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Kaito Kid or Kaito Kuroba is a recurring character in the Detective Conan or Case Closed franchise. While he stars in the Magic Kaito anime, his role between the two series differs as they exist in different canons with different rules. The Detective Conan movies also take in a separate canon from the anime. The phantom thief acts as both a rival and ally to Conan Edogawa in both parts of the franchise. However, Kid has been confirmed to know much more about Conan in the movies, which gives the two leads a slightly different dynamic from their anime counterparts. Kid plays a large part in several movies, which gives him unique relationships with Ran Mori, Heiji Hattori and Makoto Kyogoku among others.

Kaito Kid is in ten of the Detective Conan movies, but he doesn't have an equal role in all of them. On top of that, both 3D Movie 1: Conan vs.

Vampire Hunter D is a 1985 anime film based on the novel series of the same name written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. The series' first film was also the first dark fantasy anime for an adult audience. Its anime sequel, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, is even more revered as a dark fantasy film.

Vampire Hunter D is a staple of anime, fantasy novels, and manga. As fans look forward to Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust's remastered theatrical release, they can spend their wait watching similar dark fantasy series and films. Vampire and grimdark series often follow, and sometimes subvert, the standards Vampire Hunter D helped popularize in anime.

The Case Study of Vanitas Gives Vampires the Steampunk Treatment Stream The Case Study of Vanitas on CrunchyrollImage via Studio Bones

The Case Study of Vanitas is a steampunk historical series about vampires. Similarly, Vampire Hunter D takes place...

The influence of Hayao Miyazaki is something that can’t be measured through words. His projects have helped the anime industry reach a level of success that competes with some of the greatest movies in Hollywood. In fact, even the biggest directors in Hollywood respect Miyazaki and are inspired by the work he has done in his anime movies.

The best example of this is the widely famous director, Steven Spielberg, who is known for his films like Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, War of the Worlds, etc. The American filmmaker has been a big fan of Miyazaki and his films, and he never shied away from expressing how much he loved Miyazaki’s films.

In fact, according to him, the greatest car chase ever in history came from a Miyazaki film. The name of the movie was Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, and it was Miyazaki’s feature directorial debut.

Netflix has shared an exciting new clip from Demon City (also known as Demon City Oni-Goroshi in Japanese), a live-action adaptation of Masamichi Kawabe’s popular revenge manga Oni-Goroshi. The footage, released on Saturday, features Shūhei Sakata, the film’s main character, taking down his enemies in a silent yet intense fight scene.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see the full film—Demon City is set to premiere worldwide on Netflix on February 27.

The story follows Shūhei Sakata, a man who was wrongly accused of murdering his wife and child. After a failed suicide attempt, in which he was shot in the head but survived, he is sent to a prison hospital, where he remains for 15 years—physically disabled and unable to seek justice. However, once he is finally released, a fateful encounter changes everything, giving him the chance to regain his physical strength and seek...

Studio Ghibli has delighted fans for generations, producing such iconic films such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service, yet many viewers only think of Hayao Miyazaki when they think of Studio Ghibli. However, the studio owes much of its depth, artistry and emotional resonances — and indeed, even the studio’s origins — to its co-founder, Isao Takahata.

Often overshadowed by his more commercially prolific and well-known counterpart, Takahata was a master storyteller and artistic visionary in his own right. His contributions to Studio Ghibli, his impact on the world of animation and his legacy continue to live on in an immeasurable manner. And while not often mentioned in the same breath as Studio Ghibli — like Hayao Miyazaki tends to be — Isao Takahata defined Studio Ghibli as we know it today just as much as Miyazaki did.

Takahata’s Path Merged with Hayao Miyazaki’s at Toei Animation...

"I'll catch Lupin III myself. Only I can fulfill this mission." Toho Next has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a brand new theatrical anime called Lupin the Third: The Movie. It's set for a release in 2025 on a roadshow tour in theaters in Japan, and hopefully in theaters in the US (but nothing announced yet). No plot details are known yet, but it's made by the director of Redline and the "World Record" segment of The Animatrix. A longer version of the trailer is being shown at 45th anniversary screenings of Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) - the anime classic directed by Hayao Miyazaki as his very first feature film. This one also listed as Lupin the IIIrd: The Movie (with a final title still Tba) and stars the voices of Kanichi Kurita as Lupin III, Akio Otsuka as Daisuke Jigen, Daisuke Namikawa as Goemon Ishikawa, Miyuki Sawashiro as Fujiko Mine,...

Phantom thieves might be making a comeback in anime, if the recent announcement of Lupin the Third's first 2D movie in decades is any indication. For the uninitiated, Lupin the Third is a story about a master thief by the same name, grandson of fictional French gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. Lupin has a singular voice, bridging comedy and adventure with action, heart, and sex appeal. It's an essential formula in entertainment—because it works.

Debuting in 1967, the series would go on to become one of the most renowned and timeless anime franchises, with Lupin developing an iconic status in Japan and Italy and a devoted cult following elsewhere in the world. Lupin the Third has spawned countless movies, TV releases, and countless manga. Fans have even gotten in on the action, since Lupin's episodic format lends itself well to one-off stories that aren't "canon", per se. However, despite its prolific catalog of adventures,...

The official X account of Lupin anime announced on Nov 29, 2024, that the franchise is set to return to the big screen in 2025 with a brand-new theatrical release titled Lupin The Iiird The Movie (working title).

This marks the first 2D feature-length animated film in the series in nearly 30 years, following the release of Lupin the Third: Dead or Alive in 1996.

Lupin III: The First movie, which released in 2019, was a completely computer animated film produced by Tms Entertainment.

A teaser trailer was revealed to commemorate the announcement.

Takeshi Koike will return to direct the new film, with Yuya Takahashi in charge of the script. James Shimoji will compose the music, and Katsuhito Ishii will serve as the creative advisor. Koike had previously directed three movies from the franchise between 2014 and 2019.

Telecom Animation Film will handle the animation production.

Lupin the IIIrd is a Japanese media franchise created by Monkey Punch.

A Sherlock Holmes-inspired anime, directed in part by Hayao Miyazaki prior to the formation of Studio Ghibli, is heading to major streaming platform Hulu. The 40-year-old steampunk-esque series was initially released in 1984 and reimagines the main characters of classic Sherlock Holmes stories as anthropomorphic dogs.

Per Hulu, the iconic Sherlock Hound will be coming to the streaming platform in dubbed form on Dec. 1, 2024. The Italian-Japanese anime series was produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha in conjunction with Radiotelevisione italiana, reimagining Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective, Sherlock Holmes, and other characters as anthropomorphic animals, primarily dogs. Its main protagonist, Sherlock, works to solve various mysteries in Victorian-era London, with Watson, Professor Moriarty, Inspector Lestrade and other familiar characters also making familiar appearances.

Related "I Think My Brain Is Broken": Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki Reveals His Greatest Struggle in New Trailer

A new trailer for an as-yet little-known film reveals...

A popular polling site in Japan recently asked anime fans which swordsman character they believe to be the medium's 'coolest' warrior. Surprisingly, audiences overwhelmingly voted for one particular character over the likes of Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado and One Piece's Roronoa Zoro.

Per PR Times, the aforementioned survey was conducted by Nexer Inc. and Eirakudo, a high-end Japanese sword company. Out of 500 total participants, 172 voted for Goemon, who serves as a faithful ally to Lupin The Third's titular protagonist. Notably, the second, third and fourth place winners each earned exactly 47 votes each, resulting in a three-way tie. The complete top 10 list can be seen below.

Related Demon Slayer's Newest Season Powers Up Netflix's Top 10 Ranking After U.S. Premiere

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Training Arcgets off to a strong start following its U.S. premiere, powering back onto Netflix's Top 10.

Japan Ranks...

Quick Links Why I Was Wrong to Brush Off Lupin III An Anime's Age Isn't An Indicator of Quality Anime's Style Has Evolved Greatly Over the Years What's Now Thought of as "Anime" Style Took a Long Time to Be Defined The Anime Classics of Yesteryear Deserve a Chance There's More to a Good Anime Than Animation Quality

While anime has only really been a force in the Western media market since the 90s, the history of anime actually goes way farther back than that. There's a lot of classic anime out there which predates the period of anime's appearance on international TVs, but much of it doesn't get the respect it deserves. I was once one of those people, too, but one series--Lupin III--helped me to realize the value that these classic anime still hold.

The amount of anime in existence exploded in the late 90s and early 2000s,...

The Shonen Jump brand, renowned for its action-packed source material for manga and anime's "big three" -- One Piece, Naruto and Bleach -- is about to venture into sweeter territory with its latest hit. Popular sports romance manga Blue Box is to debut as an anime on Netflix, with its first episode now less than a month away.

Recently announced for an Oct. 3 premiere and released in weekly format -- still somewhat unusual for televised anime that makes its way to Netflix -- Blue Box will adapt the Kouji Mora sports romance of the same name. Following star-crossed high school student-athletes and standouts in their separate endeavors, Blue Box blends sports drama with heart-tugging sweetness against its blended backdrop of badminton and basketball. With over 150 issues and counting waiting to be brought to the small screen, the new anime release should contain plenty of material for anime lovers to sink their teeth into.

Italian car manufacturer Fiat has announced a new collaboration with anime series Lupin the Third, which will include the release of three original short stories and three limited-edition Lupin III-themed Fiat 500 and 600 models for real-life drivers.

Announced on the Fiat Japan website, the upcoming collaboration will celebrate Fiats long-standing legacy as master thief Arsne Lupin IIIs go-to getaway vehicle while promoting the newest models of the Fiat 500, Fiat 500e and Fiat 600e. The collaboration will include the release of limited-edition Lupin III-themed Fiat models, as well as the debut of an original Lupin III short story with all-new illustrations. The Fiat x Lupin III collaboration will roll out in three "volumes" from September 2024-February 2025, with a limited-edition Fiat 500 model simultaneously released with a corresponding volume of the original Fiat x Lupin III short story.

Related One Piece's Zoro Misses #1 Spot for Anime & Manga's Strongest Swordsman in New...

Spy x Family Movie Code: White emphasizes family bonds amidst thrilling action and comedy sequences. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro showcases impressive animation and thrilling heist adventures. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie features intense action similar to what Loid and Yor go through in Code: White to save Anya on a burning airship.

Spy x Family has been a smash hit since its premiere in 2022. Twilight, the greatest spy in Westalis, is tasked with forming a fake family to infiltrate the neighboring country, Ostania. Under his new identity as Loid Forger, he winds up recruiting assassin Yor as his wife and telepath Anya as his daughter, with all three of them hiding their true identities from their new family.

Spy x Family Code: White is the franchise's first movie, and it sees the Forger family taking a vacation to the wintry region of Frigis, only to get caught up in...

In the world of anime and manga, One Piece's Roronoa Zoro is widely considered to be one of the most adept swordsmen of all time. However, a recent Japanese survey indicates that audiences favor a swordmaster from a certain classic anime franchise over the famous Pirate Hunter.

Per PR Times, Digital Research group Nexer Co, Ltd. and Japan-based sword company Eirakudo conducted a poll asking 1,000 men and women who they deemed to be the "strongest swordsman character" from anime and manga. The overwhelming majority of participants, who were all under the age of 50, chose Goemon Ishikawa from Lupin III -- a popular comedic action franchise created by Monkey Punch. While Zoro landed the second-place spot, Goemon's win was certainly not by a small margin, as the latter swordsman received 177 votes while Zoro only received 72. The third place spot belonged to Himura Kenshin, the iconic red-headed ronin from Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin.

Anime voice actor Eiko Masuyama has passed away, as recently formally announced by her talent agency, Aoni Production. Matsuyama was best known for playing the role of the first Fujiko Mine in the Lupin III anime franchise, beginning with 1969s Lupin the Third: Pilot Film.

Aoni Production revealed that Matsuyama died on May 20, 2024, due to pneumonia. The company stated that the voice actor had been undergoing treatment for some time, and that at her familys request, her wake and funeral ceremony were attended only by close relatives.

Masuyama was born in Tokyo in 1936 and had been professionally involved in the anime industry since the 1960s, with her first roles as the characters Lucia and Kipiah in one of the earliest televised anime in history, Astro Boy (Mighty Atom). This was followed by some of the most well-known early titles in anime history, including the adaptation of Osamu Tezukas Kimba the White Lion,...

One Piece Voice Actor Hideyuki Umezu Dies at 68 - Main Image

In what is sad news for many anime fans, notable One Piece voice actor Hideyuki Umezu has died recently, as confirmed by voice actor agency 81 Produce.

Umezu’s death was announced by the agency yesterday, May 21, via an official update on its website. There, Umezu’s cause of death was confirmed.

As is the case with deaths in the anime and manga industry, Umezu’s passing was announced some days after it happened, with a funeral ceremony held only for close family and friends.

81 Produce Confirms Hideyuki Umezu Dies at Age 68

Hideyuki Umezu died at age 68, with his official cause of death being interstitial pneumonia. It’s not clear if Umezu’s illness was only recent, as the private lives of talents in Japan are often not disclosed.

Umezu began working as a voice actor in the 80s,...

Takashi Yamazaki, the Japanese filmmaker behind Oscar-winning smash hit “Godzilla Minus One,” has signed with CAA for representation.

“Godzilla Minus One,” on which Yamazaki served as writer, director and VFX supervisor, earned the first-ever nomination and win for a Japanese production in the VFX category at the Academy Awards earlier this month. The film beat strong contenders such as “The Creator,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and “Napoleon.” The Oscar win also marked the second time in 55 years that a director won the VFX award.

“Godzilla Minus One” also became the third-highest grossing foreign language feature in the U.S. box office history.

Budgeted at $15 million, the film follows former Kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Kamiki Ryunosuke), who grapples with survivor’s guilt following World War II and the trauma of having been attacked by Godzilla. While he manages to build a life for his newfound family,...

Bethesda and MachineGames recently unveiled a long-awaited video game in the form of "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle." The legendary video game studio behind "Fallout" and "Skyrim" has been working on a game set within the action/adventure franchise for several years, with the game originally announced back in 2021. But now, we know much more including when the story takes place, what the player can expect, and, rather crucially, who is voicing Indiana Jones. It won't be Harrison Ford, but another icon has stepped up to fill those very big shoes.

Troy Baker will be the man tasked with bringing Indy to life in the much-anticipated game. Ford, for his part, left the role behind with his final turn as the character in last year's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Now, it falls to Baker, who will get to put his stamp on the hero during his classic era,...

Big-name anime and manga creators throughout Japan are adorning their social media pages with stunning celebratory illustrations to usher in the year 2024.

2023 has come and gone, marking the end of the year of the rabbit and the start of the year of the (wood) dragon. To welcome the new year, a plethora of renowned Japanese studios and artists have used their respective X (formerly Twitter) pages to spotlight special commemorative illustrations. The represented franchises are in the hundreds but include the likes of My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Bleach, Sword Art Online, Oshi no Ko, Classroom of the Elite, Lupin III and Doraemon, to name only a few.

Related The Verdict Is in for the One Piece Anime's New Egghead Art Style The verdict is in regarding the latest One Piece anime preview trailer for Episode 1089, which reveals the revamped art style for the Egghead arc.

Adult Swim has unveiled a new clip from the upcoming series Rick and Morty: The Anime.

According to Anime News Network, Telecom Animation Film's upcoming adaptation of Justin Roiland's iconic franchise puts a new spin on memorable themes and events from the original animated series. Adult Swim recently released a short sneak peek on its official YouTube channel. In this clip, Rick suddenly finds himself surrounded by hundreds of different versions of himself while flying through space. Adult Swim has not yet revealed a precise release date, but the series is slated to debut sometime in 2024.

Related Rick and Morty Season 7 Breaks a Franchise Record, but Misses a Key Opportunity Rick and Morty Season 7 makes a shocking move and breaks a franchise trend with Rick, but there is still an error with the creative execution.

This is the second time that Adult Swim has previewed official footage from Rick and Morty: The Anime.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Studio Ghibli films have some of the most recognizable art styles in anime. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners makes use of Studio Trigger's brightly colored, intense visuals in its futuristic setting. Unlike other horror stories, Mononoke uses vivid imagery to unsettle its viewers.

An anime's art style is one of the first things to stand out to viewers. Unlike manga, which uses stationary, black-and-white artwork, anime has more freedom in how it uses its visuals to attract an audience. Some anime, like Devilman Crybaby, are appealing for their unique, but not necessarily attractive, art styles. This is different from many of the other series that use colorful visuals to attract attention.

It's important to draw a distinction between art style and animation. Art style refers to how the anime looks in still frames, and includes character and background designs, color palettes, and overall esthetics. Animation, on the other hand,...

While Legendary’s MonsterVerse continues to expand with a new episode of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” the King of the Monsters also returns to the big screen this week!

Here’s all the new horror releasing November 28 – December 3, 2023.

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

As the yuletide hour nears, a small-town sheriff finds out that the ghosts of the past do not always stay silent in Night of the Missing, which is now streaming on Screambox.

From award-winning filmmaker Samuel Gonzalez Jr. (The Retaliators) and the producers of The Gallows, Night of the Missing is a four-part holiday anthology that could best be described as a twisted take on “A Christmas Carol.”

“On a stormy Christmas Eve, a secretive sheriff gets a visit from a mysterious woman who recounts a series of bizarre stories involving missing persons. As her stories begin to unfold, the...

Anime including Lupin III, Erased, Ghost in the Shell and Wotakoi are rallying to support the restaurant industry in a new otaku-friendly video ad.

Suntory, one of Japan's oldest alcoholic drink distributors, has brought several anime franchises together to respond to the coronavirus' harsh impacts on the Japanese restaurant industry feature in its "In life, there are restaurants. 'A place where there are people.'" advert, released on Nov. 1, 2023. Featured are clips of characters wining and dining from numerous anime, the full list of which includes Lupin III, Salary Man Kintaro, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, Bunny Drop, Shin Atashin'ichi, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Erased, Nasu: Andarushia no Natsu, Descending Stories, The Great Passage, Gate, Wotakoi: Love iI Hard for Otaku, Wave, Listen to Me!, Restaurant to Another World and Wakako-zake.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Collabs With Popular Fast Food Chain With 'JoJo Meals'

The uplifting background theme song...

Toho’s Godzilla Minus One is headed to theaters in the United States in just one more month, officially being unleashed on December 1. Watch the brand new trailer debut below!

Bloody Disgusting has also learned that there will be a Godzilla Minus One Early Access Fan Event in the States on November 29, giving you the chance to see it two days early.

This December, a new reign of terror begins…

The first Japanese-produced Godzilla film since Shin Godzilla in 2016, Godzilla Minus One will first bring the King of the Monsters back to theaters in Japan on November 3.

The film is rated PG-13 for “Creature violence and action.”

Here’s the official plot synopsis the film’s first trailer provided us with:

“In postwar Japan, a new terror rises; Godzilla. Will the devastated people be able to survive… let alone fight back?”

As we learned last year, Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III...

With The Boy and the Heron gearing up to be one of Hayao Miyazaki's best movies ever, it makes sense to start looking back on his legendary career. Miyazaki's directorial debut was his first and only movie not to be produced by Studio Ghibli, the second feature film in the Lupin III franchise, The Castle of Cagliostro. The Castle of Cagliostro premiered in 1979. Ghibli was founded in 1985. The Castle of Cagliostro may not be a Ghibli movie, but it has many of the hallmarks of Miyazaki's style and although it was not initially popular, it has gone down as a masterpiece and helped to establish Miyazaki as an icon of anime.

Lupin III is one of the longest-running and most consistently popular anime and manga franchises in Japan. Originating in 1967 with the manga by artist Monkey Punch, the franchise has grown to include eight anime series, 11 theatrical films, a...

Arsene Lupin III’s closest friend is getting a movie of his own. Jigen Daisuke is the world’s most famous gunman, and his rapid fire in 0.3 seconds technique has laid waste to many an enemy. But where did he come from, and how did he come to be so talented in the deadly arts? Fans can learn the answers to those questions in the new Prime Video Original movie “Jigen Daisuke,” which heads to streaming on Friday, Oct. 13. You can watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video.

How to Watch 'Jigen Daisuke' When: Friday, October 13, 2023 Where: Amazon Prime Video Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video. 30-Day Free Trial$8.99 / month amazon.com About 'Jigen Daisuke'

You’ve seen him in action before, but never like this! Jigen Daisuke is leaving the animated world for live action for the first time since...

Monkey Punch's Lupin III manga continues to expand its universe with a newly-announced kabuki stage play that will run at the Shinbashi Enbujo theater in Tokyo this December.

According to Anime News Network, the stage play's original story will depict Lupin and his cohorts in the Japanese Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), the same era of the original Goemon Ishikawa. While the Goemon most fans are familiar with is his 13th descendant, this play will be an opportunity for fans to see the main cast interact with the fabled original, who remains a mythological hero in Japan.

Related: The Precure Franchise is Getting a New Anime Movie in 2024

The play will star Ainosuke Kataoka as Lupin III, Matsuya Onoe as Goemon Ishikawa, Saburō Ichikawa as Daisuke Jigen, Emiya Ichikawa as Fujiko Mine and Chūsha Ihchikawa as Inspector Zenigata. The franchise has had stage plays before, but not of the kabuki variety.

In...

Studio Ghibli will become a subsidiary of Nippon Television.

As detailed on Anime News Network, Nippon TV Representative Director Yoshikuni Sugiyama and Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki announced the planned acquisition during a recent press conference. Nippon Television, which has served as a long-standing partner of the acclaimed studio, plans to purchase 42.3% of Ghibli's shares, turning the latter studio into a subsidiary of Nippon TV. According to President Suzuki, the goal of this partnership is to secure successors for Ghibli, as Suzuki and fellow co-founder Hayao Miyazaki are 75 and 82, respectively. Additionally, Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki, has refused an offer to become the studio's future leader.

Related: Studio Ghibli: Ticket Info For Spirited Away 2024 Stage Run in London

Nippon TV has been affiliated with Ghibli and its co-founders for over three decades. In 1985, the network featured Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) on its "Kinyo Roadshow" programming block. Nausicaa's...

A-1 Pictures' has dropped a new promo for its upcoming workplace comedy, My New Boss Is Goofy.

According to Anime News Network, the video premiered as part of Aniplex Online Fest 2023, a livestream event that highlights key developments for popular anime franchises. My New Boss Is Goofy's latest Pv announces the series' October 7 debut, in addition to new staff reveals. It also previews the show's two theme songs. The opening song, "Planetaria," will be performed by the group Fujifabric, which also performed themes for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Dr. Stone. The series' end theme, Hanataba, or "Bouquet," will be performed by lenny code fiction.

Related: 55 Best Comedy Anime To Watch Right Now

As stated in the aforementioned video, the new staff reveals include Ayako Kohno (Sword Art Online Movie-Progressive), who is working as Assistant Director alongside Director Noriyuki Abe. The series' Chief Animation Directors are Takahiro Yasuda (Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku...

There are thousands of anime available across the world right now but only a handful of them can be called "classics." These select series are the ones fans still enjoy years after their release and are strongly recommended to the next generation of anime fans. Franchises like Dragon Ball and series like Cowboy Bebop helped mold the industry and influenced the shows that followed, developing and defining the medium in the process

However, if anime is always improving, do older series and films hold up? As creators invent new storytelling techniques studios improve production quality, it can be difficult for older anime to feel cheap and weighed down by the tropes they invented. It takes more than a cool premise or flashy visuals to win over new audiences in this ever-growing environment. A classic doesn't just stand out, it's also likable and memorable.

Related: Could Vegeta Beat Frieza On Namek...

It's that time of year again: Hayao Miyazaki is directing yet another Studio Ghibli film, asserting that The Boy and the Heron will be his final film before his retirement. While we'd normally laugh off the sentiment, this time around, it feels pretty genuine. If this truly is Miyazaki's last outing as an animation director, what better time would there be to look back at where his career in anime films began?

And no, we're not talking about his time at Ghibli. Before their official debut with Castle in the Sky, before Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind led to the studio's formation, even before Studio Ghibli itself, Miyazaki would helm the second film in the beloved Lupin III franchise: The Castle of Cagliostro.

Even though it would be released in 1979, The Castle of Cagliostro represents a cultural touchstone both domestically and internationally, with the film itself even bearing...

The new Mission: Impossible movie, Dead Reckoning Part One, has recently been released to a worldwide audience. It's like any other installment in the film series in all the right ways. It has intense action, thrilling drama, an intricate plot, and amazing stunts. The movie also features a great car chase, as is tradition with spy films. One might think Ethan Hunt would be driving in something snazzy, especially since the scene is set in Italy. The movie tricked audiences into thinking he'd get into a gray Ferrari F12 TdF as a Mif getaway car, but he wound up in a yellow Fiat 500 parked behind it. Most moviegoers were moderately amused by this ridiculous choice of car. Anime fans, however, were beaming at this scene.

The 1957 yellow Fiat 500 is best known as the getaway car from the Lupin III anime franchise. It's commonly seen driven by the franchise's titular character,...

This week has been a pretty great one for Godzilla fans, as Toho fully revealed Godzilla Minus One as their first Godzilla movie since Shin Godzilla back in 2016. We’ve gotten poster art and a teaser trailer this week, along with a full-body image of the new Godzilla design.

Hungry for more? The website Godzilla-Movies.com brings our attention to another sneak peek this morning, courtesy of the first-ever upcoming Godzilla Minus One toy!

From Tamashii’s S.H. MonsterArts line, the toy brings the new Godzilla Minus One design into your collection, and it’s going up for pre-order beginning Tuesday, July 18, 2023.

Selling for approximately $100, the Godzilla Minus One toy from Tamashii is expected to begin shipping in November 2023, just in time for the release of Toho’s new movie.

The company previews, “Based on the 3D data used in the film, Yuji Sakai sculpted, colored, and produced the figure.

Officially announced yesterday, Godzilla Minus One is the title of the next Japanese Godzilla movie from Toho, and we’ve now got a full reveal of the brand new redesign.

Godzilla Minus One is the first Japanese-produced Godzilla movie since Shin Godzilla back in 2016, and it’s first debuting in theaters over in Japan on November 3, 2023.

Godzilla then returns to theaters in the United States on December 1, 2023.

Check out the new Godzilla design for Godzilla Minus One below!

“Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser trailer and poster,” Koji Ueda, President of Toho International, said in a statement this week.

The statement continued, “The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the ‘minus.

The first footage of Godzilla Minus One has made its way online. The movie is the 33rd Godzilla installment produced by Toho, the 37th in the overall franchise, and the eighth film in Godzilla's Reiwa era, which started with Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi's Shin Godzilla before moving onto Netflix's animated trilogy. Godzilla Minus One is written, produced, and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, best known for having helmed Stand by Me Doraemon and Lupin III: The First.

On Twitter, the official Godzilla Toho page has released the first Godzilla Minus One teaser trailer. A poster was also released alongside it, confirming the movie's North American release date on December 1. Check out the trailer and poster for Godzilla Minus One below:

A new terror rises. #GodzillaMinusOne Only in theaters December 1, 2023 pic.twitter.com/2gM4JluQCU — Godzilla.Official (@Godzilla_Toho) July 11, 2023

While Godzilla Minus One teaser is extremely brief,...

As anime franchises continue to run far longer than they did in the past, sequels are becoming more and more necessary. With waning quality or changing fan tastes, sequels are meant to bring in new fans and entice old ones to return.

Related: 15 Anime To Watch If You Like KonoSuba

Of course, no franchise can remain on top forever. When a sequel betrays what people loved about the original, that can mean the end of a series. Other times though, the popularity of the sequel can save a franchise. What that means varies depending on the series. Some shows, like Dragon Ball Super, become major players again, while others just get new content after years of dormancy.

Lupin III: Part IV

The Lupin franchise was a major part of anime throughout the '70s and '80s, thanks to a combination of television series, films, and specials. By the '90s though,...

While Crunchyroll continues to give access to the most anime and Hidive rises in fame with the critically acclaimed Oshi no Ko, it appears as though the streaming giant Netflix has been left behind. The company hasn't had its own standout anime series since Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, but a recently-released teaser trailer of an upcoming anime could have many fans racing back to Netflix soon.

Akuma-kun is going to be Netflix's next original anime. Based on the late 1980s series of the same name, the teaser trailer provides enough mystery and drama of the supernatural to pique viewers' interest. On top of the muted hints about the plot, the animation is already an impressive spectacle for the eyes. That being said, this teaser could easily go to waste if the series itself proves to be a lackluster production overall.

Related: Is Netflix's Lupin Worth the Watch for Fans of the Lupin III Anime?...