Anime Heroes: Chainsaw Man Review

By Nolan P SmithEditor Bandai Namco Collectibles has again proven its awesomeness with the Anime Heroes line, delivering six-inch figures that capture the essence of beloved anime characters such as Naruto, DragonBall Z, and One Piece. Their latest addition to the lineup, the ferocious Chainsaw Man, stands out as a testament to their commitment to quality and innovation in the […]

S.H. Figuarts Sasuke Uchiha Review

By Jason T. Smith Creative Editor Bandai is renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship in producing premium quality figures across a wide range of licensed properties. The S.H.Figuarts line, in particular, stands as a pinnacle in the world of super articulated and intricately detailed action figures. It’s akin to what the Masterpiece series is to Transformers collectors. As a fortunate owner […]

Gungrave Blitzway Legend Anime 1/4 Scale Statue Up for Pre-Order

Gungrave’s Beyond the Grave is back as a massive Blitzway Statue By Staff Reports Bandai Namco has brought to life the iconic anime anti-hero Beyond the Grave with this fantastic Gungrave statue! Gungrave is an infinite bullet action game released for PS2 by RED Entertainment in 2002. Yasuhiro Nightow was involved in character design, including the protagonist “Beyond the Grave”. […]

Action Figure Review: Dragon Stars Beerus

By Nolan P SmithEditor The Dragon Stars series is the epitome of highly detailed and articulated figures in the Dragon Ball Super line. From Bandai, a leading brand in collectibles, this line showcases some of the most iconic characters from the rich history of Dragon Ball. Today, I have the pleasure of examining none other than the formidable God of […]

Anime Expo Takes Over Los Angeles July 4th-7th

By Nolan P. Smith Staff Reporter (Victor Valley)– With more than 110,000 expected attendees, Anime Expo (AX) is one of the largest pop culture conventions in the world. With an emphasis on anime, manga, cosplay and more, the convention will once again return to the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 4th-July 7th, with a preview night on July 3rd. […]

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes with U.S. and Canadian Theatrical Release Set for September 25 Debut

By Staff Reports This first ever feature film in the “My Hero Academia” franchise from Toho Co. Ltd., will screen in both Japanese (English subtitles) and English dub on separate dates during its five-day run in over 400 theaters across the U.S. and Canada.  “My Hero Academia: Two Heroes” will be available in English dub on September 25, 27 and […]

Bioworld Merchandising to Launch Direct-to-Consumer Brand for Anime Superfans in Marquee Collab with Anime Expo 2018

  By Staff Reports   Bioworld Merchandising, Inc., the global pop culture product leader, is launching the ultimate curated anime experience, Animepls.com.    “Animepls.com will offer fans a complete online anime retail experience curated by our in-house team of anime experts, and our booth space will be an extension of that,” explained Jason Mayes, Director of Marketing at Bioworld. “We are […]

UDON Celebrates the Grandfather of Manga and Anime with the Release of Two Osamu Tezuka Art Books

By Staff Reports Long considered “the grandfather of manga and anime”, legendary illustrator and animator Osamu Tezuka’s enduring legacy can still be felt today in the indelible influence he has had on contemporary manga and anime creators. In an effort to ensure that his timeless work remains easily accessible to as wide an audience as possible, UDON Entertainment is proud […]

VIZ Media Partners with Generator to Launch Official Naruto Online Store

By Staff Reports VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the launch of the official NARUTO online store for the U.S. and Canada in partnership with digital marketing and eCommerce solutions provider, GENERATOR, a division of Sony DADC. The NARUTO online store at shop.naruto.com is a comprehensive […]

VIZ Media Announces U.S. Simulcast Of ONE-PUNCH MAN Anime Series

By Staff Reports VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, invites audiences to catch the knuckle-busting premiere of the ONE-PUNCH MAN anime simulcast – this Sunday, October 4th! Presented with English subtitles on the same day as its Japanese network broadcast premiere, Episode 1 introduces an action-packed story about […]

VIZ Media Announces a Wide Array of Exciting Exclusives and Show Specials for New York Comic Con 2015

By Staff Reports VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has detailed a comprehensive and exciting collection of show exclusives, advance manga and anime releases and other special items available for purchase at the VIZ Media booth during New York Comic Con 2015. New York Comic Con takes place October […]

VIZ MEDIA & Eleven Arts Announce Canadian Theatrical Dates For BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE

By Staff Reports VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the expansion of its partnership with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS to premiere BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE in a series of exclusive theatrical engagements. In addition to a big-screen debut in over 80 U.S. cities, Canadian […]

Anime Fans Rejoice! The Collected Works Of Hayao Miyazaki Available on Blu-ray Exclusively Through Amazon.com on November 17

By Nolan P. Smith One of the masters of animated cinema is getting a collection just in time for Christmas. Hayao Miyazaki, the man who brought the world Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle and more, will have his works collected in The Collected Works Of Hayao Miyazaki set, made available exclusively on Amazon on November 17th. All 11 of […]

VIZ Media Announces BORUTO Anime Film Premiere In 80 U.S. Cities

By Staff Reports VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces that it has partnered with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS to present BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE in a series of exclusive theatrical engagements around the United States starting on October 10th. Theatregoers will have a very […]

VIZ MEDIA Returns To Otakon Pop Culture Convention This Weekend

By Staff Reports VIZ Media prepares its return to Otakon, one of the East Coast’s most renowned anime conventions, with a roster of informative panel discussions, interactive booth activities, promotional giveaways, anime screening premieres, and a special selection of retail products available exclusively at the event. Otakon 2015 takes place July 24th through July 26th at the Baltimore Convention Center […]

24th Annual Anime Expo Takes Over Los Angeles This Weekend

By Nolan P. Smith This weekend, the Los Angeles Convention Center is completely taken over by cosplayers, musicians, artists, animators, and more as the Anime Expo brings forth a convention that Southern California waits for every year. Presented by The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the convention will host over 100,000 attendees between July 2nd through July […]

The 24th Annual Anime Expo Takes Over Los Angeles July 2-5, Brings KISS, Hello Kitty, Evangelion and More Together

By Staff Reports (Los Angeles, CA) – The 24th Annual Anime Expo (AX), presented by The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), will play host to over 100,000 lovers of Japanese animation and pop culture, July 2-5, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Sneaking up in attendance right behind Comic-Con, this year’s show will mark the biggest […]

FanimeCon 2015 Cosplay Coverage

By Nolan P. Smith Thanks to photographer and cosplayer Josh Cruz, we are able to provide you with some of the best cosplayers from FanimeCon, which took place May 22nd-25th in San Jose! I’ve covered conventions with Josh in the past; he’s a great guy, awesome photographer (as you can see) and loves the world of cosplay! So check out […]

The Animation Series Based on the Mega Hit RPG “Persona4 the Golden” Due This Summer on Blu-ray

By Staff Reports Recently at their panel at Anime Central (Chicago, IL), Aniplex of America Inc. announced their release plans for the hit anime series Persona4 the Golden ANIMATION. The “P4GA” series will be available on Blu-ray in two volumes. The first volume will be released on July 21st followed by volume 2 due on September 29th. Pre-orders for both […]

Myx TV Suits Up for Second Season of “Call to Cosplay”

By Staff Reports Myx TV, the only English-language multicultural Asian American entertainment network in the United States, will premiere the second season of fan-favorite costume competition series “Call to Cosplay,” on May 12, 2015 at 8/7c. Cosplay, a term meaning ‘costume play’ is a popular subculture where participants dress-up and role play various characters from anime, manga, comic books and […]

VIZ Media Releases Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Blood Prison on DVD and Blu-Ray

By Staff Reports (San Francisco, CA)– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers a thrilling dose of ninja action with the Blu-ray/DVD release of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BLOOD PRISON on February 18th. The new release is rated ‘TV-14’ and will carry a DVD MSRP of $19.98 U.S. […]

Aniplex of America Acquires Samurai Flamenco for their Fall Season

By Staff Reports (Santa Monica, CA)–Aniplex of America Inc. has announced today that they have acquired the highly-anticipated title, Samurai Flamenco for this fall season. Samurai Flamenco will begin its streaming schedule this October. This brand new series features an all-star staff including director Takahiro Omori, whose previous works include popular titles such as Durarara!! and Baccano! along with Hideyuki […]

VIZ Media Announces The Return of Ranma 1/2 Anime and Manga Series To North America

(San Francisco)– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the return of one of the genre’s most celebrated manga and anime properties – RANMA ½. RANMA ½ is a renowned martial arts action-adventure manga (graphic novel) series created by Rumiko Takahashi. The manga series was a staple of […]

Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki Retires From Making Feature Films

Yesterday, the news broke that the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, founder of Studio Ghibli, which has brought the world Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and more, has retired  from making feature length films. Check out the full article below, straight from Anime News Network: Studio Ghibli President Koji Hoshino announced on Sunday that studio founder and world-renowned anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki […]

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru Imprint Debuts Celebrated Sci-Fi Author Catherynne M. Valente’s Melancholy of Mechagirl

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint delivers an exciting collection of stories and poems by New York Times best-selling fantasy and science fiction author, Catherynne M. Valente, as it announces the release of MELANCHOLY OF MECHAGIRL. The new book is available now through all major book retailers, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. […]

Manga Review: Rurouni Kenshin-Restoration Volume 1

Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer and Artist: Nobuhiro Watsuki Publisher: Shonen Jump/ VIZ Media Release June 2013 Website: www.viz.com The Rurouni Kenshin franchise has been around for some time now. Fans of anime and manga know the tales of the legendary Battosai the Man Slayer, set in the Meiji Era in feudal Japan.  If you don’t, or if […]