Otaku News

Learning Platform CLASS101 Provides Anime Style Digital Art Classes

Date: 2022 June 30 19:19 | Posted By: Joe

We've just been sent details from South Korean learning platform CLASS101. It allows users to enroll and take classes from some of the top industry professionals, including music, animation, photography, dance, fitness, and many more. In the realm of digital art, learners interested in Anime can sign up for classes led by Kamochiruu and Chaesu, as well as learn to draw in the style of Marvel and DC from InHyuk Lee.

An Interview with Belle Virtual World Designer Eric Wong

Date: 2022 June 29 19:52 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Interviews

The amazing anime film Belle is out on home video this week (from Monday 27th June 2022). To celebrate it's release we got in touch with Eric Wong, the designer of Belle's virtual world of "U". Wong, a full time architect, was asked by Oscar-nominated, visionary director Mamoru Hosada to create the virtual world "U" that provides the backdrop for the film BELLE. Wong sketched out his dazzling "U" world during his daily commute, creating a labyrinthine wonder for this timely re-imagining of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, the story of Suzu, a country girl who becomes a music sensation in the virtual world of "U" with the mesmerising avatar Belle.

Thanks to the good folks at Anime Limited we were able to ask Eric some questions behind what it takes to create a virtual world while existing in the real one.

Pompo The Cinephile Review

Date: 2022 June 23 16:36 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

Pompo The Cinephile hits screens across the UK and Ireland next week courtesy of the good folks at Anime Limited. We've been lucky enough to catch this joyous film. So have written up a review for you to decide if it's worth watching (psst, it is).

Pompo The Cinephile it in cinemas on Wednesday 29th June 2020. You can find a screening by visiting pompofilm.co.uk.

Hyper Japan Festival London 2022 Details

Date: 2022 June 14 20:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

The good folks from Hyper Japan have sent us details of their festival for this year. Set to run from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th July 2022, the UK's biggest festival of Japanese culture, returns to London at Evolution Battersea Park.

The long running Japanese culture festival has been popular with fans of Japanese food from street food to fine dining, along with fans of pop culture where you'll get a great chance to see many performers. Pretty much every aspect of Japanese culture is represented, including of course anime and manga.

To get an idea of what to expect why not take a look at all their exhibitors Be warned as Otafuku Sauce will be there (we have a strong addiction to their okonomi sauce)! Also don't forget to check out their list of performers.

We're looking forward to the fun that will be had at the 2022 festival! It's always fun to go Hyper Japan.

Lost Lad London Volume 1

Date: 2022 June 08 19:26 | Posted By: Joe

The whole of London is shocked when the mayor is found dead on an Underground train, but perhaps none more than university student Al Adley. Though he took the Tube at the time of the fatal stabbing, he doesn't remember seeing anything unusual-certainly nothing to explain how a bloody knife found its way into his pocket that night. However, in spite of this damning evidence, Detective Ellis believes Al's claims of innocence. Now the two must work together to conceal Al's involvement and clear his name in the face of shadowy forces working to see Al take the fall for a crime he didn't commit...

The Deer King UK Cinema Screening Details

Date: 2022 June 06 20:11 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from Anime Limited have sent us the details of their latest cinematic outing. The Deer King is set to hit cinemas around the UK from Wednesday 27th July 2022.

Based on the Japanese fantasy novels by award-winning writer Nahoko Uehashi, the original author of the celebrated Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit series. The movie is directed by Masashi Ando who has worked as Chief Animation Director on Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, and also an animation director on Your Name.

Along with Pompo the Cinephile in June, Princess Mononoke in the Barbican in August it looks like anime fans are set to enjoy a summer of cinema!

Pompo the Cinephile UK Cinema Screening Details

Date: 2022 June 06 19:31 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from Anime Limited have got a nice treat for cinema going anime fans this month. Pompo the Cinephile hits screens around the UK from Wednesday 29th June 2022, both subbed and dubbed.

The film focuses on a fictional film studio in Nyallywood and their endeavour to make a movie. It's ode to cinema, it's art, craft and production. We've seen it and can confirm the movie is an understated joy to watch. There are no bad guys or villains, just a looming deadline and budget. If you can catch this in the cinema you should!

Azuki to Release Idol Manga Hikaru in the Light!

Date: 2022 May 30 19:53 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Manga

The good folks from on-line manga service Azuki have sent us news of their latest manga acquisition Hikaru in the Light! by Mai Matsuda. The exclusive license is a story about pop idols and chasing your dreams. If you're curious about the title you can read a preview on Azuki.

The service costs $4.99 (USD) per month, along with a 30-day free trial and a discounted annual plan are also available. All titles on the service are available worldwide (expect for Japan) in English.

Crunchyroll Commission Anime Mural in London's Shoreditch

Date: 2022 May 18 19:22 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from anime mega company Crunchyroll have taken marketing to the next level in the hipster central part of London by commissioning a mural in Shoreditch.

The hand painted artwork features mascot Crunchyroll-Hime along with promos for Spy x Family,
he Rising Of Shield Hero Season 2 and One Piece. The 14.5m x 6.6m mural is on Chance Street, near Shoreditch Overground opposite Box Park.

The mural was done by Global Street Art Agency who also did a great Belle mural in Camden this February to celebrate the cinema release of Mamoru Hosoda's latest film.

Crunchyroll would also like you know that they'll be screening Spy x Family and The Rising of the Shield Hero at MCM Comic Con London this May too.

We hope that anime murals become a regular thing in London! It's great seeing anime getting such prominent advertising in London.

Early Japanese Animation at London's Barbican this June 2022

Date: 2022 May 17 19:30 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from the Barbican in London have just sent us details of a very special cinema screening of Early Japanese Animation with live and electronic accompaniment by the Guildhall' School with Benshi narration. The screening and performance is will run on Sunday 5th June 2022 at 15:00 at Barbican Cinema 1.

It's not everyday you get a selection of rarely screened early Japanese animation, showing some of the very first anime films, accompanied by electro-acoustic music with Benshi narration! Tomoko Komura will be performing the benshi narration. The films span from 1925 to 1935.

Crunchyrolll Announces Chainsaw Man Streaming Rights

Date: 2022 May 16 19:01 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

The good folks from anime mega company Crunchyroll have just revealed that they have the streaming rights for the upcoming Chainsaw Man anime series. Crunchyroll state that it'll be shown sometime in 2022 in one of the upcoming seasons simulcast. They've yet to confirm a release date. It'll be released subbed and with dubs in English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German.

The Chainsaw Man anime series will be animated by MAPPA who are best known for Attack on Titan Final Season; Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuri!!! on Ice and many more. The Chainsaw man manga is created by Tatsuki Fujimoto who blends action, horror and violence with the occasional comedic twist. Part of the joy of the series is you can't predict where it's going next. Fujimoto has also created some amazing stand alone one shot manga titles, which suggest you read Look Back and Goodbye, Eri, which can be read on Viz.com.

You can buy the manga from all good booksellers, including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

AKIRA - The Architecture of Neo Tokyo Exhibition in Berlin

Date: 2022 May 15 15:21 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime

Fans of anime, Akira and architecture in Berlin are in for a treat with the AKIRA - The Architecture of Neo Tokyo at the Tchoban Foundation. Museum for Architectural Drawing. Setup by Riekeles Gallery in co-operation with Tchoban Foundation the exhibition is schedule to run from Saturday 4th June until Sunday 4th September 2022.

It features 59 original production backgrounds, layout drawings, concept designs and imageboards which had been used to create Neo Tokyo in the landmark anime film Akira. Some artworks that have never been presented in an exhibition before and only very few of them have ever been published.

The Riekeles Gallery was founded by Stefan Riekeles, who has curated anime architecture exhibitions in London and elsewhere, published books on anime architecture and more.

Outdoor Cinema Screenings at the Barbican include Princess Mononoke and Mothra this August 2022

Date: 2022 May 13 22:43 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from the Barbican in London have sent us details of their up coming Outdoor Cinema. It's set to run from Tuesday 23rd August until Sunday 28th August 2022. The theme is our connection to the natural world, which ties in nicely with with films our readers will like.

The classic kaiju Mothra film from 1961 will be shown on Wednesday 24th August 2002 at 20:00.

While fans of Studio Ghibli can enjoy Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke on Saturday 27th August 2022 at 20:30. Miyazaki's action adventure movie is always a joy to catch on the big screen!

It's not everyday you get to see such great movies fantastic location outdoors. As always with events like these we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

Crunchyroll Announces Release of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Date: 2022 May 10 19:39 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > Film

The good folks from anime media giant Crunchyroll have just announced that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero the movie will be released globally this summer 2022. The movie will debut in Japan on 11th June 2022, and then be released in cinemas across the globe in Summer 2022.

The latest offering from the hugely popular franchise sees the return of the Red Ribbon army with new foes for our fighters. This is the second film in the Dragon Ball Super franchise. Dragon Ball Super: Broly was released in 2018 to fans around the globe. It grossed over $120 million at the box office globally and is the 5th highest-grossing anime movie at the box office in the US. We imagine this movie will perform similarly!

My Neighbour Totoro The Stage Play

Date: 2022 April 27 20:37 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Production > Studio Ghibli

The good folks from the Royal Shakespeare Company have just revealed they will be performing a live production of My Neighbour Totoro.

The production will come to London's Barbican stage this autumn 2022. Based on the iconic and highly influential animated feature film by Hayao Miyazaki, the performance is being brought to the by Joe Hisaishi who composed the original music for Totoro and is a long term Studio Ghibli collaborator. The RSC adaption is written by playwright Tom Morton-Smith. The show will also feature various puppetry. It's not clear yet how the furry forest king Totoro will be portrayed, or how they'll handle the catbus!

My Neighbour Totoro will play a strictly limited 15-week season from 8th October 2022 - 21nd January 2023.

Ticket prices range from £20 to £85, with up to two half-price tickets with every full price paying adult. Valid for all performances excluding Saturday evenings. Various discounts are also offered for class bookings, UK schools, colleges and Universities, groups of 10+. There are also special TikTok £10 tickets for 14-25 year olds.

Tickets are available from the 9th May 2022 for top tier RSC Patrons, with tickets being available to the various RSC patron tiers until they're released to the general public on Thursday 19 May 2022. Tickets bookable online from 10am.

We have only seen the preview material, but we have every reason to believe this will be a very special production.

This is not the first time the works of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have hit the stage in the UK. In 2016 the Southwark Playhouse created a version of Kiki's Delivery Service, based on the original book. It was so successful it returned for a second run in 2017. While in 2013 the Whole Hog Theatre Company created a stage adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke.

While more recently a stage adaption of Spirited Away is proving to be a huge it in Japan.

The Rising of the Shield Hero Audio Book Volume 2

Date: 2022 April 21 19:51 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Press Releases

With The Rising of Shield Hero returning to Crunchyroll fans might want even more isekai adventures. The good folks from One Peace Books will be releasing Volume 2 of the audio book version the series on May 3rd 2022. It'll be available wherever audiobooks are sold: Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, NOOK Audiobooks, Spotify, Audiobooks.com, and more.

Mamoru Hosoda's Belle UK Blu-ray and DVD Release Details

Date: 2022 April 12 12:51 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Anime > DVD

The good folks at anime company Anime Limited have just revealed the UK DVD and Blu-ray release details for Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu's masterpiece Belle. The film is due out on home video formats on Monday 27th June 2022. They'll also be releasing a special feature-packed 4K UHD Blu-ray Collector's Edition that includes the awesome soundtrack to the film, along with a nice book, art cards and an A3 poster.

Pre-orders open on Friday 28th April 2022 at 5PM.

We really enjoyed this movie and if you've already seen it we know you'll be ordering the home video release! If you want to know more about the movie then read our review.

Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival Presents Free Animation Workshops this April 2022

Date: 2022 April 08 11:49 | Posted By: Joe

Category > Events

Anime fans looking for something to do virtually will be pleased to hear that the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival will be hosting free Animation workshop in April 2022.

First up on Saturday 9 April 2022 at 11am - 12:30pm (UK time) they'll be hosting an on-line Anime Education Workshop with Anime critic Ryota Fujitsu. The theme will be Ghibli classic Spirited Away, so watch it beforehand. It's free to sign up, but booking is essential for Microsoft Teams Meeting.

For those who can get to Cardiff Central Library, they'll be a 5-Day Animation Workshop from Monday 25th to 29th April 2022. It's set to run from 10am until 4pm each day and is suitable for those aged 8 and above. As always please book in advance.

Discotek Media Announces Licences for Q2 2022

Date: 2022 March 21 20:22 | Posted By: Eeeper

Category > Anime

Discotek Media announces new, rescued, and existing license info via Twitch livestream.

North American anime label Discotek Media announced on Monday night via their Twitch live stream that they had licensed several new titles as well as providing production updates for upcoming, already announced releases. The new licences in the line-up the 1980's version of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, Symphogear GX (Season 3 of the franchise), a 2k, director-approved re-release of Cyber City Odeo 808, the English dub version of Mon Colle Knights, US animated 90's show Double Dragon, licence rescues, and more.

Invisible Parade

Date: 2022 March 16 20:45 | Posted By: Joe

Invisible Parade collects 13 stories both recent and from over a decade ago. This is the definitive collection of Kyoto-based painter and comic artist MISSISSIPPI's comics work.

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