Transformers’ Optimus Prime Voice Actor Peter Cullen Dies at 85
Cullen also voiced Eeyore, Monterey Jack, Mario, Toonami announcer, IGPX narrator
― TMZ reported on Thursday that voice actor Peter Cullen (Transformers’ Optimus Prime) died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his agent. He was 85. Cullen’s family told TMZ:
“Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family – and held in the hearts of his many friends and countles…
Blue Box Volumes 5-8 Manga Review
Taiki makes it clear multiple times that his feelings will not waver, and the problem is that I believe him.
― Blue Box‘s balancing act of sports series, slice of life drama, and romantic comedy is leaning towards the slice of life drama throughout this arc. As Hina starts progressively becoming more open and forward with her feelings towards Taiki, that puts this adorable teenager in a very interest…
My Crush’s Crush Manga Gets TV Anime
Sekina Aoi, Ryō Tsuzura debuted manga in November 2022
― This year’s 17th issue of Hakusensha’s Young Animal magazine announced on Friday that writer Sekina Aoi and artist Ryō Tsuzura’s My Crush’s Crush (Boku no Suki na Hito ga Suki na Hito) manga is getting a television anime adaptation. Tsuzura shared an illustration to commemorate the announcement: Yen Press licensed the manga, and it describes th…
This Week in Anime – Makerspace
Who says you can’t learn anything from anime?
― Who says you can’t learn anything from anime? Coop and Sylvia run down a list of DIY and creative series that can inspire you to get creating. The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead. Crunchyroll streams Eizouken, Zenshu, Journal with…
Director of Live-Action Look Back Dives into Ultraman’s Origin in New Doc
Ultraman has meant “justice” to generations. This new documentary explores how that came to be.
― As an anime fan, you’ve probably heard of Ultraman at least once. His cross-armed Ultra Beam became a symbol of justice for Japanese children everywhere, many of whom grew up to shape the anime industry. Hideaki Anno, the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion, submitted his own fan-film in university and e…
Beyond the Season Finale: 5 Manga You Need to Continue Right Now
Did the anime leave you hanging? Here are five series you should continue in manga form!
― In many ways, anime can be seen as an advertisement for the source material it is based on, whether that be light novels, video games, or manga. There’s a lot of planning and effort that goes into producing an anime for this promotion, but as a result, many of these adaptations are not always able to fully real…
Actor Tim Curry Dies at 80
Curry played Dr. Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Cat King in The Cat Returns
― TMZ reported on Wednesday that actor Tim Curry died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 80. Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England. He had a major stroke in 2012. Curry is perhaps best known as Dr. Frank-n-Furter in the 1975 musical film The Rocky Horror Picture Show a…
Persona 4 Revival Preview: More of What You Love
Did Persona 4 need a remake? George gets into it.
― With the release of Persona 3 Reload back in 2024, Atlus is back with another remake, this time of Persona 4 Golden, called Persona 4 Revival. I’m one of those who thinks that the game doesn’t necessarily need a remake, but I won’t say no to revisiting one of my favorite games of all time. I played about an hour of Persona 4 Revival, and it’s prett…
Fairy Princess Minky Momo 2nd Episodes 1-13 Anime Review
This is classic 1990s children’s programming – sometimes preachy, sometimes zany, and always completely insane.
― Minky Momo is dead. Long live Minky Momo. I know I’ve said that before, but it really is the best way to describe not only the original series’ infamous killing of its heroine but also the reboot of the series in 1991. Mahō no Princess Minky Momo: Yume o Dakishimete took the original 1982…
Capcom Continues to Make The Old Feel New Again
Capcom’s recent trend of reviving and revitalizing older franchises is on a roll.
― Capcom has been on a roll these past couple of years, bringing back or revitalizing old franchises. Unlike other companies that let iconic characters sit on a shelf for years, Capcom is always looking for new ways to showcase its intellectual properties to new audiences. Anime News Network was allowed to go to a speci…
Crunchyroll Offers a Sneak Peek of Upcoming Series
Crunchyroll debuted three new series and then inexplicably rehashed an old one.
―
A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special Season 2 It’s been a few years since season one, but here comes the beginning of a new season for the anime A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special. Featuring a hero named Desir who died after beating the final boss and wakes up thirteen years in the past, he is now he armed with the k…
Portrait of a RE:BEL – A Talk with Mika Pikazo
Mika Pikazo discusses her illustration process, her inspirations, and her visions for the future.
― Mika Pikazo is rapidly becoming a household name, especially for fans of VTubers who know her as the designer and illustrator of Kaguya Luna and Hakos Baelz. Pikazo also provided the character designs for Fire Emblem Engage, imbuing the heroes with her signature vibrant colors and expressive features. …
INTERVIEW: Yoshino Aoyama Takes On a New Type of Role in Blue Box Anime Season 2
Known for playing soft-spoken introverts and chaotic gremlins, voice actor Yoshino Aoyama expands her range again as the openly hostile character Yumeka Kido in Blue Box Season 2.
― Yoshino Aoyama’s iconic performance as Hitori Gotoh in Bocchi the Rock established her range at playing soft-spoken introverts like Ibuki Tonami (Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk) and chaotic gremlins such as Miwa…
What Does This Dub Mean For Detective Conan?
Could TMS be winning the Battle of the Dubs?
― At Anime NYC 2026, TMS premiered the English dub of The Million-dollar Pentagram, one of the higher-rated and more ambitious Detective Conan movies. The film encompasses some of the best aspects of the franchise, from mysterious puzzles, fun character interactions, surprising twists that arguably impact the franchise at large, and some of the best anima…
Go Forward Stars a Very Good Boy
Talk about a doggone good time!
― You can bet that I had a doggone good time at the Anime NYC premiere of SkySet Entertainment’s new English dub of 2003’s Go Forward. I’m not a pet owner myself; matter of fact, the closest I ever got to having a pet was when I worked on a horse farm as a teenager, so I’m a little bit more in the world of Uma Musume than I am Go Forward, if you catch my drift. Still, …
Sanji and Zoro Have The Best Bromance On And Off The Set Of One Piece Live Action
There was a lot of genuineness on display here.
― There are a lot of complicated feelings when it comes to the live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece produced by Netflix. However, one of the strongest consensus points I have seen about the series, even from its detractors, is the casting and chemistry between everybody on set. Whether it’s in the show proper or behind-the-scenes videos, …
Making Manga with Editor Shihei Lin
Now we know who to thank for Spy x Family‘s Bond.
― Manga enthusiasts packed together as the Japan Foundation invited veteran manga editor Shihei Lin to discuss his career. Lin currently serves as the CEO of his manga company, Mix Green, and was the former Editor-in-Chief at Shonen Jump Plus, helping to contribute to such titles as Dandadan, Chainsaw Man, and Spy x Family, all of which were discussed…
Drab Colors Keep Magical Buffs From Realizing Its True Potential
This could have been good if it didn’t look so depressing.
― The first two episodes of Magical Buffs: The Support Caster Is Stronger Than He Realized were depressing to look at with how dark and gray it made its world look. It’s like the anime decided that since its protagonist has to be a sadsack, then the visuals must be as well. Which is wild because the anime’s two episodes aren’t much of a bumm…
Overgeared Isn’t Afraid to Have Fun With Its Concept
Not just another SAO knockoff, Overgeared is surprisingly funny.
― Crunchyroll’s second round of premieres at Anime NYC continued another upcoming web comic, Overgeared. The series centers around a VR game called Satisfy, which has gained enough popularity that those who become top players or get their hands on valuable items can end up becoming wealthy influencers in real life. Our protagonist, Gear…
Patlabor EZY: File 2 Anime Film Review
I continue to be impressed by the variety of stories Patlabor is able to tell.
― Like with the previous “film,” Patlabor EZY: File 2 is actually just three distinct episodes in a row with the openings and endings taken out. This isn’t a complaint, really, as it once again shows off one of this anime’s greatest strengths: how the police mecha framework can be used to tell tonally varied stories from a…
Here U are Brings Danmei to Life
While it could stand to be more sensual, Here U Are has potential.
― Despite the panel kicking off later than expected, anime fans gathered for a second round of upcoming premieres from Crunchyroll, highlighting some web series adaptations for the fall. One of them was Here U Are, a BL donghua following a pair of college students named Yu Yang and Li Huang, who are destined to someday fall in love de…
Reincarnated as a Sword‘s Second Season is Starting As Plain Old Fun
Cat girls, undead baddies, and swords that are also flying surfboards? What’s not to like?
― Reincarnated as a Sword has been a pleasant surprise for me. The first season was rough around the edges, but hey. Would you expect anything less from an isekai featuring a cat girl who becomes friends with a giant sword? It is what it is. It’s simple, to the point; you know exactly what you’re getting within…
This Week in Anime – The Wild Wild World of Sports
Chris and Lucas sort through the many sports anime to find you series that are the only examples of their sport in the game.
― Chris and Lucas sort through the many sports anime to find you series that are the only examples of their sport in the game. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network. Crunchyroll streams Eyeshiel…
After 15 Years, Psyren is Here
If there are any concerns with the adaptation so far, it’s with the production.
― While it’s been over 15 years since the Psyren manga ended, it’s still got plenty of enthusiastic fans, and the anime premiered to a full crowd excited to see its long-awaited adaptation. Before the episode began, the panel opened with a brief overview of the original manga and introduced Satoshi Adachi, a Deputy Genera…
Mistress Kanan is Devilishly Easy Season 1 Anime Series Review
The show is bogged down by its desire to maintain a repetitive status quo.
― Even though this is technically a story where the two main leads become an official couple within the first ten minutes of the first episode, I originally wasn’t on board with this series. All it did was trade one cliché to double down on another. A lot of the humor felt very repetitive, often revolving around Kana reacting …
This Week in Mobile Games – What HoloDreams May Come
Josh checks out the first official HoloLive game, plus a port that may be the first game to look worse on purpose.
― Hello there, and welcome once more to the column! Unfortunately, my soaring ambition to catch up with Genshin Impact in time to try out the new update crashed into the hard reality of Everything Else Going On, particularly a home hard drive failure that left me scrambling to spend my p…
10 Years in the Making: Returning to Magical Girl Raising Project with Director Hiroyuki Hashimoto
Ten years ago, director Hiroyuki Hashimoto brought novelist Asari Endō ‘s terrifying vision of a magical girl battle royale to television screens. Following the season’s conclusion, there was no news of a sequel: until now.
― Ten years ago, director Hiroyuki Hashimoto brought novelist Asari Endō’s terrifying vision of a magical girl battle royale to television screens. In the first season’s story, ma…
