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While recaps are just boring necessities in most mediums, anime studios have turned them into a mini-industry. There are some franchises that wouldn't even exist today without compilation films. Famously, Mobile Suit Gundam didn't really take off until its trilogy of compilation films began hitting theaters in 1981.

Unlike recaps in Western television, anime compilation films are big events. Since they tend to air in theaters, it means getting a bigger budget to try and present the best version of a series to new audiences. For fans who are willing to give them a try, they can be far better than just watching the original television series.

Detective Conan: Episode One Is the Remake of a Classic Origin Stream Detective Conan: Episode One on Amazon PrimeImage via Tms Entertainment

At over 1,000 episodes, Detective Conan is one of the longest-running anime of all time. It's a lot to ask viewers to...

At one point, mecha was the dominant genre for anime series. The genre had franchises for both children and adults, and they were constantly getting new series. One reason there were so many mecha anime is how easy the genre can sell merchandise, yet that wasn't the only reason. Some of the best anime of older eras were part of the mecha genre, making them impossible to ignore.

Even now, many of the mecha anime from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s are better than most modern anime series today. Rather than offering easy power fantasies about being the strongest or more popular, mecha anime often had far more to offer. Whether it was commentary on society or just passionate protagonists that are easy to love, it's impossible to go wrong with classic mecha anime.

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Later this year, singer May'n will celebrate her 20th career anniversary with a two-day event: one centering on her own music, and another spotlighting her role as the singing voice of Macross Frontier 's Sheryl Nome. Today, a gorgeous new visual for the upcoming concert showcases the two sides of May'n's performance. The new visual, drawn by Macross Frontier character designer Risa Ebata, depicts May'n back to back with Sheryl Nome. The visual advertises the two halves of the concert event: With you -Sheryl On Stage- on May 9, and With you -May'n Space- on May 10. May'n Related: Macross Frontier Anime Announces Greatest Hits Album for 2025 Macross Frontier is currently streaming on Hulu, along with several other titles from the long-running Macross franchise. The streaming platform describes the 2008 anime: In the year 2059, superstar songstress Sheryl Nome visits the Macross Frontier. On the day of the concert, Ranka Lee, a girl...

Beginning in the 1980s, the Macross anime franchise is one of the most iconic and influential mecha properties, right alongside the likes of Gundam. Long kept out of the West in the streaming era, many entries in the franchise are finally heading overseas in early 2025.

A new Hulu programming listing will see several Macross shows added to the streaming platform's lineup in the coming days. These include the concert compilation of videos tied to the first series, as well as the modern classic Macross Frontier. This finally ends the mecha anime's absence from the West, putting it on the same streaming service that also hosts several shows from a "rival" property.

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Macross Fronter and Multiple Others...

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...

Singer May'n's official YouTube channel started streaming a music video for her latest 22nd CD single song, "Strobe Fantasy" on September 4. The positive pop tune is now featured as the ending theme for the A Nobody’s Way Up to an Exploration Hero TV anime. May'n "Strobe Fantasy" Music Video A Nobody’s Way Up to an Exploration Hero Creditless Ending Movie May'n is best known as the singing voice of Sheryl Nome in the Macross Frontier anime series. Under her own name, she has also released 22 CD singles, eight digital singles, three mini-albums and seven full albums. The CD single for "Strobe Fantasy" was released in Japan on September 4, 2024, and ranked 16th in Oricon's daily single charts on its first day. Limited edition CD jacket Regular edition CD jacket May'n also visited the Animate Ikebukuro store on the single's release day. Related: A Nobody's Way Up to an Exploration Hero...

The official website for The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe (known as Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo in Japan) announced today that its R15+ version, subtitled Shinsei-ban ("genuine edition"), is set to release in Japan on October 4, 2024. The Shinsei-ban will be screened with 327 scenes retaken and sound re-dubbed to express “the horror story as originally envisioned by the production team.” A trailer and a poster visual for the R15+ version have been released. "Shinsei-ban" poster visual Japan's Film Classification and Rating Organization defines the “R15+” rating as: "Films in this category contain materials that are highly stimulating in its depiction of theme or subject matter and is not suitable for children under 15 years of age in terms of comprehension and judgment. Therefore, this rating is intended for audiences 15 years of age and older, with no one under 15 years of age allowed to see the film." To commemorate...

After getting penciled in for a 2024 launch earlier this year, a release date has officially been confirmed for MacRoss -Shooting Insight- . Red Art Games announced plans to release the shoot 'em up on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch in North America and Europe on December 6, 2024, with multiple physical releases available in addition to the digital version. Both the PS5 and Switch versions will be available physically in North America and Europe, but the PS4 physical version will be Europe-only. Those who opt for the Collector's Edition will get a copy of the game in an exclusive box with a Steelcase, original soundtrack CD, double-sided poster and five exclusive MacRoss collector medals. Pegi-rated versions are available through Red Art Games and Esrb-rated versions are available through Vgp .  Related: MacRoss -Shooting Insight- Game Gets 2024 North America, Europe Releases Here's how Red Art Games describes  MacRoss -Shooting Insight- : MacRoss Shooting...

The majority of Macross' anime library is heading to Disney+ in 2024.

The official Macross website has revealed that 18 titles will be distributed exclusively on Disney+ by the end of 2024 internationally, with only The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? tagged for Japan only. Readers can check out a special newly drawn visual by Macross F character designer Risa Ebata, along with the full list of Macross titles heading to Disney+, below.

Related Dragon Ball Creator's Sand Land Anime Series Reveals New Trailer & Release Date Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's upcoming Sand Land anime series receives a new trailer for its release date announcement on Disney+. The Macross Anime Catalog Streaming on Disney+ in 2024 The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (Japan only) The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (Japan only) The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012 The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II -Lovers,...

Since its theatrical release in Japan on November 17, 2023, the all-new anime feature film Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo has continued to do well at the box office and has received critical acclaim. Thanks to strong critical response and word of mouth, the film had stayed in the Japanese weekend box office top ten for 11 consecutive weeks and won the Excellent Animation of the Year award at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize . According to the latest report by Animate Times , the film has earned 2,531,116,700 yen (17.03 million Usd) on 1,771,490 admissions in 80 days from November 17, 2023, to February 5, 2024. It has already become the top-grossing film in the whole GeGeGe no Kitaro franchise, including live-action films. The previous top-grossing anime film in the franchise was Gegege no Kitarou: Nippon Bakuretsu released in December 2008 and earned 420 million yen (2.84 million Usd). Related: Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo Becomes Top-Grossing Film in Series Franchise The film, set in the 1950s,...

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the GeGeGe no Kitaro original manga author Shigeru Mizuki 's birth, the all-new anime feature film Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo opened in 253 theaters in Japan on November 17, 2023. According to the latest report by Animate Times , the movie has earned 2,344,966,920 yen (15.83 million Usd) on 1,643,274 admissions from November 2023 to January 2024 — becoming the top-grossing film in the whole GeGeGe no Kitaro franchise, including live-action films. Thanks to strong critical response and word of mouth, the movie has also stayed in the Japanese weekend box office top ten for ten consecutive weeks since its opening. Related: Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo Anime Film Reaches 2 Billion Yen in Japan The previous top-grossing film was the first GeGeGe no Kitaro live-action film starring Wentz Eiji as Kitaro, which was released in April 2007 and earned 2.34 billion yen (15.8 million Usd) from its total domestic run. The second live-action film starring Wentz,...

It is confirmed today that the cumulative domestic gross of the all-new anime feature film Kitaro Tanjou: GeGeGe no Nazo has reached two billion yen (13.81 million Usd) on 1.45 million admissions in 53 days since its release in Japan. Now it has become the eighth top-grossing Japanese anime film of 2023. Along with the Netflix series Akuma-kun , the 108-minute film was produced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the GeGeGe no Kitaro original manga author Shigeru Mizuki 's birth. It is set in the 1950s and tells the story of Kitaro's birth and the hidden mystery of his father, Medama Oyaji. Go Koga served as director, alongside screenplay writer Hiroyuki Yoshino and character Touko Yatabe ( Evangelion Rebuild assistant director). The Toei Animation-produced film opened in 253 theaters in Japan on November 17, 2023, earning 160 million yen (1.08 million Usd) on 111,500 admissions to make its second place debut in the weekend charts . Supported by strong word of mouth,...

The beloved mecha anime series Macross is receiving a collaboration through an unexpected medium: kabuki theater.

In 2024, kabuki performances will be held in celebration of the characters and music of the classic mecha franchise. The two entries in particular that will be highlighted are Macross Frontier and Macross Delta. Announced on the official Macross X (formerly Twitter) account, the theatrical event is set to take place from Jan. 20 to Feb. 18. The reveal also featured promo art portraying the anime's cast members in traditional kabuki makeup and garb, seen below.

Related Kodansha Releases Details of New 40th Anniversary Sdf Macross Art Book A new volume of the Macross Super Encyclopedia art book is releasing in time to celebrate the beloved mecha anime franchise's 40th anniversary. The Latest Macross Anime Are Getting a Kabuki Theater Revamp 日本最å.¤ã®åŠ‡å ´ã€Œå.—座ã€.で åˆ.の歌舞ä...

The best part of loving mecha anime is the high-octane battle scenes. The sound of metal clinking, heavy-duty weapons, emotions running high, and a classic finale fusion are all that make mecha anime popular. One of the defining moments for any well-perceived mecha show is the quality and level of action portrayed in it.

No matter how well the plot has been executed or how good the characters are, a mecha anime with mediocre tech or dull battle scenes can tick the audience off almost immediately. Cult classics like Code Geass, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Mobile Suit Gundam have featured some of anime’s most breathtaking battle scenes that the fans still haven’t gotten over.

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Macross Frontier

Macross Frontier is a mecha classic with exceptional animation and features some of the most blood-pumping mechanical machine fights. In the Macross universe, humanity has...

Kodansha is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Macross franchise with a commemorative art book full of history and deculture.

Previewed by publisher Kodansha, the Macross Super Encyclopedia is getting its second volume, which features cover art by Ichiro Itano. Itano is a prolific animator and producer who pioneered a style of action sequence seen in Real Robot mecha anime. These dogfights combine acrobatics with massive explosions, accentuating the drama present in Macross and other mecha franchises. The book cover image is the first such work from Itano for the franchise in over four decades. The upcoming new volume of the Macross Super Encyclopedia is centered specifically on the original incarnations of the property, comprised of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross movie retelling The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? and music video collection The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Flash Back 2012.

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Giant mechs are a staple of anime, with the largest mechs in anime history often leaving a proportional impact on the medium. More so than most other mediums, mechs are an important part of anime history. With foundational series like Tetsujin 28-go (or Gigantor as it's known in the U.S.) and Gundam establishing some of the medium's most important tropes and elements, it's left a great deal of room for series like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Eureka 7 to redefine what's possible in mech anime.

Part of redefining what's possible in mech anime also comes with redefining what it truly means to be a giant robot. Once upon a time, Tetsujin 28-go's 50-foot mech was considered an absolute behemoth, but as the years went on, that stature got less and less impressive. Though the size of a mech doesn't necessarily correlate to the quality of the anime it's in,...

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.

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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,...

Due to legal issues involving another series that it spawned, most entries in the Macross anime franchise have never made their way to the West. Despite an agreement being reached between Big West and Harmony Gold -- the latter of which produced Robotech -- these shows still have yet to surface through physical media releases or streaming services. Strangely enough, the first real attempt to bring these lost "Robotech" sequels over is through an entirely different type of production.

The Macross Delta idol girl musical group Walküre is having their final live musical tour, bringing an end to their performances for the time being. Though the show is going on in Japan, it will also be live-streamed and broadcast for Western fans. It's an utterly bizarre way to bring the series to America for the first time, completely overlooking the anime that viewers are still desperate to see get an official English release.