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When prominent author Rumiko Takahashi transitioned from lighthearted comedies like Urusei Yatsura and Ranma ½ to the dark, emotionally rich world of InuYasha, she was making a huge gamble. The trademark style of Takahashi had disappeared and a sort of morose tone replaced it.

Inuyasha and Kagome | Credit: Kyoto Animation

Takahashi noted in an interview that she was worried whether readers would become tired of the heavier tone of InuYasha, especially as the story delved into intense themes like betrayal and redemption.

This shift of styles became one of InuYasha’s most defining strengths. The world-building and the depth of characters in InuYasha are different from Takahashi’s other works, as they come from the circumstances and scenes in a subtler form as compared to the development from character interactions in series like Ranma ½.

Related Rumiko Takahashi Revealed the “Biggest Change” Inuyasha Forced Her to Do Compared to Her Earlier...

Japanese e-book store Book☆Walker Global announced on Nov 26, 2024, that they will be releasing over 3,900 popular manga titles from Viz Media.

Among the additions are One Piece, Bleach, Inuyasha, and Ranma ½, alongside titles with recent anime adaptations, including Dandadan and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. The collection also features works like Junji Ito’s Gyo and Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human.

To celebrate the launch, Book☆Walker Global is offering exclusive deals through a limited-time campaign. Select titles start at just $0.99, with up to 50% Point Back rewards available on all newly added Viz Media series.

Highlighted series include:

One Piece

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber—at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, Luffy sets off in search of the One Piece, said...

Ranma ½: Every Suitor that Girl/Boy Ranma Has - Main Image

The Ranma ½ reboot is finally on Netflix, and a new generation of fans is getting a glimpse of the wacky love triangles that are the signature of one of Rumiko Takahashi’s most beloved works.

The first season is expected to have 12 episodes, and though every suitor for Ranma isn’t expected to show up, here’s a list of suitors who will be fighting for Ranma’s (both boy and girl) affection—literally.

Tatewaki Kuno

Kuno-senpai is the first suitor to be presented in the show. Originally in love with Akane Tendo, Kuno declared Ranma his romantic rival and frequently tussled with him on campus. After one fight leads Kuno and Ranma into a pool though, Kuno sets eyes on girl Ranma and becomes head-over-heels.

While not a frequent threat, Kuno is always on the...

Andrew Lee can’t stop releasing music. Whether it’s a new full length album Sanshi with his band Ripped to Shreds, or another new album, Koncertos Of Kawaiiness: Stealing Jon Chang’s Ideas, A Book by Andrew Lee from his anime-themed grindcore solo project Houkago Grind Time, the new tunes keep on coming. As you can probably tell by at least one of the bands, Lee is a massive anime fan and allows it to guide his artistic endeavors. I had the chance to chat with him to hear more about his anime origins, taking inspiration from multiple genres, and the type of series in which he could imagine his own music. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? How it started and where you are now? Are there genres you gravitate toward? Andrew Lee : The earliest anime memories I have are of a copy...

Anime and Japanese pop culture aficionados were blown away by a weekend of cosplay, concerts, and unbridled fandom – with a touch of renegade robot uprisings and alien invasions thrown in for good measure – at Anime NYC 2024. Ever since its inauguration in 2017, LeftField Media’s Anime NYC has been one of the most significant anime and Japanese pop culture events on the East Coast. 2024’s celebration, which was held from August 23-25t at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, was the convention’s biggest year yet with estimated attendance at over 100,000 guests – an Anime NYC record that nearly doubled 2023’s 63,000 attendees.

Anime NYC 2024 was packed with more than 150 hours of panels, screenings, fan meetups, and celebratory events that cater towards the diverse tastes of anime, manga, and video game fans. This year featured an eclectic selection of guests from across America and Japan, including esteemed voice actors like Steve Blum,...

You might already know Kishi Bashi — nee Kaoru Ishibashi — who spent years performing as a multi-instrumentalist with artists including Regina Spektor and Of Montreal before he struck out on his heralded solo career. You may also know that he has been nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary for A Song Film by Kishi Bashi - 'Omoiyari.' But did you know that he’s inspired by anime? With his new video for “Lilliputian Chop,” Kishi Bashi takes that love and cranks up the funk with a saxophone powered bop. I’m excited to bring you the exclusive premiere for this song, which was animated by famed Japanese studio Tonari Animation! In addition to the premiere, I chatted with Ishibashi about his roots and the video creation process. Kishi Bashi Interview Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? How it started and where you are now?...

The ever-growing anime and manga industry is currently being ruled by One Piece and its creator, Eiichiro Oda. Oda started One Piece in 1997, and ever since then, he has been at the top of the podium because of his brilliant creative skills and intriguing narrative that has been expanding the fanbase for a long time.

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda | Credit: Toei Animation

Being one of the top manga creators in history comes with its perks and benefits. And the main benefit is that the cash flow is always growing. As fans have already guessed, Oda is the richest manga creator in the world. With the highest-selling manga in the industry and one of the biggest fanbases, Oda’s net worth far exceeds that of any other manga creator.

In fact, what many fans won’t know is that the difference in the net worth between Oda and the second-richest...

Even in the age of digital piracy and torrent sites, major television leaks aren’t terribly common. However, when they do happen, they can be harder to contain, especially in a time where people are able to post entire movies on X (formerly Twitter).

As hard as studios try to keep their intellectual property under wraps, sometimes there are still things that slip through the cracks. Whether released by hackers, network error, or some other unfortunate circumstance, here are some of the most disruptive TV episode leaks to happen in recent history.

House of the Dragon

Season 1 and 2 Finale

If I had a nickel for every House of the Dragon season finale that’s been leaked I’d only have two nickels, but it’s still wild that it’s happened twice. The finale for season 1 was reportedly leaked by one of HBO’s distribution partners in Europe, the Middle East,...

Netflix is among companies that have been affected by a security breach at a post-production partner that has resulted in a massive online leak of anime titles, including Season 2 of Arcane, Terminator Zero, Dandadan, Ranma ½ and more.

“One of our post production partners has been compromised and footage from several of our titles has unfortunately leaked online, a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline. “Our team is aggressively taking action to have it taken down.”

The titles have appeared on X and 4Chan, according to IGN, which first reported the leak.

Sony’s Crunchyroll also was among those compromised. The premiere episode of isekai anime Re: Zero also leaked.

The content was first spotted online on August 6. Since then, shows including Heartstopper Season 3, Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld and films such as Plankton: The Movie and Spellbound also have leaked, according to IGN.

Sources said the unidentified partner is Iyuno,...

Netflix and Crunchyroll titles leaked on social media Thursday, with full episodes of shows released on TikTok and X including the anticipated “Heartstopper” Season 3 and anime fare like “Arcane” and the Season 3 premiere of “Re:Zero.”

The leak was first reported internationally, as fans spotted clips of unfinished footage on social media, as first reported by sites like IGN and What’s on Netflix. X users lamented the leaks, begging the streamers to release the shows early to counter the avalanche of spoilers.

“One of our post-production partners has been compromised and footage from several of our titles has unfortunately leaked online,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement exclusively to TheWrap Thursday night. “Our team is aggressively taking action to have it taken down.”

Representatives for Crunchyroll did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

A similar cyber situation affected the release of the Season 2 finale of the...

Netflix and animated series have a love-hate relationship. Netflix loves to make them, but people hate to see them. Not every series, however, is bad as Ella Purnell’s 2021 series Arcane turned out to be one of the best.

A still from Arcane | Netflix

After its premiere, millions of people tuned into Netflix to watch the animated show that talked about the origins of two League Champions in a utopian world. The first season was loved by millions.

Even Henry Cavill is a Fan of Arcane

The animated show is connected to the iconic video games League of Legends and Valorant and gaming and anime fans showered the series with love since its release in 2021.

Even Henry Cavill is a fan of Arcane | Netflix

When it premiered, the series grabbed the spotlight of the world. During an interview, Man of Steel star Henry Cavill was asked whether he had seen the series yet.

Update 8/8/24: We have confirmed that several episodes of the upcoming second season of "Arcane" have also leaked, continuing the bad news for the anime world. Our original article from August 7 continues below.

The anime industry just got hit with one of the worst leaks in history. Though spoilers and small leaks are relatively common, particularly phone-recorded leaks at big events like Anime Expo, production screeners of upcoming titles don't tend to leak very often. What makes this an especially egregious leak is that multiple high-profile productions suffered episode leaks -- and of multiple episodes each.

The leak began with the opening and ending themes for anticipated titles like the remake of "Ranma ½," as well as the opening for the "Dandadan" anime adaptation. But then it snowballed and the leak is threatening multiple areas of the industry. According to AnimeNewsNetwork, the first four episodes of "Ranma ½," the first six episodes of "Dandadan,...

The intensity and depth of a voice actor during an important role or scene define their talent in the anime and manga industry. One such talented individual recently went exceedingly viral when the German dub of the One Piece anime featuring the first moment when Luffy unlocked Gear 5 was released for German anime fans.

Gear 5 Luffy in One Piece | Toei Animation

Luffy’s Gear 5 mode is quite different in terms of the protagonist’s normal behavior in the series, as he becomes more excited and menacing. While the animation did wonders with Gear 5, it was all left on the shoulders of the voice actors to bring out the best in themselves and Luffy. And Daniel Schlauch did exactly that.

His performance of Gear 5 Luffy was so insane that even fans from other countries enjoyed it. Thus, as the clip went viral, One Piece fans came together and praised Schlauch for his voice-acting skills,...

One of the most popular sources for anime adaptations today is the website Shousetsuka ni Naru, translated as “Let’s Become a Novelist.” Anybody may publish their work there for free. Stories that win a devoted readership are scouted to become light novels and anime series. These include isekai titles like Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation , Ascendance of a Bookworm and My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! But there are also court mysteries ( The Apothecary Diaries ), romance ( My Happy Marriage ) and self-contained novels ( I Want to Eat Your Pancreas ). China and Korea have their own vibrant web fiction scenes. Stories published on sites like Qidan and KakaoPage have been adapted into comics, television series and even Japanese anime. What you may not know, though, is that there is a growing English language web fiction community. It does not yet compare in scale or prestige to its counterparts in East Asia.

Kappei Yamaguchi, the voice actor of Usopp in One Piece anime, announced on his official X account on May 30, 2024, that he has been hospitalized and will have to undergo surgery.

In a series of light-hearted tweets, Yamaguchi explained that he had overexerted himself while weightlifting and will be hospitalized for a brief period. He humorously noted that he will return with a cyborg shoulder after the procedure.

The surgery, scheduled for tomorrow, will address a torn tendon in his shoulder, which the actor attributed to his rigorous weightlifting regimen.

Acknowledging the necessity of the procedure, he reassured fans that the injury is not overly serious but requires medical intervention as it won’t heal naturally.

Checkout his series of tweets below:

Actually, I’m going to be hospitalized for a bit starting today!^^ It’s for surgery on my shoulder because I overdid it with weightlifting. I’ll come back...

"Turning Red" is one of the best movies Pixar has made in years. A funny, visually distinct, and fresh movie with influences ranging from "Ranma ½" and "Sailor Moon" to Disney movies.

Domee Shi makes her feature debut with a film that is just as emotionally devastating as her short film "Bao," yet a lot more upbeat. The film tells the story of Mei Lee, a Chinese-Canadian teenager who discovers she turns into a panda whenever she feels strong emotions, and her struggles having to balance being a dutiful daughter, and also a rebellious teen. Like any Pixar movie, "Turning Red" changed a lot during development....

The post Turning Red Deleted Scenes Try to Tame the Panda, Include Cut Storylines appeared first on /Film.

The year 2002 was a perfect year for bops, including Outcast’s “Hey Ya.” Then there was Beyonce’s No. 1 hit “Bootylicious,” which served as the perfect needle drop for the new animated film “Turning Red,” directed by Domee Shi, set in early 2000s Toronto.

Pixar’s latest coming-of-age tale, which streams on Disney Plus starting Friday, revolves around Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old who adores the biggest boy band on the planet, 4*Town. She is amazed to wake up one morning and find herself transformed into a giant red panda each time she gets excited or stressed. Shi says Destiny Child’s “Bootylicious” worked perfectly for the transformational moment in Mei’s journey. “She’s finally getting comfortable with her body and celebrating it. It’s about confidence,” Shi says, “It was also funny to see a giant red panda dancing to that song.”

The vocal cast includes Sandra Oh as Mei’s overbearing mother,...

Pixar’s “Turning Red” (which premieres exclusively on Disney+ March 11) is the story of Mei (Rosalie Chiang), a precocious 13-year-old Chinese girl growing up in Toronto, Canada. If being a tween wasn’t awkward enough, she finds herself transforming, when in a state of extreme emotional distress, into a giant red panda. Considering your tween-to-teen-years are nothing if not a series of highly emotional states, this causes some considerable complications. It’s a Pixar movie that looks – and feels – quite different from anything the studio has produced before.

TheWrap spoke to director Domee Shi (making her feature directorial debut after her beloved short “Bao”) and producer Lindsey Collins (a longtime Pixar vet) about what it was like crafting this unique and irreverent film. They talked about how they cracked the “Asian tween fever dream” aesthetic, how working from home actually heightened the creative process and, of course, what it was...

Takehito Koyasu is a big name in anime, and his signature evil, drawling voice is perfect for many villainous characters from beloved franchises. Beginning his career in 1987, with The Three Musketeers Anime, as well as the well-known Ranma 1/2 in 1989, Koyasu has founded his own voice acting agency and took over some of the roles that the voice actor Kaneto Shiozawa voiced before his death.

Related: 10 Best Anime Characters Voiced By Mamoru Miyano

Koyasu's voice is perfect for aristocratic, pompous, and villainous characters, and his sarcastic and smug voice pairs perfectly with the characters that fans root against. However, Koyasu has also voiced heroic characters that elevated their respective series through the actor's incredible performances.

We here at ComicMix love the opportunities that crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter have given comics creators to get more of their out there. We wanted to highlight a project that hit Kickstarter today, Aer Head #1, by Mindy Indy. She’s worked primarily on her indy comics as well as having been legendary artist Kyle Baker’s assistant and working as a colorist with publishers like Papercutz. This is her first Kickstarter and has to reach a goal of $2,000.

Below is her press release detailing the project with pages from Aer Head #1 at the end. Please check it out and consider supporting this campaign!

For Immediate Release

Aer Head Surfer Hero Comic Making Waves on Kickstarter

Brooklyn, NY, September 2019

Independent cartoonist Mindy Indy has excitedly launched the debut of Aer Head issue #1 on Kickstarter. Teen surfer and lifeguard Aer struggles to control his Esp, until he predicts a wave of flame will careen towards Earth.

News

Fans of the Fullerverse can finally let out a sigh of relief. NBC has finally ordered a second season of Hannibal.

Do you think it would help if the Hannibal crew wore “5″ t-shirts like the Babylon 5 team did?

Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj both made it official, announcing that they would not be returning to American Idol as a judge.

Deadline reports that FX is developing a comedy starring Tracy Morgan. Death Pact has Morgan playing a slacker-turned-war-hero-slash-motivational-speaker who returns to his hometown and takes three down-on-their-luck friends.

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan says that he’s working on a Breaking Bad spin-off focusing on scene-stealer Saul Goodman. “So we just have to figure out exactly what kind of story we’re telling. Is it a story about his creation of his own character? Because Saul Goodman, as he explains in his first episode, is not his real name,...

Hello! Welcome to what is the first of hopefully many installments of Con-Man, a series of articles that will focus on the many facets of the most wonderful of nerd-Meccas: horror movie conventions.

From (hopefully) funny anecdotes to interviews with genre stars and convention regulars to spotlights on special vendors, Con-Man will bring the convention experience of this writer directly to you, my dear Dreadfuls. Our first episode is titled “Guillermo del Toro” (for what I should imagine will be an obvious reason). Here’s hoping you enjoy!

It was 2002. I had just flown in to the wonderful little city of Pasadena to attend my first-ever horror convention, thrown by my favorite horror movie magazine. For a kid from a relatively small Midwestern town, the view of the city and the gorgeous weather were sights to behold. Still, sightseeing be damned, I had a convention to go to. I rushed...

With the release of Kung Fu Panda 2 this week, it seemed like a great time to investigate the rich and detailed history of the panda in cinema and television. However, after some research, it became clear the bear has been largely underrepresented on screen, particularly in the live action arena. What a terrible idea…

Even more distressing, there haven’t been any panda monster movies like I had hoped. Aspirations of discovering a low-budget B-movie about a panda stalking a dwindling crop of teenagers, snapping them like bamboo twigs and drinking their blood proved disappointingly fruitless.

The logic should have been obvious, though. Pandas are traditionally slow, docile and most importantly, extremely cute. They are the very definition of “charismatic megafauna,” which simplified, basically describes an animal that’s so darn photogenic that it can’t help but evoke deep compassion in all of us. There’s a reason...