worthwhile.

Genius Party Blu-ray Case
Available to purchase/preorder on AmazonChildren of the Sea

Shout! Factory & GKIDS
Release Date: Oct 15, 2019

Coming to home video in North America is Genius Party Volumes 1 & 2 (ジーニアス・パーティ) offered in one disc. Studio 4°C is behind this anthology series, and all twelve shorts are offered instead of the original Japanese editions where both were sold separately–originally released in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Anime fans who have yet to discover this bonanza will be thrilled to find many storytelling genres realized by top talents. The shorts I loved the most were the fantasy type works.

Continue reading “Studio 4°C Genius Party is Happening Oct 15th! in North America”