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The gambling-themed manga series Kakegurui created by Homura Kawamoto (story) and Toru Naomura (art) will receive a stage play adaptation in Tokyo in September 2025. Moeko Kanisawa , a member of the Japanese idol group ≠Me (Not Equal Me) is cast as the protagonist, Yumeko Jabami. Kanisawa previously played the role of Harukaze Doremi, one of the main characters in the Ojamajo Doremi stage play performed by the members of the group in 2022, but this will be the first stage play in which she will play the lead role alone. The Kakegurui stage play's official website and X (formerly Twitter) opened with a teaser visual featuring Kanisawa as Yumeko. Teaser Visual The rest of the main cast members include: Ryota Suzui played by Seiichiro Nagata Mary Saotome played by Moka Koizumi Midari Ikishima played by Kurisu Oto Itsuki Sumeragi played by Misato Kawauchi Yuriko Nishinotoui n played by Fuyuna Asakura Yumemi Yumemite...

Every time anime and Game of Thrones are mentioned in the same sentence, it’s a matter of a few seconds before someone enters the conversation with Legend of the Galactic Heroes. But wait, what is it? Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an anime-manga franchise based on the novel by Yoshiki Tanaka. The series dates back to the 1980s and has numerous films, manga, anime, anime movies, and remakes.

In the past few years, the franchise has also caught the attention of Game of Thrones fans. Once you find yourself drawn into the intricate world of GoT, a binge-watch through all the seasons is all but confirmed. However, what happens once it ends? It’s pretty simple, you start watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes. If you’re curious why that is the case, here’s all you need to know.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is the anime...

Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion is an undisputed classic of mecha anime even 30 years after the original TV series debuted. A deeply personal, idiosyncratic genre deconstruction, Evangelion takes the classic premise of giant robots piloted by impressionable teenagers taking on a world-annihilating alien threat and transforms it into a surreal psychological thriller concerned with questions of identity, purpose, and value of human connection.

However, Evangelion is far from the only sci-fi anime that can appeal to fans of the unconventional, even if Anno’s magnum opus still largely dominates the conversation about the genre’s best works. These anime series explore interesting science fiction concepts in tandem with thought-provoking existential themes, making them perfect for fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion on the lookout for something even better.

Related10 Old Mecha Anime Better Than Most Modern Series

Classic mecha anime surpass a lot of the anime of the modern era.

With the new year comes new (or old) anime to experience! Now's the perfect time to give a long-running series a shot and slowly chew through it across the year. While long-running anime isn't everyone's cup of tea, considering the watch-time required to fully experience each story, such stories are long for a reason. Whether the adventure itself is the reason or the tale is episodic, each series offers a unique anime experience that short-form series could never match in scope or complexity.

Shōnen are typically long because of the genre, but not every anime with hundreds of episodes falls under the genre's umbrella. A great story can only be told at length, but not every story needs to be a thousand episodes. It's ultimately up to the author to decide the scope of their story, but when they decide to create an epic, the experience can be life-changing.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes...

With fans loving Terminator Zero, a bold new anime project coming to Netflix on August 29, 2024, veteran anime character designer and director Masashi Kud is uniting Japanese and American aesthetics for an exciting new series. Anime fans particularly recognize Kud for his longtime contributions to adored franchises like Bleach, Tower of God, and Hayate the Combat Butler. Still, as a director, he takes on additional responsibilities in adapting an American icon. With Terminator Zero having debuted at the end of August 2024 and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War having debuted in the Fall, things aren't slowing down for Masashi Kud.

With projects dating back to 1996 with artwork for Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Masashi Kud's work has evolved as a crew member and eventual production leader for Terminator Zero. However, as a director for this beloved anime produced by Production I.G., Kud feels a strong responsibility for handling such beloved intellectual property as a professional and a fan.

The official website for the Under Ninja live-action film today announced two additional cast members — Shotaro Mamiya (Reinhard von Lohengramm in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes stage plays) as Kato and Mai Shiraishi (ex-Nogizaka46 member) as Suzuki. The site has also released a new trailer introducing the two. Under Ninja Live-Action Film Trailer Kato is an elite member of the ninja organization “Nin”, and he has a serious ninja mission for the protagonist, Kuro Kumogakure (played by Kento Yamazaki). "I was very happy because it had been 10 years since I had worked with Kento," said Mamiya. "I hope that I was able to create a sense of tension in Kato's quiet and unique way, and since the action scenes were filmed through trial and error with the staff, I think those are scenes worth seeing." Suzuki is also a skilled kunoichi (female ninja) who belongs to "Nin." She usually...

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These is currently reliving its biggest battles during a terrestrial Japanese broadcast. To celebrate the airing of episode 27, the show's official social media accounts have shared two new illustrations—showing the many players on both sides of the century-and-a-half-long conflict. Taking center stage in each are the two men at the center of the war: Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li: Related: Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Anime Sequel Announced The Legend of the Galactic Heroes novels are published in Japan by Tokuma Shoten, and more than 15 million copies have been in circulation since the novels debuted in 1982. An English language version of the series is also available from Viz Media. Legend of the Galactic Heroes was previously adapted into a long-running Oav series beginning in 1988, and this version is currently streaming on Hidive. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These...

A certain meme sprung to mind when I awoke to last week’s double-whammy of old-school anime remake news. It’s that panel from a Watchmen comic where Dr. Manhattan sits pensively in isolation on the surface of Mars and is usually made to lament how time is a flat circle, a recent example of which remarked on Ghostbusters and Dune competing at the box office in three separate instances since 1984. Anime is hardly different from other mediums when it comes to rebooting or remaking older material for newer audiences, though it's arguably been slower to dig deeper for inspirations. In the last couple of years, we’ve mostly seen updates of adaptations that originate from the early 2000s or late '90s like Fruits Basket , Trigun , Shaman King , Spice and Wolf , Bartender , Tokyo Mew Mew , Forest of Piano , Orphen and so forth. A few recent exceptions include Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai...

"House of the Dragon," now well into its second season, has officially restored Westeros' place on the Iron Throne of television. All the insistence that "Game of Thrones" season 8 permanently tarnished interest in the franchise now look foolish, as this prequel about fire and blood has racked up acclaim. (Read /Film's review of "House of the Dragon" season 2 here.)

With it becoming ever more unlikely that the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books will receive a proper conclusion, "House of the Dragon" is working two-fold to sustain audience interest in its fantasy world. It's worked on me; after sitting out "Game of Thrones" during its initial run, the Foma finally got to me and I'm now watching "House of the Dragon" and reading the books.

Last time, I professed mea culpa for unfairly judging comic writer Garth Ennis. Now, I similarly come hat-in-hand to George R.R. Martin — I am...

The official website for the upcoming stage play adaptation of Yoshio Sawai's surreal comedy manga series Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo , titled Cho Hajike Stage Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo , is updated today with a key visual featuring Sho Kato as the protagonist, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, for the first time. "I met Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo when I was a child and spent two days wondering if there would be a world where the balance of power in the world would be determined by the power of Hajike!" said Kato, known as Ryuichi Naruhodo in the Ace Attorney stage play (2019) and Siegfried Kircheis in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes stage plays (2018-2019). "Maybe it's because I had such a childhood... I had abandoned the concept of common sense in my daily life and went on my way to become a Hajikellist. Then I began to change my constitution to be liked by animals! In other words! If...

A broad and universally beloved genre, science fiction has been pioneering advanced futuristic concepts across mediums throughout history. In anime, sci-fi holds a special place as the genre within which some of the most brilliant and thought-provoking series thrive. Despite the immense versatility of sci-fi, its iterations covering everything from space exploration to time travel, the genres imprint on anime is mostly associated with mecha.

For decades, franchises like Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, and Neon Genesis Evangelion have been the face of sci-fi in anime. However, the sci-fi anime scene is much more diverse than its most prominent giant robot series might lead fans to believe. In fact, some of the best sci-fi series in the medium dont feature any mechs, instead exploring the countless other ideas and concepts that make the genre so captivating.

Related 50 Best Sci-Fi Anime To Watch Right Now

Science fiction anime are often out...

A noble hero always needs a worthy counterpart to challenge them; in anime, this role is often assigned to their rival. Rival dynamics in anime tend to be some of the most compelling, whether it's an antagonist whose begrudging respect for the hero forces them to provoke one another, or one of the protagonist’s allies finding value in disputes and confrontations despite fighting on the same side, or anything in between. The tense, antagonistic relationship between Goku and Vegeta in Dragon Ball is the rivalry trope's archetype and most beloved example.

Humiliated by Goku surpassing him in strength, the Prince of Saiyans made it his goal to match his nemesis, resulting in one of the most riveting rivalries in the history of the shonen genre. However, Goku and Vegeta aren’t the only examples of iconic competitors in anime. Arguably, some of anime’s rivalries even surpass Goku and Vegeta in intensity and drive.

Long anime provide fans with immersive and engaging experiences that allow them to fully immerse themselves in the story, characters, and worldbuilding. Each long anime has its own unique formula, whether it's the epic interstellar war in Legend of the Galactic Heroes or the enigmatic threats faced by the exorcists in D.Gray-man. From the classic sports action of Slam Dunk to the comedic and sometimes emotional journey of Gintama, long anime offer a variety of genres and storylines to captivate viewers.

Any anime fan knows the disappointment of being completely captivated by a show, only for it to end too soon. Thankfully, when it comes to long anime, such a concern is unwarranted, as there are plenty of story developments, characters, and worldbuilding elements to ensure fans can fully immerse themselves and continue to engage with the shows for as long as they'd like.

There is no set formula...

Sir Ridley Scott is back with another historical epic with a big sense of humor in "Napoleon," a movie that looks at a great man doing important things while also showing him to be a bit of a giant baby — see also the hilarious Ben Affleck in "The Last Duel" or Jared Leto's incredible transformation as Paolo Gucci in "House of Gucci."

Also in Ridley Scott fashion, "Napoleon" is full of epic action and historical inaccuracies. From a scene where Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon literally shoots the Great Pyramid of Giza, to an incredible moment where the Napoleonic army wins a battle by drowning the enemy under an icy lake. That latter scene is a recreation of The Battle of Austerlitz, which the film depicts as having Napoleon luring the enemy Austrian and Russian armies onto an icy lake. Then, he orders the lake bombarded, trapping and drowning hundreds if not thousands.

The iconic sci-fi anime Legend of the Galactic Heroes announced a sequel to Die Neue These on Nov. 5, 2023.

The fifth-anniversary event for Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, which first debuted in Japan on April 3, 2018, saw the announcement of the upcoming sequel series with notable voice actors in attendance. These included Mamoru Miyano, who voices Reinhard bon Lohengramm, Yuki Kaji (Julian Mintz) and Junichi Suwabe (Paul von Oberstein). The accompanying teaser trailer was posted to the official Shochiku YouTube channel.

Crunchyroll Boosting Retro Anime Catalog With Gunbuster, Angel Cop & More

The revival of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes anime series began in 2018 with Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Encounter. Under the Die Neue These name, the series has drawn critical acclaim for surpassing the original video animation (Ova) series that first aired in 1988 in some aspects. All of Encounter's successive seasons -- Stellar War,...

Successful anime adaptations can come from regular novels, not just manga or light novels. Novels offer more psychological complexity. Light novels are a unique type of book in Japan, often shorter and with illustrations. This list excludes anime based on light novels. The best anime based on novels include Anne of Green Gables, The Great Passage, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and more. They offer a deeper exploration of characters.

Successful anime adaptations can be inspired by a variety of sources but one of the rarest is from a regular novel. There are many reasons for this including the fact that the existing art of a manga gives animators a template from which to craft their work. However, it also comes from the fact that novels can often be a lot more psychologically complex than a typical manga or light novel.

Before diving into the list, it is important to...

Everybody knows how dominant Star Wars has been in the sci-fi genre for years, and this huge franchise has inspired countless others to follow suit in exploring space, time, and beyond. While Star Wars itself is still going today having been established back in the 1970s, it does still have plenty of competition, even from sci-fi anime.

As with any genre, anime has the advantage of accentuating and exaggerating the impossible, making out-of-this-world situations even more of a spectacle in some cases. There are plenty of sci-fi anime that have established good universes and characters, but only a select few can compete with Star Wars, or in some cases surpass this storied franchise.

Related: 10 Best Sci-Fi Anime For Star Wars Fans, Ranked

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a mecha anime that pits humanity and their Evangelion machines against alien beings known as Angels. There were 26 episodes in the popular original series,...

Netflix has revealed additional cast members for its highly-anticipated Pluto anime.

Based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, Pluto revisits the futuristic world of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy series, focusing on the darker elements of a universe where robots live only to serve humans. As detailed on Crunchyroll, Netflix recently unveiled via X (formerly Twitter) seven new cast members for the upcoming anime that previously appeared in popular works like Dragon Ball, One Piece and Attack on Titan. Pluto is set to debut on the platform starting Oct. 26.

Related: 10 Anime That Feel Like Western Cartoons

Just In: Joining the cast of #Pluto are Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo from Dragon Ball) as Dr. Ochanomizu, Eizou Tsuda as Dr. Tenma, Romi Park, Michio Hazama , Hideyuki Tanaka, and Kenyu Horiuchi! #Pluto streams worldwide October 26, only on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/Vq0qdpaJV8 — Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) September 6, 2023

Dr. Ochanomizu, who served...

The anime medium offers top-notch entertainment that can satisfy any demands fans might have, from casual single-cour comedy flicks to long-running battle dramas. Newcomers just getting acquainted with anime’s vast landscape have plenty of beginner-friendly shows to choose from. However, some of the medium’s most well-loved and acclaimed series notoriously intimidate even seasoned fans, alarming potential viewers with their length, confusing watch order, or unconventional pacing.

Not every anime masterpiece tells an easy-to-follow self-contained story, and some of the medium’s best exemplars require the fans to put in some work before their commitment pays off. Even attempting to get into anime’s most difficult franchise is a difficult step, and many never get over their initial aversion when it comes to these unconventionally convoluted stories. Nevertheless, if one gives these notoriously hard to get into anime a fair chance, they’re likely to find a new all-time favorite.

With the current boom of popularity anime is experiencing worldwide, it’s easier than ever to get into the medium and be greeted by open, friendly fans who are eager to introduce more people to their favorite art form. However, not all of anime’s countless fanbases are equally welcoming. Anime is unfortunately infamous for the anime elitism phenomenon - a subgroup of fans who don’t tolerate nonconformity and view their taste in anime as indisputably superior.

Elitists are often fans of older series or those only interested in the avant-garde side of anime. They like to sour other people’s experiences with the medium by disregarding and critiquing everything that doesn’t align with their tastes. The subjectivity of art never crosses the minds of anime elitists, and they’re always eager to point out how their favorite series is better than whatever is popular at the moment.

Anime continues to reach new heights thanks to modern achievements like Tokyo Revengers, Demon Slayer, and Spy x Family, but the current slate of top content wouldn’t be where it is today without the decades of development that preceded it.

Post-2000s anime have plenty of advantages and insight that would have previously been impossible. However, an anime doesn’t need to be new in order to achieve mainstream success and there is no shortage of pre-2000s series that continually expire the next generation. There’s a lot to love when it comes to the older anime or a past generation.

Related: 10 Sci-Fi Anime From The '90s Everyone Needs To See

Tomorrow's Joe & Tomorrow’s Joe 2 126 Episodes, 2 Movies

Sports anime have only become more popular since the 2000s and boxing remains one of the more popular activities to receive attention. Tomorrow's Joe, otherwise known as Ashita no Joe,...

Anime has been a medium of innovation ever since its establishment, and it continues to relentlessly push the boundaries of creativity and inventiveness to this day. While many anime conform to the dispositions of their time, only the most revolutionary series that inspire change go down in history.

Looking back at shows that were perhaps misunderstood during their debut, fans can clearly see how the outstanding anime of the past predicted modern trends, invented new genres, and paved the way for groundbreaking techniques. These older anime feel fresh even by today's sky-high standards, and they were definitely way ahead of their time.

Related: 10 Best Anime Turning 50 In 2023

Key The Metal Idol

Neon Genesis Evangelion is commonly considered the pioneer of introducing complex psychological themes into the mecha genre. However, Key the Metal Idol, a hidden gem from 1994, debuted a year before Hideaki Anno's magnum opus.

Dense with dark yet...

(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)

We have covered many anime in this series, hopefully providing plenty of choices for your first anime, and shows to watch after that to learn more about the possibilities of this wonderful medium. From new shows that have made a splash, to older classics that marked the medium forever, there truly is enough to watch at anytime, anywhere. This is to say if you have followed this column for the past couple of years, you should have a pretty good understanding of anime and enough points of reference for "Flcl."

Pretty much like all other anime I've covered here before, it is not imperative to have watched anything before experiencing "Flcl," but the experience is improved if you understand some of the many, many references in this short 6-episode Ova. And...

Middle East and North Africa media and entertainment giant Mbc Group has expanded its partnerships with key anime studios and production houses in Japan to bolster its anime offering on its streaming platform Shahid.

Under the move, the group has acquired a number of series, including TV Tokyo’s recent 52-episode hit Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, based on the Bleach manga series by Tite Kubo, about a teenager with the ability to see spirits.

The series, which recently returned following an eight-year hiatus, will stream on Shahid at the same time as Japan and the U.S. All the previously broadcast seasons of the show are also currently available on Shahid.

Mbc Group has also extended a partnership with Toei Animation for more episodes of One Piece, the blockbuster long-running series based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga series of the same name.

The company has also expanded its partnership with...

Dragon Ball Super continues with its next chapter in October, beginning a brand-new arc following Granolah the Survivor. This series continues to prove to be one of the longest-lasting series ever. Dragon Ball first began in 1984 and while it received a long dry period with no new material, Dragon Ball Super returned the series, reviving the fanbase.

There's no doubt that the '80s possessed some of the most influential anime and anime characters of all time. Many fans like to consider characters like Goku a blueprint for many of the newer main protagonists in shonen anime.

Ryo Saeba (City Hunter)

Ryo Saeba is the main protagonist of City Hunter, an anime series that ran from 1987-1988. Ryo is the founder of his organization called City Hunter where he performs any task required of him.

Related: 10 Most Shocking Deaths In Shonen Anime

He is known for his expertise with a gun,...

In the third edition of our tribute to anime, we focused more on retro titles, in an effort to fill the catalogue of our reviews with titles from the 80s also. This does not mean, however, that we did not include newer series, with the relaunching of Legend of the Galactic Heroes being presented in all its 3-seasons glory. Here is a list with all the titles we wrote about this August.

1. 86 (2021) by Toshimasa Ishii

The series is split in two parts, with the aforementioned mission being the dichotomy. The first part features much action, but the focus is actually on context, with Toshimasa Ishii presenting a number of sociopolitical comments through a dialogue-heavy approach. Lena’s gradual disillusionment about what is happening with the 86 is quite shattering in that regard, with the exploitation of kids that are sent in the front lines being a direct accusation on fundamentalists, to say the least.

Considered one of the best anime series of all time, the based on a series of science fiction novels written by Yoshiki Tanaka “Legend of the Galactic Heroes” is now relaunched by Studio Ig, retaining the quality of the original but improving the audiovisual aspect.

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In Ad 2801, the Galactic Federation was formed, resulting in political power moving away from the planet Earth (now named Terra) and the Space Era calendar replacing the Gregorian calendar, with 2801 Ad now being Se 1. Rudolf von Goldenbaum, an ex-admiral turned dictatorial politician, is elected to power. After declaring himself Emperor Rudolf I, absolute monarch of the renamed Galactic Empire, he restarts the calendar again, beginning the Imperial Calendar on Se 310/Ad 3110. His regime adopts extremist policies, including the suppression of any opposition and the extermination of anyone perceived too weak (such as the disabled and the poor), which is carried out until his death...