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VIZ Media is proud to announce the release of Naoki Urasawa’s award-winning manga 20TH CENTURY BOYS in a deluxe new omnibus edition on September 18th.
20TH CENTURY BOYS: THE PERFECT EDITION Vol. 1 will be published exclusively in print and includes two complete volumes of the original 22-volume epic manga series in a deluxe omnibus edition featuring new cover art and select pages in their original color presentation. A final volume titled 21st CENTURY BOYS: THE PERFECT EDITION concludes the two-time Eisner winning story. Volume 1 will carry a print MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN. Future PERFECT EDITION releases of the series will be published by VIZ Media on a quarterly basis.
As 20TH CENTURY BOYS begins, humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren’t for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a group of boys who try to save the world.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="I'll always cherish this cult classic because it was one of the first manga I had read! Love it!" image="bee-love"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="A cult classic indeed!" image="honey-happy1"]
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The wonderful team over at Idea Factory have announced that Neptunia & Friends is back and will be available on the Apple store next Wednesday, August 29 at 10:00am PST! Originally released as Hyperdimension Neptunia The App, this version, now called Neptunia & Friends, has updated localization including brand-new text and voice files for Neptune, Noire, Blanc, Vert, and Purple Heart!
The app also features tons of available In-App purchases including character-specific costumes, voices, and background sceneries! Be sure to check out some of the screenshots below!
The Neptunia & Friends app brings the Goddesses right on your iOS phone! Not only is this a full alarm clock app to wake you up for any occasion, but also a place where you can dress up and chat with the Goddesses in their kawaii costumes, play a mini-game, and even a chance for you to raise the Goddess’s Love Love Gauge! Chat with your favorite Goddess to receive more Love Love Gauge points! The higher the gauge, the more your likely Goddess will chat intimately and maybe even a kiss!
Key Features
Do-Re-Mi, Oh My! – Neptunia & Friends is revamped with new localized text, as well as updated voice files for all of the Goddesses! Start your day off by waking up to your favorite Goddess voice!
The Love You Take is Equal to the Love You Make – The Love Love Gauge is a bar that will increase depending on the actions you take with your Goddess. Increase the Love Love Gauge by play the Blind Bluff Poker mini-game, chat, and provide cake gifts. The higher the Love Love Gauge, the more likely the Goddess will say something intimate and maybe even provide a smooch!
Outfit of the Day – Flaunt your favorite Goddess with *multiple costumes, voice files, and backgrounds to choose from! Costumes include outfits from Hyperdimension Neptunia™ Re;Birth 3: V Generation and Cyberdimension Neptunia™: 4 Goddesses Online!
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Oh nice! I can talk with Neptunia and friends any time, anywhere!" image="bee-blushing"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="This app is sort of neat! I like it!" image="honey-happy3"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Ellation, the transformative media company home to industry-leading brands Crunchyroll and VRV, are excited to announce that they've officially launched Ellation Studios and the first Crunchyroll Originals series titled, “High Guardian Spice.”
Ellation’s original content efforts will include production facilities in Burbank and Tokyo devoted to creating and developing new original shows for the Crunchyroll and VRV communities. Margaret Dean, former GM of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and current president of Women in Animation, has been named head of studio for the new division. Dean is charged with developing originals for both brands, including overseeing production for “High Guardian Spice,” the first-ever Crunchyroll Original Series, which is slated to premiere in 2019.
Raye Rodriguez, a lifelong anime fan, is the creator of “High Guardian Spice” and his production team features an all-female writing room, along with a diverse and passionate group of artists and creatives. Audu Paden, director of the “Animaniacs” and other beloved animated series, joins Rodriguez as mentor.
The “High Guardian Spice” creative team will appear at this year’s Crunchyroll Expo, a Crunchyroll convention celebrating the best of Japanese animation and pop culture. The panel, taking place on Saturday in San Jose, will feature Margaret Dean, series creator Raye Rodriguez, Supervising Director Audu Paden, and Story Editor Amalia Levari as they discuss new series.
High Guardian Spice | Coming 2019
In “High Guardian Spice,” the lives of four fierce girls, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Parsley, converge at High Guardian Academy, the one place where they can stumble towards adulthood while becoming the heroes they've always admired. As they master the ways of battle and sorcery, our foursome form allegiances and comical kinships, uncover legacies and betrayals, and discover their true identities while preparing to protect the world from an ominous unknown threat.
Notable Quotes
Crunchyroll Originals aims to elevate animation as a medium for storytelling, as most animated series in western culture is geared towards kids or comedy. Our fans grew up watching anime, and today anime inspires creators from around the world and influences so much of broader pop culture. We look to tell distinct, impactful stories best executed in the medium of animation from a global creative community who is inspired by anime. said Kun Gao, founder and General Manager of Crunchyroll. With this in mind, we are excited to introduce more shows and announce the rest of our slate in the coming weeks.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Awww, I love the character designs! So cute!" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="The trailer is great too!" image="honey-happy1"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Those of you who live in the California area can look forward to another anime event, this time from the folks at Bushiroad! CharaExpo USA 2018 kicks off November 10th and runs until November 11th, starting from 10am and ending at 6pm. The venue will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, Hall B, with tickets starting from $15 for Early-bird and $20 at the door. *Requires separate tickets for each day. Children of age 5 and under have free entry.
There will be a plethora of event contests to participate in as well so be sure to check out more details below, as well as the official CharaExpo 2018 website!
Entry Prize :Attendees will be able to choose 1 Entry Prize out of the 3 kinds - BanG Dream!, PR cards, or NJPW. The PR cards will have hot-stamp with different design each day. *While supplies last.
Merchandise: Many items will be on sale, including event original items and products straight from Japan. Ticket(s) for Big Meet & Greet, BanG Dream! Live, NJPW are given with every purchase of $30. *Limited to 3 tickets per transaction. Valid only on the day of. Only while supplies last.
Meet & Greet: Special Meet & Greet with 30 talents! Featured guests will be autographing a unique sign-board especially prepared for this event. *Featured guests: Aimi/Aina Aiba/Sae Otsuka/Riko Ohara/Takaaki Kidani/Izumi Kitta/Haruka Kudo/Reo Kurachi/Momoyo Koyama/Megu Sakuragawa/Jyushin Thunder Liger/Risa Tsumugi/Harold Meij/Yuki Nakashima/Natsume/Rimi Nishimoto/Seiji Maeda/Suzuko Mimori/Syuta Morishima/Raychell and more!
Live Music: Poppin’Party(Aimi/Sae Otsuka/Rimi Nishimoto), Roselia(Aina Aiba/Haruka Kudo/Yuki Nakashima/Megu Sakuragawa), RAISE A SUILEN(Raychell/Riko Kohara/Natsume/Reo Kurachi/Risa Tsumugi)will be performing live in the States. This will be the debut for Roselia and RAISE A SUILEN.
Stage: Come join fun Talk Shows and witness the magic in front of your eyes with Live Drawing.
TCG Area: Space for Cardfight!! Vanguard, Weiss Schwarz, Future Card Buddyfight, and Dragoborne -Rise to Supremacy- will be available. Bushiroad Championship Series 2018, California Qualifiers will be held along side.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling: Lion‘s Break Project 1 is on at the center of the venue! No separate tickets are required for standees.
Japan Park L.A.: Come experience everything about Japan from Food, Travel, Souvenirs, Traditional Culture to Life Styles inside CharaExpo USA! Family-fun-filled event themed to “Learn more about the 47 prefectures of Japan!”.
Participating Exhibitors: Aniplex of America/Akibento/Aliquantum Intl. Inc./COSPA USA/Ultra Tokyo Connection
[balloon_speech align="left" text="This sounds like my kind of event!" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Yeah I'd love to go and win some prizes!" image="honey-happy1"]
Super robot anime are good mixes of genres like mecha, giant monsters and superheroes. These type of shows are mostly geared towards younger boys, especially in Japan. Watching a cool-looking giant robot performing flashy super moves to beat the crap out of giant monsters is one of the most gratifying and adrenaline-pumping moments that make you jump out of your seat and cheer for the good guys, just like as you would when watching contact sports like mixed martial arts, boxing, basketball and football. Ever seen Pacific Rim or Godzilla? You’ll get the same experience.
Unfortunately super robot anime are no longer as popular back in the 70s to the 90s, and recent attempts to revive the genre with Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann were unsuccessful. That is not to say the genre is dead, but rather its revival is just delayed in the foreseeable future.
Now with that said, let’s go back in the 90s when a lot of older anime fans were still in their childhood or in their early teens, and look at what kind of super robot shows they grew up with. We can list a ton of super robot anime, but for this topic, we’re looking at 3 specific shows that are so adrenaline-pumping, burning manliness and so over-the-top that watching them now will bring back the kid in you.
In the Future Century, mankind has ravaged the once-beautiful Earth, and has abandoned the planet to the colonies in space. Wars between nations are typical human nature and will bound to happen, but the colonies representing the nations of Earth have come into an agreement to hold a battle royale tournament every four years using mechs called Mobile Fighters instead. Each nation has a representative mobile fighter and they descend to Earth and do battle, and the last man standing will rule the planet for four years until the next tournament. You follow Domon Kasshu, the Gundam Fight tournament representative of Neo Japan, as he travels the world fighting other nations for the crown. In truth though, Domon is a quest for revenge and the tournament is just a means of reaching his goal.
The Earth is the arena! Gundam… FIGHT!
G Gundam is currently the only Gundam series that follows the super robot formula mixed with traditional shounen anime elements like tournament battles, martial arts, a master-student subplot, and tons of yelling. Watching gundams do physics-defying moves is amusing and awesome at the same time with ridiculous special moves, crazy designs that match the theme of each gundam’s nation, and a final boss gundam that is hard to classify as a mech or a living thing. Tomokazu Seki was perfect for voicing Domon with his flexible voice from normal dialogue to powerful and intense delivery of Domon’s many special moves. When Domon starts chanting, you’ll know he’ll perform one of the flashiest moves in anime: THIS HAND OF MINE IS BURNING RED! ITS LOUD ROAR TELLS ME TO GRASP VICTORY! ERUPTING... GOD... FINGER!!!!!!
2. Yuusha-Ou GaoGaiGar (The King of Braves GaoGaiGar)
The Earth is in peril! Alien beings called the Zonders invaded Earth, specifically in Tokyo, Japan and they bring chaos and destruction in their wake. A secret defense agency called the Gutsy Geoid Guard, 3G for short, is tasked to intercept and neutralize the Zonder threat using advanced alien technology—a technology used to develop the defender of Tokyo, the super robot known as GaoGaiGar and its pilot the cyborg Guy Shishio.
GaoGaiGar has everything a kid drools over: power armor, giant robots, various futuristic vehicles, robots that can transform in vehicles, exotic weaponry, well-drawn and smooth animation of said robots, vehicles, weapons and a huge amounts of explosions and rubble. Imagine being a kid when GaoGaiGar aired—you’d end up blowing the allowance you saved for action figures and toys like Guy’s armlet. The urge to yell EQUIP!!! is strong!
Anyway, GaoGaiGar looks like a sentai anime aimed at kids with its monster of the week storyline, the obligatory group of annoying stereotypical kids, and constant reused footage of the transformation sequences, but once you're past the first half, GaoGaiGar’s tone changes to a more serious story focusing on the mysterious boy Mamoru and a cast of aliens to narrate their motives and agendas. Each encounter becomes intense and the anime moved from beating random monsters in the ruined streets of Tokyo to space with monsters that could change the very fabric of reality.
1. Change!! Getter Robo: Sekai Saigo no Hi OVA (Getter Robo: Armageddon OVA)
With the discovery of the Getter Rays by renowned scientist Dr. Saotome, mankind has used its limitless power to advance human civilization, but the Getter Rays are also used as an instrument of war. To makes matter worse, mysterious alien beings called the Invaders has attacked the moon and some they are related to the Getter Rays. Throughout the conflict, mankind has preserved and eliminated the Invaders with Dr. Saotome as one of the casualties. Years later, Dr. Saotome survived and is on a quest revenge and destruction of the world using his new creation the Shin Dragon.
With all the characters yelling at each other, it’s apparent the most common form on communication in Armageddon is yelling at each other. Or was it maybe because the person you were talking to was in a huge-ass robot several hundreds of feet above ground level? Right then, you can watch Armageddon without prior knowledge of the manga or the TV anime aired back in the 70s because background info are slowly being revealed as you progressed through the episodes. Don’t worry, if you still didn’t understand the story, you’re not alone. The story is a mishmash of loud screaming and silly dialogue, but Armageddon is more about the action set pieces and it delivers the robot-busting and monster-bashing action almost non-stop.
The Getter series has been around for decades and it’s one of the pioneers of the super robot genre that inspired anime like GaoGaiGar and Gurren-Lagann, just to name a few. Armageddon may not be geared towards very young kids due to its more violent nature and aggressive art style, but it is no doubt that Armageddon is one hell of a roller coaster ride that gets your heart pumping with action no current laws of thermodynamics or any branches of science could explain.
And there you have it! It’s not clear why the super robot genre has lost relevance, so it’s very sad that the new generation of fans will never get to experience what the 90s kids saw back then. Aggressive as these shows may be, they still teach children some valuable lessons like friendship, love, camaraderie, courage, bravery, teach children the difference between good and evil, and teach boys that being a boy isn’t a bad thing.
Japan is weird, we all know that, but they sure know how to teach their youth without boring them to death with hand puppets and cute talking animals.
Phantom in the Twilight can be described with a variety of adjectives, including dark, romantic, ominous, etc. There are many anime that have similar qualities that can fill the void between episodes of this currently airing show. Phantom in the Twilight is everything that we look for in a vampire romance; however, there are many different aspects of the show that can appeal to a wide variety of audiences. This is the reason why we have compiled a list of anime that have similar characteristics to the different feelings and categories within Phantom in the Twilight.
When you are getting into a new anime, the week long time frame between episodes can feel like an eternity which is why we make these lists of anime similar to (certain anime). While there are many anime out there, each person is drawn to a specific parts of the anime genre that are connected in a certain way. This can be in reference to story, art direction, tone or even the personality of the protagonist. With that in mind, please keep an eye out for the following 6 anime like Phantom in the Twilight.
When Ciel Phantomhive sells his soul to take revenge on his enemies, a handsome butler named Sebastian Michaelis appears. Sebastian is more than he appears though and has seemingly superhuman abilities. A bond forms between the two that goes beyond a master-servant relationship. The dark duo work to solve the crimes of London at the queen’s request and take revenge one enemy at a time.
Phantom in the Twilight and Kuroshitsuji are connected instantly by their setting in London. The dark and dimly lit streets set the stage for both ominous anime. While Ciel and Sebastian are not quite as close romantically as Baileu Ton and Vlad Garfunkel, they still have a deep relationship that leaves the audience wanting more. Three seasons of Black Butler are more than enough to provide you with content in between episodes of Phantom in the Twilight.
At Cross Academy, siblings Zero Kiryuu and Yuki Cross are the police at the academy and are focused on keeping order. As part of the Day Class, they are only vaguely connected to the mysterious Night Class. As the two begin to become more interested and involved with the Night Class students, it is revealed that they are actually vampires and Yuki and Zero must keep the secrets of the underworld from the rest of the school. Yuki becomes involved with the sexy Kaname Kuran, creating tension among her family. However, this romance may be destined to fail as outside forces stir with resentment towards vampires.
The connection between Vampire Knight and Phantom in the Twilight is none too subtle. Both being vampire romance anime, they teem with sexual tension. Vampire Knight is often considered a reverse harem so there are many more possible romantic partners for Yuki. This anime is definitely worth the watch if you are into the more romantic aspects of Phantom in the Twilight and wish to see an anime that leans heavily on it.
Saya Otonashi is a seemingly average high school student with worries such as homework, track and fitness. However, everything changes when she is attacked by a monster called a chiropteran and protected by a tall and mysterious man. When this man forces her to drink his blood, she is immediately freaked out and heads home to confront her father. After revealing that she is actually an ancient vampire she seeks out the tall man named Haji to find out more about who she is and why she came to be here.
Blood+ does not have the strong romantic undertones that are present in Phantom in the Twilight but is rather a subtler version of it. This anime is perfect for someone who is looking for more action with less romance but still wants the vampire element. Blood+ is the perfect mesh of science fiction and vampires and while it does not have the historical element, this present day vampire anime has more than enough excitement to keep you entertained.
When Yui is shipped off by her father to go live in a mansion with six brothers, she is far out of her comfort zone. While their advances are made more than clear their real intent for her is much more sinister. Each brother approaches Yui with a different objective, but it is difficult for her to find out their real feelings. As she discovers more about the mansion and the family, she learns that she may lose much more than just a little blood.
For those who were watching Phantom in the Twilight in hopes that love would blossom between Ton and all the men around here are looking for a reverse harem. Diabolik Lovers includes a girl who has many vampires interested in her and who are looking for more than just her blood. With brothers that are dark, ominous and handsome after her, it will be difficult to choose your favorite.
Tsukune is mistakenly enrolled at Yokai Academy, a school for monsters and where humans are not allowed. Tsukune must conceal his human identity in order to remain enrolled at the school and remain with his blossoming harem of girls that he becomes fast friends with. Seeking out the attention of Moka, a long-haired and ditzy vampire, he soon learns that there is much more to protect at the academy than just himself.
Opposite from Diabolik Lovers, Rosario to Vampire revolves around Tsukune surrounded by his harem of females. This anime contains only one main vampire in the first season who is the central love interest as in Phantom in the Twilight. While the time period is not set in the distant past of London, it takes place in a different dimension giving it an otherworldly feel that could be comparable to the one you feel in Phantom in the Twilight.
As an exemplary student, Ritsuka Tachibana is nervous when she is summoned to the student council’s office. She is interrogated by the intimidating yet handsome student council members. As she is drawn farther into their world, Ritsuka must learn to navigate a world of vampires and devils. The group must learn to trust each other if they have any hope for survival.
The world of Dance with Devils is very similar to that of Phantom in the Twilight. While they are in the student council room, it feels just as safe and cozy as the café does in Phantom of the Twilight. It is a sort of haven that they can enter before either face the dark unknown outside their safe space. The excitement and thrill from Dance with Devils is a sure fire way to keep the romance in your heart as the weeks pass between episodes.
We put together these top six lists in order to allow a sort of solace between episodes of new shows. The excitement of a new show is nothing to scoff at however, it may feel just as good if not better to be able to binge watch an entire series in a day. The conclusiveness of the list of anime above will allow for some closure while Phantom of the Twilight episodes leave you hanging. After all, Ton and Vlad make an excellent couple and the romantic tension between them leaves you with an itch for more. The shows above may help you alleviate this itch and allow for all the feels.
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this list and thank you for taking the time out of your day. If you have any anime that you feel should be on this list or that do not belong here, we implore you to leave them in the comments below. There are many anime out there to watch and if our suggestions have appealed to you, we appreciate that we can help you along your journey of anime.
While everyone loves to hate on anime, we also love to show love to anime that not only captures our attention but manages to keep it. With over 60 shows on air right now, naturally, there are some that we are going to be enjoying. Some are an easy assumption, but others sometimes are something that you load up, and are surprised at what you end up watching. Thankfully, today, rather than hate, we are going to get into six summer anime that we are in love with and why. So sit down, read up, and see if you are watching these great shows too!
Tsusushima Island sits between South Korea and Japan. Criminals including Jinzaburou Kuchii have been exiled to this island. When they arrive though, they learn that they are not simply there to toil their days as slaves of the people of the island nor be killed there, rather, they are sent there as support. Support for the incoming invasion supposedly from the Mongols! When they learn that the Mongols are coming, Jinzaburou moves out along with other men and after the leader of the island is killed, he assumes control of the forces along with Teruhi, the daughter of the former leader, as they try to not only survive, but stop a hostile, aggressive, and foreign power from running over the land of the rising sun!
Angolmois was a so-so start at the beginning of the season, but it really picked up as things continued on. The story was interesting once it was introduced, and we even got small Drifters vibes from the battles! The characters are all solid, and for once, we don’t have boring characters, we have a main male character who is not an idiot nor baselessly powerful. Rather, Jinzaburou is skilled due to his past and serving the government. In fact, I really don’t have anything negative to say about the series as a whole. It’s great and I highly recommend it!
Satou Matsuzaka seems like a super popular girl. She’s cute, she has a great voice, and everyone seems to like her. Every day when she goes home, she gets to see Shio, a young girl that she lives with. Showered with love and affection, Satou feels love for the first time in her life. Still though, Satou knows one thing, now that she has found love, Satou will do anything to maintain this flow of love from Shio. Whether it be to threaten someone, lie to someone, hurt someone, or even kill someone, she will do it if it means she will maintain her happiness. She lives her happy sugar life and hates bitterness.
Happy Sugar Life was more or less a safe bet before it went on air and it’s still proving itself to be a good watch. We basically have a new Yuno Gasai who is maybe a bit better at bottling herself up, and an adorable little girl in Shio who is just sweeter than a whole batch of cupcakes. Their happy moments together are great, but the supporting backstory, and the lengths that Satou goes to not only keep Shio locked in her apartment, but also to maintain their happiness, are fantastic. The series is only getting darker as we know she has committed murder and gouged out the eyes of others in order to keep her happiness afloat. It’s a good watch each week and we want more!
Overlord III is unique because the story is still evolving. We know that characters like Ainz, Albedo, and more are back, but we are finally seeing the return of the village of E-Rantel from season one as well as Enri and Nfirea. Thank goodness, too! So far, the story has been about them co-existing with goblins while developing their town and research a bit more for Ainz. The village was attacked at one point and they were even able to hold off an invasion!
To be honest, I was a bit worried after the dud that was season 2, but Overlord III has restored the series back to its former glory. Ainz is getting the hang of living in this new world and I’m enjoying watching him pull the strings from the shadows. So many characters do reappear though, so it might be a good choice to re-watch season 1 if you have forgotten some names. I am curious about what is going to happen to this village now that we have learned that the beasts of the directions were not a real threat though. We’ll just have to keep watching and we hope you do too as this only continues to elevate the Overlord story even further!
Haruka arrives in Okinawa to live with her cousin Kanata and attend school with her. It’s here that Haruka discovers a love for the sport of beach volleyball, which she promptly ropes Kanata to participate in. However, Haruka is unaware that Kanata used to play beach volleyball until mounting stress over her small size caused her to quit and turn her back on her partner.
While most people are harping about Hanebado, one surprisingly good anime this season has to be Harukana Receive, which has a bit of the melodrama of Hanebado without all of the excess that makes Hanebado difficult to watch, in our book. It’s been a great time watching Kanata face all of her reasons for not playing beach volleyball in each episode as she makes friends and slowly makes her way to becoming a great beach volleyball pair with Haruka. Sure, you think this anime should be about Haruka and it should feel like a shounen anime where Haruka is talented in every way like Ballroom e Youkoso or Kuroko no Basuke, but really, the story is all Kanata and it’s enjoyable to watch her inner struggles decrease and her confidence increase.
In the Fukagawa ward of Edo lies a shop where everyday items can be rented. This is especially useful as Edo has been prone to fires and flooding. The shop is called Izumoya, and it is run by siblings, Obeni and Seiji. Here at Izumoya exist tsukumogami, spirits formed from the feelings of the owner for an object after many years. Obeni and Seiji are aware of this and will lend out their items with tsukumogami in an effort to help others with their problems.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good Edo period anime? Well, Tsukumogami Kashimasu is a rather enjoyable anime that isn’t too heavy plotwise. It isn’t ridiculously dramatic in anyway and it feels mostly episodic except for a small part of the plot that involves a particular boy that Obeni may actually have a crush on. While I’m not a fan of the love story that goes on in the background, especially Seiji’s part, I do just enjoy this anime and want to learn more about Obeni in particular! Plus, that and the history of each tsukumogami is really interesting.
The human body is made up of trillions of cells that all have important functions in order to keep the human body running. From red blood cells delivering oxygen to all areas of the body to white blood cells fighting foreign invasions, there’s a lot that you might not know about the drama going on inside of your own body!
As someone who studied health science throughout my high school and my university career, I have to say that I really enjoy the premise of this anime. So far, I have found little to no fault about all the facts presented, then it’s fun to see how they animated each cell and function in the human body in anime form. It’s educational without being ridiculously so! While I’m not sure how many people are actually paying attention to all the science being included, I think it’s still got a lot of charm if you ignore the science part too. Just like your average adventure anime.
Summer is slowly drifting to an end but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves in the meantime. These are just a few anime that we actually find ourselves enjoying this season from horror to drama to comedy. Do you have a few anime that you’re enjoying this season? What’s your favorite summer anime? Share your thoughts all in the comments below!
Release Date (Japan) : July 20, 2018 Studios : Warner Bros. Japan, New Line Cinema Bleach (Brief) Introduction The Bleach live action movie was released in theaters all across Japan on July 20th. Audiences have had over a week to check out the movie and decide if Tite Kubo's titular manga was done justice on […]
Pokémon the Movie: Everyone’s Story (BRIEF) Introduction
Pokemon the Movie: Everyone's Story was a departure from the usual movies that come out of this franchise. Though Satoshi (Ash Ketchum) is featured in this film, he doesn't have a large role narrative in the grand scheme of things. Instead, this film has about five smaller stories that all tie-in to the Wind Festival of Fura City, of which Satoshi attends because he happens to be visiting the town during the festivities. Almost every shot is filled with pokémon of all types and sizes. However, the two advertised throughout the promotional materials are Lugia and Zeraora. One plays a much more prominent role than the other, but I'll get into that later.
This movie was pleasantly surprising because even though it was aimed at a young audience, there some underlying tones and themes that are a bit more mature and older audiences could appreciate as well. We noticed that some other reviewers think that Satoshi was unnecessary in this film and that he and Pikachu could have been omitted altogether. But from our viewing, we noticed that the children in the audience were cheering whenever these two were on-screen or they repeated Pikachu's lines whenever he spoke. So we understand why they were included in the film. Overall, it was entertaining and a pleasant viewing experience, but really it just served to hype audiences up for next year's Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution!
What We Liked About Pokémon the Movie: Everyone’s Story
The animation and artwork in this movie were really vibrant and clean. The studio went to great length to create an atmosphere that was bright and filled with energy. Children and pokémon filled every scene. Satoshi's character design looked much better than he did in his latest anime representation. Zeraora isn't a particularly unique looking pokémon or outstanding in any specific way. But in the film, he does have character and an aura of strength and resilience. All of the colors, the backgrounds, and various pokémon sprinkled throughout further emphasized that the Wind Festival was a time of rejoicing for the townspeople. They were anticipating the return of Lugia and were celebrating their town's history.
Getting back to Zeraora, he played a large part in our enjoyment of this movie. His backstory with the townspeople and fire in the forest was moving. It took him a long time to trust people again, but Largo (a determined young girl who protects the forest) and Satoshi were just the people to do it. Their caring hearts and self-sacrifice brought him out of hiding and showed him that though people have frightened creatures capable of great selfishness, they are also capable of noble acts of kindness and bravery. He is a strong silent pokémon who inspires others through his actions. Our only gripe is that we forgot to bring our 2DS XL into the theater so we were unable to download him into our Ultra Moon save file! Doh!
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Why You Should Watch Pokémon the Movie: Everyone’s Story
Definitely check out Everyone's Story if you're looking for a lighthearted story containing our favorite lovable creatures. Expect to see a ton of small pokémon and a multitude of characters having their own personal stories and motivations for attending the Wind Festival. Family, self-confidence, and honesty are all morals brought up by the smaller narratives and character interactions throughout this movie.
Of course, check out the movie if you're interested in obtaining Zeraora (he'll probably be available in western countries at the same time the film is released there). More than that, witness the character arc of a pokémon that was betrayed by the people of his own community. He goes into seclusion. And eventually re-emerges as the town's savior and inspires others to stand up and protect what they love. He has a particularly emotional scene where he saves Largo from a large structure that's about to fall right on top of her.
Why You Should Skip Pokémon the Movie: Everyone’s Story
Don't watch this film if you're looking forward to some epic pokémon battles between trainers where their pride and prizes are on the line. This isn't that kind of film. There are a few pokémon fights sprinkled throughout, but they aren't highlights of Everyone's Story. As the title suggests, people and their connections with pokémon are what are being explored this time around. Don't expect to see strategic fights with rare pokémon.
Perhaps you're a big fan of Lugia so you want to see your favorite legendary pokémon in action. We wouldn't blame you for anticipating Lugia's huge screen presence since he was displayed on promotional posters and trailers, but he has very little screen time. He only shows up at the very end to bless the town with his graceful presence and rejuvenating wind ability. He's a major historical figure for the town's establishment, but he plays a minor role in this movie.
Final Thoughts
This was a feel-good type of movie that children would enjoy seeing with their parents or siblings would enjoy watching together. There aren't any epic fights to be seen here. But the post-credits teaser reassures us that next year fans will get something more ambitious and grand in Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution. So stay tuned for more news about that upcoming movie!
Thanks again for reading our thoughts on Pokémon the Movie: Everyone's Story. We hope this was informative for you. As always, have a great day and we'll see you in the next one!
One of the most entertaining anime this season, Hataraku Saibou is an inside look at how our own bodies function! From red blood cells to tiny platelets to the cells that make up everything, this anime personifies everything about our systems. The human body in Hataraku Saibou goes through a number of regular bodily events, including the common cold, stomach flu, and allergies. Of course, each of these fairly common events in a person’s life wreaks havoc on the characters within the body, and we get to see that played out first hand. Yet, the way that this anime is laid out is so lighthearted and fun, we find ourselves looking forward to every minute of the new episodes!
Very few anime are able to effectively toe the line between being educational and being entertaining. However, we were able to find a few good suggestions to offer you if you’ve been enjoying Hataraku Saibou! Combining realistic science education with adorable anthropomorphic characters and some great comedic timing, the anime on our list come from some of the strangest ideas. Yet each is enjoyable in its own right. Perfect for those who get tired of waiting for new episodes every week!
Have you ever wanted to start over and get away from it all, living peacefully in the countryside on a farm? That’s certainly what Yuugo Hachiken was thinking when he transferred to a boarding school in the Hokkaido countryside – but he wasn’t prepared for what he encountered there! Hachiken wanted to escape from the stress of it all, but farm life was not as easy as he thought. His classmates have been living agriculturally their entire lives, and they seem to know everything about growing crops and raising animals. Hachiken must learn the ins and outs of rural living as well, if he wants to fit in…
Hataraku Saibou and Gin no Saji share the idea of teaching viewers about the truth of the world around them through a comedic slice of life anime. Gin no Saji is less about scientific teachings and more about agricultural knowledge. While it does contain some knowledge about animal bodily functions, it is less about humanity and more about how we can treat the land well. Gin no Saji also contains actual human characters, rather than anthropomorphized ones. However, the art styles of the two shows are quite similar. And most of all, we believe you will enjoy the humor of Gin no Saji if you are a fan of Hataraku Saibou!
Silver Spoon Trailer
2. Anime de Wakaru Shinryounaika (Comical Psychosomatic Medicine)
Anime de Wakaru Shinryounaika follows the story of psychologist Ryou and his kindhearted nurse Asuna. Ryou and Asuna explain the struggles of many different parts of mental illness to the audience. The two main characters make an effort to keep the information lighthearted as they delve into some of the darker parts of the human psyche. Together, they will teach us about the emergence and prevalence of many disorders, all while making them feel valid and using humor to offset the serious topics.
Hataraku Saibou and Anime de Wakaru Shinryounaika show how your health works in a humorous light. However, Anime de Wakaru Shinryounaika uses two human characters to explain mental health to you, while Hataraku Saibou shows viewers how their body works in a memorable way. Ryou and Asuna are able to allow their audience to learn while keeping heavy topics lighthearted and entertaining. In many ways, Anime de Wakaru Shinryounaika could be seen as more straightforward than Hataraku Saibou, simply because the former show goes about explaining mental health differently.
Following along with the idea of anthropomorphized characters, Hetalia: Axis Powers gives life to the different nations of the world. Taking place mostly during World War I and World War II, Hetalia makes characters out of the various countries, exploring their relationships with one another. Each character is personified with the things that make them unique, such as Japan being stoic but with strange interests and Italy being airheaded with a love for pasta. Hetalia brings lighthearted comedy to politics and national relations, making us laugh even as we review the world’s past.
Like Hataraku Saibou, Hetalia shares a large amount of ridiculous comedy to lighten the mood. Both of these shows also share similar character design, using their cute, chibi drawings for the funny parts of the show and saving the fine-lined designs for the more serious moments. While Hataraku Saibou has more serious moments with the fighting scenes, Hetalia does allow for a few serious moments of its own. Hetalia, as a whole, features more humor, as Hataraku Saibou spends more time teaching its audience about the human body. We believe both of these shows teach the audience something about the world around them. If you want to learn about political relationships but have fun doing it, Hetalia is a great choice! You will spend just as much time laughing as you will learning.
Hetalia: Axis Powers Trailer
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Any Anime Like Cells at Work / Any Anime Like Hataraku Saibou ?
Tadayasu Sawaki is not your average college freshman… He seems to be the only one who can see the cute bacteria and tiny organisms running around! Moyashimon follows Tadayasu through his first year of agricultural school with this unusual gift. Tadayasu is sure to get involved in all sorts of crazy situations!
Hataraku Saibou and Moyashimon are both educational anime that use humor to lighten the mood of each episode. Tadayasu meets plenty of unusual characters during his first year of college, each an anthropomorphized version of some kind of tiny organism. Hataraku Saibou follows this same vein, even creating characters of some of the same creatures, like bacteria. By adding kawaii and chibi designs to these characters of science, each show is able to be more entertaining in the end. If you wanted more ridiculous interactions between people and these invisible organisms, Moyashimon is a great choice!
Ketsukigata-kun! follows the adventures of the four blood types as different characters. Each of the four types embraces their unique stereotypes from Japan and Korea as they go through situations. Despite being faceless, these four characters manage to capture our hearts with their antics! And each time we laugh at how a certain character reacts to something, we are reminded that each person is different, and no one can really be categorized so simply.
Both Hataraku Saibou and Ketsuekigata-kun! revolved around blood as an anthropomorphic character in some fashion. Both shows include plenty of great character moments that bring them to life. In Hataraku Saibou we see the different red and white blood cell types interact with each other in the body, working together to keep everything functioning. Meanwhile, Ketsuekigata-kun! shows off the different blood types of people as a whole, giving them personalities based on stereotypes. The two shows are very different in nature, but use similar chibi designs, as well as similar styles of comedy. We are drawn into both anime despite their strange premises because they are so enjoyable! If you’re a fan of the humor in Hataraku Saibou, you will love Ketsuekigata-kun!
To battle an evil empire, three children must use their “Foodons,” which are unusual creatures made from various food. Together, Zen, his sister Karen and their friend Pitan must use everything at their advantage to win the fight!
Fighting Foodons and Hataraku Saibou both thrive on their ability to use anthropomorphic characters to add to a story. They both feature battling, though in vastly different settings. These anime may both seem like simple, lighthearted comedies, but both have depth to them in the story they are telling. Both anime also have similar character designs, giving way to the silly antics the characters sometimes get up to. Though Hataraku Saibou is more of an educational anime, Fighting Foodons follows the classic shounen tropes. Yet, if you enjoy Hataraku Saibou, Fighting Foodons is a great choice to follow that anthropomorphic theme!
If you’ve been craving more Hataraku Saibou between episodes, here are six anime which may help relieve that feeling! Each of these anime has unique characters that stand out, allowing the respective shows to teach their audience something important along the way. If you’re a fan of entertaining but educational anime, be sure to check out some of these options!
Let us know which of these anime you’ve enjoyed the most. And please alert us to any other series we might have missed that is like Hataraku Saibou! Stay tuned to more great content from Honey’s Anime!
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Visual novel fans, this is the moment you've been waiting for! The English-language version of beloved sci-fi visual novel ISLAND has been released on Steam by Tokyo-based visual novel developer Frontwing. The title features an intricate story with branching paths, and a sophisticated flowchart system for navigating the various routes. ISLAND will be available to purchase for $39.99, with a 10% discount for the launch week. Release on other platforms is currently under consideration.
For those who may not know, ISLAND was originally released in Japan in 2016 and has become one of Frontwing’s best-selling and highest-rated titles. It had a PS Vita port back in 2017, with a PS4 port that released this year to positive praise. The anime adaptation, which is being directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi of feel, inc., is currently airing in Japan and on Crunchyroll for NA viewers.
In addition to all of this wonderful news, a Kickstarter campaign is underway offering physical English-language copies of both the game and anime adaptation! Among the campaign’s stretch goals is an English-language release of the PS4 port of ISLAND, as well as a full English translation of a brand-new artbook. The campaign is open until October 2018 and has a funding goal of $50,000. If you'd like to support this awesome campaign then be sure to visit the official Kickstarter page for details!
The English localization of ISLAND was overseen by Frontwing’s experienced in-house localization team, in collaboration with freelance translator Meru and editor DxS. Look forward to our full review soon!
The story of ISLAND revolves around Sanzenkai Setsuna, a young man who awakes on the shore of Urashima with no memory of his past. During the game, players explore Setsuna's relationship with three girls on the island, Rinne, Karen, and Sara. As he uncovers the hidden secrets of Urashima's past - and future - Setsuna must fight against fate to protect that which he treasures most.
Screenshots
[balloon_speech align="left" text="YES! Finally it's arrived! I've been waiting so patiently for this!" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Sara-chan!! I love her so much! Can't wait to check everything out!" image="honey-happy1"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
We bring great news and this time it comes from the folks over at Aniplex America, who announced earlier today that tickets for for the special premiere event of Sword Art Online – Alicization – are on sale now! This is a special event that Aniplex America put together to promote the upcoming third season of the series.
Part of a worldwide celebration alongside six other countries including Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Russia, and Korea, the U.S. special premiere event will be held on Saturday, September 15th at the stunning Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, California. Fans will receive an original illustration board at the event and be treated to a special English subtitled screening of a supersized one hour first episode of Sword Art Online – Alicization –, several weeks in advance of the series’ premiere in October.
Aniplex of America also plans to host an exclusive Sword Art Online retail store at the Montalbán Theatre, where fans will have an opportunity to snag exclusive Sword Art Online – Alicization – merchandise from Japan as well as a variety of Sword Art Online goods. Tickets for the special premiere event are priced at $15 and available at the official website
Doors are scheduled to open at 4 p.m. (PDT) on September 15th with the show starting at 6 p.m. (PDT). Fans are urged to buy tickets early as seating is extremely limited, and the event is expected to sell out very quickly.
“Where…am I…?”
Before he knows it, Kirito has made a full-dive into an epic, fantasy-like virtual world. With only a murky recollection of what happened right before he logged in, he starts to wander around, searching for clues.
He comes upon an enormous, pitch dark tree called the Gigas Cedar, where he encounters a boy.
“My name is Eugeo. Nice to meet you, Kirito.”
Although he is supposedly a resident of the virtual world - an NPC - the boy shows the same array of emotions as any human being.
As Kirito bonds with Eugeo, he continues to search for a way to log out of this world. Meanwhile, he remembers a certain memory deep down within him.
He remembers racing through the mountains with Eugeo as a child… A memory that he should not have in the first place. And in this memory, he sees someone other than Eugeo, a young blond girl.
Her name is Alice. And it is a name that must never be forgotten…
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Ohhh I'm so amped to see this!! Just a few weeks away!" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Yeah I'm really pumped to see how the story unfolds between Eugeo and Kirito!" image="honey-happy4"]
Anime NYC powered by Crunchyroll has announced the final artist to join the lineup of the inaugural Anisong World Matsuri concert event in New York City, to be held November 16 and 17 at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom. nano (Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Btooom!) will join previously announced J-Pop artists Luna Haruna, Shoko Nakagawa, Morning Musume。’18 and more for the two-day Anisong World Matsuri at Anime NYC. Tickets and VIP packages will go on sale beginning Monday, August 27 for Anime NYC Mega Ticket holders, with general pre-sales starting later in the week.
The Anisong World Matsuri at Anime NYC concert event is the first time the Anisong World Matsuri concert series will be presented in New York after shows in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Shanghai. The November 16th and 17th concerts will be open to anime fans and music lovers worldwide, with no Anime NYC badge required to attend. Ticket details are listed below.
Anisong World Matsuri brings together the most popular Japanese singers whose songs span the most popular anime of the last decade. Hironobu Kageyama is the leader of super group JAM Project and the voice behind Dragon Ball Z’s “Cha-La Head-Cha-La”. Hiroshi Kitadani is best known for “We Are!” from One Piece. Shoko Nakagawa sang Gurren Lagann’s “Sorairo Days”. Konomi Suzuki is behind “Redo” from Re:Zero. TRUE has given voice to themes from anime including Violet Evergarden, Sound Euphonium, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Luna Haruna has performed themes for Sword Art Online, Fate/Zero, Monogatari, and more. Niconico star and New York City native nano has contributed songs to Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Btooom!, and Gunslinger Stratos 2. Morning Musume。,one of the biggest Japanese girl groups of all time, has sold millions of albums and celebrates their 20th anniversary this year. Morning Musume。’18 is the group’s current lineup.
Anisong World Matsuri has also released a special message video from Morning Musume。’18 to fans in New York, including comments from Haruna Iikubo, who will make her final overseas appearance at the concert event in November.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="More anisong for everyone! Time to pack my things for NYC!" image="mo-blush"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="nano will be there too! Yay!!" image="honey-happy5"]
Summer has flown by too quickly for many of us, and now it’s time to gear up for fall. With several more weeks until the start of tedious work or school, we have the chance to remember the summer break, with tons of fantastic Summer 2018 sports anime! Take us back to the beach, to the crystal clear water, warm sand, bikini babes, and washboard abs. With so much fun in the sun, we at Honey’s present 6 anime like Harukana Receive, including shows that feature the thrills of competition, sports, and a whole lot of fun. Hopefully, these series will fall right on your watch list! Game set? Serve!
Hanebado! centers on the stories of Ayano Hanesaki and Nagisa Aragaki, first and third-year students at Kanagawa Prefectural Kitakomachi High School. Girls from different backgrounds united by a common skill -badminton- Ayano and Nagisa are encouraged by coach Kentarou Tachibana, classmates, and their competition to become the best players in the high school sports circuit. The challenge is on and the birdies are hot!
Hanebado! and Harukana Receive are both current and exciting Summer 2018 anime that deal with sports which aren’t as mainstream or popular. Badminton and beach volleyball are sports that work in pairs, and we see how all the girls collaborate seamlessly. With their heads in the game and 100% commitment, the characters in both series are incredibly smart, utilizing both elements of talent and strategy. Although the animation style is different in both, as Hanebado! presents sharp and vibrant colors and Harukana displays light pastels, each anime provides viewers with an engaging and entertaining storyline. Oh, and let's not forget the fanservice!
Keijo!!!!!!!! is an anime about a fictional competitive sport that pits well-endowed ladies against one another in wrestling-like fashion upon a platform floating on water. The only methods of attack that these ladies can use are their boobs and butt! The sport of Keijo is so intense that there is an institution dedicated to training prospective Keijo participants. Sweeping across the country, many young ladies qualify and participate as Keijo players to become the next national champion and win the first place prize!
Keijo!!!!!!!! and Harukana Receive revolve around a similar plot of a group of teenage girls participating in some very odd sports, Keijo and beach volleyball. These girls train extremely hard to be the best in the sporting league, sharing the aspiration of making it big, striving to be on the top. Although at first glance viewers might resist starting a series of this nature, Keijo!!!!!!!! and Harukana Receive are surprisingly entertaining, if you enjoy all angles of action sequences. Ready, set, give it a go!
All Out!! introduces us to Gion Kenji, a high school student who is short but makes up for what he lacks with an upbeat and spunky personality. In this anime, we are also presented with Iwashimizu Sumiaki, Hachiouji Mutsumi, and Sekizan Takuya, who join the school’s rugby team at different times. In the introductory scenes, shorty Gion comes to the defense of towering Iwashimizu, as some bullies have him cornered. In a scenario you usually don’t see, the two instantly become acquainted. Furthermore, Hachiouji is the one that brings Gion into the world of rugby, asking Gion and Iwashimizu to watch a scrimmage. From that moment, Gion is drawn to the action and excitement. All Out!! gives viewers a glimpse of rugby action and skills in addition to meeting the team’s other valuable members.
Damn, are you sure you guys are in high school? All Out!! and Harukana Receive are two great sports anime that highlight the passion and drive participating in a team sport. Even though both groups of teens are still very young, they demonstrate determination and sacrifice that generally isn’t present until we reach our adult years. On top of an engaging storyline that includes accurate sports jargon is the eye candy. The guys and gals of All Out!! and Harukana Receive are diverse and intriguing.
Softenni is a sports comedy anime that centers on the members of the Soft Tennis Club. These middle school tennis players, Chitose Akiyama, Kurusu Fuyukawa, Asuna Harukaze, Kotone Sawanatsu, and Elizabeth Warren must struggle and overcome the challenges of their lives as they practice and “break” for the nationals.
Softenni and Harukana Receive are both excellent sports anime that are all about girl power. While we usually see guys exerting themselves in various physically demanding sports, it’s nice to see girls of all shapes and sizes doing just as well in tennis and beach volleyball. Both lighthearted and simplistic, Softenni and Harukana Receive are two comedic, school, sports, and ecchi anime that display the fun and moving stories of these all-girl teams.
Walkure Romanze takes place in a town called Helen’s Hill. At a prestigious school called Winford Academy, the students learn how to become knights, proper horseback riding techniques, and the sport of jousting. We are introduced to a young man named Takahiro Mizuno, a young jouster whose career ended quickly due to an injury. Still invested in the sport, Takahiro joined the Begleiter (assistant) program. Takahiro excels in the program, making him very popular and, unfortunately for many classmates, turns down their offer. One day, in a bizarre accident, Takahiro’s friend, Mio Kisaki is challenged to a duel even though she isn’t truly a knight. Takahiro agrees to become her temporary Begleiter, but that only opens the door to the beginning of their partnership.
“Teamwork makes the dream work!” Walkure Romanze and Harukana Receive spotlight on two exciting sports, jousting and beach volleyball, which sets them apart from other sports anime. We learn in both stories that working in concert with someone is extremely important to have a high chance of winning. Each duo must rely on trust and skill and viewers can quickly identify the close relationships in Walkure Romanze and Harukana Receive. Two engaging sports anime that shouldn’t be passed up.
6. Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai! (Wanna Be the Strongest in the World)
Wanna Be the Strongest in the World is the story of Hagiwara Sakura and Miyazawa Elena. These gals are the leading members of a popular idol group, Sweet Diva. One day, female pro-wrestler Kazama Rio injures Elena with a attack during a recording of a TV program. The attack infuriates Sakura and she suddenly dropkicks Rio. Damn! However, Rio isn’t going to see the end of it, as Sakura enters the female pro-wrestling matches to avenge Elena.
Boobs? Check! Butts? Check! Wanna Be the Strongest in the World and Harukana Receive have all there is to offer when it comes to action, sports, and ecchi anime. Wrestling and beach volleyball are the sports featured in each storyline, but it’s difficult to uncover with all that fan service in your face! As wrestling and beach volleyball are unique sports typically dominated by males, viewers are given a glimpse of what it could be like if another gender played these games. Wanna Be the Strongest in the World and Harukana Receive show that women can participate in these sports too. With characters that are intriguing and colorful, it’s hard to turn away from these anime.
We hope you enjoyed our recommendations for 6 anime like Harukana Receive. What do you guys think? Did we leave any good ones out? What other anime similar to this one can you suggest to other readers and us? Leave your comments below! See ya!
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Earlier today the awesome team at XSEED Games officially announced that the latest in the SENRAN KAGURA series, SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions, will be headed to Nintendo Switch. This title focuses on delivering players exciting physical and emotional sensations. All of this will be available in North America as a digital download in the Nintendo eShop on Thursday, September 13th for $9.99.
Fans who wish to lay claim to this new entry a little early can pre-purchase the game from the North American eShop right now. The publisher also confirmed that additional fan-favorite characters will be available as DLC content for $9.99 each: Yumi will be available at launch, followed by Murasaki, Ryōna, and Yomi in the weeks to follow.
SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions - Launch Date Announcement Trailer
Synopsis
After brutal melees, rhythmic cooking contests, and shockingly serious water gun fights, the SENRAN KAGURA series is ready to take on the world of interactive storytelling for the first time and give players a chance to get to know the shinobi heroine Asuka in surprising new ways. SENRAN KAGURA Reflexions uses the unique properties of the Joy-Con to employ the art of reflexology and massage. Melt away Asuka’s worries and stresses by hand or through a variety of useful tools, and explore deeper relationships than have ever been possible in the series before.
Gameplay Features
The unique properties of the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers will let fans get closer than ever to some of the shinobi girls of SENRAN KAGURA, starting with Asuka of the Hanzō National Academy. Get “hands-on” and help massage away her stress by employing the art of reflexology, deepening the relationship formed with her while progressing through a narrative experience with multiple endings. Pay close attention to Asuka’s feedback from the HD rumble technology in the Joy-Con controllers, as the better players react to her signals, the closer they will become to her.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Oh yessss! Show me the oppai baby!" image="bee-prev"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text=Bouncy bouncy!" image="bombon-ecchi2"]
Summer is finally here and now that we have passed the halfway point, we figured it was time to revisit those shows that didn’t pass the three episode test. Whether they were just plain boring, the story didn’t grab us, or other shows just seemed more interesting overall, these are the shows that we dropped. While we do understand that everyone’s tastes are different, these are to us, what we felt like were easily able to be passed on. Note that we are not telling you to drop them, these are just what failed to keep our attention. If you have dropped similar anime, then be sure to let us know down below what your thoughts are. Without further adieu, let’s move onto the list!
Baki is about a super powerful high school fighter named Baki Hanma (Hammer) who wants Baki to get back into underground fighting. Baki possesses a fantastic about a fighting ability and intuition, and many hardened criminals from around the world want to meet with him. His father too was a legend, thus others want to see if his son lives up to the Baki name. When Baki does eventually arrive at the ring, he meets the hardened criminals who have escaped from all over the world to come to Tokyo to fight him. Thus his battle begins...
The first reason why we gave this the chop is the story. There is little to no explanation as to how the criminals know that Baki is in Tokyo. They just are all magically drawn to it and head there. The art is terrible and gives that Isekai Blesser of Enjerhar anime a run for its money for worst animation this season. There is really no story either as you just watch hyper-violent fights with pointless dialogue as the criminals escape from their prisons one by one. Nothing really seems interesting about it, and overall, this feels like a poor man’s Megalo Box which was an excellent series from Spring 2018.
Iori Kitahara has just moved to live in his uncle’s surfing shop while he attends a nearby university. He opens the door to the shop and finds a bunch of drunk, muscular men in various states of undress. They are part of a diving club. They tend to drink a lot though and enjoy getting naked with each other. They coerce Iori and Kouhei, an otaku who also cannot swim just like Iori, into joining. This is their journey about learning how to swim and appreciating diving.
Grand Blue appeared to be a lot like Amanchu! on the surface, but unfortunately, the series is not. It’s a lot of dick jokes, which in and of themselves are funny, but grow stale after three episodes. There are lots of drinking jokes as well, but again, this is nothing to write home about after three episodes. There is one brief scene about diving in the third episode, but the show seems to be focusing more on getting plastered and getting naked, because that’s what people do when they drink? The story was not entertaining enough to keep going and that is why we dropped it.
In 2030, there is a great sonar reverberation that occurs and paralyzes Tokyo. Then, a red mist sets in and all humans lose consciousness. Six days later though, humans start to wake up. That’s when some humans awake to their new powers known as “Hero’s Blood”. This allows them to wield weapons and attack monsters that are starting to appear at an alarming rate. Then, Chihiro, our main character, is the last of the humans to wake up. Adjusting to this new life, secluded from the rest of the world, he starts to meet with a mysterious woman known as Yuuri. Things continue to get more complicated as he learns that the monsters were previously humans. Now, swayed by the blood and led by it, Chihiro must learn to use his power and stop those who would do society harm.
It is not that Lord of Vermilion is bad. It’s not at all. Rather, it’s just too much information at once. Rather than sipping from a spring, you are trying to drink from a fire hydrant of information. Playing the game we assume would be helpful, but there is just so much information crammed, especially in episode 3, that it’s impossible to retain it all. Combine that with a week wait for the next episode, and anyone would be lost. It feels a lot like To Aru Majutsu no Index, and truth be told, if it moved at the pace that To Aru did and had a two cours episode count, Lord of Vermilion could have easily been a success. Unlike Persona 5 which does a great job mitigating everything into the anime itself, Lord of Vermilion struggles with not only the 12 episode syndrome, but also what is relevant information and what is not. Sure, it tries to explain it all, but there is just too much to take in and that’s why we dropped it.
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Asobi Asobase is a story about three classmates who end up forming a club where they can play games and explore hobbies to pass the time with. There’s Olivia who pretends to be good at English and know all things foreign just because she’s of western descent but she’s actually Japanese born. Then there’s Hanako, who is rich and talented in all aspects except she can be a tad slow at everything else. Of course, there’s Kasumi who looks to be booksmart but is terrible at English, too.
Now, I know people absolutely love this anime, but I just can’t take all of the comedy. It’s outrageous and has me laughing at times and totally flabbergasted all the others. To me, it’s a lot like watching Nichijou and Gintama, which were both enjoyable, but these types of comedy just don’t hold my interest for too long. Asobi Asobase is good for people looking for a good laugh and have some time to relax, but unfortunately, I just don’t have the time nor the care for such comedy so I just gotta give it the axe.
Jashin is summoned by Yurine who has no idea how to send her back no matter how much Jashin wants. As such, Jashin has to live with Yurine, a girl who lives on a tight budget. Jashin gets it in her head that if Yurine dies, Jashin can return back to Hell, so Jashin spends her day plotting out Yurine’s demise.
Man, this was one of the painful anime to watch this season. The jokes about Jashin trying to kill Yurine and ending up being chopped up in pieces are overdone and extremely gruesome. It’s got some sort of guro-comedy going on that I just don’t enjoy. That and the other characters just aren’t as interesting. It feels like a badly done Monster Musume, Demi-chan wa Kataritai, and Centaur no Nayami mash up with bad animation and mediocre jokes.
Suou Yuuto has somehow become the patriarch of his clan of women that he is saving from one fate or another. Together, Yuuto will learn how exactly to survive in this world. With all that he learns, Yuuto is aiming to become a king with a harem of women around him.
Oh gosh, this was even worse than Jashin-chan no Dropkick. It’s so cringy listening to the girls refer to Yuuto as “father” or “big brother.” If it’s a term of affection, it feels a bit too oversexualized and creepy for my taste. Then Yuuto is so OP, it’s boring. And of course, we have gratuitous amounts of fan service which puts this anime over the top as an ecchi anime aiming to be nothing more than just ecchi with the pretense of a plot. Anime like Masou Gakuen HxH and Keijo!! owned their ecchi-ness, but Hyakuren no Haou just does not.
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Final Thoughts
They say that 3 is the magic number and yet, even after 3 episodes, these 6 anime failed to keep us interested. They weren’t exactly worth dropping immediately, but damn, they sure weren’t worth keeping on our watch lists. What do you readers think? Did you manage to give any of these a chance like we did? Or perhaps there were other anime that just failed the 3 episode test for you? Share all of your thoughts down below and thank you for joining us once again at Honey’s Anime.
Arguably the most popular genre of anime, shounen anime are action-based and aimed at a young male audience. Despite the specifically targeted viewership, shounen anime can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life! Yet, because of the targeted audience, the main protagonist is often a young male himself, to relate to viewers. Some shounen characters are more enjoyable than others, though it is not always clear why… Here’s where we come in! We’re here today to briefly look at some reasons why this might be, and talk about what makes one shounen lead character better than another!
Common Tropes
Because most shounen anime are directed at the same audience, the main characters tend to follow similar themes. These characters usually come from nothing, and often have lost their parental guardians to some sort of tragedy. Though they may struggle with some sort of hindrance or unusual obstacle, all shounen protagonists have big dreams they are striving to reach. And, of course, many of them are rather loud characters, making their wishes and dreams known to everyone in their vicinity – not always the most entertaining trait to have in a main character…
Biggest Draws
Shounen protagonists are popular for many reasons. Of course, since they are the main characters, we often get to see their growth in a more detailed way than many of the supporting cast. This can make them seem more relatable to us, as we get to see many of our own personality traits or impending struggles up close despite the fact that they may be in an unusual setting.
We also get to see these characters push forward to achieve their goals against insurmountable odds. Despite their many hardships in life, these characters keep trying, standing up for themselves and those people they care about. This is certainly a big source of inspiration for us as an audience – we may not have a demon fox sealed within us like Naruto or need to fight off Titans like Eren, but we can take this same inspired determination into our own lives!
One of the reasons that many shounen protagonists are well known is because their personalities are hard to miss in the world of anime! They are often loud and obnoxious compared to many other characters in their setting, often shouting their dreams aloud or using their focus as a dogged ignorance for comedic effect. Even as shounen protagonists are loved for their relatable nature, their obnoxious personalities can take some viewers out of the moment and setting.
Shounen characters can also be quite predictable. Since the protagonists are meant to overcome great odds to achieve their obstacles, they usually win their fights, taking some of the suspense out of the battles. A perfect example of these flaws can be seen in Asta, the main character of Black Clover. Asta spends most of his first few episodes shouting every single line, and winning his fights whenever he runs in with his giant sword. Of course, we’ve been enjoying Black Clover just as much as anyone – but those first few episodes are almost painful to get through!
Additional Elements – Setting and Story
Though the main characters are the focus of any anime, we must also give a nod to the other elements helping to hold them up, including the setting and the storyline. Varying from ninja to demons and from warriors to pirates, shounen can cover a wide range of settings, giving them just as wide a range of stories to tell. Each setting’s details are what sets the shounen apart, giving life to the characters within. Even shounen set in a school can have vast differences from one to another, as seen in the differences between shows like Boku no Hero Academia, Shokugeki no Souma, and Ansatsu Kyoushitsu, just to name a few. It is interesting to note which combinations of genre seem to do better than others – but ultimately, the characters are what really hold an anime up.
Changing It Up – In A Good Way
There are several shounen characters that try to change up a few elements to keep things interesting for the viewers. Shounen comedies like Aho Girl like to deter from the serious nature of dreams, often being more lighthearted overall. Meanwhile, there are more serious shounen crossovers like Death Note. Its main character, Light Yagami, is technically the villain in his own world, hoping to create a new world that he would rule over as a god. Even shounen leads with one small change in trait can make a big difference. Nanatsu no Taizai features the protagonist of Meliodas, who is unusually resolute and serious for a shounen, focusing more on protecting others around him than any big dreams of his own.
This is only a brief look at the various characteristics that make up a shounen protagonist! Of course, what is considered an asset or a detriment is up to each individual person, but there are certain positives and negatives that most shounen leads seem to embrace. We hope that you will be able to look at your favorite shounen characters in a new light!
Who is your favorite shounen lead? Do they follow any of the characteristics we mentioned? We would love to talk more about shounen with you in the comments section!
Sakuma Takamoto cares only for the game world of Cross Reverie, where he is the uncontested strongest player. He hates lovey-dovey couples bringing their romance into his haven of MMORPG and is all-around terrible at talking with others. For those of us who have ever had 3-5+ days of incessant gaming, we know how easy it is to lose touch. Now imagine you’re suddenly supposed to hold conversations with characters in a game where everything used to be scripted! Terrible. Having taken his ability to log off for granted, Takamoto, or should we say Diablo, will have to truly devote his life to the game or risk losing it entirely. At least the cute in-game girls are a nice consolation prize for an overpowered demon lord.
Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu is definitely not the first of its kind but is nonetheless a fun show. There’s stereotypical ecchi humor, but enough originality to keep things interesting. Our two main girls Shera and Rem (what is it with fantasy girls named Rem?) are very cute and appeal to fantasy lovers. One of the fun elements of this show is the main character is not a goody-two-shoes trying so hard to fend off horny women, but an awkward guy hiding under incredible bravado and unrivaled power. While shows like Sword Art Online have a serious main guy guided by an earnest goodwill, most of these shows have a dorky male protagonist hoping his affinity for games will distract from his society-based shortcomings. Funny fantasy and girls galore await in these 6 anime like Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu.
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Similar Anime to Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu / Similar Anime to How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
Thousands of players log on to Elder Tale as the time for the game’s latest update draws near. All of a sudden, experienced adult gamer Shiroe finds himself inside the game as his avatar along with a few of his in-game comrades and unable to log off. Players all over the world are at a loss as to how they ended up inside the game and in-game teleportation portals are offline keeping some players isolated. What was once a world of escape has become a world they can’t escape from. Having spent more of his time and attention to Elder Tale than he ever did in the real world, Shiroe and his close companions Naotsugu and Akatsuki work to bring order and peace to the masses of terrified players.
Log Horizon has a bit of a foreboding theme compared to Isekai Maou, but it’s not without humor. Naotsugu is a proud pervert who doesn’t get up to much thanks to the constant efforts of their tiny teammate assassin Akatsuki who knees Naotsugu in the face the moment he begins to say something dirty. She’s as deadly as she is cute and considers Shiroe a savior to her, much like Shera and Rem see their rude master as their hero. Shiroe is a good guy but he definitely does what he wants, as seen when he denies joining his friend’s guild despite her begging. While neither Shiroe nor Diablo may have amounted to much in the real world, their knowledge and skills prove to be tantamount to those in the virtual world. It’s a bit more serious and a lot less ecchi but it’s great for those who love the constant reminder that one has been transported inside an MMO.
Shiro and Sora are the devastating sibling duo Blank that is the ultimate gaming master. All of their time is spent proving their superiority over all other gamers until one day they receive an invitation to another world that revolves around games called Disboard. They think it’s a joke until the god Tet whisks them away and the two have to figure out how to survive in a world where games take the place of battles and wars. With their meaningless lives gone, Sora and Shiro find a new purpose. They will unite the 16 races in Disboard and challenge Tet for the title of God, thus becoming the ultimate masters of games.
Think the life of a hikikomori is lonely? Not when your sibling is ignoring the outside world right beside you! Shiro and Sora both have equal levels of pride compared to Diablo who has never known an equal as long as he’s played. No one wants out once they’re in despite their disbelief at how these worlds can exist. Sora and Shiro share Diablo’s self-serving nature but end up using their superior powers to protect people (though they’ll still take advantage of cute girls). There’s more strategy than simple battle-focused gaming in No Game No Life, but both shows have ample amounts of attractive, fanciful-looking girls throwing themselves at the main characters!
In the final moments before fantasy MMORPG Yggdrasil is closed for good, the most powerful player in the game, Momonga, decides to sit on his throne to relish in his glory for as long as possible. He even decides to change the code on one of the NPCs, Albedo, so that she’s in love with his character as a last little hoorah to himself. Instead of being forced off the server, the player’s consciousness is shifted to Momonga and all the NPCs start communicating like regular people! As a guy with no real life skills, he tries to keep up his almighty dark lord illusion while testing his abilities and trying to make sense of how he ended up inside the game.
Overlord and Isekai Maou are probably the most similar of all the anime on our list. Momonga and Diablo are the most self-serving yet awkward demon and sorcerer of darkness. They want to be the most destructive, not heroic, yet get easily flustered when the in-game ladies show them affection. Both care far more about learning about their unstoppable powers and the world around them than returning to their boring, isolated lives.
Overlord Promotion Video 2
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Any Anime Like How Not to Summon a Demon Lord / Any Anime Like Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu ?
4. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!)
Kazuma Satou can’t care less about his life unless it involves video games. When he dies a rather embarrassing death, the goddess Aqua gives the game addict a chance to be reborn in a fantasy RPG-like world and one thing to take with him to defeat the demon lord. Because Aqua made fun of his regrettable death, Satou decides he’ll be dragging Aqua with him to show her a thing or two! They’re both in for a rough time, however, as neither Satou nor Aqua end up being particularly powerful. As more semi-useful characters join them, perhaps they’ll be able to at least keep a roof over their heads.
Satou is definitely not the overpowered protagonist that Diablo is, but both guys make use of all the time they spent not talking to real girls in favor of playing video games to survive in these different worlds. Satou’s world is more of a magical other world than a game, but power is measured by levels and quests have to be asked for at a guild just like in the world of Cross Reverie. Both guys somehow manage to attract women without even trying because, hey, if you’re gonna have a fantasy setting, might as well go all out.
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shufuku wo! PV
5. Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni (In Another World with My Smartphone)
When God accidentally kills easygoing Mochizuka Touya, he hopes promising to reincarnate him in a fantasy world with a powerful, magical smartphone will make it up to him. Sure enough, Touya is thankful for the opportunity. Now one of the most powerful men in all the land, Touya quickly attracts many people (mostly girls!) with his prowess and good nature. Excluding the times he tries to see the girls exposed, of course. Obtaining quests at the guild, learning new magic, and managing a group of girls all vying for his attention is a lot to handle in an unfamiliar world even with his incredible powers.
Isekai wa Smartphone follows the same setting of KonoSuba where a god intervenes to reincarnate someone in a game-like world, but lucky for Touya, he’s made to be incredibly good at literally everything. Just as how the most high-level characters in Diablo’s world can’t do much to damage him, Touya easily wipes the floor with his opponents. Both characters owe much of their success to their crazy powerful objects. For Diablo, his ring reflects any and all magic used on him back on the caster and Touya’s smartphone allows him to see enemies’ weaknesses, gather supplies, and do just about anything else. Both guys want to protect the girls around them but also aren’t turning down chances to peep at them, sometimes even taking matters into their own hands!
TV Anime Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni PV 2
6. Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku (Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody)
Getting a job as a game developer working day in and day out with no time for a girlfriend may not seem like a good life, but even on his sleepiest nights, Suzuki Ichirou seems content. At least he gets to try out the games to test patches and see if bugs are fixed, always under the name Satou. After a death march of game alterations, Ichirou wakes up as ‘Satou’ in what appears to be a merged video game of the last two projects he worked on. He’s able to view a transparent screen like one might see sitting on their computer playing an RPG to cast spells and use items but when an arrow pierces his arm, he knows this is no ordinary game. After somehow leveling up like crazy, Satou sets out to learn more about this game in hopes it will help with his own work. That is, if he can ever figure out how to get home!
Death March almost never lets you forget this world is an RPG,, as Satou is constantly pulling up information screens, using items from his bag, or selecting spells just as one might sitting at their computer at home. Instead of just focusing on the setting being a game and listening to a monologue of what games are like, you get a very clear visual which further immerses you into the gamers POV. Both Satou and Diablo easily attract a number of cuties with their powerful displays of might while it certainly did nothing for them in the real world. It’s a more serious anime but still has it’s funny moments.
Anime like Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu let us see what it would be like if we really were plucked from our chairs and suddenly appeared in the video game we were playing. It’s a common fantasy for gamers, as often our gaming selves are what we aspire to be in skill and in looks. Of course, it also fulfills the old power and women fantasy that’s been sought after since the dawn of man. It’s nice to think that the hours we spend in front of a TV might make us grand adventures one day, but until then, we hope you enjoy these 6 anime like Isekai Maou!
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
The highly anticipated release of “My Hero Academia: Two Heroes” is just a month away and starting today fans across North America can now purchase advance tickets via the official movie website to screenings in more than 500 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Buzz about this first feature film from the award-winning My Hero Academia franchise has anime enthusiasts clamoring across social media for the latest news and information about the movie. “My Hero Academia: Two Heroes” will have a five-day theatrical run, September 25, 26, 27, 29 and October 2, 2018, and will screen in both English dub (September 25, 27, 29) and Japanese with English subtitles (September 26, October 2).
To celebrate the opening of the film, Funimation Films will host the English dub red carpet world premiere on Thursday, September 13, at the Regal Cinema L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Calif. Special guests at the premiere will include English cast and crew, studio executives, industry personalities, other celebrity guests and prominent My Hero Academia cosplayers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXJT4_CQOHM
Our favorite young hero-in training is in for a wild ride when villains threaten the artificial moving city, I-Island. Deku and All Might receive an invitation to I-Expo, the world’s leading exhibition of Quirk abilities and hero item innovations! Amid the excitement, sponsors, and pros from all over, Deku meets Melissa, a girl who is Quirkless just like he once was. Suddenly, I-Expo’s top-of-the-line security system gets hacked by villains, and a sinister plan is set in motion. It’s a serious threat to hero society, and one man holds the key to it all—the symbol of peace, All Might.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="All I want to see is my waifu Momo! Give me Momo and Tsuyu!" image="bee-love"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Kero Kero! Tsuyu-chan!!! I can't wait to watch this movie!" image="honey-happy5"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
HIDIVE announced today that it acquired streaming rights to No Game, No Life Zero, the feature-length film and prequel to the wildly popular No Game, No Life anime series. Beginning September 1, 2018 (16:30 UTC), HIDIVE subscribers in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and other select territories can experience what audiences described as the perfect, action-packed adaptation to the light novel during its hugely successful theatrical release.
HIDIVE subscribers can also experience the film with English and Spanish dubs as well as English and Spanish subtitles.
Travel 6,000 years before Shiro and Sora’s epic journey through Disboard and witness humanity’s struggle to survive as other more powerful races battle for dominance. Despite being on the edge of extinction, a young man named Riku holds on to the fading light of hope for a better future. Determined to do everything in his power to achieve his goal, he journeys to a dead city where he encounters an unlikely companion: an exiled female android named Schwi who wants to know what it’s like to have a human heart. Let the ultimate game for humanity’s survival begin!
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Sweet, another awesome show to check out thanks to Hidive!" image="bombon-glad"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="My life is all about games, so I understand completely" image="honey-happy4"]