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This week on The Anime Effect: We share the anime characters we relate to most and recommend our favorite dubbed anime. Plus, Leah and Alex chat with actress Kimiko Glenn about her love of Ghibli films, how her broadway roots helped her in Hazbin Hotel and more! In our audio-exclusive episode we fill you in on the latest news in the anime world including the Anne of Green Gables anime adaptation, a collaboration between My Hero Academia and Captain America: Brave New World , and more! Episode 51 of The Anime Effect is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts! If you're waiting to watch the video episode, it'll be live on Crunchyroll and YouTube at 7 p.m. Et. Listen or Watch on: Episode 51 Summary In this week's news episode, LeAlec, Leah and Nick discuss a new Pokémon anime coming very soon, the latest on the live-action Gundam project,...

This week on The Anime Effect: Leah and LeAlec chat with comic book artist Joe Eisma about why comic fans should read manga, the inspiration he's gotten from Naoki Urasawa and more! In our audio-exclusive episode we fill you in on the latest news in the anime world including Yu-Gi-Oh! games coming soon and a Sanrio collaboration, when you can watch Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- in the United States , and more! Episode 49 of The Anime Effect is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts! If you're waiting to watch the video episode, it'll be live on Crunchyroll and YouTube at 7 p.m. Et. Listen or Watch on: Episode 49 Summary In this week's news episode, LeAlec, Leah and Alex discuss the live-action Solo Leveling adaptation announcement , Kaiju No. 8 getting the Fortnite treatment, among other updates. Plus, we talk to Joe Eisma about...

Imagine living in a world where humans and wolves have a mutual relationship and they both equally struggle for power and survival. Here comes Wolf’s Rain! It presents such an intriguing scenario where themes of adventure, myth, and self-discovery merge into one single, exciting narrative.

Kiba from Wolf’s Rain | Credits: Studio Bones

Even more surprisingly, it was, in fact, directed by famous Tensai Okamura, who single-handedly helped popularize anime originals such as Darker than Black and Kuromukuro.

Through the adaptation of Wolf’s Rain, Okamura tried his best to infuse every frame of this dystopian world with questions of identity, community, and the lines between human and animal. And in a past interview, fans also got the rarest of rare opportunities to learn some interesting insights behind this creation.

Director Okamura might not have had close communication with Wolf’s Rain‘s author A still from episode 12 of Wolf’s Rain anime series...

Movies play a pivotal role in many families' Christmas and holiday celebrations. To some people, it isn't truly Christmas until they've watched The Muppet Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, or It's a Wonderful Life with their family. However, there is one anime Christmas film that, despite being heavily praised by both critics and viewers, has failed to join the pantheon of quintessential Christmas films despite the film being a modern take on many of the themes found in popular Christmas classics.

Arriving on screens in 2003, Tokyo Godfathers has an all-star production team featuring many of the biggest names in the anime industry. It was directed and co-written by the legendary Satoshi Kon, who also wrote and directed modern classics like Millennium Actress and Paprika and directed the critically acclaimed Perfect Blue. The film's other writer was Keiko Nobumoto, who wrote the screenplay for Cowboy Bebop and its big-screen follow-up,...

Toonami's reputation was founded on bringing retro anime to American audiences with broadcasts of nostalgic classics like Cowboy Bebop and Dragon Ball Z. Now, its new iteration reaffirms that legacy, bringing back a shonen classic to the programming block 10 years after its original broadcast.

Via Toonami Squad, due to debut once more on Nov. 2 at 1 a.m. (Est), Toonami will be introducing fans to the supernatural world of Assiah and the struggles of Rin Okumura. Originally captivating audiences when it first aired in 2014, Blue Exorcist quickly gained a devoted fan base thanks to its distinct cocktail of horror and shonen-style action. Following protagonist Rin, Blue Exorcist sees the demon-descendant grapple with the dilemma of his heritage and his education in exorcism.

Related "Western Producers Screw Over the Anime Studios": Animator Blames Uzumaki's Downward Spiral on Overseas Production

A well-known industry animator unleashes his wrath against "Western producers" for...

With its ground-breaking work on hit anime like Fullmetal Alchemist, My Hero Academia, and Mob Psycho 100, Studio Bones has firmly established itself as one of the top anime studios in the world. However, Studio Bones is more than just an action and adventure-oriented production house. It also produced Wolf's Rain, one of the most gripping, emotionally intense, and thought-provoking anime dramas ever broadcast on Adult Swim.

In 2003, just three years after its founding, Studio Bones collaborated with Cowboy Bebop screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto to produce her original series, Wolf's Rain, and it turned out to be one of Studio Bones' best anime series. Set in a dystopian future where war and environmental degradation have ravaged most of the world, the story follows a pack of wolves who sense the impending apocalypse and embark on a quest to find paradise.

Wolf's Rain Is One Of The Best Animes Of This Century Wolves,...

The iconic status of Sunrise's hit sci-fi Western anime, Cowboy Bebop, is owed largely to the show's incredible soundtrack. Recently, a prominent venue in New York City announced that Yoko Konno, the musical mastermind behind the original series, is heading to the states next year for an exclusive one-night-only performance.

On March 29, 2025, at 8 p.m. (Est), New York's historic Town Hall will host world-renowned lyricist and composer Yoko Kanno alongside bandleader Logan Richardson and his popular music group, Blues People Big Bang. As detailed on The Town Hall's website, this special event will feature a "full jazz concert" comprised of Kanno's "most revered and personally beloved compositions," including some featured in the Cowboy Bebop anime series. The Town Hall recently began selling tickets, with prices starting at approximately $67 per person.

Related Original Cowboy Bebop Gets One-of-a-Kind Inquiry Into '90s Network Censorship & More in New Release

The...

Ergo Proxy anime could easily be considered underrated, as a result of the disparity between its quality and its popularity. Some aspects of the show are the peak of the cyberpunk experience. However, the pacing of the show affects its appeal, making it unfit for everyone. Despite this, the anime enjoys a dedicated fanbase that appreciates everything it offers.

Beyond the spectacular visuals, Ergo Proxy can get dark and heavy. The makers had a specific vision in mind that explains the darker elements of the show. During an interview, Dai Sato shared that it was a Marvel show that reminded him the goal behind the anime. Here’s the complete story of how this connection between Marvel and Ergo Proxy came to be.

Dai Sato Speaks on the Inspiration Behind Ergo Proxy Re-l Mayer, the protagonist of the series | Credits: Manglobe

Dai Sato is a renowned figure in the anime-manga industry.

Your browser does not support the video tag. Sonny Boy is an underrated anime with stunning animation and an engaging story that deserves more attention. Kaiba is a profound series that explores identity and class disparity, and is a masterpiece that more anime fans should watch. Wolf's Rain is an underrated anime with beautiful animation, a compelling cast, and dark storytelling, making it one of Adult Swim's hidden gems.

Not every anime show can achieve the mainstream success of some of the most popular anime like One Piece, My Hero Academia, or Attack on Titan, even if they truly deserve it. As a result, there are a lot of underrated anime gems waiting for fans to discover and enjoy them.

There seems to be an almost constant stream of highly acclaimed anime series these days, more than anyone interested in the art form will have enough time to consume,...

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated show about multiple star systems getting involved in a war and the Jedi Knights trying to maintain peace, received worldwide fame and recognition on its release.

Darth Maul faces off against Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Clone Wars [Credit: Lucasfilm Animation]

Dave Filoni, who was the supervising director of the show, was quite impressed with how things turned out. With the show relying solely on animation, Filoni had a genius inspiration for The Clone Wars!

Dave Filoni Was Inspired By A Very Famous Anime!

It has often been seen that several action directors were inspired by Japanese animes for many of their ideas. Well, the iconic animated show was not so different as Dave Filoni had one brilliant inspiration in his mind.

Dave Filoni | Image by Josh Hallett, licensed under Cc By Sa-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Since it was the 2010s, animation and CGI were...

Inio Asanos critically-acclaimed sci-fi drama Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction recently inspired a theatrical anime movie that premiered on March 22, 2024, in Japan. Now, as Part 2 of the movie is set to be released on May 24 in Japan, a Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction TV anime series will make its global streaming premiere on Crunchyroll.

Per a press release, anime streaming giant Crunchyroll has acquired the rights to the newly-announced Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction anime TV series for release in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The new Dddd anime project will be an 18-episode TV adaptation of the two-part theatrical films, featuring brand-new footage never before seen in theaters. Crunchyroll will begin streaming the new Dddd anime TV series on Thursday, May 23 at 8 p.m. (Pt). New episodes will continue to be released weekly.

Related One Piece Celebrates Milestone Anniversary at Las Vegas Sphere With New Larger-Than-Life Display Monkey D.

Ergo Proxy uses gothic fashion to enhance its deep themes of identity and reality. The series' atmosphere perfectly captures a dark and grim tone, with a muted color palette and a quiet soundtrack. Fans looking for a goth science fiction anime owe it to themselves to give Ergo Proxy a try.

Crunchyroll is well known for housing a wide variety of anime series, and one of their most underrated is the goth anime classic Ergo Proxy. As the gothic fashion style spread across the 2000s, more and more anime used the fashion trend to stand out from the crowd. While some of those series ended up just using the trend as an aesthetic, anime like Ergo Proxy used the goth look to enhance their themes and dive deep into questions of identity.

One of the best post-apocalyptic anime, Ergo Proxy initially takes place in the domed city of Romdeau following a planet-wide environmental collapse.

A handful of the best anime studios are regularly releasing smash-hit titles that keep the anime community around the world endlessly entertained. Studio Pierrot is famous for making Naruto and Bleach, for example, while Mappa produced Jujutsu Kaisen and Studio UFOtable made the visually stunning Demon Slayer anime. Then there's Studio Bones, which also has a handful of strong anime titles to its name.

Studio Bones was founded back in 1998 and has been steadily producing all kinds of fine anime since 2000, when the studio released Hiwou War Chronicles. Studio Bones is still going strong today, with a few more seasons of smash-hit anime set to release in the near future. Now, anime fans can check out 10 of the best titles that Studio Bones has released and see just how much this studio has contributed to the modern anime industry.

Updated on February 19th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list of the...

This article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia manga by Kohei Horikoshi

Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia is one of the biggest shonen successes to come out of the past decade. The series brilliantly combines superhero and shonen tropes in a world where superpowered “Quirks” are the norm. Izuku “Deku” Midoriya trains to become the Number One Pro Hero as he faces malevolent villains who want to disrupt society. My Hero Academia has triumphed as a manga and anime series, but it’s also found new fans through its theatrical feature films. The series’ fourth film, My Hero Academia: You’re Next, is set to be released in Japan on August 2nd.

You’re Next has assembled top talent, including Tensai Okamura of Darker Than Black and Wolf’s Rain fame as its director. However, the film’s plot revolves around a fanatical All Might follower who misconstrues and weaponizes...

2023 has been an incredibly rich year for anime so far, celebrating the return of countless fan-favorite titles, including Jujutsu Kaisen and Vinland Saga, as well as the emergence of quite a few new series that took the community by storm. One of the year’s most unexpected grand successes was Production I.G’s Heavenly Delusion, an incredibly unique and content-dense sci-fi mystery based on Masakazu Ishiguro's 2018 manga. An ever-expanding tale of a world clad in ambiguity, Heavenly Delusion follows two equally captivating storylines – one is set in a post-apocalyptic Japan and follows two kids searching for an illusive “heaven” while fighting off enigmatic monsters known as Man-Eaters, and the other exploring the secrets of a sinister futuristic school isolated from the outside world.

A refreshing take on both science fiction and dystopian action adventure, Heavenly Delusion enthralled viewers with its magnetic characters, unadulterated violence and gore, gorgeously peculiar visuals,...

Adult Swim is one of the most important parts of the American anime community's history. The late-night animation block was many viewers' gateway to anime's more mature side. It also showed them that the medium of animation could be used for more than just children's entertainment. Additionally, Adult Swim saved some anime from oblivion.

Related: 10 Anime Whose Legacy Started With Toonami

Without Adult Swim, some anime wouldn't be as big and loved as they are now. But in more extreme cases, some anime would've completely disappeared if Adult Swim didn't come in on their behalves. Adult Swim (along with the revived Toonami) are more integral to anime's history and industry than even its biggest fans realize.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion was such a hit in Japan that it didn't really need Adult Swim's help, but the latter undeniably helped it become the cultural touchstone it is today. Evangelion...

Mamoru Miyano has a long and distinguished career in anime, appearing as Cilian in Pokémon: Best Wishes and Kiba the white wolf in Wolf's Rain. He has won several awards for his acting, especially for Light Yagami in Death Note. Miyano chooses roles that best suit his edgy and passionate voice, allowing him to bring out the darkness in the most conflicted of his characters.

Related: The 10 Best Characters Voiced By Christopher Sabat, Ranked

Miyano's characters are fun, intense, and care deeply about their causes, going as far as they can to achieve their goals. They share the same drive to succeed by any means necessary, although some take it further than others. Many of his characters thrive in environments surrounded by friends and family, but others strive to be independent and create worlds of their own.

A rarity for the anime world, “Bna” is not based on a manga but is actually an original series produced by Studio Trigger. With a style that reminds of Science Saru and with a context that includes an impressive metaphor on refugees, this is one of the best of the year.

Set in a world where humanoid animals (known as beastmen) and humans both co-exist and inhabit Earth, the series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who one day suddenly starts turning into a tanuki beastman. Running away, she seeks refuge in Anima City, a city built for beastmen to be able to live peacefully as themselves, and ends up meeting a wolf beastman named Shirou Ogami. Together, they investigate how and why Michiru became a beastman, becoming mixed up in even stranger events in the process

The writing by Kazuki Nakashima and the direction by Yoh Yoshinari...

It is always a pleasure to revisit great titles of the past and the recent, impressive ultimate edition of “Wolf’s Rain” by Anime Limited proved a great opportunity to do so for a title that seems to have been almost completely forgotten.

According to an old legend, when the end of the world comes, a place known as Paradise will appear. However, only wolves will know how to find it. Although wolves are believed to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years ago, they still exist, surviving by casting illusions over themselves to appear human. Freeze City is a northern city in a world where the majority of people live in poverty and hardship. Kiba, a lone wolf in search of the Lunar Flower, which is the key to open Paradise, arrives in the city, and after many trials and tribulations, ends up with three other wolf-humans,...

To celebrate the launch of Screen Anime, All The Anime is offering a special offer on box sets for the films and series currently featured on the site. Titles currently streaming include, Wolf’s Rain, Penguin Highway, Promare and Patema Inverted. You can head over to the Screen Anime Site for more info, and you can check out All The Anime for current and future deals.

When Scotland-based distributor Anime Limited announces a new ultimate edition, I tend to take notice. So far, the company has displayed great taste in picking up titles old and new, and previous ultimate editions have been pretty grand. Their newest title to get the royal treatment is an old classic: Studio Bones' anime adaptation of Nobumoto Keiko's Wolf's Rain, a 30-episode series about wolves who are thought to be extinct, but who have learned to disguise themselves as humans. The series is lauded for its art and animation, which comes as no surprise, given it was directed by Okamura Tensai. It is also famous...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...