New Maple Town Stories (TV) [Release dates] (2024)

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The ANN Aftershow - MILFs are OUT, GILFs are IN!

DAN DA DAN introduces anime's hottest grandma! ― MILFs are OUT, GILFs are IN! Dan Da Dan introduces anime's hottest grandma! The ANN After Show streams live on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter Spaces on Tuesdays at 6pm PT/9pm ET. You can listen to the podcast version on Wednesdays on Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. The ANN After Show is part of the BLEAV Networ...

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The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Volumes 1-3 Manga Review

Author Saka Mikami 's main theme is the exploration of how uninformed judgments of others, especially when fuelled by humanity's innate tribalism, lead to unfair treatment and social ostracization. ― The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignityis one of those heart-warming romance manga where if you're not grinning with delight by the end of the first volume, there's probably something broken in your soul...

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This Week in Games - What A Horrible Halloween To Have A Column

AI translation rears its head again, Masahiro Sakurai stunts on everyone, Castlevania comes to Vampire Survivors, and Jean-Karlo has five games to bring in the spooky season. ― Welcome back, folks! The Fall Manga Guide is finally up, and with it a lot of behind-the-scenes work I was doing. Does that mean I finally have time to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3? Nope! Not only do I have to prepare my panels...

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The Anime Backlog - Symphogear

After over 10 years, Lynzee tries out Symphogear but like a song played off-key, she can't quite connect with its incongruent elements. ― Hi everyone, how are you enjoying the new anime season? While it's not doing any favors for my ever-growing backlog, I've rounded out my must-watch to about four shows: Dan Da Dan, Orb, Blue Box, and Ranma 1/2. Coincidentally, they're all airing on Netflix this ti...

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Which Summer 2024 Anime are Popular in the U.S. Compared to Japan?

We have a new deep-dive from Miles Atherton to find out which anime captured the most fans last season! ― Anime has never been bigger in the United States of America. It's a big statement to make but relatively easy to qualify. According to research from Polygon from 2023, “56% of Gen Z respondents and 41% of Millennial respondents say they watch anime at least once a month” with the supermajority o...

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Tetsuya Chiba Becomes 1st Manga Creator to be Honored With Japan's Order of Culture

Ashita no Joe manga creator states he feels great sense of responsibility with honor ― The Japanese government honored Ashita no Joe manga creator Tetsuya Chiba on Friday with its prestigious Order of Culture award. Tetsuya is the first manga creator to receive the honor. The order is awarded to those "who have made outstanding contributions in developing" Japanese culture. Chiba stated in a blog pos...

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Kuromi's Pretty Journey Short Anime Gets New Series on October 31

Yūki Kaji, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Mamiko Noto, Yoko Hikasa, Rei Sakuma join cast in multiverse series ― Sanrio announced on Thursday that Kuromi's Pretty Journey, the short anime series based on its Kuromi character, will have a new series titled Kuromi's Pretty Journey ~Hachamecha! Multiverse Dasshutsu!~ (Chaotic! The Great Multiverse Escape!) that will debut on YouTube on October 31. The anime will ha...

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Gridman Universe Anime Film Review

Widely available in North America for the first time, Gridman Universe successfully ties up the loose ends of SSSS.Gridman and SSSS.Dynazenon, while fan-favorite character Akane looms heavy over the film. ― Gridman Universe is a direct sequel to both SSSS.Gridman. and SSSS.Dynazenon. It continues the plotlines and character arcs of both series, tying up loose ends for some and giving epilogues to oth...

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This Week in Anime - Merging Lanes: TOHO's Acquisition of GKIDS

With the recent announcement of TOHO's acquisition of GKIDS, Lucas and Steve discuss the rise corporate influence in the anime space. ― With the recent announcement of TOHO's acquisition of GKIDS, Lucas and Steve discuss the rise corporate influence in the anime space. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler War...

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Vspo! Esports VTuber Project Launches Anime Feature Film

Mushoku Tensei II's Hiroki Hirano helms PINE JAM film slated for end of 2025 ― Vspo!, Virtual Entertainment's esports virtual YouTuber project, debuted a teaser video on Thursday to announce that it is launching plans for a feature-length anime film. The staff plans to complete this first part of the anime project by the end of 2025. The members of Vspo! stream as VTubers and compete in esports tourn...

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Titles From Yen and Ize Presses You Don't Want to Miss this Fall

Grab your hot cocoa and a blanket – fall is reading season. ― Flowers may bloom in spring, but new books pop in the fall. With the return of colder weather, it's the perfect time to snuggle up with a new read, and this year, Ize Press, Yen Press' Korean content imprint, has you covered with a slew of new titles in a variety of genres. Yen Press has some great new stories, too, so grab your hot cocoa ...

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The Fall 2024 Manga Guide

Find your newest page-turner in the manga guide! This season's guide covers the full range of the medium, from dark and gritty to sweet romance to drama to the history of manga iconography! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginn...

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Fist of the North Star Volume 14 Manga Review

Can you recreate the magic of the relationship between Kenshiro, Raoh, Toki, and Jagi? ― Fist of the North Star Volume 14 provides Kenshiro with the most interesting set of villains of the post-Raoh era by digging into a familiar bag of tricks. This volume, almost more than any other, has me split on how to feel about the events. It is equal parts novel ideas and the same old, familiar, and unique. T...

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Interview: Danganronpa Creator Kazutaka Kodaka is Gambling His Studio's Future on His New Game

Previously stuck in development hell, Kodaka and Uchikoshi are betting the very existence of their studio, Too Kyo Games, on the success of The Hundred Line. ― The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is an upcoming visual novel/TRPG from the creative minds of Danganronpa's Kazutaka Kodaka and Zero Escape's Kotaro Uchikoshi. At Tokyo Game Show 2024, Anime News Network was able to see a bit of the new ...

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Korea's WEBTOON Entertainment In Midst of Labor Dispute

WEBTOON Entertainment's labor union is requesting fair compensation after its CEO was awarded an eye-popping $30 million in cash and stock options. ― Since going public on the U.S. stock market, WEBTOON Entertainment, the world's leading platform for Korean webcomics, has been battling a series of escalating crises. The company's stock price has plummeted by 50%, and disgruntled stockholders have fil...

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Macross Delta Anime Streaming Review

While the central couple of Hayate and Freyja are easy to root for, Macross Delta's muddled, unfocused story hampers the overall viewing experience. ― At last, the frayed, exhausted patience of (non-US) English-speaking Macross franchise fans has been rewarded. Apart from the 1982 original Super Dimension Fortress Macross and 1984 movie Do You Remember Love (both still held to ransom by Harmony Gold ...

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This Week in Anime - DAN DA DAN's Tokusatsu Connection

Coop joins the TWIA team just in time to discuss how DAN DA DAN is a love letter to Ultraman with Chris. Tokusatsu love is the purest love of all. ― Coop joins the TWIA team just in time to discuss how DAN DA DAN is a love letter to Ultraman with Chris. Tokusatsu love is the purest love of all. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anim...

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Gundam Franchise Plans Major Works Annually From 2025 Through 2029

New projects to celebrate 50th anniversary ― Naohiro Ogata, general manager of Bandai Namco Filmworks' Gundam department, said in an interview that 47News posted on Thursday that the company is planning major Gundam works annually from next year until the franchise's 50th anniversary, which will be in 2029. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the franchise. Ogata noted in particular the Hollywood...