Category > Events
The good folks from the Embassy of Japan in the UK have sent us a reminder that you can visit their Embassy to see the winners of the Manga Jiman Competition. The exhibition will run until Friday 16th May 2025. Entrance is free, but booking in advance is required.
They've also sent a reminder that you can ender the 19th Japan International MANGA Award, which is open to creators around the world and you can apply through the Embassy in London.
Read More... | Souce: Embassy of Japan in the UK
Category > Manga
The good people from manga publishers One Peace Books have just sent us the details for their latest release - Detectives These Days Are Crazy! (Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara). It follows the adventures of the unlikely duo of an old school detective Keiichiro Nagumo who is all washed up and hasn't kept up with the times, he teams up with a high school girl called Mashiro who wants to be his assistant. Volume 1 will be released on Monday 28th April 2025.
An anime adaptation is due out later in 2025.
Read More... | Souce: One Peace Books
Netflix have just revealed some details of The Rose of Versailles anime movie. It's going to be released on Wednesday 30th April 2025. It's directed by Ai Yoshimura and animated by MAPPA. The official trailer makes it look like a lavish big affair.
Anime studio MAPPA have been known to do extremely high budget action packed anime, including Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man. We don't expect the same kind of level of violence and explosions, but it does help gauge the kind of level of action they could go to for the more action packed scenes.
The original manga is a classic ground breaking title. It's been hugely influential and we hope this anime adaptation does it justice.
Read More... | Souce: Netflix
Category > Gaming
The good folks from World of Tanks have sent us details of a special cross over event with Girls und Panzer. From 25th March to 3rd April 2025 players will have an exclusive opportunity to command new crew members from St. Gloriana Girls' College and enjoy authentic voiceovers performed by the original Japanese cast.
Read More... | Souce: World of Tanks
Category > Events
Fans of Demon Slayer will want to head to London on Tuesday 1st April 2025 as Demon Slayer in Concert will be held at the Barbican at 19:30.
The performance will combine a symphony orchestra and high definition projection to immerse you Tanjiro's battles against demons. Tickets range from £39.50 to £70.50. Age recommendation: 12+, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
For more details and to book tickets visit the Barbican website.
Read More... | Souce: Barbican
Category > Manga
The good folks from One Peace Books have set us details of a just released title. You Talk Too Much, So Just Shut It Already! Volume 1 was released on March 4th 2025, it tells the story of transfer student Tsukino Hiiragi, she terrified about starting at her new school as she's deaf. The trouble is Hiiragi has the help from the over enthusiastic Enomoto who talks too fast and is a bit over confident with his sign language.
This is light hearted school life comedy is written by Shunpei Morita, illustrated by Aldehyde, and translated by Jordan Taylor. You can order it from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and all good bookshops now.
Read More... | Souce: One Peace Books
Category > Events
The good folks from MCM Comic Con London have sent us details of their latest voicing acting guest Sarah Wiedenheft who is due to appear all 3 days at the May 2025 run of the event. She'll be available for autographs, photo opportunities and will also be at lead a Saturday live games session.
You may have heard Sarah Wiedenheft as the voice of Tohru in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, the glorious and chaotic Power in Chainsaw Man or even as the voice of Suika in Dr. Stone.
MCM Comic Con London will run from Friday 23rd May to Sunday 25th May 2025.
Read More... | Souce: MCM Comic Con London
Category > Anime
The good folks from anime distributors MediaOCD have sent us details for their up coming US home video release of Nasu: Summer in Andelusia. The pro-cycling anime makes it's English language blu-ray debut on Tuesday March 11th 2025.
Interestingly this film is the first anime feature film to ever compete in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival!
Bonus features include a retrospective interview with the film's director Kitaro Kosaka about his career, including his work with Studio Ghibli. The release is in partnership with Synergetic.
You can pre-order the blu-ray from the MediaOCD website now.
Read More... | Souce: MediaOCD
Category > Events
Gosh! Comics in London have announced that they'll be hosting How to be a Manga Artist Signing With Fumio Obata and Balthazar Pagani on Saturday 8th March 2025, from 1-2pm at their Berwick Street store in Soho.
The book by Balthazar Pagani and Asuka Ozumi features a specially commissioned chapter by manga artist Fumio Obata. You can pre-order a signed copy of the book for mail-order or collection. What better way to spend a Saturday in Central London and enjoy a book signing?If you're unfamiliar with the anime and manga shops around London, then please do check out our London Anime and Manga Shopping Guide, which we frequently update with new and interesting shops.
Read More... | Souce: Gosh! Comics
Category > Anime
The good folks from Trinity CineAsia have just sent us details about the digital release of Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram in the UK and Ireland from Monday 3rd March 2025.
The movie will be available on digital platforms including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Microsoft Films, and Sky Store.
Read More... | Souce: Trinity CineAsia
Category > Events
The good folks from Japanese Cultural Festival Hyper Japan have just sent us details for their next London event. They'll be running from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th July 2025 at Olympia Events.
Headliners this time around include alternative rock band Hitsujibungaku. You may have heard their song more than words which used in the second season of the anime adaptation of Jujutsu Kaisen, their song Hikaru Toki can also be heard as the opening theme in The Heike Story, plus they've got a great cover of Life's a Treat - Shaun the Sheep opening theme.
They'll also have the usual selection of Japanese culture, including performances, workshops, food and Japanese themed retailers
Tickets are on sale now. You can visit hyperjapan.co.uk/festival for more details and to purchase tickets.
Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan
The good folks from anime publishers Anime Limited have sent us details for the upcoming cinema release of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-. The latest offering in the Gundam Franchise is a bit different as this is a collaboration between studio khara, the studio behind the Evangelion rebuild movies and Sunrise, the animation traditionally behind the MS Gundam animated works.
The movie is directed by industry veteran Kazuya Tsurumaki best known for his work with Hideaki Anno on the Evangelion Series as well as the truly trippy FLCL. He teams up with other anime veterans to make this film including Yoji Enokido, screenwriter for anime including as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Bungo Stray Dogs, and FLCL and is billed as as Series Supervisor and Screenwriter.
The movie will hit cinemas around the UK and Ireland from Saturday 15th March 2025.
If you're really into Gundam you'll want to get tickets for the BFI IMAX Screening in London on Thursday 13th March 2025. They'll have a special previewing screening where attendees will also receive an exclusive free sample trading card from the forthcoming Gundam Card Game TCG which is released later in July.
Read More... | Souce: Anime Limited
Category > Events
The good folks MCM Comic Con London have sent us details of two special anime guests who will be attending the May 2025 run of the event. Voice actors Aaron Dismuke and Paul Castro Jr. will appear at the show on all 3 days from Friday 23rd May to Sunday 25th May 2025.
Aaron Dismuke is best known as Alphone Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist (he's been voice acting since he was 9!), along with Senku from Dr. Stone. More recently you may have seen him as Glorio in Dragon Ball Daima.
Paul Castro Jr. played Vegeta (mini) in Dragon Ball Daima along with Freminet in Genshin Impact, Billy in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Hibiki Sakurama in Go! Go! Loser Ranger!
You can catch the both at various events hosted by MCM Comic Con London this May 2025.
Read More... | Souce: MCM Comic Con London
Category > Retail
Lego have announced a collaboration with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios to create a brick version of One Piece. The Lego line up will be based on the Netflix live action version of the popular pirate franchise. These sets will feature the main crew as seen in the show in Lego Minifigure Form and will include multiple sets based on the series.
For more information you can visit: LEGO.com/One-piece. The site in question currently hosts a teaser video of Luffy's famous straw hat in Lego form, which is then grabbed by a extra long mini figure arm!
Lego and Netflix have yet to announce a release date for these sets.
Read More... | Souce: Lego
Category > Anime
The good folks from MediaOCD have got it touch to tell us about the up coming US blu-ray release of Bubblegum Crisis. The blu-ray will be released on February 11th 2025. The New 2-Disc Perfect Collection Blu-ray features a 50-page booklet containing interviews and staff memories, a new interview with Kenichi Sonoda and lots of other nice bits and bobs.
It's 1080p released with English, Japanese 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio / French, Castilian Spanish, Italian, Catalan 2.0 Dolby Digital audio and English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Finnish, Japanese subtitles. Keen eyed anime fans will also notice that it's a region free release.
The press release calls it out as a mega-hit among the early American anime scene and we agree. It's impact on anime and manga fandom was huge. It was one of the major titles of era and it's influence still lives on in many ways to this day. It's a seminal work that's worthy to add to your collection. Anime fans that know about the Bubblegum Crisis are already pre-ordering it from the MediaOCD website. While if you haven't heard of it, we strongly suggested you grab a copy and watch some top notch late 80's anime!
Read More... | Souce: MediaOCD
Just a quick reminder to anime fans in the UK and Ireland anime film The Colors Within will be released on Friday 31st January 2025. So visit visit ColorsWithin.co.uk to find a screening near you.
The movie is directed by Naoko Yamada who is best known for titles including A Silent Voice, she also directed K-On! and Liz and the Bluebird. We'd say the Colors Within is closer to K-On! and Liz and the Bluebird, it's great movie and all very wholesome, it's worth catching on the big screen while you can!
Read More... | Souce: Anime Limited
Category > Events
Fans of the Final Fantasy will be pleased to hear about the European leg of the official Final Fantasy Piano Concert. The Crystalline Resonance Final Fantasy Piano Concert is set to take place in London, UK on Tuesday 28th January 2025, Stockholm, Sweden on Wednesday 29th January 2025 and Paris, France on Friday 31st January 2025.
The piano performances also feature giant screen video projection. The show promises some old favourites, plus some newly created piano arrangements. So jump on your Chocobo and head over to the nearest performance!
Read More... | Souce: Wild Faery
Category > Manga
The good folks from One Peace Books have just sent us details for an up coming manga The Revenge of My Youth: Re Life With an Angelic Girl. This manga focuses on the popular anime and manga theme of the do-over. It tackles the theme of if you had another chance, what would you do differently?
It's pitched as a "tearjerker, hilarious school life parody, and motivational tour de force all at once". The manga adaptationis illustrated by Boiru Iseebi and based on the light novel by Yuzi Keino, with translation by Jamie Taber.
It's due out for release on 23rd January 2025.
Read More... | Souce: One Peace Books
Category > Retail
Japanese Sportsware brand Asics have teamed up with the Bleach franchise to create two sets of shoes with Bleach branding. Initially announced at New York Comic Con, the limited edition sneakers will go on sale from December 27 2024 exclusively in the US at Footlocker and Champs Sports. The collection retails at $145-165 (USD) in Men's sizing.
Read More... | Souce: Asics
Category > Anime
The good folks from Anime Limited have sent us news that they'll be releasing Cyberpunk Edgerunners on Blu-ray in 2025. The stand alone story set in the same universe as video game Cyberpunk 2077, means you can watch it without having played any of the original game. The anime by studio Trigger (who are also response for the anime version of Delicious in Dungeon) tells the story of street wise kid David Martinez trying to survive the dark dystopian world of Night City.
The anime was hugely successfully with anime fans, it won a ton of awards including Crunchyroll Anime of Year (even though it was onNetflix) and increased the popularity of Cyberpunk2077.
Beware, the story is self contained, you don't need to have played any of the video game to understand it, or get into or anything, but after watching it, you'll really want to play the game if you haven't or get back into if you have.
It was one our favourite anime shows of 2022. The soundtrack is also full of hits, Franz Ferdinand's This Fffire sets the scene as the opening theme and gets you in the mood for some anti authoritarian action, but when I Really Want to Stay at Your House by Let's Eat Grandma (Rosa Walton aka Hallie Coggins in Cyberpunk 2077) starts to play, you'll be in tears.
Read More... | Souce: Anime Limited
Category > Anime
Media giants Kadokawa have sent us details for My Happy Marriage. Season 2 will hit Netflix globally on Monday 6th January 2025. You can catch season 1 now.
Read More... | Souce: Kadokawa
Category > Anime
The good folks from Anime Limited have sent us details of their UK home video release of Godzilla Minus One. The live action movie was released on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 2nd December 2024, just in time to add to your Christmas wish list.
As always with the popular releases there are multiple different editions catering for your level of fandom for Godzilla and your wallet. The Deluxe Edition will set you back £79.99 and includes The film on 4K UHD Blu-ray, normal Blu-ray, along with the special Gozilla Minus One / Minus Colour edition which is exclusive to this set, plus a bonus blu-ray with all the bonus content you'd expect. Plus a 68-page booklet.
They've got a steel book edition for £34.99, with the film on 4K, the film on regular blu-ray, plus the bonus content disc.
If you just want the movie, they'll also be selling that in separate editions, of just the 4K Blu-ray, or just the regular blu-ray, or just DVD.
Read More... | Souce: Anime Limited
Category > Anime
Netflix have just announced the release details for Sakamoto Days anime adaptation. Based off the popular manga of the same name by Yuto Suzuki. It follows the story of legendary ex-hitman Taro Sakamoto, who has settled down to run his own convenience store. Now with a wife and daughter, he's looking for a simple domestic life, but his past keeps catching up with him and there's a hit out on his name. The comedy action manga then deals with an chain of determined assassins out to get Sakamoto for his past deeds.
Season 1 part 1 will hit Netflix on Saturday 11th January 2025 and consist of 11 episodes with one episode released each week. While season 1 part 2 is scheduled to arrive in July 2025.
The manga is published in English by VIZ Media.
Read More... | Souce: Netflix
Anime company Anime Limited have just revealed the cinematic release details for The Colors Within. The latest Naoko Yamada movie is due to hit cinemas across the UK and Ireland from Friday 31st January 2025.
Naoko Yamada is best know as the director of A Silent Voice, along with the truly fantastic The Heike Story. Her latest movie The Colors Within is a coming-of-age story about Totsuko who is a gentle young woman with a form of synaesthesia that allows her to see the "colours" of people. When she is drawn to the colour of Kimi, a former honour student who suddenly drops out of their Catholic school, the two find themselves forming a band with Rui, a boy who hides his passion for music from his family. As the three grow closer together through their music, will they start to learn who they really are - what their real "colour" is?
Read More... | Souce: Anime Limited
For one more time, Daft Punk's musical movie Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem gets a world wide cinema release on Thursday 12th December 2024. The one night only movie screening also features six of Daft Punk's most iconic music videos.
To find a cinema listing near you visit interstella5555film.com.
Maybe it's something about us, we want to show this newly restored version of the movie some digital love. However we've heard a lot bad things about the 4K Restoration as it appears that the movie has been upscaled using generative AI, but we don't feel this restoration is doing it right.
Read More... | Souce: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem Movie Website
Category > Anime
The good folks from Scotland Loves Anime have sent us an update for their anime film festival. They've just revealed more details of the special guests.
Glasgow Film Theatre on Saturday 2nd November 2024 The Colors Within director Naoko Yamada and composer Kensuke Ushio will be at the film screening for a Q&A.
Cameo Picturehouse in Edinburgh on Friday 8th November 2024 Tomohiro Tokunaga (CEO of CoMixWave Films) and Production Assistant Himoru Kaneko will be showcasing the up-and-coming female director Maho Takagi both following the screening of Suzume, and at the SLA Education Day at the Edinburgh College of Art.
Picturehouse Central in London on Friday 15th November 2024 director Shinnosuke Yakuwa will be showcasing Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window and also take part in a Q&A.
Read More... | Souce: Scotland Loves Anime
The good folks from Anime Limited have sent us details about the up coming screening of Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color.. The black and white version of the hugely successful Godzilla movie will smash onto cinema screens across the UK and Ireland from Friday 1st November 2024. Both the original Minus One edition and the highly requested Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color edition will be released in time to celebrate Godzilla Day.
Godzilla Day falls on every 3rd November commemorates the anniversary of the original 1954 film.
Visit godzillafilm.co.uk to find a screening near you.
Read More... | Souce: Anime Limited
Category > Manga
The good folks from publishing giants Kodansha have just sent us details about the expansion of their digital manga app K Manga. The service is going to expand to in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. To celebrate they'll be offering 50% of select manga titles including Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, Wistoria: Wand and Sword, Wind Breaker and Rent-a-Girlfriend.
The service is not yet available in the UK or Ireland. As of yet we haven't heard any official word from Kodansha about if or when it will be available for the UK and Ireland but we can always hope it gets rolled out.
Read More... | Souce: Kodansha
It's October so it's that spooky time of year again. To celebrate the good folks from Arrow have sent us details of their J-Horror month available on their streaming service (or should we say screaming service?) in the UK. They'll be showing seven scary films. They range in different themes of scary, from childhood trauma, deadly curses and even some yokai.
The subscriptions to the service cost £4.99 monthly or £49.99 annually.
Read More... | Souce: Arrow
Category > Events
The good folks from streaming giants Crunchyroll have just sent is details of a special collaboration for New York Comic Con. Crunchyroll have partnered with Newtype to create a special commemorative print edition of the magazine for the event.
Available for free at New York Comic Con while supplies last, the special edition issue features exclusive custom art for two of 2024's biggest smash hit anime. NYCC is set to run in from October 17 to 20th 2024 at Javits Center located at 429 11th Ave in NYC.
Newtype magazine was last published in English as Newtype USA in 2008. Brought to the US by ADV, it was packed with news and details and had lots of exclusive artwork for everyone's favourite anime. To this day anime fans will import the original Japanese edition for insights into anime and also to look at the many, many lovely pictures.
This marks a landmark collaboration and we hope to see more of the return of Newtype in the near future.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
The good folks from the BFI have just sent us details of the upcoming Japanese films that'll be show cased at the BFI London Film Festival 2024.
The festival takes place from Wednesday 9th to Sunday 20th October 2024 at the BFI Southbank and other venues across London and the UK. They have a wide variety of award-winning, gritty and empowering East Asian films premiering at the festival this year. So check out the BFI London Film Festival 2024 Website for more details.
Read More... | Souce: BFI London Film Festival 2024
Category > Events
The good folks from Bandai Namco UK have sent us details for their exhibition at MCM x EGX. The geeky pop culture and combined gaming event is set to run at the Excel Centre in London from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October 2024.
This will be Bandai Namco UK's biggest exhibition to date! There will be six available titles to play, including Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO!, Unknown 9: Awakening, Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream and Little Nightmares III.
Read More... | Souce: Bandai Namco UK
Category > Events
The good folks from the Embassy of Japan in the UK have just revealed the details for the Manga Jiman & Yonkoma Competition 2024. Running for the 18th time this highly anticipated annual competition is a chance for UK based artists to demonstrate their manga making skills. Not only that, but there's a great selection of prizes to be won from the competitions sponsors.
Here's a tip. If you do really want to win. Consider entering in the Yonkoma category (Yonoma Youth - 11 to 13 or Yonkoma 14+). There are normally very few entrants for the often overlooked four panel manga section. Even the judges in the past were strongly suggesting more people enter in yonkoma.
Not only do you have a chance to flex your manga making skills, show an active community of UK based artists your talents, but there are also a great selection of prizes to be won by the competitions generous sponsors.
So visit mangajiman.co.uk to find out more details.
Read More... | Souce: Manga Jiman 2024 Website
The good folks from streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us details about the up coming cinema outing for everyone's favourite socially anxious rock guitar playing girl. Bocchi The Rock Recap Part 1&2 Recap Film will hit cinemas around the UK on Monday 7th October 2024.
Originally announced as two separate films the recap film condenses the whole of season one into a double feature. A new lyric video, "Tsukinami ni Kagayake" ("Shine as usual"), was created for the opening sequence of the compilation film, as well as a new ending theme song, "Ima, Boku, Underground Kara" ("Now, I'm Going From Underground") by Kessoku Band.
It's always good to watch more Bocchi and it's great we can catch her guitar journey on the big screen. We're hoping the movie hasn't edited out everyone's favourite drunk rocker Kikuri.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Manga
The good folks from One Peace Books have just sent us details for an up coming manga Nukozuke! by Yugi Iro. It's pitched as slow-life comedy manga with a twist. Set in a world where nuko exist, they are pocket sized cat humans. Part-timer Yuya adopts two of them and it turns out that Yuya is more cat like than the nukos and they have to also look after Yuya.
It's marketed a sweet pick me up set to appeal to cat and manga lovers everywhere.
Read More... | Souce: One Peace Books
Category > Anime
The good folks from streaming giant Crunchyroll sent us a coded message. Using the S cipher we able to decode it. It was a secret message just for our eyes, it told us that Spy x Family Code: White will be hitting the streaming service from Friday 6th September 2024.
The movie had a cinema release in April earlier this year. We'd describe the movie as exactly what'd you expect for a Spy x Family cinema outing, it felt very much like a movie length version of the TV episode with high stakes, high action and lots of laughs. You can read our review here, but to be honest now it's on Crunchyroll, you should just watch it.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Retail
The good folks from anime streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us some details about their collaboration with clothing brand Bershka to bring us some Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Chainsaw Man clothing and accessories.
We've got Frieren t-shirts, hoodies and crop tops, a bag, a mobile phone case, plus socks! You too can finally own some Fern socks. Chainsaw Man wise we've got t-shirts, a baseball cap, jeans and a bag, all with a mix of either Chainsaw Man or Pochita. Sadly no Chainsaw Man socks.
In the past Crunchyroll have teamed up with Bershka to sell other anime inspired merchanidse, our favourite recent tie in was the Junji Ito Clothing Collection.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Anime
The good folks from anime streaming giants Crunchyroll have just sent us details about their anime playlists on Spotify. They've got a dedicated shelf of animated related music for your listening pleasure.
Personally at the Otaku News HQ, we listen to some Bump of Chicken, Hitsujibungaku, Yaosobi, Yoko Kanno, Radwimps and many more.
You can always visit Spotify's global Anime Hub to find some more tunes too!
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Retail
The good folks from streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us a reminder about their Summer of Anime sales events for US anime fans. The Crunchyroll Store to will have 50% off some of the store's most popular items from July 31 to August 28 2024.
Highlights for us are the Code Geass - Collector's Edition - Blu-ray, a Crunchyroll Exclusive where someone has clearly had a lot of fun with the packaging design.
Fans based in Europe should note that the Crunchyroll store has opened in the EU and UK too.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll Store
Category > Anime
In preparation of the sporting summer, the good folks from streaming giant Crunchyroll have just announced free streaming of Olympic sport anime. The sporting anime in question will stream for free with adverts, until 15th August 2024. Highlights include football anime Blue Lock and Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club. We highly recommend the gloriously ridiculous golf anime Birdie Wing (read our review) along with table tennis anime Ping Pong the animation.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Events
The good folks from Hyper Japan have just sent us the latest details for their 2024 London festival. Set to run from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July 2024 at Olympia Events. Hyper Japan will bring you all the fun and games you'd expect including, food and drink, performers, workshops, various exhibitors and of course lots of good stalls selling stuff for fans of Japan.
Read More... | Souce: Hyper Japan 2024
Category > Events
The good folks from the Barbican Centre and the Japan Foundation have teamed up to bring the people of London a season of Japanese monster movies. All Kaiju Attack! : 70 years of Japanese monster movies is set to run from Wednesday 7th to Wednesday August 2024 at the Barbican Centre in London.
They've got many a good monster movie from classic Godzilla flicks to the more recent Shin Godzilla (which is introduced by anime expert Helen McCarthy).
Read More... | Souce: Barbican Centre
The good folks from the Elysian Film Group have revealed that My Neighbour Totoro will be re-released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 2nd August 2024. The Studio Ghibli masterpiece by 2 time Oscar winning director Hayao Miyazaki is much loved and hugely influential. It's available to stream on Netflix, but seeing in on a big screen is another experience and we strongly advise you to catch it if you can. The film will be released just in time for the summer holidays when schools out. So children and adults alike can enjoy Satsuki and Mei's encounter with woodland spirits. The film itself is perfection. So much so the Royal Shakespeare Company adapted it for the stage and it has hugely successful run at the Barbican.
So check your local cinema listing from Friday 2nd August 2024 to find a screening near you.
Souce: Elysian Film Group
Category > Events
We've just received news about the upcoming One Piece Music Symphony 25th Anniversary Concert. The live show contains the most memorable moments of the TV series projected on a giant screen to the sound of a 50-musician orchestra. It's set to tour around the US from July 6th 2024, then will tour other key locations around the world including Australia , Europe and elsewhere.
UK based readers can catch the show on 16th November 2024 at the Appolo Eventim.
Read More... | Souce: One Piece Music Symphony 25th Anniversary Concert Website
The good folks from streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us details for their June to September 2024 DVD and Blu-ray release schedule.
Highlights include Mob Psycho 100, Blue Lock and Vinland Saga. We're keen to get our hands on the mellow slice of life anime with a twist A Galaxy Next Door (which arrives on Blu-ray on 17th June 2024). The majority of titles are blu-ray only, with a few being DVD and blu-ray available options.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Anime
The good folks from streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us details about Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction. The new series is due to land on the streaming service from Friday 24th May 2024. Expect a story with high-school best friends and dystopian sci-fi antics with a lingering space ship.
The series is animated by studio Production +h. who are best know for the Netflix series The Orbital Children. Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction was originally a manga by Inio Asano, who is best known for Goodnight Punpun.
Watch the official trailer
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
The good folks at anime giants Crunchyroll have sent us the details for the UK and Ireland cinema release of Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary Haikyu!! anime fans will be treated to a cinematic outing. It's set to hit cinemas around the UK from Friday 31st May 2024. It'll be released in both dubbed and subbed formats.
The Haikyu!! volleyball franchise is hugely popular with the manga selling 60 million copies in circulation. If you haven't seen it yet, you can also catch the series on Crunchyroll.
Plot synopsis as follows: Shoyo Hinata must join forces with his old nemesis Tobio Kageyama during the thrilling showdown between Karasuno and Nekoma high school in the highly anticipated "Dumpster Battle". Which team will remain standing when the two underdogs duke it out?
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Manga
The people from manga tech start up Orange, Inc have sent us details about their latest fundraising. They've managed to get JPY 2.92 billion (approximately USD 19.5 million* ) fundraising in pre-series A financing.
The company pitches itself as a a manga localization technology company that uses deep learning models to translate manga. In a web comic they explain how it's not cost effective to get humans to translate the bulk of manga published in Japanese. As a result they claim less than 2% of Japanese manga has been translated.
The pitch also says they'll have skilled translators polish the output, while in reality, for a translator it's actually easier to translate directly than to tidy up machine translated text.
Machine translation does have it's place. It's frequently (and successfully) used to translate text with a consistent context, such as instruction manuals and technical documents. This text is often very dry, but also very limited in scope with fixed and repeated text. Once a human has corrected it the machine model can then use the preferred translation for that expression again and again, which makes sense in an instruction manual.
Manga however is a creative endeavour and as a result the translations have a very wide scope. Translators have to be creative, who is speaking? What's their background? What mood are they in? What's the context of what they're saying? Is it a pun? Are they speaking formally? Do they have a regional accent? This and many other factors have to be taken into account words don't always have a one to one mapping, as context and intent makes manga translation an art form unto itself.
We're reminded In an industry where companies are trying to lower translation costs at the expense of translators wages, it can make it difficult to earn money as a freelance translator when companies are trying to race to the bottom.
We're thinking if you gave the Otaku News Team 2.92 billion JPY, we wouldn't publish as much manga as Orange Inc are intending to, but we'd pay our translators, letters and other production staff a decent wage. So if any companies looking to send us almost 19.5M USD to publish, then please do get in touch. We've got a list of manga we'd like to license and translate!
On a more serious note, we reached out to a few professional translators to ask their opinion on the Orange Inc News and machine translation in general. We also got them to do a translation mini battle.
Read More... | Souce: Orange Inc
Category > Anime
The good folks from streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us details from CCXP Mexico, where they announced some new and returning titles to the service.
Coming some time in 2024 is Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister, while set for October 2024 we have Nina the Starry Bride along with the return of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3. Re:ZERO has been hugely popular with anime fans and it's return is highly anticipated.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Anime
The good folks from anime streaming giants Crunchyroll have sent us details about their Ani-May promotion.
For starters some of their top 20 shows will be available to watch for free with ads. This includes the utterly fantastic Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vinland Saga and Chainsaw Man.
Across the UK 120 HMV stores will be rebranded for the month and will play host to the exclusive early release of shows on DVD and Blu-ray including Mob Psycho Season 3, KONOSUBA - An Explosion on This Wonderful World!, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! At HMV they've also got a competition running with a chance to win a VIP trip to Paris for Japan Expo, with Crunchyroll!
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll
Category > Anime
The good folks from streaming giant Crunchyroll have sent us details for their UK home video release schedule for May to August 2024. Titles include Blue Lock, Mob Psycho, One Piece, The Quintessential Quintuplets, Bofuri, Dr. STONE - Season 3 Part 1 and Vinland Saga - Season 2 Part 1. Guility pleasure anime includes Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Season 1 and 2, plus Tomo-chan Is a Girl! - The Complete Season.
Read More... | Souce: Crunchyroll