Latest news with #anime
Geek Tyrant
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Trailer For The TOM & JERRY Anime Series TOM AND JERRY GOKKO — GeekTyrant
Tom and Jerry have been through a lot in their 80+ years with exploding kitchens, destroyed pianos, the occasional truce, but now they're heading into new territory… anime. Warner Bros. has dropped the trailer for Tom and Jerry Gokko , an all-new Japanese-produced series that reimagines the classic cat-and-mouse duo through a softer, slice-of-life lens, and it's coming to English-speaking audiences. The series originally aired exclusively in Japan on Cartoon Network Japan starting in November 2022, and just wrapped its latest episode in May 2025. While no firm release date for the English version was announced, Tom and Jerry Gokko will be streaming for free on the WB Kids YouTube channel sometime 'soon.' The show is co-produced by Warner Bros. Japan and draws some of its visual inspiration from the Tom and Jerry: Seven Colors manga. This isn't your typical high-energy, slapstick-fueled rivalry. In Tom and Jerry Gokko , Tom and Jerry are more like playful frenemies than bitter enemies. Sure, the trailer shows them messing with each other here and there, but the tone is gentler, more kid-friendly, and less chaotic than the vintage shorts or even some of the modern adaptations. It's clearly aimed at a younger demographic, with pastel colors, cute designs, and calmer pacing, far from the anvil-dropping chaos we grew up with. It's a strategy that makes sense in the current streaming era where younger audiences live on platforms like YouTube. Plus, with anime continuing to dominate global pop culture, fusing the Tom and Jerry brand with that visual language is a smart move by Warner Bros. Yeah, longtime fans might miss the classic cartoon carnage, but Gokko isn't trying to replace the original mayhem, it's just a new angle on two characters that have been around longer than most of us. We'll just have to wait and see whether it lands with nostalgic fans or clicks with preschoolers.
Japan Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Anime's big night out is getting bigger — and more surreal
All eyes at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards turn to NFL defensive end Myles Garrett as he begins to sing the theme from 'Pokemon.' There's a lot happening on the 'orange carpet' ahead of the ninth edition of the anime streaming service's awards ceremony, held on May 25 at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo. Musician Rina Sawayama and Maneskin vocalist Damiano David chat with the media about how Japanese animation has inspired them over the years. On the other side of the aisle, 'Stranger Things' stars Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo joke with one another while photographers snap pictures of them. Still, hearing the massive American football all-pro breaking into song while standing next to Olympic gold medalist and snowboarder Chloe Kim for an interview with Teen Vogue grabs the most attention in this surreal scene. This spectacle is exactly what Crunchyroll wants to project about the current global popularity — and continued growth — of anime. An event that started in 2017 as a low-key affair held in San Francisco has evolved into a glamorous ceremony styled after major events like the Academy Awards. 'We've been putting more production value into it,' Travis Page, Crunchyroll's chief financial officer, tells The Japan Times from a conference room in the hotel a day before the event. 'Every year, we've been leveling up.' While the event itself grows in size and cost annually, Page says the central aim remains the same. 'The team is constantly thinking from first principles — how do we want to celebrate anime?' American snowboarder Chloe Kim and NFL star Myles Garrett attend the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. | Courtesy of Crunchyroll The ninth edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards did so by leaning further into the prestige associated with traditional awards ceremonies. For the first time, a kind of lifetime achievement award dubbed the Global Impact Award is bestowed upon critically acclaimed action series 'Attack on Titan.' Host Sally Amaki wears an elegant orange dress reflecting the company's colors. The messaging on screen approaches the self-important tone beloved by the American film industry: 'Anime doesn't just tell stories... it shapes our culture. It shapes our world.' Which isn't to say the peculiarities of the anime community have vanished. Virtual avatar Ironmouse interviews celebrities during the preshow. Winners go on stage holding plush dolls of characters from the series they represent. Crunchyroll devotes space to categories both silly (''must protect at all costs' character') and specific ('best isekai anime,' referring to the genre where characters get transported to new worlds). The celebrity fashion references various series, running from Japanese talent Dean Fujioka's nod to 'Spy × Family' to American country artist Kacey Musgraves channeling 'Sailor Moon.' 'My look today is inspired by Zero Two from 'Darling in the Franxx,' but we had to drag it up a little bit,' says drag queen Plastique Tiara from the orange carpet about their get-up for the awards. 'I think most of my looks are very anime inspired,' Plastique Tiara adds. 'I think it's a world of creativity and like a recycling bin of just fab. I always go to anime.' As has become the norm for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in recent years, the ceremony itself allows the Sony-owned streaming service to show just how beloved the medium has become via a plethora of famous guests hailing from a variety of fields. It's also an opportunity for Crunchyroll to flaunt its power in the industry. 'We just announced that we've hit 17 million subscribers, up from 15 million last year,' Page says of Crunchyroll's 'exciting' continued growth. 'The confirmation that we are doing our jobs and we are successfully giving customers and fans what they want is the fact that people keep signing up for us.' J-pop artist Lisa performs 'crossing field' from 'Sword Art Online' at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on May 25. | Courtesy of Crunchyroll Crunchyroll has come under plenty of scrutiny as it has become the key player in anime streaming, most recently facing criticism for expressing interest in experimenting with artificial intelligence (a plan it backtracked from in April). Still, the data coupled with the soft-power pageantry of its Anime Awards underlines its status as interest in the medium continues to grow. 'Lots of young fans are coming in. Gen Z and Gen Alpha tell us that anime is a huge influence in their lives,' says Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini from the orange carpet. That statement is echoed by the younger stars present at the ceremony. 'Through the storytelling aspect of anime with all the complex characters and themes of like, battling yourself, I use that in my music to process emotions in my own life and how I put that to song,' says 20-year-old artist d4vd, adding that anime helped expose him to Japanese artists such as tricot and Eve, who he 'loves.' 'It's such a magical way to portray human emotions and to kind of exaggerate what we feel every day, and it's very beautiful, because sometimes the emotions we feel are exaggerated compared to the context we're in, and it's something that makes you feel very understood,' says Maneskin's David of anime. 'Sometimes it can also give you the strength to talk about something that you don't really feel ready to.' The Crunchyroll Anime Awards also gives the company an opportunity to highlight the global reach of the industry, underlined by the Association of Japanese Anime reporting in its 2024 industry report that the international market has become bigger than the domestic one. Page says the 2024 ceremony saw a greater push to bring in guests from diverse places, an initiative that has continued in 2025 with attendees hailing from the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. '(Anime) is still a bit underground in Chile, but there's so many people watching it overall,' says Chilean American pop star Paloma Mami. Maneskin vocalist Damiano David says anime is "a magical way to portray human emotions." | Courtesy of Crunchyroll This global reach proves to be one of the most interesting developments for Page. 'One of the exciting things to me is seeing which markets and territories really have fallen in love with the dubs we've been producing for them,' he says of Crunchyroll's efforts to offer programs in local languages. 'In India, for example, we're dubbing into three different languages — Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The passion for which viewers are watching in those dubs rather than the subs makes me think we did something right here.' It applies to the shows being produced, too. Page points to the growing number of series being created from intellectual property outside of the usual manga-to-anime pipeline. His go-to example is 'Solo Leveling,' an action-centric series based on a South Korean webtoon. Crunchyroll recently partnered with entertainment company Aniplex to form Hayate, a joint anime production operation aimed at 'being a little more experimental' in creating new titles geared toward the international market, according to Page. Yet signs of the globalization of anime appear frequently at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. 'Solo Leveling,' directed by Shunsuke Nakashige, ends up being the big winner of the night, taking home the anime of the year trophy. The award for best original anime goes to 'Ninja Kamui,' a series animated by a Japanese studio but directed by a South Korean director and premiered on U.S. entertainment block Adult Swim. 'People in many countries have been watching anime for a long time, but thanks to Crunchyroll distributing it worldwide, I can really feel just how many people are watching it and hearing my work. It's become more tangible for us,' says J-pop artist Lisa, who has enjoyed global success via songs tied to anime and will tour North America this June. While the main goal of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards is to celebrate the industry from its birthplace while also flexing the company's strength, the ceremony also offers a kind of best-case scenario for the spread of pop culture, bringing together people from far-flung places thanks to entertainment. 'The fact that an Italian band can collaborate with a Japanese artist ... that's such a long jump, but it's actually possible,' David says, referencing his group's work with the series 'Beastars.' 'Just look at tonight. There's people from all over the world united by their love of art.'
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye' Brings Curses, Chaos, and Heart
Science Saru's theatrical preview prepares 'Dan Da Dan' for a genre-bending comeback before season 2 haunts your anime watchlist this July. When Dan Da Dan hit streaming platforms last fall, it wasted no time becoming the Johnny-come-lately must-watch anime of the year. With an absolute bop of an opening theme, a seamless blend of comedy, sci-fi action, palpable slow-burn romance, and evocatively bouncy and expressive animation, Science Saru's off-kilter anime quickly became the standout of 2024. It also doesn't hurt that the series recently won some Crunchyroll Anime Awards, adding to its growing acclaim and cementing its place as a fan favorite in a year of exceptional anime. Accolades aside, it'd be remiss not to note that Dan Da Dan's first season also left fans hanging in the most excruciating way possible–cutting to black right at the brink of its next big arc. Thankfully, the sting of that cliffhanger didn't last long, as the series was swiftly renewed for a second season. Now, GKids and animation studio Science Saru are teaming up once again to bring Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye to the big screen–a theatrical preview featuring the first three episodes of the new season. While the film introduces some new annoying pacing quirks typical of anime compilation releases, Evil Eye still sets the stage for an anime that continues to push boundaries with breathtaking animation, high-energy action, and emotionally charged storytelling. If its momentum holds beyond what Evil Eye showed us, season 2 is gearing up to exceed expectations when it premieres this July. Evil Eye picks up right after the events of Dan Da Dan Season 1, with Okarun, Momo Ayase, and Jiji Enjoji diving into the mystery surrounding Jiji's cursed family home. Their investigation uncovers not just one, but two terrifying forces lurking in Byakuja Village: a monstrous worm kaiju that emits blinding light, driving its victims to the brink of self-destruction, and the Evil Eye–a sinister yokai that grants Jiji immense power akin to Okarun's, but at the cost of his self control. As if these threats weren't enough, the trio must also contend with the Kito family, a chilling cult with jaundiced-eyed martial artists, responsible for generations of child sacrifices, believing it's kept the village protected from calamities. Evil Eye preserves Dan Da Dan's signature eccentricity, seamlessly blending horror and comedy with razor-sharp precision. One moment, Momo is locked in a harrowing battle with the Kito family, evoking the eerie menace that is characteristic of Junji Ito's work. Next, she's turning the tables in a bare-knuckle brawl straight out of a kung fu flick. Whether delivering tension or laughs, the film nails its timing, utilizing direction that goes beyond simple stylistic gimmicks to embrace anime's unique storytelling strengths fully. With dynamic flourishes reminiscent of a YouTuber's fast-paced editing, Evil Eye sharpens its emotional impact, drawing attention to key details, leaning into meme-like framing, and amplifying each heartfelt moment through swelling music and abstract, painterly animation. The result is a story that lingers long after the credits roll. One of Dan Da Dan's greatest strengths is its ability to add depth and texture to its cryptids and yokai—rather than using tragic backstories as fleeting emotional bait, it ensures they resonate beyond mere shock value. While many contemporary anime lean into dramatic pasts only to quickly abandon them for the next big arc, Evil Eye fully embraces the complexity of its supernatural elements, elevating them beyond surface-level tragedy. A prime example is its treatment of Jiji and his connection to the titular Evil Eye. Much like the series did with Acro Silky and Aira Shiratori, it takes a character once framed as comic relief and enriches them with poignant storytelling, recontextualizing Jiji's class clown nature while giving emotional weight to Evil Eye itself. Instead of feeling like a disposable antagonist, the entity becomes a compelling force within the narrative, allowing its presence to linger in a way that feels more poetic than performative. And Jiji isn't the only one stealing the show–Turbo Granny delivers some fantastic spit-take comedy as the group's petulant babysitter, Momo lands devastating kicks, and Okarun shines with his signature cool-guy monologues, complete with an unmistakable JoJo's reference. Evil Eye is the latest proof that Dan Da Dan is anime's ultimate genre chameleon, effortlessly shifting tones and styles in an instant. This time, it leans deeper into its horror roots, channeling the eerie tension of a Takashi Miike thriller with razor-sharp timing between terror and comedy. But Evil Eye doesn't just pay homage to horror–it pushes the boundaries of Yokinobu Tatsu's ongoing manga, elevating its cinematic flair and expanding the chaos to thrilling new heights. Visually, Evil Eye redefines familiar anime techniques. Impact frames take on a hypnotic, lava lamp-like fluidity, while fight choreography moves effortlessly between close-quarters intensity and exhilarating free-running sequences. Evil Eye does many things well, serving as a teaser for what's to come, but it falls into a familiar trap for anime compilation films—padding the runtime. Instead of jumping straight into its horror-thriller setup, it lingers too long on a highlight reel of past episodes, making the early moments feel more like promotional material than an organic transition into the new season. While neat in theory, this approach dulls the impact of what should feel like a feature-length event. Other GKIDS releases have excelled at diving right into the action, but Evil Eye takes nearly 20 minutes to commit, with an additional 10-minute interview with co-directors Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Gongora sandwiched at the end, further stretching out the experience in disengaging ways where a director interview would have sufficed. This echoes a past misstep from Dan Da Dan's previous theatrical promo, where behind-the-scenes footage was put at the start of the film, with a majority of its 'how the sausage is made' segments spoiling major reveals before audiences even what they were in store for. A mistake GKids had been good about not repeating with its other anime preview films! While the nostalgia is appreciated, it hasn't been that long since the series aired, and the extended recap feels more like unnecessary filler than a seamless setup. As a result, instead of thrusting audiences straight back into its cliffhanger momentum, Evil Eye slows things down, making its start feel more like a drawn-out warm-up than a thrilling leap into the next chapter. Of course, it wouldn't be Dan Da Dan without another cliffhanger; them's the breaks with anime compilation preview films. But beyond these minor frustrations, Evil Eye takes bold, creative strides, upping the ante for anime adaptation in a way only Science Saru can. Once defined by its punchy, vibrant colors, Evil Eye teases how the show will go beyond briefly winking at other genres by fully leaning into a dynamic approach to fully manifesting their foundations and aesthetics, further solidifying Dan Da Dan's ever-evolving identity. Hopefully, that momentum will carry on beyond its opening stretch in new and galaxy-brained ways when the series makes its grand return. Dan Da Dan season 2 premieres this July on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. Evil Eye hits theaters across the U.S. June 6.
Al Bawaba
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Lord of the Mysteries: China's next big anime gets new trailer
ALBAWABA - As Donghua (Chinese animation) gains traction among anime fans globally for recent series such as To Be Hero X, Super Cube, and The All-devouring Whale, one long-awaited series called Lord of the Mysteries just received a new trailer, sparking widespread excitement across social media. While we can't judge a show by its trailers, Lord of the Mysteries' production looks top-notch with excellent character designs and a stunning steampunk-themed setting. Additionally, the show is based on one of the best web novels to come out of China in recent memory. While the story draws from an oversaturated market of Isekai anime, it differs in several ways, including its unique alternate Victorian era that mixes Lovecraftian horror with mystery. According to the web novel's description, the story follows Zhou Mingrui, who finds himself transmigrated as Klein Moretti to another Victorian world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, potions, tarot cards, and more. During his journey, he gets entangled with churches and comes across new powers like "The Fool" tarot card, giving him "unlimited potential." Lord of the Mysteries is set to release this summer in July with PICTURES (best known for animating King's Avatar) on production.
Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Death Stranding' Anime In The Works From Hideo Kojima
It looks like Hideo Kojima is keeping busy with his Death Stranding franchise, as apart from a sequel and a live-action A24 film, the eccentric director has confirmed that an anime adaptation of the walking simulator is also in the works. Speaking to Vogue Japan, Kojima spoke on the upcoming live-action flick, a project in collaboration with A24 that recently welcomed A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski. In his closing remarks, he casually confirmed the existence of a Death Stranding anime adaptation that is currently in development. 'When it comes to film adaptations of games, there have been recent films like The Last of Us that keep the plot of the original intact, and films like The Super Mario Bros. Movie that are more like a service to game fans. Each of these works has its own merits, but as a film lover, I want to pursue expression as a film.' Kojima said in a translated transcript by VGC, 'I am aiming to make Death Stranding in a way that can only be done as a film, and that will win awards at the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. In fact, we are also currently working on an anime adaptation.' Although this was just a brief confirmation, and no further details on the anime project's production studio were confirmed, it would be interesting to see how Kojima would adapt the Death Stranding universe into the anime space. Admittedly, the weird and sometimes confusing nature of the game's plot makes it quite the perfect fit for an anime, opening up the opportunity to expand upon its lore the same way Studio Trigger adapted CD Projekt's hit RPG with 2022's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners . On the gaming front, fans can look forward to the continuation of the franchise relatively soon, as the much-anticipated sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , is due out on 26 June 2025, exclusively on the PS5. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Death Stranding Hideo Kojima Kojima Productions
