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Several different elements must come together to craft a fantastic anime. A wonderful story is a necessity, as are likable characters. Stellar animation is always a bonus, although anime like Mob Psycho 100 proved style isn't everything. Of course, great voice actors always have a role to play as well.

However, not all voice actors stick around for the series' entire lifetime. While the reason for not remaining for an entire series may vary, from retirement to being let go for controversial reasons, a new voice actor has to come in to replace the original. This transition can sometimes be quite jarring for fans. Yet, there are times when the new voice actor that takes over the role does so with flying colors.

Kagome's New Voice Feels Slightly More Professional in Inuyasha: The Final Act Voice Actor: Kira Tozer; Streaming On Hulu

Inuyasha is a classic fantasy adventure that fans keep coming back to,...

For being often unfairly overlooked, the shojo anime demographic is one of the medium's most alluring and rich sides with its own unique set of subgenres and tropes. Most famously, shojo anime caters to romance enjoyers, its catalog of riveting love stories being thorough and prolific. The destination for fans’ most indulgent romantic fantasies, the shojo romance subgenre, nonetheless, earned a reputation of not being particularly realistic in its portrayal of relationships.

With many shojo anime either idealizing romance by focusing on the superficial joys of love or blowing their dramatics out of proportion, it’s difficult to find a love story that explores relationships with realistic nuance and doesn’t shy away from their challenges. Thankfully, these shojo anime titles rise to the challenge of authenticity, portraying their couples at their best and worst with an admirable degree of sincerity.

Related10 Best Romance Anime If You Think You Hate...

Tatsunoko Production's 1990-1990 anime Kyatto Ninden Teyandee is one of those series that was treated to a wild localization, this one by way of Saban. Thus, Samurai Pizza Cats made its way to North America in 1991, and now, nearly 35 years later, the series has a new action-rpg on the way. Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast from the Past! comes from Dutch studio Blast Zero ( Jitsu Squad ), with Red Dunes Games from the United Arab Emirates handling global distribution with a planned 2026 launch. The 2D action-rpg lets players switch between the main members of the Pizza Cats—including Speedy Cerviche, Polly Esther and Guido Anchovy—as they dash through Little Tokyo. It's currently planned for "all major platforms," and is available to wishlist on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast from the Past! Reveal Trailer Related: Feature: Why Is the Narrator Everyone's Favorite Anime Character? Original writer...

The upcoming film Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage is heating up, with its official social media account revealing fresh details. The latest update includes new cast members, a striking main visual, and a trailer that gives us a deeper look into what’s coming.

Set to hit Japanese theaters on March 14, this second installment continues the Mononoke saga, following up on Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain, which premiered in July 2024. The first film, which is streaming on Netflix, took home the Axis: Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation at last year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

The new cast lineup includes Ryō Horikawa as Fujimaki, Naomi Kusumi as Katsunuma, Yoshiko Sakakibara as Suikōin, Yukana as Sayo, and Atsumi Tanezaki as Sachiko. Previously announced additions include Chō as Yoshimichi Tokita and Kenyuu Horiuchi as Rōjū Ōtomo.

Mononoke fans will be happy to know...

The Tokyo Anime Award Festival (Taaf) unveiled its 2025 Animation of the Year winners on Jan 31, 2025, with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End taking the top prize in the television category and Look Back winning in the animated film category.

The Taaf jury selected winners from anime that premiered between Oct 1, 2023, and Sep 30, 2024.

The festival also recognized outstanding individuals across various creative roles and announced the recipients of its Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe won the Anime Fan Award with 21,316 votes, reflecting its enduring popularity among viewers.

Individual Category Winners: Original Work/Screenplay: Hiroyuki Yoshino Director: Kiyotaka Oshiyama Animator: Toko Yatabe Background/Coloring/Visual: Mai Ichioka Sound/Performance: Evan Call Lifetime Achievement Awards: Producers: Masami Iwasaki and Takayuki Yoshii Animators: Kazuhide Tomonaga Color Designers: Sachiko Nonaka Editors: Shuichi Kakesu Music Directors: Seiji Suzuki Voice Actors: Kenyu Horiuchi

The 2025 festival will take place in Tokyo from March 7-10, 2025.

Source: Official Website,...

Five years after its initial anime release, Mappa's popular Dorohedoro series has confirmed the release window for Season 2 with a new official visual and staff announcement.

Via the official website, the popular dark fantasy anime series Dorohedoro will return in 2025. "It has been five years since the TV anime Dorohedoro was broadcast on Jan. 12, 2020!" the new update reads. "To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the broadcast, the second teaser visual for the sequel series has been released!" The visual below showcases colorful storyboards and confirms that both director Yuichiro Hayashi and anime studio Mappa will be returning for the Dorohedoro sequel. Readers can check out the image and more information below.

Related Disney Reveals Exciting Update for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Fans

Disney is gearing up for the Season 6 premiere of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir with a brand-new trailer filled with new friends and foes.

2025 is in full swing, and with it comes a brand-new anime season. Plenty of anime are continuing their runs from the fall season and beyond, but as is always the case, the season is filled mostly with anime that are either returning from extended breaks or new shows to watch, entirely.

The winter 2025 anime season is another one filled with plenty of new anime, and it’s already easy for fans to plan around them. At this point, every anime in the winter 2025 season has already confirmed its premiere dates and times, so anime fans can already plan out a schedule for every new anime premiering in the winter 2025 season. There are dozens of anime to keep track of from new releases alone, and with so many titles, someone is bound to find at least one series they want to watch.

This list will focus primarily on anime premiering in...

The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a 2013 historical fantasy movie by Studio Ghibli. The movie is an adaptation of the traditional Japanese story, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. In the film, a baby is found within bamboo and raised by a man and his wife. However, the imperial palace wants Kaguya to choose a husband, leading her to grow so unhappy with life that she has no choice but to return to the moon.

This film's animation differs from typical Studio Ghibli films, resulting in a more traditional look. Despite this, fans have loved this take on a classic fable, even with its heartbreaking ending. If fans are looking for more fantastical tales based on mythology, they should check out these ten different anime.

My Happy Marriage Is a Sweet Historical Romance Streaming on: Netflix

My Happy Marriage is a historical and romantic fantasy based on the light novel...

The Fate series by Type-Moon is built around the dramatic Holy Grail Wars. These intense battles bring together Masters, skilled wizards, and Servants, who are the spirits of legendary heroes. Under the creative direction of Takashi Takeuchi and writer Kinoko Nasu, the franchise began with the visual novel Fate/Stay Night.

Since then, it has expanded into prequels, sequels, parodies, and adaptations, all connected by the iconic ‘Fate’ name. Anime has become the most popular way to experience this franchise, and it’s exciting to report about a new addition to the Fate anime world.

The next chapter, Fate/strange Fake, will soon join the lineup, as the anime is going to continue in January 2025, as we have already reported. Now, ahead of the release, a new trailer has been released and you will be able to see it below.

The new trailer is heating us up for the second episode of the series,...

Shojo anime are stories written and marketed for a young female audience, though they are enjoyed by a wide variety of viewers. While shojo anime covers too many genres to be considered formulaic, there are many popular tropes that pop up in shojo anime. Shojo fans enjoy them in classic titles and in newer releases.

Some tropes go in and out of vogue, but for the most part, they tend to be staples of the demographic, like tsundere love interests and compassionate protagonists. Some newer titles will subvert time-old tropes, or parody them. Either way, there are plenty of shojo titles that include them perfectly in their plots.

Kiyoka Kudo Gives Miyo a Safe & Supportive Home in My Happy Marriage Shojo Trope: Hurt/Comfort

My Happy Marriage is a new historical romance anime with supernatural elements, and it's often compared to Cinderella. Cinderella-style protagonists are common for shojo anime. However,...

With something for every type of anime fan, there's no denying that 2024 has been a very good year for anime. With incredibly popular series either debuting or returning, and more than a few entries in niche genres, 2024 was one of the strongest years for anime in recent memory. Given 2024's strong track record, it's surprising that 2025 could possibly be even bigger, with some series that already look incredibly promising.

From heartwarming shojo series to action-packed fantasies and drama-filled mysteries, this season offers a diverse array of anime for fans to enjoy. January, in particular, is stacked with titles that could be massive if their actual releases live up to the hype surrounding them. Winter 2025 is already shaping up to be one for the books, with some hotly anticipated that fans will hopefully be buzzing about for years to come.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 January 6, 2025

My Happy Marriage

My Happy Marriage...

The official YouTube channel for Tokyo Anime Award Festival (Taaf) has started streaming new trails for its next 2025 edition, Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2025 (TAAF2025). Voice actor Shugo Nakamura (Teru Tendo in The Idolm@Ster SideM ) served as the narrator of the clips. He said, "Actually, this is the first time I have heard about Taaf, and I found it wonderful that it has been held for more than 10 years to spread animation. As one who is also involved in animation, I hope that animation will spread more and more throughout the world. I am very happy to have this opportunity to participate in Taaf!" 30-Second Version Trailer 15-Second Version Trailer A 15-Second Version Trailer B Meanwhile, the seven honorees of the Achievement Award for their significant contributions to the development of the animation industry and culture were also announced. Awardees of TAAF2025 include: Masami Iwaki Takayuki Yoshii Kazuhideo Tomonaga (animator...

The main focus of Type-Moon’s Fate series is the Holy Grail Wars, which are battles for the Holy Grail between Masters (talented wizards) and Servants (incarnations of called-upon heroic spirits). The series was developed under the artistic supervision of Takashi Takeuchi and guided by Kinoko Nasu.

The visual novel Fate/Stay Night served as the inspiration for the franchise, which includes prequels, sequels, parodies, and adaptations, all connected by the prefix “Fate.” Due to its enormous popularity, the franchise has spawned numerous well-known anime adaptations and developed into successful video games.

The anime adaptation is the most famous iteration of the original works, and we are happy to report that a new addition to the anime canon is coming later this year. There is also a free surprise for all the lucky viewers who are inside the region-locked release of the free episode of the latest Fate anime series, Fate/strange Fake.

A Blu-ray box set of Tenku Senki Shurato (aka Shurato ), Tatsunoko Production's classic popular anime series in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is set to release in Japan on February 26, 2025. Tatsunoko's official X (formerly Twitter) announced the news on November 22. This is the first time this series has been released on Blu-ray. The TV anime series Tenku Senki Shurato aired for 38 episodes from April 1989 to January 1990, followed by the two six-chapter OVAs — Tenku-kai Memorials (TV series' digest) from December 1989 to April 1990 and Sousei he no Antou (TV series' sequel story) from September 1991 to March 1992. Tatsunoko Production's official English page describes the series as such: Shurato and his friend Guy are drawn into a gigantic ball of light and they find themselves transferred to a mystic heavenly sphere. However, Shurato is shocked when Guy suddenly turns hostile against him. After this unfortunate incident, a spectacular yet fantastic drama develops involving the two.

Shojo is a popular anime demographic that caters to a young female audience. This unique genre centers around female-led stories featuring strong emotion and rich character growth. Romance often plays a major role in shojo anime as well, and some of animes most iconic romances come from this demographic. Many of these incredible love stories helped shape shojo into what it is today.

The classic shojo love story has become so famous over the years that even non-shojo fans recognize its defining features. From typical high school love stories to romantic fantasy adventures, shojo romances come in many different forms. The very best of these romances stand out among the rest, and their influence can be felt even years later.

Related 10 Most Influential Shojo Anime

Shojo anime like Fruits Basket 2001, Ouran High School Host Club, and The Rose of Versailles set the standard for the genre.

Kiyoka and Miyo...

Netflix's hottest new romance series, My Happy Marriage, has finally released its first full trailer for season 2, along with a release window for fans to look forward to. Based on the web novels by Akumi Agitogi, My Happy Marriage was an instant hit among fans when it was first released on Netflix back in July 2023 and after a year-long wait, the popular romance series is finally set to make a return this Winter 2025.

A post on X by the anime's official account recently revealed that season 2 of My Happy Marriage will be released in January 2025. The announcement was accompanied by a new teaser trailer featuring Miyo dreaming of running towards her mother's cherry blossom tree and Kiyoka ominously asking for her forgiveness before telling her he loves her. The trailer also features Miyo meeting Kiyoka's parents and introduces a mysterious new character named Naoshi Usui, who refers to Miyo as his daughter.

One of Netflix's biggest anime series to date, the critically acclaimed My Happy Marriage, is gearing up for a rapid return to the small screen next year, revealing its first teaser trailer, release window and key visual.

Via the Netflix Anime YouTube channel, My Happy Marriage Season 2 revealed its official teaser trailer ahead of its release in January 2025. The anime also welcomed additional cast members Ryotaro Okiayu as Tadakiyo Kudo, Kikuko Inoue as Fuyu Kudo and Yuuya Uchida as Naoshi Usui. Readers can check out the trailer, main promotional image and more information below.

Related Avatar: The Last Airbender Franchise Racks Up 900 Million Hours Viewed in New Netflix Report

New Netflix data reveals that Avatar: The Last Airbender and all its incarnations amassed some 900 million hours watched in 2024's first half.

Netflix's Acclaimed My Happy Marriage Gets First Trailer & Key Visual for Season 2

A new cherry blossom teaser visual...

Netflix has revealed additional cast members for its highly-anticipated Pluto anime.

Based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, Pluto revisits the futuristic world of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy series, focusing on the darker elements of a universe where robots live only to serve humans. As detailed on Crunchyroll, Netflix recently unveiled via X (formerly Twitter) seven new cast members for the upcoming anime that previously appeared in popular works like Dragon Ball, One Piece and Attack on Titan. Pluto is set to debut on the platform starting Oct. 26.

Related: 10 Anime That Feel Like Western Cartoons

Just In: Joining the cast of #Pluto are Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo from Dragon Ball) as Dr. Ochanomizu, Eizou Tsuda as Dr. Tenma, Romi Park, Michio Hazama , Hideyuki Tanaka, and Kenyu Horiuchi! #Pluto streams worldwide October 26, only on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/Vq0qdpaJV8 — Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) September 6, 2023

Dr. Ochanomizu, who served...

Directors: Hiroyuki Seshita, Kôbun Shizuno/ Writers: Ishirô Honda, Yusuke Kozaki and Gen Urobuchi. Cast: Lucien Dodge, Kana Hanazawa, Ken'yû Horiuchi, Yûki Kaji and Mamoru Miyano. Fans of Toho's Godzilla franchise are better off watching Planet of the Monsters (2017) and City on the Edge of Battle together, rather than apart. This animated trilogy will conclude in November (in Japan), and the Netflix release will most likely follow after. City on the Edge is self-contained. But, the tease for what's next is worse than waiting for Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Part 2! With this film, a huge battle royale is coming. The first film had Godzilla facing Mecha Godzilla in a quick flashback. Other creatures had quick cameos, but to not have the King of Monsters have more face-offs against other kaijus is a letdown. He still has to fight those nuisance humans on the planet they once called home. They...

"Humankind vs. the largest Godzilla ever." Netflix Japan has released an official trailer for the anime movie Godzilla: Monster Planet, which will be available for streaming worldwide from Netflix later this month. Thankfully not long of a wait after opening in Japan in November. Japan's big movie studio Toho produced that new live-action Godzilla movie Shin Godzilla in 2016, and followed it up with this new anime movie. The two could not be more different, with this one being set in the far future. After half-century of the war against gigantic monsters, the human race, deciding to escape the planet Earth for safety, creates a small group to go on a exhibition mission back to the planet. Only to return to a world dominated by Godzilla. The voice cast includes Kana Hanazawa, Ken'yû Horiuchi, Yuki Kaji, and Kenta Miyake. Watch below. Here's the new trailers for Hiroyuki Seshita & Kôbun Shizuno's Godzilla: Monster Planet,...

Anchor Bay Home Entertainment is releasing Redline on Blu-ray and DVD January 17. We have a new contest to celebrate this anime title, and we're giving away copies of the Blu-ray to our readers. These high-def discs will certainly go fast, so enter this contest today.

Winners Receive:

Redline Blu-ray

Here's How To Win!

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

Redline is about the biggest and most deadly racing tournament in the universe. Only held once every five years, everyone wants to stake their claim to fame, including Jp, a reckless dare-devil driver oblivious to speed limits with his ultra-customized car - all the while, organized crime and militaristic governments want to leverage the race to their own ends.