It’s the age of the adaptation. And one particular live-action anime/manga adaptation has been in the zeitgeist for quite a while. We first heard reports of a live-action Naruto movie in 2015. At the time, Lionsgate was in negotiations for the film rights to the franchise. And it was reported that Michael Gracey would helm the live-action Naruto movie, acting as its director. But since that exciting announcement, very little progress has happened with this film. But, here we are, over eight years later, and finally, it looks like momentum is picking up for the Naruto live-action movie. Most recently, we learned the film officially has a writer. Here’s what we know about this adaptation so far.

The Live-Action Naruto Movie Gets an Update

In its “10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2023” article, Variety highlighted Tasha Huo, who wrote another anticipated upcoming movie, Red Sonja. The profile shares, “After developing scripts for Red Sonja, Naruto and an animated version of Tomb Raider, Huo says she considers it a fan’s dream come true to adapt beloved properties.” And the publication additionally notes, “Next up for the writer is Naruto, a feature adaptation of the iconic anime for Lionsgate.”

Obviously, this doesn’t give us much information about the Naruto live-action movie. But, it does seem to indicate that progress on the film will happen soon. And, after so long without any news at all, it is good to hear the Naruto live-action film is still in development.

What Else Do We Know About This Anime/Manga Adaptation?

The article makes no mention of whether Michael Gracey is still on tap to direct the movie. The last we heard from him, via IGN, was in 2018. Gracey gave an update on the progress of the Naruto live-action movie where he shared, “So many Hollywood adaptations of really popular manga series just don’t get it right, and for me, what was really important was that if I was gonna do Naruto, I wanted to actually work with [Naruto creator Masashi] Kishimoto and get a script to a stage where he would look at it and be excited about realizing it… Because no one knows the world better than the person who created it.” That sounds like a promising perspective, in any case. So we hope the movie keeps it regardless of who is involved behind the scenes.

Of course, it is much too early for any casting news around the live-action Naruto. But it’s not too early for fans to get their dream casting lists together. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear more about this adaptation soon.

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2023 was a big year for One Piece. Not only did the series finally get a live-action adaptation courtesy of Netflix, it got a good live-action adaptation and even a season two renewal. If that wasn’t enough, One Piece‘s Monkey D. Luffy transformed into a giant straw hat-wearing balloon for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. It doesn’t get any bigger than that, literally. (Even if he did deflate a little.) And, of course, 2023 marks the conclusion of One Piece‘s long-running anime arc, Wano Country. But there’s no rest of the future King of the Pirates. In a flashy new trailer, Toei Animation revealed our first good glimpse of the One Piece anime’s upcoming Egghead Arc and also shared its official release date. Take a look below.

One Piece‘s Wano Country arc took the series into its thousandth episode and lasted for over four years. But now, change is in the air as our favorite pirates head into a more sci-fi adventure. If the trailer for One Piece‘s upcoming Egghead arc is anything to judge by, we’ll be seeing a more futuristic side of One Piece emerge, complete with wild architecture, giant robots, punk records, and some truly magical anime science. Dr. Vegapunk, who the Straw Hats meet when they land on Egghead island, has us intrigued already. Of course, one of the best parts of any new anime arc is new costumes. We love seeing Luffy and co. in their best cyberpunk looks. (And someone needs to get us a pair of those space boots, stat.)

But One Piece‘s Egghead arc island arc is important beyond just the new adventure it brings. It’s actually the first part of One Piece‘s final act. Yes, after over 25 years , this piratey story is beginning its wind down. But, given that a One Piece arc can go on for many episodes, not to mention, many years, we won’t feel too sad yet. And in the meanwhile, we have all the goodness of an arc titled “Egghead” to look forward to.

When Will One Piece‘s Egghead Island Arc Release?

One Piece‘s Egghead arc will release on January 7, 2024, according to its new trailer. So, if you’re behind, or if you haven’t started yet, there’s still some time to catch up—just snag our guide to watching One Piece efficiently and dive right in.

This new chapter of the One Piece anime will begin with episode 1086.

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World made an impression when it rocked into theaters in 2010. The story, adapted from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comics about the titular Scott, came to life in stylized live-action with director Edgar Wright. Now, a Netflix series will make the story even more visually splashy with a Scott Pilgrim anime. Titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the eight-episode series goes back to the world of Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, indie rock sounds, and lots of fighting. The animated show even brings back the entire cast of the cult classic movie. Get your best looks yet at Scott Pilgrim Takes Off with its opening sequence, trailers, and more. The show has even shared a line-up of its exciting guest stars.

The Scott Pilgrim Series Gets an Anime Opening Credits Sequence

It wouldn’t be an anime series without an excellent opening credits sequence. And we love seeing Scott Pilgrim Takes Off follow this tradition. The Scott Pilgrim series’ opening credits sequence features custom animation from Science SARU and “an official theme song “bloom” by Japanese rock band, Necry Talkie.” It’s already stuck in our heads, and gets us excited for what the Scott Pilgrim anime has in store.

Get an even better look at what’s to come with the series’ official trailers.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Shares Official Trailers

Doesn’t this trailer for the Scott Pilgrim anime make you feel like punching life in the face? In a good way, of course. We love seeing all these familiar characters a whole new way. Of course, it’s not all action. In its final trailer, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off promises us the love story of a generation. And we can really see it starting to take shape. Sparks are definitely flying, and love is “taking off.” Hey, sometimes one date is enough… especially in the world of anime.

Netflix partnered on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off with UCP. We don’t know yet how much of the anime will adapt what Scott Pilgrim vs. the World already did. However, Scott Pilgrim‘s creator Bryan Lee O’Malley is working as an executive producer and writer alongside BenDavid Grabinski, so we know it’s in good hands.

Lee O’Malley notes of the new anime series, “I don’t know who needs to hear this but… It’s not the books. I already wrote those and you can read them anytime. The show is its own new thing in many ways. Do NOT expect a word-for-word remake. Many fun surprises to come.” We do like the sound of that!

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off‘s Official Synopsis and Cast Information

For now, Netflix has shared the following synopsis for the Scott Pilgrim anime series. It doesn’t really give us much new information, but it’s good to know the seven evil exes will still make their appearances. We certainly see them ready for battle in the latest trailer for this anime adaptation. Here’s what the streamer has to say about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

In SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF, Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and discovers he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. But this time, things get even more complicated. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF revisits and reimagines the beloved cult classic, taking Ramona Flowers, her evil exes, Scott, and his friends off on a mysterious new action-packed journey to find love.

Click To View Gallery

The Scott Pilgrim Takes Off cast includes Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Satya Bhabha, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, Johnny Simmons, Mark Webber, Mae Whitman, Julian Cihi, and Ellen Wong.

As far as guest stars go, the series boasts the likes of Will Forte, Finn Wolfhard, Al Yankovic, Kal Penn, Kirby, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Nelson Franklin, Bowen Yang, and many more.

Abel Gongora will direct the Scott Pilgrim anime, while Wright is one of the show’s executive producers. Here’s some of the best news: Anamanaguchi will provide original songs and work on the score with Joseph Trapanese.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off arrived on Netflix on November 17, 2023.

Originally published on August 16, 2023.

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It’s been a busy time for Netflix’s live-action anime adaptations. The platform is working on its highly-anticipated live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it brought to life a live-action One Piece series, and it gave us an, unfortunately canceled, live-action Cowboy Bebop show. We even recently heard that Netflix is teaming with Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, for a live-action series adapting the anime Death Note. On top of this impressive list, Netflix has also revealed more exciting news about its adaptation of the anime Yu Yu Hakusho. Here’s what we know about Netlfix’s live-action Yu Yu Hakusho adaptation so far.

Netflix’s Live-Action Yu Yu Hakusho Releases Trailer

It’s our best look yet at all the excitement of Netflix’s live-action Yu Yu Hakusho—a trailer. Check out the epic tease below.

Honestly, it looks like a lot of fun and well-worth waiting for. It’s not always easy bringing anime to life, but this series is really selling it and us on what’s in store. It definitely has the distinct feeling of an anime. And that’s a good thing in our book.

The Cast of Netflix’s Live-Action Yu Yu Hakusho and First-Look Photos From the Series

That trailer looked great and the characters really drive it. Here’s a closer look at the cast of Yu Yu Hakusho. Yu Yu Hakusho centers on Yusuke Urameshi, Takumi Kitamura will play this lead role. Netflix has also shared the casting for fan-favorite character Kurama. Jun Shison will play the fox demon. Finally, Kanata Hongo will play the character of Hiei.

Additionally, Netflix has revealed that Shuhei Uesugi will play Kazuma Kuwabara.

Kazuma Kuwabara will be played by Shuhei Uesugi #yuyuhakusho pic.twitter.com/iqgrWzOTrc

— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) July 19, 2022

More About the Netflix Series

As fans of the series know, Yu Yu Hakusho tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi. Yusuke Urameshi begins the tale as a troubled high school student who dies performing a good deed. He then finds himself with neither a place in heaven nor hell. After being revived and passing a test, he transforms into an “Underworld Detective” who investigates cases involving demons. According to Netflix, Yusuke Urameshi “becomes entwined in a mystery that envelopes the human, demon and spirit worlds.” All elements we can expect to see in the upcoming live-action series adaptation of the anime.

In a release, Yu Yu Hakusho‘s director Sho Tsukikawa further shares, “When I first heard about Yu Yu Hakusho receiving a live-action adaptation, I honestly wondered if it would even be possible—but after being presented with the producer’s vision and possibilities with Netflix, my expectations grew, and I found myself burning with passion to make this project come to life.” That certainly sounds promising for fans of the anime.

Live-Action Yu Yu Hakusho‘s Release Date

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho will premiere on December 14, 2023. We can’t wait to see Yusuke Urameshi take on demons in this anime adaptation.

Originally published on July 19, 2022.

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This might sound like a paradox, but Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a perfect movie with one glaring problem – it ends. In an ideal video game world, Scott would never stop fighting Ramona’s evil exes. That’s obviously not possible, but Netflix will soon provide us the next best thing. The streaming site is giving us an all new way to experience the story, with an anime series starring the original cast of the film. And the first clip from Scott Pilgrim Takes Off shows that whether live-action or animated, our favorite lovesick musician is always worth waiting for.

Netflix debuted the first clip for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off during its DROP 01 Virtual Event. It features Michael Cera’s titular doofus, Aubrey Plaza’s Julie, and Kieran Culkin’s Wallace. The clip begins with Scott asking the very mean Julie to identify his dream girl from the least helpful drawing ever. Undaunted by Julie’s demands, Scott immediately concocts a plan to meet Ramona by ordering a Netflix DVD. (If you’re under 30 and wondering what that means this will help.) Then he waits. And waits. And waits some more.

I love that big dummy so much.

I also love that this scene is not a word-for-word, shot-for-shot re-creation of the movie. It feels familiar but fresh, which is what we can expect from the entire series. It stars the cast of the film, but will expand on and play off of the live-action original. (Which itself is based Bryan Lee O’Malley’s great graphic novel.)

Unfortunately at some point this anime will suffer from the same problem the movie does: it will end. We want Takes Off to never land, but until it does we’re going to enjoy being back in the world of Scott Pilgrim. It’s a place we never want to leave.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off comes to Netflix on November 17, 2023.

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‘Tis the season for many things—pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking, and… video game adaptations. Yes, more than ever, our favorite games are turning into series for our viewing pleasure. Next up, the popular video game Devil May Cry is heading to Netflix in the form of an anime series. In this current gaming adaptation age, we bet the results are better than ever. Although we don’t yet have a release date for this anime, Netflix did share a teaser trailer for the series. Here’s what we know about the Devil May Cry series heading to Netflix.

Devil May Cry Series Announcement Teaser Trailer

Conversations about the Devil May Cry animated series have been circulating since 2021. So we feel glad to finally see it coming to fruition. Netflix’s teaser for Devil May Cry doesn’t show us too much about what we can expect from the anime show. But it does set the tone just right. The quick scenes of action and the hard rock music certainly have us ready to dive into an episode. And the animation looks incredibly good.

 The only character we see in the Devil May Cry teaser is Dante. He’s got his red jacket, his guns, his white hair, and he’s ready to go. But in earlier conversations, creator and showrunner of the series Adi Shankar confirmed we’d see other familiar Devil May Cry characters. He noted, “I can confirm that Vergil is in it, as well as Lady, and of course Dante as well.” We can’t wait to see how these characters transform for the show.

The Anime Series Synopsis

Netflix also shared a logline for the Devil May Cry series; it notes:

In this animated adaptation of the popular Capcom game, sinister forces are at play to open the portal between the human and demon realms. In the middle of it all is Dante, an orphaned demon-hunter-for-hire, unaware that the fate of both worlds hangs around his neck.

We do love a sinister force. And an orphaned demon-hunter-for-hire. Dante certainly does not seem aware the fate of multiple worlds is on his shoulders in the teaser clip, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens when he does.

Devil May Cry‘s Release Date, Episode Count, and More

Right now, Devil May Cry does not have an official Netflix release date. All we know is that it’s “coming soon.” However, we do know that the series will be eight episodes long. Adi Shankar, as mentioned, is the showrunner and creator. Alex Larsen is the writer on the show. The series comes from Netflix, Capcom, and Studio MIR, so we know it is in good hands.

Shankar noted, “I’m honored that Netflix and Capcom have entrusted me to shepherd the Devil May Cry franchise. Alex Larsen and I love these characters; we are part of the fandom, and vow to surpass the exceptionally high bar we set for ourselves.”

Hopefully, we will know more about when Devil May Cry will be released and get to see more of its characters before too long.

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The Great Age of Pirates is here, One Piece fans! The live-action adaptation of the hit anime series has finally arrived on Netflix, and it’s winning over old and new fans alike with its fresh take on the Straw Hat Pirates. But what exactly is the difference between the live-action and the anime? Dan Casey sets sail for the East Blue to break down the biggest changes we could find in today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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Written by Alison Mattingly
Edited by Matt Caron

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Live-action adaptations of anime and manga don’t always go over well. There are many reasons why that could be, but the fact is, the format of most anime series and the expectations for live-action shows are just vastly different. But every so often, a show cracks the code. Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation appears to have made a smooth jump from its original forms to live-action. The show is full of endearing heart, over-the-top yet not ridiculous antics, and an appealing found family narrative at the core. New and long-standing fans have embraced the One Piece adaptation but found eight episodes to simply not be enough. But will there be a season two of the Netflix One Piece live-action series? Well, Netflix just gave One Piece an official season two renewal, aligning with producers who previously said a second season is ready to happen.

The renewal message came in the most adorable fashion on Netflix’s official Twitter (some call it X) page.

Speaking to Variety, Marty Adelstein, the CEO of Tomorrow Studios, which produces Netflix’s live-action One Piece, notes, “We’ve got scripts ready.” Meanwhile, Tomorrow Studios president Becky Clements offered insight into a timeline for One Piece season two’s release. She said another One Piece season is “realistically, hopefully, a year away, if we move very quickly, and that is a possibility… Somewhere between a year and 18 months, we could be ready for air.” Of course, the timing of One Piece season two will depend on the studios agreeing to compensate and support their actors and writers fairly, bringing an end to the current strikes.

Adelstein further added about One Piece season two, “I think [Netflix is] looking at various situations about how many episodes they do, do they break them up?… There seems to be a big impetus to keep this going and to come up with a long-term strategy. So we’re just waiting for that.”

That is all good news for One Piece fans. And we know it is happening because Netflix has officially confirmed a season two. It was our dream and there’s nothing more important than making sure our dreams come true. We’ll cheer on our favorite crew whenever they sail back onto our screens.

Originally published on September 8, 2023.

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In Netflix’s live-action One Piece, no one dreams like Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy holds the pursuit of his own dream as his driving force. And in his cheerfully relentless path to achieving his dream, he gently pushes everyone around him to discover their dreams, and thus to evolve. Not a single character on One Piece is remotely close to achieving their chosen dream by the first season’s end. But every one of them has grown vastly, guided by first realizing and then stepping toward their dreams.

Following a dream is a common thread across fiction. Heroes often have dreams of achieving great victory, of finding a purpose, or of learning their place in the world. Sometimes, villains have dreams, too. Those tend to go less well. But in Netflix’s live-action One Piece, the concept of dreams is the central throughline of the story. Dreams are revered as tangible, powerful things. And although without one, a character is lost, a dream is not necessarily a guarantee of triumph. Instead, One Piece’s rendering of dreams focuses less on their completion and more on the idea that without a drive, existence becomes pointless and growth ceases. It is this spotlight on the messy journey of dreaming, and not on the destination or simple existence of dreams, that makes the series’ portrayal of them so salient. 

Whether One Piece can claim the title of a successful adaptation is a question we can debate forever. But the greatest strength of fiction lies in its ability to impact the world external to its own. In our reality, dreaming can be difficult. More than ever, a constant bevy of obstacles can make it feel pointless to dream. But One Piece’s true power is in its readiness to assure us that regardless of outcome, having a dream and following it is enough to have an impact, on ourselves and on the world. 

In the early episodes of the show, Koby, a character who had been trapped by circumstance, laments his newfound freedom. He notes, “Maybe I made a mistake, I never should have left Alvida.” In response, Luffy asks Koby to tell him about his dream and sets him on the course toward it. On Alvida’s ship, Koby was wasting away, frozen in an unhappy limbo, forced into being someone he wasn’t. Dreaming, figuratively, and Luffy, an agent of dreaming, literally, sets him free. 

Of course, the audience and Luffy know that Koby’s dream of becoming a Marine isn’t necessarily one that will resolve in the way Koby thinks it will. But regardless of the outcomes and the reality of the dream, the presence and pursuit of it is enough to move Koby into becoming the person he was meant to be. However imperfect the growth of dreaming is, it renders Koby alive, where before he was only existing. Staying stagnant without a dream may have been easier. But actively pushing toward one allows Koby to blossom as a fully realized person.

Similarly, One Piece’s chef Sanji held his dream of finding the All Blue, a mysterious One Piece location, close to his chest for a long time. But instead of pursuing it, he’d stubbornly stayed in one place. Having a dream, One Piece implies, is not in and of itself enough. Dreaming is an active sport. Although Sanji’s situation is better than Koby’s, it isn’t until Sanji has actively moved to pursue his dream that we see him evolve.

One Piece gives the impression that Sanji and his mentor Zeff have danced the same dance and had the same arguments over and over and over again for a long time. But when Sanji finally lets his dream drive him, he can also finally find the words to tell the one-time pirate what he means to him. While this has nothing to do with the goal of his dream, in acknowledging it, he transforms into the next version of himself. Following a dream is not about a literal destination, One Piece reminds us. Instead, pursuing a dream is the mechanism through which all growth is achieved. 

One Piece also understands very acutely, and very realistically, that dreaming can be dangerous—that following a dream can cause a person to make unfathomable decisions and can even leave them in a precarious situation, struggling to survive. The action of dreaming does not mean there are only purely good outcomes. Dreaming does not become enmeshed in a starry-eyed wonder more commonly seen in fiction. No, dreaming is a real and scary endeavor. But despite this, to simply stay dreamless, or worse, to take a step in defiance of a dream, is a far worse fate. 

After intent swordsman Zoro somewhat foolishly challenges Dracule Mihawk, a far better fighter than him, to a duel in pursuit of his dream, to become the greatest swordsman in the world, he ends up badly injured. Despite this, Luffy remains firm in his decision not to have intervened in the battle. He tells his disapproving crewmate, Nami, “I’d do anything to save him, anything. Except stand in the way of his dream.”

On the face of it, maybe Nami has a point. But more figuratively, Luffy and One Piece know that Zoro would never have survived losing the ability to follow his dream. If having and following a dream is the key to evolution, then defying it is akin to death. It’s that motion toward a dream, however chaotic, scary, and occasionally disheartening, that moves the characters forward. Zoro’s brush with his dream may have left him scarred, but it culminated in his assured pronouncement of his place in the world—as first mate to Luffy’s captain. And that certainly would not have occurred had Zoro been stopped in the pursuit of his ultimate goal. 

When they first meet on One Piece, Zoro tells Luffy he’s a Pirate Hunter. And Luffy responds asking, “Is that all you are? Is that all you want?” Who among us hasn’t asked ourselves those very questions? Of course, in our realities, dreaming is not as straightforward as it is on One Piece. And we don’t all have secret powers from a Devil Fruit to rely on in the pursuit of our aspirations. Luckily, One Piece has a pretty easy answer for us, one that works even in the real world. We become ourselves in the pursuit of our dreams, whatever they may be. And regardless of whether we do or can achieve them entirely or not, in taking whatever steps we can toward them, we flourish. 

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Ahoy, matey! It is time to join the crew of the Going Merry and set sail for Netflix’s live-action One Piece series. The beloved manga will float onto our screens on August 31, which means it’s time for one final trailer for live-acton One Piece. Let’s take a look at what’s in store.

Netflix’s Live-Action One Piece Trailers

If One Piece‘s trailers are anything to go by, the live-action One Piece adaptation looks excellent and very faithful to its source material. We’re feeling the heart and cheer of One Piece coming through in the Netflix version. Iñaki Godoy’s acting is already infectiously charming. He seems like he’ll be an absolute delight as Monkey D. Luffy, even just from these sneak peeks.

The One Piece trailer asks, “Why would anyone want to be a pirate?” Well, because it’s the very best thing there is. But there’s nothing more important than a loyal crew by your side. And luckily for Monkey D. Luffy, he’s about to get one. The Straw Hat crew has arrived in Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation, flag and all. Although, of course, it’s not always smooth sailing when one is out looking for treasure. Still, Monkey D. Luffy has his heart set on being King of the Pirates, and no villainous rogues will stop his quest.

Monsters, sword fights, the high seas, and friendship, what more could we ask for? The One Piece series will even faithfully bring to life transponder snails also known as Den Den Mushi. That’s a true (and horrifying) commitment. It’s one thing to see these communicative creatures in animated form, and quite another to see them so realistic. But it gives us a taste of the humor Netflix’s live-action One Piece series is bringing to the table.

One Piece‘s Synopsis and More

A synopsis for Netflix’s One Piece revealed with the trailer shares:

Based on Japan’s highest-selling manga series in history by Eiichiro Oda, ONE PIECE is a legendary high-seas adventure unlike any other. Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember. Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he’s always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.

We’re sensing a found family is right around the corner. And there’s nothing we love more than that. As mentioned, Netflix’s One Piece live-action series will release on August 31.

Originally published on June 20, 2023.

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One Piece is a beloved manga that has entertained fans for decades. The manga was created by Eiichiro Oda in 1997 and follows a group of pirates called the Straw Hats, as they search for the famed treasure—the “One Piece”—left behind by the notorious King of the Pirates Gol D. Roger. They are led by their ultra positive and incredibly powerful leader Luffy. 

The manga has been incredibly successful, as Oda continues to develop new volumes. In 1999, the manga received the anime treatment, with over a thousand episodes out and counting. Due to its longstanding presence in anime, One Piece has tons of characters, but not all of them made the cut for the live-action adaptation that’s around the corner. So, here’s a guide to the main characters to watch out for Netflix’s upcoming live-action series. 

Jump to: The Straw Hat Pirates // The Marines // The Villains // Other Supporting Characters

The Straw Hats Character Crew in the One Piece Live-Action Series

Monkey D. Luffy

The central protagonist of this anime, Luffy is without a doubt the spirit of One Piece. He dons a straw hat, of which his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, get their name. Luffy has a huge appetite that matches the size of his heart. The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates also packs a punch thanks to eating the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit, essentially turning his body into rubber. While Luffy is incredibly light-hearted, don’t mess with his friends, or stand in the way of his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. Trust us, you’ll regret it.  

Played by: Iñaki Godoy

Nami

The skilled navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, Nami is as charming as she is shrewd. While her navigation abilities drive her interest in drawing a map of the world, Nami has plenty of tricks up her sleeve, including being a talented thief who’s proficient in fighting with a staff. Money is on her mind and so is luxury, but she will protect her crew, no matter the cost. But then again, not everything about Nami meets the eye.  

Played by: Emily Rudd

Roronoa Zoro 

The first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro is a man of few words and many swords. Well, this bounty hunter knows his way around a blade and carries three of them. Gruff, headstrong, and sporting a horrible sense of direction, Zoro plans to become a master swordsman, if he doesn’t get lost at sea first. This green-haired fighter is known to throw back a few (or several drinks) and loves a good brawl. His loyalty to his crew, especially to Luffy, is unmatched, as is his sword prowess. 

Played by: Mackenyu Arata

Usopp

Usopp is the Straw Hat Pirates’ sniper of the crew, but if he tells you his role, he’ll say it’s Captain. Known for his vivid storytelling and tall-tales, he can be just as lively as Luffy, but his courage is far from his captain’s. Usopp is known to run away in the middle of battle, but if you let him recount the events that transpired, he’ll claim he saved the entire crew. Still, Usopp dreams of becoming a brave warrior of the seas. 

Played by: Jacob Romero 

Sanji

The Straw Hat Pirates’ resident chef, Sanji trained under the master chef and former pirate Zeff aboard the Baratie, a floating restaurant. His dishes are as delicious as his kicks are deadly. His goal is to find the All Blue, a part where the East, West, North, and South Blues meet and is filled rich with wildlife perfect for his cuisine. But his infatuation with women, specifically Nami, might take reaching that goal a little longer. 

Played by: Taz Skylar

The Marines Characters in the One Piece Live-Action Series

Koby

A member of Alvida’s pirate crew, Koby is timid, reserved, and meek. When he meets a stowaway Luffy on Alvida’s ship, the young pirate lights a fire under the bespectacled, pink-haired youth. While Luffy plans to become King of the Pirates, Koby wants to follow his dream of becoming a Marine, but it might put him in direct opposition of his newfound friend. 

Played by: Morgan Davies

Helmeppo

Spoiled, entitled, and bratty, a lot of Helmeppo’s snot-nosed attitude comes from him hiding behind the authority of his father, Captain “Axe-Hand” Morgan. Not to mention, he’s quick to exploit his father’s ranking for his own gain. While he brandishes a sword, he’d rather use his privilege to intimidate pirates, and his fellow Marines to get what he wants.  

Played by: Aidan Scott

Captain “Axe-Hand” Morgan

The first main Marine captain to appear in One Piece, Captain “Axe-Hand” Morgan is also one of the first antagonists to show up as well. As his nickname alludes, Captain Morgan is known for wielding an axe for a right arm. He also sports a jawline that could kill, literally, since it’s made of metal. The father of Marine officer Helmeppo, the two share blonde hair and a penchant for abusing their positions of power.  

Played by: Langley Kirkwood

Vice-Admiral Garp

The character known as Vice-Admiral Garp is the quintessential Marine in One Piece. He’s known across the seas for his fighting ability and has famously placed many pirates behind bars. Garp plans to bring order to the chaotic seas that pirates explore. 

Played by: Vincent Regan

The Villains of One Piece

Buggy

What do you get when you mix a murderous pirate with the personality of a narcissistic show clown? Buggy. This nefarious pirate loves to be center stage and as the captain of his band of circus performer pirates, he places himself front and center. But he has plenty of power to keep him there as he is the wielder of the Chop-Chop Devil Fruit, which allows him to split his body apart and telekinetically control each piece. 

Played by: Jeff Ward

Arlong

In One Piece, you’ll notice that the fantastical is possible and so is the existence of fish-men like Arlong. Arlong is as ruthless as he is powerful.The sawshark fish-man is the leader of the Arlong Pirates who are known to pillage and plunder the seas. Friend nor foe will ever want to get on his bad side. 

Played by: McKinley Belcher III

Alvida

Alvida is a no-nonsense pirate captain who’s used to getting her way by force. Koby can attest. She terrorizes her crew as much as she terrorizes the seas. 

Played by: Ilia Isorelys Paulino 

Other Supporting Characters in the One Piece Universe 

Shanks

Shanks is a carefree pirate who Luffy looks up to immensely. As a child, Luffy would follow Shanks and his crew around while they were stationed in his village. Luffy tagging along never bothered the red-headed pirate, as he’s also quite fond of Luffy. 

Played by: Peter Gaidot

Dracule Mihawk

The mysterious, hawk-eyed Mihawk is revered as a warlord of the seas. He’s an expert sword fighter who’s respected by pirates and Marines alike. 

Played by: Steven Ward

Kaya

Kaya is a rich heiress who is also Usopp’s friend. Unfortunately, she was stricken with a mysterious illness that keeps her home bound. While Klahadore keeps her alive with a special tea, Usopp’s stories give her hope and joy.

Played by: Celeste Loots

Klahadore

Meticulous, poised, and pompous, Klahadore is Kaya’s loyal servant. He’s always by her side, whether to administer her medicine, run her affairs, or dismiss people he perceives as problems, like Usopp. Still, something doesn’t sit right with this steely right-hand man. 

Played by: Alexander Maniatas

Zeff

A former pirate-turned-chef, Zeff is the owner of the floating restaurant Baratie. He expects nothing, but the best from his team of chefs, including Sanji. He’s a little rough around the edges, but his dishes are completely polished.

Played by: Craig Fairbrass

Originally published on August 22, 2023.

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One Piece is one of the longest running anime in the game. Created first as a manga by Eiichiro Oda in 1997, the beloved series received an accompanying anime in 1999 by Toei Animation. The show follows a crew of pirates called the Straw Hats who are in search of the famed treasure—the “One Piece”—left behind by the notorious King of the Pirates Gol D. Roger. The crew of the Straw Hats is forever expanding, with the initial team consisting of the captain, Luffy, the navigator, Nami, the sniper, Usopp, the chef, Sanji, and the swordsman, Zoro.

One Piece may be long with 1000 episodes and counting, but getting into this series isn’t as daunting as it seems. If you’re looking for an anime that can be finished in a day, well, this is not the one for you. However, if you’re looking to catch up to One Piece fans who’ve watched this show for years, there are definitely ways to do so. 

If you’re one to not sleep, eat, or leave your house for several days, then you could watch 1000 One Piece episodes without a problem. But chances are, you’re a human being with a variety of commitments who will need breaks (and food) in between. With the anime streaming service Crunchyroll being the best place to watch One Piece, here are some ways to watch the series without making it seem like such a haul. 

You Can Skip the One Piece Movies

To many newcomers, this might sound counterintuitive, especially when you consider that some of these films are truncated retellings of certain arcs. But other movies are simply side stories that expand the Straw Hats’ story in fun, but in non-canonical ways. So, in a time-crunch, feel free to bypass these films:

• One Piece
• Clockwork Island Adventure
• Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals
• The Cursed Holy Sword
• The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle
• The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta
• Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura
• One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase

You can return to them at your leisure. You have plenty of work ahead of you already.

Leave These One Piece Filler Episodes Behind

To date, there are 32 arcs within One Piece and Crunchyroll has segmented them into 13 seasons online. Not all of the episodes are canon (9% of it to be exact). And any anime fan knows that it’s ok to skip certain episodes (or arcs) that aren’t crucial to the overall story. This isn’t going to be full of filler episodes like other anime (sorry Boruto). However, there are still chunks that can go to the wayside on your pirate adventure. Thanks to some guidance from Anime Filler List, you can skip the below episodes:

54-60, 98-99, 102, 131-143, 196-206, 220-226, 279-283, 291-292, 303, 317-319, 326-336, 382-384, 406-407, 426-429, 457-458, 492, 542, 575-578, 590, 626-627, 747-750, 780-782, 895-896, 907, 1029-1030

Sure you’ll miss Zoro getting lost on side quests and some eccentric side villains as anime appetizers, but you’ll get to the meat of One Piece. 

The One Piece Intros and Outros Are Fun, But They Add Up

Real ones know that anime intros (and outros, for that matter) are top tier in the world of animation. Theme songs are as fire as the animation sequences and they change up every few episodes. So, who wouldn’t want to watch these 2-3 min intros and outros? A person who needs to get through tons of One Piece episodes in a short amount of time, that’s who. Those minutes can add up if you’re short on time.

You can check out all of the intros and outros that are out so far on YouTube after watching the main content. But you should watch absolutely watch the original intro below.

The One Piece Arcs You Should Watch for the Live-Action Show

If you really want to narrow it down, you can watch what’s covered in the upcoming live-action Netflix adaptation. Again, One Piece has several arcs to cover, but the live-action series’ first season will only cover the following arcs: Romance Dawn Arc (episodes 1-4), Orange Town Arc (episodes 4-8), Syrup Village Arc (episodes 9-18), Baratie Arc (episodes 19-30), Arlong Park Arc (31-44). Why, you ask? Well, that’s because these arcs properly introduce each of the first five Straw Hats. 

With 44 episodes clocking in at 20 minutes each, you have 880 minutes, or 14.6 hours of One Piece to watch. That’s almost an hour of One Piece a day over 14 days. That seems pretty doable, right?

For the brave soul that seeks more adventure and time on their laptop, you can watch One Piece as is. The anime is thrilling, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and, most of all, incredibly entertaining. There’s a reason why this battle shōnen anime has lived on for decades. But if you need to get through this journey a little quicker, hopefully the tips above with help you get into the Straw Hats’ adventures.

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As the Straw Hat Pirates prepare to set sail in live-action over on Netflix’s One Piece, Kyle Anderson is taking a look at all the other anime in line to get their own adaptations next! From My Hero Academia to Death Note (again), these are the all the live-action anime projects currently in development on today’s Nerdist News!

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It’s time to set sail for the Grand Line, One Piece fans! The live action adaptation of Eichiro Oda’s hit series is arriving on Netflix next month, and the latest trailer released over the weekend gave fans hope this new series could finally break the Netflix anime curse. Dan joins the Straw Hat crew as he breaks down the new trailer and determines whether this series has what it takes to be King of the Pirates on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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There isn’t a third Suicide Squad movie coming as part of James Gunn’s DCU Chapter 1, but there is new and exciting Suicide Squad content coming from Warner Bros. announced at Anime Expo 2023, Minato-ku Tokyo and Warner Bros. Japan LLC revealed that production has begun on Suicide Squad ISEKAI, an all-new original anime series. At the center of this Suicide Squad anime series are Harley Quinn and the Joker, much like the original film. You can watch the trailer for this new series right here:

Suicide Squad ISEKAI will be directed by Eri Osada, with screenplays by Tappei Nagatsuki (Re-Zero – Starting Life in Another World) and Eiji Umehara (Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song). Screenwriter Tappei Nagatsuki added “Who has ever thought about mixing these two!? But this is sure to be a dream project. Crazy villains go on a rampage in ISEKAI! It’s nothing more, nothing less, and it can’t be anything else!”

No word yet on what other members of Task Force X will appear in the Harley Quinn and the Joker-led anime adventure, beyond Amanda Waller, but we can expect some surprise DC Comics villains among the roster. Hopefully, at least King Shark shows up. We expect Suicide Squad ISEKAI anime series to debut sometime in 2024.

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If you’re a super fan of Dragon Ball, prepare for a major movie marathon. Crunchyroll is bringing 15 of the franchise’s movies to its platform. And incredibly, these movies’ release dates range from 1989 to 2019—what an amazing journey through time and Dragon Ball history. That’s 30 years’ worth of history.

A release shares more information about the new streaming additions. It notes that a new collection of Dragon Ball movies are heading to the anime streamer, “from the very first Dragon Ball Z movie, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone from 1989 to the blockbuster Dragon Ball Super: Broly from 2019.” You’ll have to wait a little bit of time to watch all fifteen, though. The Dragon Ball movies are coming to Crunchyroll in three batches. The first batch released on June 22, and the following drops will happen on June 29 and July 6. Below you can find a full list of the movies coming to Crunchyroll.

And, if that’s not enough Dragon Ball for you, Crunchyroll also has the following available, “The anime series: Dragon Ball (153 episodes subbed and dubbed), Dragon Ball Z (291 episodes subbed and dubbed), Dragon Ball GT (64 episodes subbed and dubbed), and Dragon Ball Super (131 episodes subbed).” That’s 15 Dragon Ball movies and 639 episodes for your viewing pleasure… Happy watching!

Dragon Ball Movie Releases on June 22:

Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (Directed by Daisuke Nishio)

Dragon Ball Z: World’s Strongest (Directed by Daisuke Nishio)

Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might (Directed by Daisuke Nishio)

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto)

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge (Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto)

Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler (Directed by Daisuke Nishio)

Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13 (Directed by Daisuke Nishio)

Releases on June 29:

Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi)

Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (Directed by Yoshihiro Ueda)

Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi)

Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (Directed by Yoshihiro Ueda)

Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi)

Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto)

Releases on July 6:

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (Directed by Tadayoshi Yamamuro)

Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Directed by Tatsuya Nagamine)

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2017 gave fans their first trip to Skull Island in the aptly titled Kong: Skull Island. The strange land introduced us to monsters of all varieties in a lush and mysterious jungle setting. Dangers? Oh of course there were dangers! But there was also the mighty titan Kong, there to protect his home and, eventually, the humans who arrived. Now viewers get to go back to the land that time forgot in the new Netflix animated series Skull Island from Powerhouse Animation, the folks behind Castlevania. Check out the first teaser.

The series, which will debut June 22, will take audiences to a whole new world of thrills and dangers. The story follows a group of kind-hearted explorers who rescue Annie (Mae Whitman) from the ocean, unaware that their act of heroism will lead them to the treacherous Skull Island. The rest of the star-studded cast includes: Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles) as Mike; Benjamin Bratt (Poker Face, Coco) as Cap; and Betty Gilpin (Mrs. Davis, Glow) as Irene. Together, they bring these vibrant characters to life and embark on a captivating journey.

The show’s poster art showcases not just Kong but many other giant monsters the crew will have to deal with. Everybody’s old pal the skull crawler is there, naturally; we also get giant lizards, birds, crabs, and what looks like a cute dog of some kind. Unclear. Either way, we can’t wait to check out Skull Island to see what adventures Kong and Co. get up to next.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Spring has arrived once more, and if you need a break from your seasonal allergies, Dan Casey has you covered with a guide to all the best new anime to check out on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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Time to order a plate of non-vegan chicken parm and our favorite bread, because Netflix is giving Scott Pilgrim vs. the World fans something to feast on. The rumors are not only true, they’re better than we ever could have hoped for. The entire cast of the cult classic film is returning for a new Scott Pilgrim anime series at Netflix. And it’s going to expand on the story and world we already love so much.

Netflix and UCP Studio have announced they’re partnering on an all-new anime series based on Scott Pilgrim. While the show doesn’t have an official title just yet, it does have a cast we’re all very familiar with. Everyone from the 2010 film will lend their voices to the Scott Pilgrim series. That includes Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Satya Bhabha, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, Johnny Simmons, Mark Webber, Mae Whitman, and Ellen Wong.

Bryan Lee O’Malley, author and artist of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, and BenDavid Grabinski will serve as executive producers, writers, and showrunners together. Edgar Wright, who directed and co-wrote the film, will also serve as an executive producer. Science SARU studio is providing animation.

In a press release, Wright also gave fans a little preview of what to expect from the show. The anime series won’t just recreate the story we know from the Scott Pilgrim movie. It’s going to give us even more of the world and characters. From Wright:

One of the proudest and most enjoyable achievements of my career was assembling and working with the dynamite cast of Scott Pilgrim. Since the film’s release in 2010 we’ve done Q&A’s, remembrances and charity read throughs, but there was never the occasion to reunite the whole gang on an actual project. Until now… Original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, along with writer BenDavid Grabinski have conjured up an anime series of Scott Pilgrim that doesn’t just expand the universe, but also…well, just watch it. I’m more than happy to announce that I have helped coax the entire original cast back to voice their characters on this epic new adventure. You are in for a treat.

If that’s not enough, Wright also offered another preview on Twitter.

Right. Into. Our. Eyeballs. And. Ears.

The only bad news today is that the show is not ready for us to watch right this very second. (Very rude.) The Scott Pilgrim anime is “coming soon” soon to Netflix. When that means exactly, we have no idea. But we promise when it does, we’ll be ready. We can already see it in our mind’s eye.

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There are tons of animes that have women jockeying for the time and affection of one guy, which is called harem anime. But well-done animes that do the opposite, a.k.a. reverse harem anime, are a rare breed. There’s something satisfying about a story with a woman (or girl) with humor, compassion, or wild antics that makes the other characters (and us) fall for her. So, to celebrate them, here are some of the best reverse harem anime series.  

Fruits Basket

After her mother’s passing, Tohru Honda lives in a tent. When the landowners, the Soma family, discover her, they offer to let her reside in their home, but there’s a secret in the Soma family. They transform into animals from the Chinese zodiac during times of stress or when the opposite sex hugs them. There are many hilarious moments, and it’s easy to see why everyone gravitates toward kind and caring Tohru. It’ll make you laugh and sob equally and at unlikely moments. 

Where to Watch: Free on Funimation and Crunchyroll

The Wallflower

Forget tsundere. This lady is beyond the tough girl hiding a good heart. Sunako Nakahara is a homicidal nightmare with a penchant for melting wicked witch style in the face of unfathomable beauty. She meets her match in the form of four gorgeous boys who live in her wealthy aunt’s house. Sunako’s aunt gives them an ultimatum: pay rent or transform Yukiko into a beautiful lady. Yes, terrifying goth girls can be surrounded by handsome boys, even if they sob as she chats with her skull pals. 

Where to Watch: Hulu and Funimation (premium subscription)

Ouran High School Host Club

This gender-bender reverse harem anime is one of the most flamboyant anime ever. Haruhi Fujioka attends the elite Ouran High School despite a lack of wealth. After smashing a vase, she works off her debt by being a host to the girls in the school. Haruhi is comical, challenging, yet calm, and a perfect counter for the overly dramatic Host Club president, Tamaki. The series delivers range with occasional fourth-wall breaks while playing firmly and assuredly in its rom-com genre. 

Where to Watch: Tubi, Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll

Kiss Him, Not Me

A side-splitting reverse harem anime that shows love to BL (boy’s love) fans, it’s funny despite its problematic premise. Kae Serinuma is a big girl with a BL obsession. She remains in bed the whole week after her favorite character dies. When she returns to school, she’s lost weight, and the popular boys circle her. It traverses love based on character over physical characteristics, all while wrapping it in a delightfully comedic lens of anime/manga fandoms, hooking you before you realize it. Worth a view for the shipping wars argument alone because Serinuma is a fanatic. 

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight is a spicy drama and mystery that follows Yuki Cross. She attends Cross Academy and acts as a guardian keeping the peace between the humans in Day Class and the vampires in Night Class. You can’t go wrong with vampires. Everyone is stunning, and seeing the vampires’ different abilities makes you want to delve into and revel in this world. Yuki may be a typical anime girl, but that’s part of the appeal, especially as the mystery froths to the surface.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Peacock, and The Roku Channel

Hana Yori Dango

The oldest series on the list follows Makino Tsukushi, a poor commoner who attends an elite school and wants to graduate unnoticed. That changes when she defends a friend against the F4, a group of the wealthiest and most powerful teenage boys, and becomes their target. Determined not to lose, the group inevitably takes an interest in her, and a love triangle forms between her and two of the boys. Not all the parts age well. But at its center, Makino Tsukushi stands out as an altruistic character, and there are unforgettable moments of laughter and love. 

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Romantic Killer

The newest series on the list, Romantic Killer revels in its absurdity. A strange wizard creature, Riri, appears to Anzu Hoshino and transforms her life into an otome game. To ensure she has Hoshino’s full attention of all the gorgeous boys who will soon line up, Riri confiscates Hoshino’s games, chocolate, and cat. But Hoshino’s not the average heroine, and with so much on the line, she’s determined to chase these gorgeous boys off. If that means grotesque faces or dressing like a fashion victim, so be it. Similar to series like Lovely Complex or His and Her Circumstances, anime fans will adore this series. The heroine is not poised, sweet and innocent, but loud, dangerous—for Riri at least—and obsessed with games. What’s not to love?

Where to Watch: Netflix

Hakuoki

Touted as a show that hides surprising depth and shoujo elements in a genre usually built around comedy, Hakuoki still lives in the reverse harem realm. Disguised as a boy, Yukimura Chizuru heads to Kyoto in search of her father. After the Shinsengumi rescue her and learn she’s the daughter of the doctor they are also searching for, they aid her in her quest. Fan of reverse harems with more action will love its bountiful fighting and mysteries.  

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom

Beware of the flags of doom! In this ludicrous reverse harem rom-com isekai, the heroine, Caterina Claes, recalls her previous life after sustaining a head injury. She died and somehow wound up reborn as the villainess in an otome game, Fortune Lover. In the game, her character faces exile or, at worst, death. To avoid this, she befriends boys and girls, becoming the object everyone seeks. One of the highlights in the series is the multiple versions of Caterina holding meetings in her mind to discuss the best ways to avoid death flags. Each time she unintentionally plays the role of one of the guys in the game, you realize what she hasn’t caught onto—that everyone is crushing on her. 

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

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Original reporting by Kelly Knox.

The life-sized Gundam replica can move now, and it’s here to stay, at least for a while longer! We, for one, welcome our new mecha overlord. In the past, we told you about the 60-foot-tall Gundam robot in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, Japan. While the pandemic disrupted the original plans for this incredible attraction to the public, development continued on the mind-blowing mecha. The RX-78-2 Gundam mecha can stand, kneel, turn its head, and point to the sky, and lucky fan Nan-chan caught it on video.

While the massive mecha moves slowly and deliberately, it’s an impressive feat of engineering. When the footage is sped up to four times speed, the robot is nothing short of unbelievable. Not only can it take steps and move its massive body, the fine control of its hands and fingers is astounding.

And if you’re still not impressed, Nan-chan’s other video of the mecha turning its head includes part of the engineering team to give you a sense of scale. As it turns toward them and opens its eyes, mecha fanatics might understandably get goosebumps. It’s mind-blowing.

SoraNews24 reports that while there have been life-sized Gundam models built in Japan before, Gundam Factory Yokohama features the first model that can actually move. The park originally scheduled an October 2020 opening but eventually opened in December 2020. It was slated to close in March 2022. But interest extended its life by a year. And now it will keep it open a while longer. This live-size moving Gundam will remain on display until March 31, 2024.

While this mecha might not be able to take on any kaiju erupting from the Earth’s core quite yet, we’re certainly on our way to making technology that once seemed like only a fantasy into a reality. Let’s just hope the kaiju also move very, very slowly, and we’ll be just fine.

Originally published on September 21, 2020

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Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of where all your favorite series are streaming. Especially with all the recent confusion happening in the realm of streaming platforms. But Viz Media wants to make it easier for you to find all your favorite anime shows. Now, you can stream and watch popular anime, such as Naruto, Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, and more, for free right on YouTube. For most people, that sure will cut down on some of the confusion and the apps that they need to watch their favs.

To make it even easier, Viz Media has organized playlists for their different shows. We’ve linked to them below:

• Naruto Playlist
• Sailor Moon Playlist
• Death Note Playlist
• Hunter x Hunter Playlist
• Inuyasha Playlist

If you really can’t wait to watch all these anime series though, we’ve also left the very first episode of Sailor Moon below.

That’s number one out of 238 available episodes of this anime. (And the other playlists aren’t much shorter.) So we hope you’ve carved out some time this afternoon. Having a place to watch free anime can be a blessing and a curse.

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Some jobs are truly the stuff of dreams, like selling ice cream in the Caribbean. But this job truly is the cream of the crop. Stylist Alexander-Julian Gibbson, an anime fan, had the pleasure of styling Jonathan Majors for his recent Ebony Magazine cover shoot. That alone is enough to make anyone deeply envious. However, Gibbson took it to another level by combining their styling genius with nerdiness and creating an anime-inspired look for Jonathan Majors, who rocks a pink coat that makes him look like One Piece’s Donquixote Doflamingo.

This is pure perfection and quite clever. Jonathan Majors is absolutely crushing the One Piece looks. How can we get him involved with the live-action anime coming to Netflix soon? Also, those boots are truly iconic. In addition to the pink coat, Gibbson drew anime inspiration for some of his other looks as well.

Also, no one can stop staring at Jonathan Majors in general. Just look at him.

For more on the shoot, you can take a look at Ebony Magazine‘s behind-the-scenes video of the day.

Anyway, it is always fun to see nerdy things and fashion cross paths. Now, how can I get Jonathan Majors to cross my path? (I’m joking… sort of.)

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Here are the best new anime series to watch this winter! Thanks to Rocket Money for sponsoring today’s episode: https://www.rocketmoney.com/nerdist Check out Rocket Money to start managing your personal finances today! #rocketmoney #personalfinance

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For over thirty years now, The Simpsons’ annual Treehouse of Horror has mined every classic horror film and spooky TV show for material. But just when you think they’ve run out of eerie stuff to parody in their own unique way, they remind you of how creative they can be when they set their minds to it. Case in point, this year’s Treehouse. According to the folks at DesignTaxi, the show is going full anime this year. It will a parody the 2006 series Death Note. You can see some images of The Simpsons take on Death Note and a clip from the upcoming episode down below:

To catch you up before it hits The Simpsons, Death Note was originally a hit manga series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. It wasn’t long after the manga became a hit that an anime from the South Korean animation house DR Movie came to be. The story revolved around a high school student named Light Yagami. They find a mysterious black notebook called the Death Note. One that can kill anyone as long as whoever holds it knows both the target’s name and face. Light starts to kill notorious criminals around the globe. And then things begin to go a little haywire. And now, The Simpsons is taking on the Death Note story and tackling anime.

Writer Carolyn Omine has said that this year’s Treehouse of Horror will contain a whole bunch of Easter eggs. Just from the clips alone, we can already see a few. These include a billboard for a Tokyo version of Krusty Burger and one for Duff Beer. Death Note won’t be the only parody in this year’s special. The Simpsons is also taking aim at the modern horror classic The Babadook. Also getting lampooned is the HBO series Westworld. But we have a strong feeling that Death Note anime version of Lisa, Marge, and Homer Simpson is what will have everyone buzzing.

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Terror XXXIII and its Death Note parody airs Sunday, November 1.

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Ahhh there’s nothing like ‘90s nostalgia to get us through tough times. The decade is getting quite a bit of love with new generations discovering the epic horror films, music, fashion, and TV of the ‘90s. Why? Well, because the youths today cannot compare to our greatness. In fact, there’s even a website full of ‘90s programming for all to enjoy at any time. But sometimes you just need a little bit of throwback gear to really make you miss the days gone by. Especially if it makes us want to fight evil by moonlight and win love by daylight, like this Sailor Moon watch does!. G-SHOCK by CASIO and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon came together for a BABY-G watch (remember those?!) that’s full of power. (Yes, the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon show came out in the 2000s, but this collab is clearly aiming at the ’90s series love.) So that’s not one, but two things that conjure up childhood memories for fans. 

The company gracefully gifted Nerdist one of these magical timepieces and it’s quite the beauty, from its lovely case to the details of its band and face designs. Give us all the stars, shimmering, and silhouettes, please. Two standout features are undoubtedly its gold hands and the plethora of colorful hearts and crescent moons.

This Sailor Moon watch and its case features several elements inspired by the show’s epic transformations along with some great tech features including the following: 

• Shock Resistant
• 100M Water Resistant
• 2 Year Battery Life
• LED Light
• Daily Alarm
• Full Auto Calendar

And, the back of the watch comes with special engraving featuring Sailor Moon herself. The BABY-G Sailor Moon watch is currently available for $160 online, at select retailers, and the G-SHOCK store in Soho. That’s way more affordable than Jimmy Choo Sailor Moon boots. There’s no promise that you’ll becoming a Sailor Guardian, which is still an unrealized dream for many of us. But at least you can look exceptionally cool and maybe get somewhere on time.

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If you were a ’90s kid, chances are Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z were on the very same cartoon altar for you as Pokemon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was also the gateway for many kids into anime as well. Mostly thanks to endless airings on Toonami back in the day. Now, one DBZ super fan has created the ultimate fan film. And it took him a whopping four years to do it. But as you can see by the finished product, Legend: A Dragon Ball Tale was well worth the wait. And now you can watch the full ten-minute film below:

Legend: A Dragon Ball Tale comes to us from Studio Stray Dog Animation, and animator Naseer Pasha directed it. He’s an industry professional, who worked on the new Ninja Turtles movie hitting Netflix soon. Almost as soon as it hit YouTube channel Agent Mystery Meat, longtime fans went wild for it. With many calling it the ultimate tribute to the beloved franchise. In fact, ever since July 6, when it first hit YouTube, over 4 million fans have viewed it. In the film, Vegeta goes to Earth to find Goku, right after Broly appears and all hell breaks loose.

There’s a message from Pasha at the beginning of the film, which explains just what making this film meant for everyone involved. Pasha said “To every child who believed that they could train in 100 times the earth’s gravity, and to every artist who taped Dragon Ball Z and paused it to draw their favorite heroes, this is dedicated to you. Mr. Toriyama, please accept this as a small token of gratitude, and as a grand love letter to the worlds that you’ve created and shared with all us children of the 90s. The inspiration will forever remain immeasurable.” Hopefully, his next Dragon Ball tribute won’t take as many years to create. Because after this one, we know the fans will demand more.

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Sure, good cosplay is a cool way of becoming your favorite character from pop culture. But body painting as your way of transforming into your heroes? Might be even cooler. And thanks to the folks at Oddity Central, we’ve discovered a body painting expert whose work will blow you away. Meet Randresson Vieira, a 30-year-old body painter from Brazil, whose skills allow him to transform himself into a variety of pop culture characters.

The majority of Vieira’s characters include ones from beloved anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Demon Slayer, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Often, Vieira’s videos go in reverse, starting with his removal of the makeup, and going back to it being complete at the end. You can see some of his best anime creations below.

He also has a series of classic Disney animated characters that are both amazing and, well, a bit off-putting. Among all those Disney princesses, is that the Dungeon Master from the ’80s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon? Someone crashed a party, we think.

If it wasn’t for his very real human eyes peering through, it would be hard to distinguish these body painting as anything but 2D drawings. Randresson Vieira has become quite a TikTok sensation, amassing 1.5 million followers. He’s also on other platforms, including a YouTube channel. His facial painting skills are so effective that it’s actually unsettling when realistic human expressions emerge out of these flat, 2D-looking faces.

Anime characters are Vieira’s main thing, but he does do characters from other genres. He has a few Marvel characters on his resume now, including Spider-Man, Venom, Mystique, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange. The latter of which might be our favorite of his MCU body paints.

From the world of horror, Vieira has transformed into Chucky and Tiffany, and a legit terrifying Pennywise the Clown. Perhaps the creepiest nightmare fuel of his horror transformations was Annabelle the doll, from The Conjuring franchise. If someone came to the door dressed this way on Halloween, we might just start running in the other direction.

For more of Vieira’s amazing work, be sure to head on over to his TikTok.

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Look, I’ve spent the last two years telling everyone under the sun why Ultraman is awesome and that you should all watch it. It’s Superman, Doctor Who, Godzilla, and Star Wars all rolled into one. But I get it; it’s tough to commit to watching over 1000 episodes of anything. But that’s no reason not to learn of its awesomeness! As such, here is an animated short called The * Ultraman: Jackal vs. Ultraman. It’s an original piece of net animation which was initially the 30th episode of the 2015 Japan Animator Expo. It’s available in North America officially now for the next month to celebrate the success of Shin Ultraman.

The whole video’s a little over nine minutes long and is well worth a look.

The filmmakers based this short on the manga The * Ultraman which began in the mid-’70s. It follows directly on from the initial six Ultraman series. In it, we see one of the manga’s main villains, Demon King Jackal, begin assassinating all of the Ultra Brothers. One by one, the Ultras fall. Zoffy, Ultra Commander, attempts to beat Jackal but can’t. Until suddenly, Melos, an Ultra Warrior from the manga, shows up to avenge the others.

You definitely don’t have to know any of the characters involved to think this short is rad as hell. It really sums up the spirit of the Ultra series as a whole in a matter of minutes. Sure, in animation you don’t get the groundbreaking suitmation effects, but you get some dynamic camera angles and speed that just doesn’t work in live action.

Despite some stellar writing and production in the ’90s, 2000s, and 2010s, the ’60s and ’70s Ultra shows will always have a special place in my heart. So much fun. This gets right to the crux of why I enjoy it, and if you check out the shows on TokuSHOUTsu or via Mill Creek physical media releases, you might see what I mean.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Here’s what Obara has to say, “Anime is one of the cornerstones of our investment in Japan, watched by nearly 90% of our members here last year. At the same time, interest in anime has grown worldwide, and more than half of our members globally tuned into it last year.” In Japan, the number of Netflix’s anime viewers seems astronomical. But globally, the percentage is no slouch either. Over 50% of global viewers engaged with anime in the last year. And that number only seems to be on the rise. This means millions of people watch anime worldwide—something we definitely love to hear.

Though some may see anime as a genre, it feels more like a medium. Anime offers so many diverse options for viewers, some that more casual viewers may not even know about. For example, there are action-packed anime, which revolve around romance, sports anime, and more. And Netflix is working on continuing to increase these options.

Obara echoes these sentiments sharing, “From diversifying our slate to bringing back fan favorites, we want to continue growing our members’ discovery and love for anime, both in Japan and around the world, with this next chapter of anime on Netflix.”

Anime on Netflix in 2022

In all, Netflix plans to bring 40 anime titles to its platform in 2022. And these shows include new shows and old favorites.

From JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean to Tiger & Bunny 2 to Pacific Rim: The Black to Ultraman, these anime offerings call the name of many fans. Anime takeover, 2022.

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There are a lot of cool motorcycles in ’80s sci-fi movies. The light cycles from TRON. The amazingly goofy flying bikes from Megaforce. You can even count the speeder bikes from Return of the Jedi. It was the golden age of tricked-out movie cycles. But none are as cool as Kanada’s futuristic red motorcycle from Akira. This iconic bike from the classic anime film might be cooler than all those other ones put together.

And now, thanks to Comic Book Resources (via Boing Boing) we’ve discovered that a dedicated fan in Japan has made their very own working replica Akira cycle. And we must say, it looks quite spectacular. You can watch the full video of its creation right here:

This Akira replica bikes comes from Japanese YouTuber and motorcycle enthusiast Ayato, also known as Teruteru Boizu. This project started around six months ago. The Akira bike originally was just an old junk bike. Ayato then stripped the old bike down to just its frame, engine, and tires, later fabricating a new shell to give it the authentic Akira look. He even built a custom suspension, so that it rode just like the one from the movie. It doesn’t have the iconic red paint job yet, but it does have that iconic glow thanks to the LED lighting added to the wheels.

This custom creation might be our only opportunity to see a real Akira bike in the immediate future. Despite several attempts over the years, it seems that the live-action Akira movie is just never getting off the ground. Taika Waititi’s live-action Akira was in the cards for a long time, before Warner Bros. got cold feet and pulled it off the schedule. Once again, the big screen Akira is in limbo. Maybe this fan-made motorcycle will be the only time we ever see the famous anime bike in real life. We just hope the rider manages one good scream of the name “Tetsuo!” while riding it.

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Legendary’s Netflix anime series Pacific Rim: The Black took the franchise to a whole new place. And we don’t just mean Australia, where the show takes place. But it’s not a version of the continent we know. In the future Kaiju have overrun the land. It’s a desolate wasteland of monsters almost entirely devoid of humans. Almost. Season one followed teenage siblings Taylor and Hayley as they desperately searched for their parents in an abandoned Jaeger. Now the trailer for the show’s second and final season reveals why their fight for survival will have them facing monsters both big and small alike. A deadly cult wants a child who can unite both humans and monsters.

If you’ve only ever seen the Pacific Rim movies and missed season one of Pacific Rim: The Black, watching this trailer must be what it was like for Rip Van Winkle when he woke up. What is happening!? Where did the big urban wars between giant robots and giant creatures go? That war gave way to a future where Kaiju rule. As do the Sisters, who will pose just as big a threat to our heroes as any leviathans.

Here’s the official season two synopsis from Netflix:

In the epic series conclusion of Pacific Rim: The Black (S2), the journey is far from over. Our brave siblings Taylor and Hayley still hope to reach the safety of Sydney aboard Atlas Destroyer, the scaled-down training Jaeger left behind when Australia was evacuated. With teenage assassin Mei and the mysterious human/kaiju hybrid bOy joining Taylor and Hayley, this makeshift family must cross a dangerous territory controlled by the bloodthirsty cult Sisters of the Kaiju. These zealots, led by the enigmatic High Priestess, are convinced that bOy is their long-awaited Messiah and will stop at nothing to indoctrinate him into their dark circle–something Hayley would sacrifice everything to prevent.

We never looked at Kaiju and thought, “They need a magical cult to really make this interesting.” But clearly we were wrong. This season looks even more intense than the first. And with good reason. Great monsters, no matter their size, always make things more interesting.

Pacific Rim: The Black‘s second season will bring the series to a close when it premieres on Netflix on April 19.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Honestly, it’s a good time to be a One Piece fan. For one thing, a brand new adaptation of the material will sail in very soon. Netflix is working on a live-action One Piece adaptation, and filming is now in progress. We also have met a good deal of our live-action One Piece cast. Unsurprisingly, all the actors look amazing. But if that doesn’t seem like enough, fans can soon experience the franchise in a whole new way, as an RPG game. Bandai Namco Entertainment recently announced the new video game, One Piece Odyssey. 

The official website for the One Piece game shares that fans have long awaited this RPG project:

One Piece Odyssey is an RPG project filled with the unique elements of adventure from One Piece that has been highly desired by fans. This project has been in the works for many years so that fans can truly touch the world of One Piece and now is ready to be unveiled!

But what will this One Piece game be about? Well poetically, the One Piece RPG describes itself as follows, “A broken Thousand Sunny… Scattered crew members… Luffy’s missing straw hat…” Very mysterious. And it does leave us at the edge of our seats. Luffy missing his hat? We can’t have that. Someone better rescue that hat, stat.

But more concretely, we learn the following about the One Piece video game. The official website shares:

During their voyage, the Straw Hats, led by Monkey D. Luffy are swallowed by a huge storm at sea. They end up on a mysterious island full of nature amidst the storm and become separated from each other. The crew sets out on a new adventurous journey filled with wonders of a raging nature, powerful enemies, and strange encounters with island locals. Work together with Luffy and his crew to set sail once again!

It does sound like an exciting adventure. And a great way for fans to really immerse themselves in the world of One Piece. Additionally, Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, will produce the new character and monster designs for the game. So we know the game will feel authentic. Finally, “the game is also complemented by the beautiful music of Motoi Sakuraba, a composer well known for his various contributions to video games such as the Dark Souls and Tales of series.” So it will sound amazing as well. We call that a big win.

In this RPG, “you can play as Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Frankie, and Brook.” And, of course, you can take the role of Monkey D. Luffy if it calls to you. Basically, all your favorite characters can star in this One Piece game.

One Piece Odyssey will release for PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox series X|S. We don’t yet know a release date except that the game will “release soon.” In the meanwhile, hold onto your hats, everyone, and get ready for this next journey. We have a feeling if you love the manga, anime, or anything in between, you’ll love One Piece Odyssey.

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The next big anime movie is here! If you’ve been paying any attention to anime over the past couple of years, you’ve heard of Jujutsu Kaisen. The horror-action-comedy series took hold of anime fans in 2020 and shows no signs of letting go. Its first theatrical release, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, hits movie theaters in the United States and Canada on March 18. Whether you’ve never heard of the series before, or you’ve been practicing cursed techniques in the mirror for months, you’ll be drawn into Jujutsu Kaisen 0. A compelling introduction to the sorcerers’ world and stunning action sequences round out this must-see movie for anime fans. Here’s our review of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

Jujutsu Kaisen, literally “sorcery fight,” is based on a Japanese manga series by Gege Akutami. After a highly successful first season as an anime series, the prequel manga Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was adapted for film and released in Japan at the end of 2021. Unlike almost all other movies spun off from anime series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a vital part of the overall story.

In the prequel film, set the year before the main series’ protagonist arrives on the scene, the audience meets young Yuta Okkotsu. Yuta is haunted by a childhood friend who was transformed into a monstrous cursed spirit upon her tragic death. Yuta meets Satoru Gojo, an unconventional teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High School, who introduces the troubled teenager to the hidden world of curses and curse users. Exposition is expertly woven into the story as new fans learn alongside Yuta.

While the world is explained well, the quickly shifting moods of Jujutsu Kaisen can be jarring for new viewers. Like the series, horror and gore are often juxtaposed against cute facial expressions and over-the-top jokes. The changing tone instantly makes an impression that’s both endearing and stomach-turning at the same time, which is no easy feat for any media.

The biggest delights of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 are for the series’ longtime fans. Yuta’s name is uttered more than once in the TV series; he even makes a blink-and-miss-it appearance in the opening sequence in later episodes. So if you feel like you’ve been waiting forever to meet him, your patience absolutely pays off with this film. Even manga readers who think they know exactly what to expect should be pleasantly surprised at least once or twice. And there’s more Panda. (We all need more Panda.)

As you might imagine, punching pandas and curse techniques can result in some explosive action and gorgeously choreographed fight scenes. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 has an abundance of both. The other jujutsu students, including series regulars Maki Zenin and Inumaki Toge, each get their own time to shine as they face off against an unpredictable enemy. The visuals are simply dazzling without being flashy or overblown.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 holds the second-highest opening for a film in Japan’s box office history. Its release is highly anticipated in the United States as well. Both English dub and subtitled versions arrive in more than 1500 theaters later this month. To summarize this review, if you’re already a fan of the show, go see Jujutsu Kaisen 0 ASAP. And don’t be shocked if you come home and immediately start a rewatch of the series! In fact, I recommend it. Now that you’re acquainted with him, you’ll notice how often Yuta is present in the anime without being there at all.

5 out of 5

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA, who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her next book, Be More Obi-Wan, is out this summer from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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Although the new Fullmetal Alchemist trailer does not have English subtitles yet, a translation of its title and description reveal more about the movie. Firstly, part two of the Fullmetal Alchemist series is approximately titled Revenge Scar. While part three’s title translates to Last Transmutation. Fullmetal Alchemist: Revenge Scar will release on May 20. Meanwhile, Last Transmutation releases on June 24.

The translated description for the new Fullmetal Alchemist live-action movies reads as follows (slightly modified for clarity to our best understanding):

The final battle for the future begins. The Complete Edition depicts the final story of the series. The legend is completed in two parts. Ed and Al visit Central, where a serial murderer targets national alchemists. Although the criminal was unidentified, he was called a “Scar” because he had a cross-wound on his forehead.

The brothers fight for their lives… Will they be able to overcome this crisis and regain their original bodies? The hidden secrets of this country, the “Promise Day,” and the past of Ed and Al’s father? The mystery and truth that overlap are unraveled. The finale of the masterpiece tells this story.

What was the last answer your brother gave…?

Warner Bros. also released a poster for the sequels, which we first saw on Bloody Disgusting. 

Although we can’t fully understand everything occurring in the trailer, one thing is very clear. These sequels are bound to be absolutely epic. The visuals feel stunning. And they perfectly capture the wonder and magic of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime and manga. The scale really sings. And it should, given the final battle has arrived.

In the Fullmetal Alchemist world, alchemy is a common practice. Alchemists study “the ancient metaphysical science/mystical art of manipulating and altering matter by using natural energy.” But while this practice may seem magical, the laws of Equivalent Exchange govern the practice. This means that “In order to obtain or create something, something of equal value must be lost or destroyed.” And for our protagonists, these laws ensure things get very tricky… very quickly.

We look forward to learning more about these upcoming films. And we can’t wait to see Fullmetal Alchemist come to life again. Those interested can watch or rewatch the first Fullmetal Alchemist live-action movie streaming on Netflix right now. Or you can watch some of the anime on Crunchyroll. We know we will.

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In summer 2021, the Sony’s Funimation Global Group acquired Crunchyroll for over one billion dollars. At the time, it wasn’t clear what that would mean. We only knew that Funimation sought to create “a unified anime subscription experience.” Now, that unified anime platform has become a reality. Effective immediately, “Funimation and Wakanim are officially moving to Crunchyroll, kicking off an exciting step in anime’s streaming evolution.” But what does this mean more practically for Funimation and Crunchyroll subscribers? And more importantly, what how does this merging of Crunchyroll and Funimation’s streaming content affect costs and subscription fees for fans? Let’s take a look at what we know about Crunchyroll and Funimation bringing their anime together.

In a trailer that teases anime streaming’s “final form,” the unified anime hub promises thousands of episodes, hundreds of series, all in one place. The trailer includes clips of some of the most popular anime around. We see anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, and more take center stage. It all certainly sounds exciting. A promise of lots of anime to come.

A New Unified Anime Streaming Hub

In a release, Crunchyroll goes on to speak more practically. Here’s what it shares:

Starting today [March 1], existing and new Crunchyroll subscribers will have access to library and simulcast content previously exclusive to Funimation. This move makes good on the promise to fans that the merger of Funimation and Crunchyroll would bring together the previously separate services into a single subscription. Crunchyroll’s pricing remains unchanged, offering fans the ultimate anime experience with subs, dubs, films, and simulcast series in over 200 countries and territories and in 10 languages.

Pricing for Crunchyroll and Funimation’s Anime Streaming Platform

Pricing remains unchanged are the golden words we like to hear. To break that down a little further, Crunchyroll tiers are “Crunchyroll tiers are $7.99/month, Fan; $9.99/month, Mega Fan; and $14.99/month, Ultimate Fan.” Further, Crunchyroll invites its subscribers to cancel their Funimation accounts. As “all new series from the upcoming spring 2022 season will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll going forward and you will be able to watch 80% of Funimation and Wakanim’s most popular existing series on Crunchyroll by the end of March 2022.” Funimation will only continue to add episodes of its current series.

Transferring from Funimation to Crunchyroll

However, please note you cannot presently access Crunchyroll with a Funimation account. Funimation, Wakanim or VRV subscribers should make new Crunchyroll accounts to access the anime streaming content. However, the platform is working on transferring over Funimation users’ “Funimation digital copy, watch history, [and] queue.” Hopefully, this new unified anime hub will soon be able to offer users this information from their old accounts.

For anime fans, this unified anime streaming hub could be a solution. One anime streaming platform to subscribe to could feel easier to keep track of than two. We hope this platform indeed creates a convenient and comprehensive resource for anime fans. And hopefully, it also makes getting into anime more accessible for new viewers. Trying to figure out where a show was located could be difficult in the past. But hopefully, some of those barriers have now eased. Anime has a tremendous breadth and depth of content, so wrangling that in a more user-friendly way seems like a welcome change.

And now we know our weekend plans. Anime all day.

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But the block came to an end in 2008. It had limped along for a while with a shortened schedule consisting more and more of reruns. Fans mourned the loss for four years. Then, on April 1, 2012, Toonami returned on Adult Swim. Instead of Adult Swim’s usual tradition of airing The Room, TOM, the host of Toonami, returned to the screen. And he brought all of our favorite shows with him. Fans rallied on Twitter around the hashtag #BringBackToonami in support of reviving the block for real. On May 12, 2012, Toonami officially returned to the airwaves and lives on to this day.

The prospect of bringing back Toonami was already a tenuous one in 2012. Fewer and fewer people relied on fixed-schedule traditional broadcasting in favor of streaming. This was especially true of anime fans, who became accustomed to watching shows subtitled within a day of their broadcast in Japan using services like Crunchyroll. But in the last 10 years that trend has gone into overdrive. Since 2014, Adult Swim has lost a shocking 71.3% of its viewership. Traditional television is at death’s doorstep. So where does Toonami fit in this modern world?

One way Toonami has remained relevant is by increasing involvement in its shows beyond simply airing them. In 2013 Toonami experimented with the simuldub system by airing Space Dandy, the then-newest show from Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe. Through Toonami, it became the very first anime to air its English dub in America before airing its native Japanese language version in Japan. Toonami also got involved financially and creatively in the production of brand new shows. This isn’t new for the network, as in its original incarnation the block helped produce IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix. But in the post-revival era, it’s gotten even more ambitious. Toonami has been financially and creatively involved in the productions of many other projects including two sequel seasons to Fooly Cooly, original show Fena: Pirate Princess, and the upcoming anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki. 

But it takes more than shows for Toonami to stand out. Programming block branding is a dying art in the age of streaming. Although most did not put in the level of commitment that Toonami did, it’s always served as an important tool in elevating the television experience. But now that so much of television is moving to streaming, it’s seemingly less necessary. Why make a wacky promo with a catchy jingle to remind people that the new hot show comes on Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. when the hot new show is available for viewing on-demand?

Toonami feels like more than just a sequence of shows: it’s an experience. The strongly-crafted brand identity of the block has kept it in high regard even as shows come and go. The Toonami programming block has always had a host, most often TOM (Toonami Operations Module) and his ship’s AI SARA. Toonami comes as a complete package with a full suite of bumpers, episode previews, trailers, music videos and more. The block even released several Total Immersion Events—series of shorts featuring TOM that create an ongoing narrative from week to week. No other TV block matches the level of craft Toonami puts into the viewing experience. Toonami faithful appreciate the effort, too. Toonami’s style and atmosphere are so prolific that, just like network favorite Cowboy Bebop, it has become a genre in itself.

Although the traditional broadcasting system is becoming a relic of the past, it still has value. The tremendous increase to our access for media has a downside: it can overwhelm. Between all the anime streaming services, viewers have over 100 shows releasing brand new episodes available to them. And that’s on top of the thousands of shows in the back catalog, plus all the available non-anime options. With that many choices, it’s easy to feel paralyzed and revert to rewatching your old comfort shows. Toonami takes some of the pressure off by providing a curated selection of anime with broad appeal. If you want to watch some enjoyable anime without digging through mountains of shows, Toonami has your back. Toonami has always been an accessible entry point into anime fandom. While viewing habits might change, it still performs that duty today.

Toonami survived cancellation and has held onto its post-revival life for 10 years now. It’s maintained its relevance by taking a more hands-on approach to its programming and giving us the things streaming doesn’t. If current trends hold, who knows if Toonami will last another 10 years. But since it’s survived this long, I’m sure it will continue to find ways to adapt and innovate.

Norbert Daniels Jr. is a freelance writer and lifelong Toonami Faithful. You can keep up with his work at NorbertDanielsJr.com and follow him on Twitter @NorbertD96.

The post Looking Back on the Last 10 Years of Toonami appeared first on Nerdist.

With so much anime out there, it can be hard to keep track. But if you want to stay in the know with the people around you, CenturyLink has put together an interesting resource: a chart of each state’s most searched anime. The thought is, the more a state searches for an anime, the more people in it are likely watching it. Makes sense to us. So which states are watching which anime? And which anime is the most-watched of all? Let’s take a look.

Well. The votes are in. That data reveals that the most-watched (a.k.a. searched) anime out of the 100 most popular anime around is… One Piece. And overwhelmingly so. Twenty-five states saw One Piece topping their search charts. That doesn’t surprise us at all. Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have quite the following. Who doesn’t love pirates, after all? And it can’t hurt that Netflix has a live-action One Piece adaptation in the works right now. Not to mention, this anime has been sailing since 1991 and it’s still going. Other shows out there feel very, very jealous.

Other shows clocking in at the top? Pokémon, Naruto, and My Hero Academia. Pokémon, of course, has captured the heart of generations. It inspires new artwork, games, and more continuously. Naruto, meanwhile, is a classic in its own right. And My Hero Academia‘s anime take on superheroes definitely locks it in as a crowd-pleaser.

Meanwhile, other anime fared less well. Sailor Moon and Attack on Titan only snagged one state each. Obviously, both are wildly popular anime. But we guess they just don’t find themselves at the very top. I’m sure if we dug deeper into the data, we’d find them ranking plenty high in many states. In the name of the moon, I command you to give Sailor Moon her due.

We also don’t see some of our personal favorites, like Yu-Gi-Oh!, on this list. And all we have to say is. People don’t know what they’re missing. In the meanwhile, our straw hats are off to you One Piece. Congratulations on taking the crown.

The post Which Anime Is Most-Watched In Your State? appeared first on Nerdist.

You don’t need psychic powers to know Earth faces a major pollution dilemma. Even non-newtypes can see something must be done. If we don’t start finding ways to reuse items we so easily throw in landfills, especially single use products, we’re going to have bigger problems than too much garbage. The kind of problems that put the whole planet at risk. That harsh reality inspired a new project from Bandai. For six months the company asked fans to recycle plastic runners. They’re the frame molding that comes with their Gundam collectibles and have no real use beyond their single function. Instead of ending up in landfills, Bandai transformed all those pieces into an eco-friendly art exhibit. And the show’s giant plastic Gundam head could—fittingly—lead to saving Earth in the future.

The Gundam Recycling Project, organized by Bandai Namco, asked fans to place single-use plastic runners into roughly 190 bins placed around Japan. In total the project collected nearly a ton of runners. That’s a ton of would-be garbage that is now something beautiful. As Bandai used an “advanced technology” to turn all those pieces “into new plastic model products through chemical recycling.”

Those runners are now part of a Gundam toy recycling event (which we first learned about at DesignTAXI). And the exhibit’s star piece is a gigantic 1:1 scale replica of a Gundam mecha’s head. It consists of roughly 3,000 pieces and looks like a rainbow of colors organized into a formidable robot.

The show, held at Sankaku Hiroba Triangle Square in Shinjuku, also features other displays made from the recycled runners. That includes “Naked Flowers” by artist Ryotaro Muramatsu. And “Plastic Hermitage” by artist Yoichi Ochiai.

These pieces are infinitely better than adding a ton of garbage to our pollution problem. But the real promise of this project is what it could mean for the future. The process used to melt the runners down into a different kind of plastic might someday be employed to make other items. That will eliminate waste. And it might also help prevent the creation of more.

Even if those items won’t look as cool as this Gundam head, they will still be just as cool.

The post Giant GUNDAM Mecha Head Is Made Entirely from Recycled Plastic appeared first on Nerdist.

Welcome to the Cowboy Bebop episode guide! This time out, we’re looking at episode 25, “The Real Folk Blues, Part 1.”

Welp, we’ve said goodbye to Ein and Ed, and partially said goodbye to Faye, so it’s almost time to say goodbye to Cowboy Bebop entirely. Sad times, but there are few shows that have such a definite arc for all its characters, and this show does it better than just about anybody.

But anything with a beginning needs an end, and Bebop ends with a two-parter entitled “The Real Folk Blues,” which also happens to be the name of the end theme song. For 25 weeks, we’ve been getting little hints and clues surrounding Spike Spiegel’s history with Mars’ Red Dragon Syndicate, his arch-rival/former best friend Vicious, and the mysterious blonde named Julia around whom everything hinges. We now have the answers, we just don’t have a conclusion…yet.

The pre-credit sequence to the show’s very first episode, “Asteroid Blues,” features black-and-white glimpses of a huge gun battle involving our hero Spike that resulted in the dropped rose, which became a recurrent image on the program. This was followed by episode 5, “The Ballad of Fallen Angels,” where we first see Vicious and get the inklings about Spike’s troubled history as well as flashback images of Julia. This was followed by episodes 12 and 13, “Jupiter Jazz part 1” and “Jupiter Jazz part 2” in which Spike meets Vicious again, we learn of Vicious’ former military days with Gren, and Spike’s former friend Lin who lost his life remaining loyal to Vicious and the Syndicate.

For a full 12 episodes, we’ve had nothing else about Spike’s past, but these laid the groundwork for the finale. Did we want more? Yes. But did we need more? I don’t think so; Spike needs to remain a mystery, from his friends and from the audience.

We begin by learning that Vicious has attempted (yet again) to take control of the Red Dragon Syndicate and has been turned down by the Elders. This leads him and his followers to attempt a coup that is ultimately foiled. Vicious is taken prisoner. Despite his request to just be killed, the Elders wish to make him suffer first. Julia gets a message on her answering machine telling her of Vicious’ capture and warns her that Syndicate people will be after her soon too.

In a seedy bar on Mars, Spike and Jet drink away their sorrows after their whole crew up and left them. Jet laments that he now understands why Spike was always so against women, children, and animals, but it’s clear, despite Spike’s constant nihilism, that he probably liked having Ein, Ed, and Faye around. Just then, Syndicate thugs raid the bar and begin firing, killing the bartender. Spike and Jet take cover and return fire with Jet catching a slug in the leg. They’re soon joined by Shin, the brother of Spike’s former friend Lin, who was working with Vicious to overthrow the Elders. He warns Spike that the Syndicate is trying to wipe out anyone who has ever been associated with Vicious, and that includes Spike and Julia.

Shin helps Spike drag Jet out and to a local clinic to patch up his leg, and Spike then starts to tell Jet about Julia and Vicious, names that always sound like “doom” to Jet’s ears. Spike has a flashback to his final night working with the Syndicate, where he asks Julia to come with him and start a new life. She says she can’t, and that the Red Dragons will kill him if he tries to leave. Spike, though, has a plan to fake his own death and wants Julia to meet him at a graveyard. We then cut to Julia driving on the highway and she has a flashback of her own, with Vicious holding a gun to her head and telling her he won’t kill her if she kills Spike, but if she doesn’t, both of them will be targets.

Faye also happens to be on Tharsis where Julia is and doesn’t have much of a plan. She sees a man come to meet his mother at a spaceport and she thinks he looks familiar. Of course, we know that he’s actually the host of “Big Shot,” minus the ridiculous cowboy outfit and silly accent. She goes out to her Red Tail ship and gets a call from Spike who yells at her to come back and look after the wounded Jet. Naturally, this isn’t the kind of talk to which Faye responds, so she hangs up, just in time to see a black car chasing Julia’s red convertible down the street, firing at her. Faye, for seemingly no reason other than women sticking together, uses her amazing aiming skills to shoot out the black car’s tire. Julia stops near her and she gets in, firing on the other car that has materialized. She gets that one too and the two ladies drive off, looking supremely badass.

They talk in the car and Faye reveals that she’s a bounty hunter, or at least used to be but is taking a break. Julia then asks if she can get word to a fellow bounty hunter, and that her name is Julia. Faye wonders if it’s the same Julia Spike has mentioned but somehow Julia knows Faye knows Spike and just says “Tell Spike to meet me at ‘the place.’ He’ll know where.” Julia then drives off and Faye decides to go find the Bebop.

Back on the Bebop, Faye lands and Spike starts to chide her about leaving in the first place, but she tells him about Julia and the request to meet. He gets angry and hops in his Swordfish and takes off. Jet comes out and yells at Faye also, but she tells him about Julia as well. Before Spike can leave, the Bebop is attacked by Syndicate fighters and Spike is the only fighter that can help, since Faye’s ship has been badly damaged. Spike fights off some of the Syndicate, but Jet eventually tells him to go meet Julia and to end what’s been troubling him for so long.

Meanwhile, Vicious is about to be put to death, but just as the firing squad is about to shoot, Vicious’ black stork flies in and explodes, and several of the firing squad members begin firing on their own guys. Vicious, now free, grabs his katana and cuts down several of the Elders. He announces that the Red Dragon is under new leadership.

At the cemetery, Spike waits in the rain. He spots a rose on the ground and looks up to see Julia, who pulls out the pistol Vicious gave her and points it at Spike. TO BE CONTINUED.

Oh my GOSH what a great cliffhanger. Vicious looks like he’s got the upper hand, the Bebop and Jet specifically are crippled, and Spike’s finally reunited with the woman he loves only to have her pull a gun on him. He doesn’t even look like he cares if she shoots or not. It’s such a perfect set up to the finale. If you thought there would be anything like a happy ending here, you were sorely mistaken, folks.

Go back to “Hard Luck Woman.”

Go on to “The Real Folk Blues Part 2.”

The post COWBOY BEBOP Episode Guide #25: ‘The Real Folk Blues Part 1’ appeared first on Nerdist.

Welcome to the Cowboy Bebop episode guide! This time out, we’re looking at episode 15, “My Funny Valentine.”

Since the very third episode of Cowboy Bebop, we’ve had a wildcard in the cast named Faye Valentine who seemingly came from nowhere with a chip on her shoulder and a pistol in her hand, only taking and rarely letting Spike or Jet know what she was really about. But, now we’re on the second half of the series, so things need to start coming into more focus, which is where we find today’s Session, “My Funny Valentine,” which details, as much as we or anyone knows, the origins of Faye’s life and troubles. It seems, much in keeping with her angry femme fatale attitude, “The Man” has always been getting her down.

Faye has always been the character you just can’t get a firm grasp on. She joined the Bebop crew really just as a means of getting money but slowly over time, very slowly, she’s grown to be part of the family, with a rivalry and grudging respect with Spike, a good working relationship with Jet, a begrudging caregiver role with Ein, and a strained big sisterly figure to Ed. It’s weird, but it kind of works. But other than that, we know nothing about her; she had yet to have a centric episode. While we don’t know all that much about anybody on the show, we at least have a firm grasp of who Spike used to be, and a pretty good idea about Jet. Faye was a completely blank slate, save her myriad character traits. And for most of the series, that’s enough. We don’t need much more than that, but finding out more gives us understanding, and can maybe lead to resolution. I mean, this is assuming you haven’t watched to the end of the series, of course.

Faye wakes up after having a weird dream due to Ein’s whining. Turns out he…MADE…and needs her to clean it up. She looks at him and, weirdly, says the dog reminds her of someone she used to know, named Whitney Hagis Matsumoto. She asks if Ein wants to hear a story about her past, and the dog yawns which either means he’s very interested or he doesn’t care at all. Or, he has no idea what you’re talking about because he’s a dog. Anyway, she tells the story of how she was thawed out of cryogenesis three years earlier, completely free of any memory. The doctor and nurse don’t have very good bedside manner and just tell her about all the hundreds of millions of woolongs she now owes from being woken up, debt out the yin yang. So, she’s basically screwed, until a handsome lawyer by the name of Whitney Hagis Matsumoto comes to help her, telling her that she’s been frozen for 54 years when she turned 20 (which means she was born in 1994 and was frozen only last year; I bet we could go find her).

Whitney shows her around, helps her out a bit, and then, the two begin to fall in love, only for him to suddenly die after they’re being chased by debt collectors. He’s left everything to Faye, which unfortunately means all the debt he’s accrued. Faye is not pleased, let’s say, and that begins her grifter lifestyle. Spike has heard all of this story in secret and says it was long and boring. Jet has retrieved a small-time bounty, a swindler of women, and it turns out to be that selfsame Whitney Hagis Matsumoto, a whole lot fatter. He lied and faked his death to get out of his debt, and put it all on Faye who already had way too much debt. The doctor and nurse, who were helping him the whole time, arrive in a stolen cop ship to collect the “bounty,” but Faye shoves him into her ship and tries to get away, forcing Spike to give chase. Ultimately, the doctor tells Faye that there was no info on her besides that which she knows, so Whitney wasn’t hiding anything else. She decides to turn him in and the Bebop crew split the impossibly small sum.

While there’s not a lot of action, this episode is all backstory and character arc, which is something this show does so well. Faye is still a mystery, but now we know she isn’t a mystery of her own choosing; she literally has no clue who she is or where she came from. She’s 77 years old in the present, technically, though she’s only 23 physically. She’s a woman out of time, out of luck, and out of options, which is why her joining up with the Bebop was so integral to her life. It’s a positive change. She almost shirks her responsibility to Jet and Spike in favor of a man (which Jet tells Spike is what women always do… that’s HIS bias coming out) but she changes her mind. Spike, in his fighter, prepared to incapacitate Faye’s, sighs and says “That’s better” when she finally comes back around. He doesn’t want the family to break up. At the end, he tells her she may not have a past, but she has something better: a future.

Next week, it’s a Jet-centric episode, and one that he in the post-credit teaser warns is a very sad episode, all about old men, women, children, and young men better sit this one out. But we won’t! I love Jet episodes.

Go back to “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Go ahead to “Black Dog Serenade”

The post COWBOY BEBOP Episode Guide #15: ‘My Funny Valentine’ appeared first on Nerdist.

If you’ve ever dreamed of dressing in the flowing gown of Queen Serenity or in the embellished suit of Prince Endymion of Sailor Moon, fashion line Mariarosa is making your wish come true. On your wedding day, no less. The Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon wedding collection is now available for rent or purchase. Featuring six gowns and two tuxedos, it will make you feel like a magical girl on any day.

Wedding star power, makeup!

Mariarosa / Sailor Moon

Whether you’re looking for a bridal gown or bridesmaid dress, each gown in the collection is more dreamy than the last. Of course, there’s the iconic dress and tuxedo of the Moon Kingdom. The empire-waisted white dress is almost as recognizable as Usagi’s school uniform inspired magical girl look—which you can also also wear as a gown.

Mariarosa / Sailor Moon

One of the most dazzling gowns incorporates the colors of the inner senshi Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. The hues blend beautifully and bring to mind the colorful transformation scenes you’ve loved for years. Tiny planetary symbols adorn the shimmering fabric. The calming colors of outer senshi Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto blend below the bodice of another beaded gown. Whether you wear it for a wedding, prom, or on a Tuesday, this dress in particular will make you feel magical.

Mariarosa

We also can’t help but love the bold yellow and black dress based on Luna’s transformation in the Sailor Moon S movie. It brings to mind a moment in the movie that’s sweet and a little heartbreaking and the layers of black tulle are gorgeous. We want to try it on immediately and do a few spins.

Toei Animation

“Overseen by series creator Naoko Takeuchi herself, the Sailor Moon Wedding Dress Collection is a tie-up between the beloved manga/anime franchise and Tokyo-based bridal apparel provider Mariarosa,” reports SoraNews24.

Mariarosa

Visit the collection website for more information about the magical (girl) collection. The collection will be available for both rental and purchase in Japan later this year. See more photos below.

Featured Image: Toei Animation

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter.

Mariarosa

Originally published July 1, 2020.

The post A Magical SAILOR MOON Wedding Gown Collection appeared first on Nerdist.

So appropriate a meld of game and license: styling a card game after a school whose students would likely be playing that game themselves. One could expect the capes-in-training of My Heroes Academia‘s U.H. High to only ever break from their “quirky” studies to fight the League of Villains. Remembering how the day-to-day of a private school actually shakes out, though, makes it easy (and fun) to picture young Izuku Midoriya and his classmates still having plenty of downtime on campus. What more likely way to pass that time than with collectible cards comparing all the big names these would-be’s look up to?

Any otaku who likes shonen anime knows how crucial–nay, essential–stats are to the genre. And many an otaku has also struggled to explain the basics of anime to friends and family. It’s in these two areas that MHA: the Card Game earns highest marks.

Using one stone to drop several birds, I took some of my own downtime and enlisted three of my nieces to help try the game out. Aged 15, 10 and 8, their participation let me test a few labels on the box as if conducting an actual focus group. We got the “Up to Four Players” experience and also tested out whether this truly was suitable for “Ages 8 & Up.”

None of the girls had watched, nor ever heard of, MHA prior to this, but that didn’t prove a hindrance. One read of the rulebook set the premise out clearly in the words of All Might, and the notion of Izuku being the one regular Joe in a whole roster of supers was then clearly conveyed by art and game design. Such clarity may seem a small feat. Again, though, recalling all the times I’ve tried to introduce anime to anybody made me feel such relief that we could get rolling fast, and with everybody on level in this world. Clarity and accessibility should not be under-appreciated.

That said, the 8-year-old’s vexation with the game’s plethora of rules and stipulations went to show that the suggested minimum age may be a touch overambitious. Actually, the teen, other tween and grown-up (being me) all felt a little overwhelmed–less by the number of rules, per se, than by how many of them didn’t actually factor into our session.

The conceit-in-the-cards is that players are Recruiters, assembling a team of Students each round, with varying aptitudes that can come into play during a Mission. Action cards affect draws, allowing players to be real nasty if they want to block competitors’ recruitment picks, for example. After the table is swept of Students, another roster is drawn out and, once that’s swept in turn, whoever accumulated the most Popularity Points wins. Much of the intrigue lies in the particular Effects on each card (often reflective of a student’s signature Quirk), which play with Recruiter’s access to the student body, turn order, point tally, and so on.

A single session didn’t call for enough sweeps to cover everything we read in the instructions, however. Perhaps that’s to keep surprises hanging for replay value. Go until a winner’s found enough times and, eventually, every stipulation will come into play. Gather a quartet around the table once like we did, though, and wonder why so much jargon was detailed and wasn’t brought to bear. By comparison, every aspect of Dragon Ball Z: Perfect Cell applied to my one play-through, so the difference in shonen gaming sticks out more. Chekov asking you to eye a whole rack of guns–and mark respective calibers, ammo capacities and rates of fire–only for half to actually be shot off by the end of the evening’s show.

On a smaller level, there didn’t seem to be an appreciable difference in how Strength, Intelligence and Speed stats applied to battles. Figuring out whether the sum of these stats was enough to win a Mission was all that mattered, so maybe it’d be simpler to just have one style of pointage per student. Then again, that’d take away from the collectible cards theme, and there are plenty of recited stats in shonen which don’t actually affect the plot. So, an extra step of busyness is probably essential to capturing MHA.

If the sum of the stats matters more than the stats themselves, than one question is relevant above all in a review like this, as well. “Did we have fun?” Yes, playing this with the kids was one of the fonder moments of the break. We may have squinted to keep track of all the rules All Might listed, but none of that confusion ever held up gameplay, which always went fast and smoothly, with a clear sense of who was winning, and what needed to be done to win. Shinobi’s done a class act job distilling everything signature to this epic anime into a few packs, and the usage of art from the series is well-crafted.

As I harped on, these cards seem exactly like the kind of profiles Izuku would be accessing over in his journey to All Might’s level. If you’re a fan of My Hero Academia (and despite the accessibility, I doubt you’ll be seeking this out if you aren’t), you’ll find everything that’s charmed you about the series here in this box.

If you were recruiting your own super team from U.H. High’s student body, which heroes would fill out your roster? Embrace your quirks and fly freely in the comments!

MORE FANDOM GAMING GOODNESS!

• Nickelodeon’s Splat Attack! Is A Saturday Morning Cartoon Food Fight Frenzy
• Amon & The Equalists Have Invaded The Legend of Korra: Pro-bending Arena
• X-Wing Second Edition is the OTHER Star Wars Summer Blockbuster

The post Young Heroes Play Stats to the Upper Strata in MY HERO ACADEMIA THE CARD GAME appeared first on Nerdist.

Are you ready to join the Huntresses and defend the world of Remnant against the forces of Grimm? Will you stand together with the rest of Team RWBY and fight everything from Beowolves to Roman Torchwick? Rooster Teeth and Arcane Wonders have partnered to bring the fast-paced action of the RWBY series to the table in RWBY: Combat Ready.

Just like the show, RWBY: Combat Ready is about teamwork. It’s a scenario based cooperative game built from the ground up to both feature cooperation and team-based play while giving each character their moment in the spotlight. Players take on the role of one of the main protagonists – Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, or Yang Xiao Long – and select one of a few scenarios. These scenarios detail which villains you’ll fight and what the special objectives will be. Details are currently a little light, though the Kickstarter mentions objectives like defeating Grimm or defusing bombs.

The common feature to all scenarios is a duel. These duels take center stage and are that chance for your character to recreate the fast-paced action sequences of the show. Each character has a unique deck that brings their personality – and fighting styles – into your hand. Round by round you’ll play an attack from your hand hoping that your attack is faster than the enemies. If it is, you’ll wound your enemy and build XP and Fury. XP is used to boost your deck’s power and these boosts can be carried from scenario to scenario, creating your own RWBY campaign. Fury can be unleashed in massive Limit-Break style mega-attacks that will send Roman sailing through building down a city block.

Unfortunately, if you aren’t fast enough then it’s your character who suffers damage and loses all that fury. Villains are also represented by a deck. Each round a card is flipped off the top and compared to the card you play from your hand. This isn’t happening blind, however. Rather than each villain card having the same art on the back, Villains have multiple stances. These beautifully illustrated card backs give the players a hint of what’s coming. An aggressive stance may be your opportunity to play a powerful counter-attack, while seeing Roman in a subtle stance may force you to play cautiously lest you risk being stung by a special attack.

Meanwhile, teammates are focusing on the scenario objectives. They’ve got to keep the Grimm from overrunning the board or the bombs from exploding. If they can manage to catch a breather, they can even support the main character offering them speed boosts, bonus damage, or more. Players rotate through duels ensuring that everyone gets a chance to beat up on the villain before the end of the scenario.

You can secure a copy of RWBY: Combat Ready by backing the Kickstarter campaign. Rooster Teeth has created a vivid world of rich characters, and Arcane Wonders has a fantastic track record in the board game world. We’re excited to see the world of RWBY on our tables soon.

If you’re looking to stay dialed-in on the best of boardgaming, be sure to catch our tabletop game show, Game the Game, hosted by Becca Scott! Game the Game airs live on Twitch and Alpha every Wednesday at 4 PM PT.

Want more board games?

• Check out our editorial Essen Game Fair preview of Azul!
• Learn about the Kickstarter project game Legends of Sleepy Hollow – just in time for Halloween!
• Subscribe to Geek & Sundry’s YouTube channel to check out our new How To Play boardgame series.

Image Credits: Rooster Teeth/Arcane Wonders

In addition to Geek & Sundry, Raf Cordero writes for Miniature Market’s The Review Corner and co-hosts the gaming podcast, Ding & Dent. Chat with him on Twitter @captainraffi.

The post Work Together On The Tabletop to Fight Grimm in ‘RWBY: Combat Ready’ appeared first on Nerdist.

We all love mashups of our favorite fandoms and our favorite games, like D&D.  Because we love the universe so much, we decided to make character sheets for your favorite Avatar!

Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

NO! No, not that…never that…

This Avatar:

AKA the best Avatar. We’ve made the cast of Avatar into D&D PCs so you can now bend with the best of them (but not like Beckham; we still haven’t figured out how to do that).

Aang

It wouldn’t be much of an Avatar D&D list without the Avatar himself, Aang! For this set, we’ve chosen to display Aang at level 7. This level gives Aang a bit of power without making him indestructible; basically about where he is when he starts learning water bending. As an Air Nomad, Aang was raised as a monk, and given that monks in D&D can learn the four elements, this was the perfect class for this character. Aang still has a lot of growing up to do at this point in the series, so I’ve made him chaotic good. Talk with your DM about how to incorporate Aang’s glider staff without making your PC too OP. Of course, you’re playing a monk in D&D, so OP is kinda the name of the game.

 Katara

Katara is the only water bender of the Southern Water Tribe and, as such, is basically a folk hero for her people. Although you might be inclined to make Katara a druid from the Circle of the Moon, given the moon’s connection to water, it is actually better to take the Circle of the Land. Although Katara is from the South Pole, an arctic region, choosing the Coastal Circle archetype is a better fit for water benders, since this allows you use of both Water Breathing and Water Walk. Katara is also a natural healer and guiding force, so I’ve focused most of her spells on support and healing. Although here it says Katara is chaotic good, I would actually argue to play her as neutral good, since she has a stronger moral compass than either Sokka or Aang.

 Sokka

Sokka is Katara’s brother and often has felt like he lives in her shadow, given that she’s a bender and he isn’t. Although Sokka often wrestles with feelings of inadequacy, he is actually a strong fighter and master stratagem. As such, I’ve made Sokka a fighter and, more importantly, a Battle Master. The weapons listed here are the weapons Sokka uses throughout the show, so you may need to discuss how to convert them for 5e with your DM. Although Sokka does care about people, he is harder than either Aang or Katara, more willing to do what he needs to do even when it might not be the good choice. As such, I’ve made Sokka chaotic neutral, though he could just as easily work with a chaotic good alignment. Sokka, although great with weapons, will usually default to his boomerang, so I’ve given him the archery fighting style (+2  bonus to ranged attacks).

 Zuko

Our final sheet for this article is of everyone’s favorite bad-boy royal, Prince Zuko. Although Zuko is the nemesis of Aang in the beginning of the series, he isn’t actually evil. He wishes to capture the Avatar as a way to restore his honor and make his father proud, not as part of any nefarious plot to rule the world. Since he does not, at this point, care too much about good or evil, and is concerned with his selfish desires above all else, I made him chaotic neutral. I also made Zuko a sorcerer of a Draconic Bloodline because, as the descendant of Avatar Roku and the Firelord, a draconic ancestry (of the Red Dragon) makes complete sense. Zuko’s spell list is filled with fire and explosions, though no lightning since this is a skill he has yet to master at this time in the series (when Aang is learning to water bend).

And that concludes part 1 of our Avatar: The Last Airbender D&D sheets! Did you agree with our choices? Who do you want to see in part 2? Let us know in the comments!

Looking to get more D&D action in your life? Don’t forget to watch Critical Role every Thursday night on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel.

Character Sheets Created By: Ailea Merriam-Pigg

Images, Unless Otherwise Stated, Credited To: Nickelodeon Animation Studio

The post Save the World with Avatar: The Last Airbender D&D Character Sheets appeared first on Nerdist.

The anxiety was mounting. Elephantine footsteps sounded steadily, like war drums on the approach. It was hard to tell if the temperature was actually climbing, or if the sweat on my brow was due merely to rising anxiety. We squinted at the portraits on the wall again, looking from every conceivable angle, furtively searching for some clue–any clue–that we somehow just weren’t seeing.

It was only a matter of minutes before the Titans would be upon us.

SCRAP presents an escape room in collaboration with Attack on Titan: “Castle Under Siege” https://t.co/wkZO6GM5gh #scraptitan #realegame pic.twitter.com/ldz835Z1uu

— Real Escape Game LA (@RealEscapeLA) December 6, 2016

This was a memorable moment towards the end of my experience in “Castle Under Siege,” an Attack on Titan-themed challenge at Real Escape Game in L.A.’s Little Tokyo quarter. My friends and I assumed the role of a support crew, scrambling around to unlock hidden cubbies and get weapons along to Mikasa, Eren, and other daring heroes from the anime. After deciphering enough puzzles and applying a fair amount of elbow grease, we even gained access to some tools that let us to bring the fight straight to the relentless Titans.

Putting our ten heads together, we eventually managed to repel the attack–with only a scant 30 seconds to spare.

All throughout this hour-long challenge, it was hard not imagine staffers snickering through hidden cameras at our often-bumbling efforts. Of course, we did have a gracious hostess, Willa Lim, right there with us the entire time. She rolled out instructions when we progressed through levels, teased hints if we reached a roadblock, and gently reminded us of the rules whenever we almost broke a prop we were expressly told not to touch. Willa is also the manager of Real Escape Game L.A. She’d been there for many other parties prior to our visit so, after the Titans had been vanquished, I was curious to pick her brain about how we might’ve handled the challenges better.

“A common pitfall is when people doubt themselves. Often times they’ll have an answer, but are so unsure that their teammates brush them off. It’s sad to see, because I just want them to have more confidence!” Willa said. “One of my favorites is when people try to befriend the Titans. If you’ve read the manga or seen the anime, you can imagine how that tactic works out…”

True, trying to build bridges with giant, skinless monsters with a penchant for biting off heads probably isn’t advisable. It’d been a while since I’d re-watched the show, though. Had I forgotten any details that would’ve clinched a faster win for us? “[Attack on Titan] fans will definitely appreciate the quirks and immersion of the room, but they wouldn’t have an advantage… the quiz from ‘Escape from the Walled City’–our previous stadium-size escape game in collaboration with Attack on Titan–is still available online [though]. It gives you a great chance to try some puzzles while under just a bit of time pressure.”

What strategies work best then when you’re in the escape room, and there’s more than bit of pressure on? “Communication and delegation are usually what separates the escapees and, in this specific room, the Titan Fodder,” Willa said. “There have been lots of times where people just repeat things someone else has done, or too many people focus on one particular puzzle… it becomes a significant time waster.”

Will you journey to Little Tokyo to get in this escape room? Or would you kill for “Castle Under Siege” to swing into your town? Sound off in the comments.

Image Credits: Scrap

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Remember Akira on the first Game Boy? Of course, you don’t. The game version of the epic anime never came out. It was developed for a while, though. Players were to alternate between Kaneda and Tetsuo, and the gameplay was to shift from platforming to obstacle races and Contra-esque shooting. One level would have Kaneda racing on his bike through rival gangs on Neo Tokyo’s dilapidated highways, another would follow Tetsuo’s flight from the ESPers’ teddy bear kingdom, and the finale would see the two squaring off in a boss battle–high-powered laser rifle versus bio-mechanoid baby head.

Video game advocate Patrick Scott Patterson uncovered a handful of builds of this never-released cartridge and managed to test them out on a trusty Super Game Boy. What did he find? Well, there’s a reason this iteration of Akira never hit shelves. Much has been said about how far ahead of its time the anime was, and this might actually be better of proof of that than the timelessness of the film’s animation. Video game tech of the era clearly wasn’t ready to capture Katsuhiro Otomo’s outre vision yet.

While none of these builds are complete, it’s tough to picture the complete versions ever being that worthwhile. Anybody who’s played other “lost gems” like Primal Rage II or Midway’s Judge Dredd beat ’em up can see the pattern this fits into. When a game doesn’t get released, it’s generally because it isn’t very good. And that probably goes double for attempted adaptations of big brands.

Still, Patterson has resolved to cherry pick the best parts of these builds and see if he can cobble together a good and finished game. Again, there’d be some irony in that. An individual can pull off what you’d need a crew of game designers for in the early 90s, while few studios today would dare try to replicate the meticulous full-animation of the Akira movie. Nevertheless, you can still watch Patterson’s playthrough below and see what could have been–and may still yet to be. One can only hope that his version will replace the awful temp music with some midi versions of Akira‘s percussive soundtrack.

Would you still want to play this? Sound off in the talkback.

Featured Image Credit: Patrick Scott Patterson

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What makes you, a human being on planet Earth, attached to your cell phone playing Pokémon Go, tick? When you’re roaming your town, running into trees and tripping over young children, do you do so with others or by yourself? Are you playing for the thrill of the chase, or because you want to spend time with your friends, even if that time involves minimum conversation? Where does this obsession for the game come from?

Pokémon Go fans play the incredibly popular, not-so-surprisingly addictive mobile game with the hope to “catch them all” in a virtual world seemingly right alongside our very own reality. The choices fans make, like which team–Mystic, Instinct, or Valor–to join, are all about the goals they have for themselves in-game, and are fueled by out-of-game preferences.

One of the most popular and trusted personality examinations is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which The Game Theorists Youtube channel has taken a close look at to determine how Pokémon Go players decide what team to join on their quest for Pokémon triumph.

After some research, and a clear understanding of their audience, The Game Theorists came to the conclusion that most gamers are introverted and intuitive, but that a larger amount of extroverted players chose to join Valor over the other two options, meaning that you’re more likely to run into an extra competitive member of Valor than Instinct or Mystic.

However, Mystic has quickly become the most popular team because, as stated before, most gamers are introverted, thoughtful, and strategic, highly respected traits of any valued Mystic member. Also home to many introverts is Instinct, a team where players who focus on outsmarting the system with intuition feel the most comfortable.

Or there’s always the possibility that you chose your Pokémon Go team based on your favorite color, and Game Theory covers that too.

That’s all fine and dandy, but what if we just want to join Team Rocket and be done with it? Is that okay?

Do you identify with the team-choosing theories shared in the video above? What team do you belong to and why did you decide on that team over the other two? Let’s discuss in the comments below, or find me over on Twitter @bekahbabble!

Featured Image Credit: Pokémon Go!/GameTheory/Youtube

Image Credit: OLM Inc. via Giphy

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Ever want to introduce a friend, relative, or child to role-playing, but you weren’t sure what game to run? Consider Ryuutama, the natural fantasy RPG.

Ryuutama is a freshly translated Japanese role-playing game which ran a successful Kickstarter, and recently won a Silver ENnie for Best Family Game. It’s Hayao Miyazaki turned up to 11, and mixed with some D&D.

The game takes place in a world where everyone, once in their life, goes on an epic, years-long journey. This is done because the dragons who guarantee the peace and safety of the world can only eat one thing: The stories of travelers. Players take on the role of these travelers as they explore the land, help villagers with problems, and slay monsters. The GM takes on the role of a dragon, who records the stories of the travelers. However, the dragon/GM is not entirely benevolent, as the tastiest stories for dragons are the most interesting!

The game bleeds atmosphere. There is peril on the road, and travelers are always willing to defeat a monster or two to help villagers. (A number of classes can make things out of defeated monsters after all!) But it is also a world where people care for one another, and speak forthrightly and honestly in all matters. It is a world so beautiful and wonderful that legend has it an emperor once looked down from his throne and said, “Well! Looks like  this is travelling season!” He hopped down from his throne and went off on his journey, no differently than the humblest farmer.

The feel of the world even comes through in its magic. One spell is entitled “Chocolate Cosmos” which shocks its target by reminding them of a lost love. Another, “Knights of Cleaning,” reads

Dirty clothing flies away at the start of the ritual to be cleaned by the mysterious Knights of Cleaning. At the end of the ritual, the clothes are returned with no loss of color or quality.”

The game was designed with novice gamers in mind. The system is simple as pie. There are four statistics, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Spirit. Add two stats together, roll them, and if you beat the target number, you succeed.

The book is enlivened with amazing manga-style illustrations. (A character in one illustration, for example, points out that a D4 would really hurt if you stepped on it.) You can see more of the art at the game’s website.

The first game most RPG gamers every experience is Dungeons & Dragons, and it is a fantastic game. But dungeon-crawling, and kill-monster-take-stuff is not an activity that will appeal to everyone. Ryuutama moves the focus of the game to ordinary people taking the most extraordinary journey of their lives, through a world of wonder and beauty.

The game is so simple, children as young as 10 could play the game. The book is so beautiful that it makes readers want to play the game just to spend more time in a world of such tranquility and splendor.

Japanese Gaming Brought to an English-Speaking Audience

Ryuutama was written by Atsuhiro Okada, and translated by Andy Kitkowski and Matt Sanchez. Kitkowski said he was a regular consumer of Japanese role-playing games. In an interview with Geek & Sundry, he said “I’d make a list [of RPGs], and purchase several the next time I was in Japan to visit family.” But when he heard about Ryuutama, he couldn’t wait for his next visit to Japan. After reading about the game, he and some friends ordered a copy by express mail from Japan, and then set about translating it.

Kitkowski said, “The softness, that honobono, [or] feelgood-ness of the setting that came off like a Hayao Miyazaki anime, the focus on travel and wonder, it really hit us hard and had our minds on fire.”

The process of translating the rulebook was easier than one would expect. Kitkowski said, “Both Matt and I have been through complicated translation projects before: Everything from ancient Buddhist scrolls and sermons, to patent applications for ocular surgical equipment. Ryuutama, in comparison, was rather light and easy in general.”

Kitkowski said that just being nominated for an ENnie was an honor, and “It’s truly an honor to have our work, and espeically the work of the original author Atsuhiro Okada, be recognized by our English-speaking gaming peers worldwide.”

Through Kitkowski, Geek & Sundry was able to contact game design savant Atsuhiro Okada to get his reaction to the win. Okada said, “I thought there was no way we could win… I was actually in the middle of running an RPG session at work when they told me the news, and my heart lept out of my chest. I’m so truly grateful! For all those around the world who watched and supported Ryuutama, thank you so very, very much!!”

See you on the road, traveler, in the world of Ryuutama.

Follow Okada Atsuhiro on Twitter! He’s @okada_atsuhiro, and the feed is in Japanese, but Google Translate means that’s not an insurmountable problem.

What would you play with non-gamers to infect them with the game virus? Let us know below!

All images courtesy Kotodama Heavy Industries. 

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Holy…cow.

Square Enix revealed a new trailer for Kinsglaive Final Fantasy XV at San Diego Comic Con. Yes, that sounds like a mouthful, but when it comes to Final Fantasy in the 21st century, what doesn’t? Kingsglaive was announced at the “Uncovered: Final Fantasy” event back in March along with a slew of surprise editions arriving alongside Final Fantasy XV. It will be the first feature-length, CG-animated film since Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children in 2005. Remember how pretty Advent Children was? That was 11 years ago. So what’s Square Enix’s level of animation now? Watch:

Hang on….need to breathe for a moment…

Okay! One of Final Fantasy‘s pitfalls has always been the overly-complicated plots, but this one actually looks pretty coherent. There’s a crystal that’s the source of power, two factions started fighting over that power, the underdogs need to free themselves from the evil Empire, and finally some stunningly beautiful animated battle scenes to resolve the conflict. I’m down with that. The only thing that concerns me is that there is a “rescue the princess” element that I hope isn’t the entirety of the plot. The story is reported to lead into the Final Fantasy XV game, but it looks like it should actually work fine as a standalone film. The English dub stars Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean (Ned Stark) and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) as well as Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman). Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children‘s Takeshi Nozue directed this piece as well.

Here’s where things get even better. The film will be released in select North American theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, Seattle, Orlando, El Paso, and more on August 19. If it’s not playing in a theater near you, you won’t have to wait much longer to see it. Kingsglaive will be available for digital download on August 30, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 4. for more information, go to the official Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV website.

Final Fantasy XV launches on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 30.

Are you sold on Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Featured image credit: Square Enix/Sony Pictures

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