One Piece has officially taken its first steps into the Elbaf arc as Luffy and the Straw Hats find themselves lost in a mysterious new area, and the newest chapter of the series made a great throwback to the original core crew! One Piece is now in the midst of the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda's long running manga series, and Luffy and the Straw Hats have gone through many adventures together since it all began. But the crew really started to come together during the East Blue saga as Luffy was looking for those who could support him on his journey to becoming King of the Pirates.

The East Blue saga of One Piece then introduced Luffy to Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji, and ever since fans have loved seeing them fight alongside one another and the rest of the Straw Hat crew. But it seems like the core group has been separated from all of the others ahead of their arrival on Elbaf. The new arc has gotten off to a mysterious start as the core Straw Hat crew is now in a dangerous area full of massive animals, and Nami brings this all full circle when she cries out for help from these fellow core members.

One Piece Kicks Off the Elbaf Arc

One Piece Chapter 1127 picks up right after Nami wakes up in a mysterious castle in a giant like outfit. This turns out to be the Bigstein Castle, and Nami has no idea how she got there. After being attacked by bees, Nami then specifically cries out for help from the members of the core Straw Hat group. Calling out for Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and "even Usopp," it's a fun throwback to the fact that while the Straw Hat crew has grown to double its size since the East Blue saga, Nami has been traveling together with these specific crew members for much longer.

Soon coming across Usopp (who's also changed his outfit to something more Elbaf appropriate), the two briefly think about whether or not they're hallucinating all of the giant attacking monsters. After soundly discovering they aren't, it's not long before they are reunited with Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. It's been quite a long time since this particular group has been all together on an island adventure to kick off an arc of the series, and now it's made Elbaf seem more like a throwback than ever.

One Piece: What's Next for the Straw Hats?

With One Piece now starting the Elbaf Arc, the rest of the crew was previously shown still out to sea. It was teased that it might be a while before the arc actually got started, but now as of this chapter it's clearer that it really just meant that it's going to be a while before the Straw Hats are all fully together again along with the rest of the giants. But as fans know full well about this particular group, it's not long before Luffy and the others will stir up trouble and get the crew involved in some other kind of mess before Elbaf can even officially begin.

With Elbaf being teased as a legendary location since the East Blue saga, the core Straw Hat crew being the first ones that seemingly also make it to the island first brings it all full circle. This group has been waiting to get to this place for a very long time, and now they'll get to essentially enjoy it a bit before things eventually fall into chaos like they always do.

DAN DA DAN is going to finally make its highly anticipated premiere next month as part of the Fall 2024 anime schedule, and a new trailer for the series has shared a new look at its English dub release ahead of its debut. DAN DA DAN is leading the pack of the new anime adaptations that will finally be making their debut this Fall. This season in particular seems to be stacked with some of the biggest blockbuster releases fans have been waiting to see all year, and DAN DA DAN is likely the one that fans have been especially excited to see above all else.

DAN DA DAN will finally be making its premiere this October, and it will be debuting worldwide with both a Japanese and English language release. While fans have been able to see some of the anime in action this month with the special theatrical early premiere for the series (which has actually been extended thanks to its box office success), now even more fans have gotten a much fuller look at the English dubbed release of the anime with a new trailer for DAN DA DAN. You can check out the new trailer highlighting its English dubbed launch below.

The supernatural hijinks of DAN DA DAN starts soon! ?

Episode 1 premieres October 3rd 09:00 PT/October 4 01:00 JT! ??#DANDADAN pic.twitter.com/APCun1vNLD

-- DAN DA DAN Anime EN (@animeDANDADANen) September 23, 2024

What to Know for DAN DA DAN

Dandadan will be making its debut on October 3rd as part of the Fall 2024 anime schedule, and will be streaming its new episodes with Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, ADN and Muse alongside their release in Japan. Directed by Fuga Yamashiro at Science SARU (which most recently produced Scott Pilgrim Takes Off for Netflix), Hiroshi Seko is supervising and writing the scripts, kensuke ushio is composing the music, Naoyuki Onda is designing the characters and Yoshimichi Kameda is designing the aliens and monsters. Creepy Nuts will be performing the opening theme for the anime, "Otokone" and ZUTOMAYO will be providing the ending theme, "TAIDADA."

The voice cast for the English dub is stacked to the brim with talent too. The announced members of the cast thus far includes the likes of Abby Trott as Momo, A.J. Beckles as Okarun, Kari Wahlgren as Seiko, Lisa Reimold as Aira, Aleks Le as JiJi, Barbara Goodson as Turbo Granny, and Den Diskin as Serpoian. The rest of the voice cast will be filled out as the anime continues to introduce wild new creatures and characters, but thankfully it's not going to be too much longer until we get to all see it in action.

Why You Should Watch DAN DA DAN

DAN DA DAN has been standing out as one of the biggest new releases of the year because of how unique it seems when compared to many of the other franchises to come from Shueisha's Jump+ app. Yukinobu Tatsu's original manga series might not have been the most popular series heading into 2024, but ever since the anime was officially announced, the series has gone to a much higher level of notoriety because of that uniqueness. Now it's going to get animated, and thus enter a whole new realm of recognition.

The series follows Momo and Ken, two kids who end up in a wild new mess. Momo believes in ghosts, and Ken believes in aliens, so the two of them fight all the time about which of the two is actually right. As it turns out, they are both correct and both aliens and ghosts actually exist. They're very deadly too, and soon Momo and Ken need to fight their way out of increasingly tougher situations as the series gets wackier and wackier. It's going to be a big one to watch.

Spice and Wolf's big anime remake has wrapped up its run of episodes for the year, and it's going to continue with a second season of the series! As part of the 15th anniversary for the debut of the original TV anime adaptation of Isuna Hasekura and Ju Ayakura's original light novel series, Spice and Wolf made a comeback this year with a brand new anime series. Spice and Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf made its debut earlier this Spring, and had a full two cour run taking on arcs fans might have seen in the original anime series from years ago.

The second half of the new series then kicked its run in even more with a new arc that had not been adapted in that original anime series. This was the first time fans got to see this new arc animated with its take on the Legend of the Pagan Gods arc, and it's opened up the remake series to a whole new kind of potential future. Thankfully, that future is looking bright as the anime has confirmed that the new series is coming back for a whole new run of episodes with Season 2 now in the works.

Spice and Wolf Remake to Continue With Season 2

Following the release of the final episode of Spice and Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf for the Summer, it was officially announced that the series would be returning for Season 2. Outside of the new visual celebrating the announcement featuring a new look at Holo, there is currently no available release window or date for the new episodes as of the time of this publication. The first season of this remake kicked off its two cour run earlier this Spring, and ran for over 20 episodes before it came to an end with the ending Summer season.

Spice and Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf has already started to adapt new material from the original light novels not seen in the first TV anime series, and a second season opens the reboot up to even more possibilities. The first TV anime series ran for 24 episodes with two OVA specials during its run, and now this remake will be officially crossing that mark when it returns for a new season. If that new season has even more episodes in tow, then the franchise will be expanding with its fullest adaptation of the original light novels yet.

What Is Spice and Wolf?

Spice and Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf is a remade version of the TV anime adaptation for the Spice and Wolf light novels. This new series takes it all on from the very beginning as a young merchant named Kraft Lawrence is traveling around the world and soon meets a young girl named Holo, a girl with ears and a tail. She reveals herself to actually be the god of harvest, and has grown disillusioned with the fact that the rest of the people in the small town around her having seemingly forgotten to pay their respects.

Teaming up with Kraft from that point on, Holo wants to head home as she and Kraft travel across the land and deal with things that happen along the way. It's a quiet story focused on these two characters, so it's definitely worth a visit if you are even slightly interested in all of it. Especially after it's been brought back in a whole new way thanks to this remade version. You can now find all episodes of Spice and Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf so far now streaming with Crunchyroll.

The Power Rangers franchise might not be coming back any time soon, but it's sparking up conversations all over again as the first look at a potentially cancelled animated reboot has surfaced online. The Power Rangers franchise recently celebrated its 31st anniversary, and over the three decades the series has gone on to inspire multiple iterations of the TV series, video games, comic books, and even a few feature films over the years. But there's one avenue that the franchise has yet to explore in all this time, an animated one as the series has not gotten an animated project of any kind.

But it seems like an animated project could have happened as a surfaced animated film for the Power Rangers franchise has popped up online. The touted cancelled film, Power Rangers: Origins, would have been developed by Saban Brands and Zag Entertainment (the production studio behind Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir), and would have featured a new take on the original team from the first season of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers TV series. Posters and other promotional material for the cancelled project have appeared on eBay (as spotted by @RangerBoard on X) and you can check them out below.

[1/2] Listed on ebay (https://t.co/T3pQVQstTk) - Here's a great look at posters for the cancelled #PowerRangers Origins animated movie!

What do you think of these designs? (Especially that Megazord...) Would you like something like this?
? Discussion: https://t.co/yBR5arsUvM pic.twitter.com/4I2uZckxqc

-- ? RangerBoard.com ? (@RangerBoard) September 21, 2024

What Is Power Rangers: Origins?

Details for this reportedly cancelled project are scarce due to the secretive nature of its development, but Power Rangers: Origins was apparently in development for Saban Brands in the period where they owned the franchise and were looking ahead to what could be coming next. This was during the era following Saban Brands buying the franchise back from Disney, and developing new projects. Which means it was also during the period in the 2010s before the franchise rights were sold to Hasbro, but for one reason or another this animated take on the franchise never came to pass (much also like the recently cancelled Netflix reboot).

From the looks at the material, it looks to be a fully animated rebooted take on the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers line up of Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack and Trini. Though their respective characters might have gotten redesigns for the new era, it seems like the rest of the franchise would have been redesigned as well with new designs for the zords as seen through the promotional materials as well. But an animated version of the franchise is still something many fans are hoping to see in action someday.

Will There Ever Be an Animated Power Rangers?

Desire for a fully animated Power Rangers series is something fans of the franchise have been vocal about for quite some time. As the live-action TV shows and movies are currently inactive, fans had hoped to see some kind of animated take bring the franchise in a whole new kind of direction that can't be replicated with real suit actors as seen in the Tokusatsu adaptations. But there could be several different reasons why the franchise has yet to make an animated debut with the central being potential licensing issues.

Given that the Power Rangers franchise adapts Toei's Super Sentai series in Japan, there are a number of deals likely in place to use the characters in different ways. Whether changing these designs and squarely focusing on the Power Rangers versions of the characters makes it easier for some kind of project, it's all holding back an animated take. Unlike some of the other Hasbro brands enjoying their animated runs, Power Rangers just might be more complicated in getting an animated version out there. Especially now that the TV series seems to have gone dormant for the time being.

If you have been an anime since the '10s, then you know what Nichijou is. The series is hard to describe, and we can thank its surreal comedy for that. Creator Keiichi Arawi brought Nichijou to life in 2006 with their manga, and with help from Kyoto Animation, the comedy became a cult hit. Now, the studio is teaming up with the creator of Nichijou once more, so the anime fandom better brace itself.

Not long ago, Kyoto Animation shared its new slate of projects, and it was there Arawi came into focus. The creator of Nichijou is working with Kyoto Animation to bring their manga City to the small screen. According to the studio, City will premiere in 2025, and it will mark a big milestone for Kyoto Animation. After all, the studio has not pursued any new IPs in about six years, but City will break that streak.

Kyoto Animation Goes From Nichijou to City

For those unfamiliar with City, the series got started after Nichijou ended its run. The comedy is slice-of-life, and it often delves into surreal topics and tropes. City tells the story of the Mont Blanc Trio, a group of university students who find each other in the city as they navigate life as young adults. Midori Nagumo, Ayumu Nikura, and Wako Izumi are very different when it comes to personality. Given their close friendships, the Mont Blanc Trio often finds itself in wild situations, and Arawki makes sure to stress their surreal sense of humor.

If this story sounds similar to Nichijou, well - that is because the tales are not far out from one another. Arawi has a clear style, and if it isn't broke then don't fix it. With Nichijou, the series is a slice-of-life that follows the citizens of Tokisadame. From Yuko Aioi to Mai Minakami, we meet plenty of colorful characters in Nichijou. In the anime, a great majority of the takes place in a high school as Nano Shinonome finds her place amongst her peers. That is a tall order when you consider Nano is a rather anxious android, but hey. Everybody has their cross to bear.

What's Next for Kyoto Animation

With an adaptation of City in the works, Kyoto Animation is getting ready to embark on a new era. The project is set to release in 2025, and City comes after the release of Sound Euphonium 3 in 2024. Kyoto Animation is also working on an anime adaptation of Hiro Yuki's 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku and the first film dedicated to Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. The movie will be set after season two of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, and it is expected to launch in 2025.

What do you make of this latest anime order? Are you ready for Kyoto Animation to team up with Nichijou's creator once more? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

One Piece is continuing to work its way through the Egghead Arc to fill in the gaps of what's happening to the rest of the seas, and the newest episode of the anime has revealed the final three of the Seraphim that Government has created. One Piece: Egghead Arc has temporarily turned its attention away from the events of the future island laboratory itself as Luffy and the Straw Hats try and escape it, and the episodes thus far have been revealing more of the secrets happening in the rest of the ocean. The biggest of which involves the World Government as they have many plans in place.

As the One Piece anime continues to work through the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda's original manga series, the Government has been revealing some major secrets about their real control over the rest of the world. Not only are Imu and the Five Elders even more sinister than fans might have realized, but their machinations are continuing to bear fruit thanks to all of the work Dr. Vegapunk has done. This includes the Seraphim weapons, and One Piece Episode 1120 revealed the final three of these weapons in the anime's latest episode.

Doflamingo, Moria, and Crocodile Seraphims official color schemes! #OnePiece pic.twitter.com/4gtz2NY8Ad

-- Artur - Library of Ohara (@newworldartur) September 22, 2024

One Piece: What Are the Seraphim?

As introduced during the Egghead Arc in One Piece's previous episodes, the World Government decided to get rid of the Seven Warlords System as one of the decisions they made during the Reverie. The fallout led to those former Warlords all splitting off in their own ways, and during the Straw Hats' landing on Egghead fans got to see why. The Marines had gotten rid of this system because they were able to develop a Pacifista that was much stronger than any of the others they had built based on Kuma's body.

These Seraphim are modeled after the former Seven Warlords lineup. The four seen attacking Luffy and the Straw Hats on Egghead had been based on Jimbei, Boa Hancock, Hawkeye Mihawk, and Kuma. This is clearly modeled after the first incarnation of the Warlords and not the other line ups that came later with shake up introductions from the likes of Trafalgar Law or Buggy. But now thanks to One Piece Episode 1120, the final three of these powerful Seraphim weapons have been revealed in full. And much like the others, they are younger versions of the ones they're based off of.

Who Are the New Seraphim?

The three new Seraphim revealed in One Piece Episode 1120 appear to be modeled after Donquixote Doflamingo, Sir Crocodile, and Gecko Moria. With these three being the final members of the original Seven Warlords line up, these are also likely the final of the Seraphim weapons that we'll see. Barring Dr. Vegapunk secretly crafting yet another powerful weapon (which is unlikely given that his island is currently being wiped out by the Government),this is the full line up for the Seraphim weapons.

The Seven Warlords once worked with the World Government to create a sort of stalemate where neither would get too involved in one another's business, but the Government has since thrown the rest of the seas into chaos as the balance of power between the pirates and the marines have been disrupted in such a way. It's why each subsequent arc has been one intense event after another, and it's clear that it's all going to get a lot messier before it gets better. Especially if these new Seraphim are just as strong as the ones we have gotten to see in action already.

Jujutsu Kaisen is about to end, and with each new chapter, the series sparks more questions. Gege Akutami is slated to wrap his hit manga in less than a week's time, so expectations are high for our heroes. After taking down Sukuna, Yuji has been through a whirlwind of last-minute coups and revivals. So of course, Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 270 made everybody double take when it teased the revival of a surprising character.

And no, we're not talking about Gojo Satoru. We have no update on the Six Eyes users, but what we do have is a teaser about Geto. The man's body is back in action, so the question is how is behind the steering wheel.

Is Geto (or Kenjaku) Still Alive?

As you can see above, Jujutsu Kaisen made everybody geek out when chapter 270 checked in on Takaba. It turns out the man did survive the final fight with Sukuna, and he isn't alone. We visit Takaba while he eats a meal out with someone, and Akutami makes sure to keep the other person's face hidden. However, any Jujutsu Kaisen fan could tell the character eating with Takaba is Geto. Or at least, it is someone using Geto's body.

The body's broad frame and posture is easy to recognize, for one. Then there is also the issue with its hair. Geto was known for wearing his long locks half-up, half-down. The style was adopted by Kenjaku after the sorcerer coopted Geto's corpse, and now that hairstyle is haunting us once more. Jujutsu Kaisen went as far as to hide Geto's face with a text bubble, but c'mon - Geto stands will know the man anywhere.

Given Takaba's interaction with Kenjaku during the Shinjuku Showdown arc, fans are eager to see how this aside plays out. Akutami could be trolling fans with a Geto lookalike, but Jujutsu Kaisen is pretty purposeful with its teasers. Whether Geto has returned to life or Kenjaku managed a final hijack, we will find out soon enough. Jujutsu Kaisen has one chapter left to go, and this thread is too integral to leave loose.

Jujutsu Kaisen Will End in One Chapter

For those eager to check out Jujutsu Kaisen's ending, the series will close on September 30. Akutami has been working hard on the final chapter, and the manga's epilogue has given fans a good bit of resolution. From Megumi's return to the end of the New Shadow Style School, jujutsu society is in flux. The defeat of Sukuna has ushered in a new era that Yuji will help lead. But still, there are several things Jujutsu Kaisen has yet to tackle.

The biggest question mark is Gojo Satoru, of course. The sorcerer is the most popular character in Jujutsu Kaisen, and it has been over a year since his death against Sukuna. Given the epilogue's recent revivals, fans are hopeful Akutami finds a way to bring Gojo back to life even if it takes a Binding Vow. The sorcerer has yet to come up in discussion, and the clock is ticking on his return. Jujutsu Kaisen will end in a week's time and who knows? Maybe his return will come complete with Geto's own revival?

What do you think about this Jujutsu Kaisen update? Are you excited to see how the manga wraps things up with its final chapter? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Rick and Morty: The Anime has been hinting at something happening to Space Morty in the episodes thus far, and the preview for Episode 7 of the series finally reveals his ultimate fate. Rick and Morty: The Anime kicked off its premiere earlier this Summer by messing with space and time. It had gone to such a level that the premiere told its story both out of order, but also revealed multiple stories across the multiverse happening at the same time. This trend continued with every other episode since that have been steadily building a much larger puzzle to solve by season's end.

Rick and Morty: The Anime has also been alluding to the fact that the mysterious Space Morty had fallen to some kind of fate that left both his version of Rick and Elle to then float around and mess with time (which ultimately started everything in the first place), and now it seems it's confirmed that Space Morty was actually killed in action. Through the preview for Episode 7 of the series, Rick and Morty: The Anime is helping to fill in the gaps by finally revealing how it all went down. Check it out below as released by Adult Swim:

Who Is Space Morty?

Rick and Morty: The Anime might have first introduced fans to a new anime take on the titular duo (who are the same versions of the duo seen in the main animated series) when the series premiered, but also introduced some brand new faces. One of these was a different multiverse iteration of Rick and Morty themselves that have seen some better days. Rick was revealed to have lost his Morty somewhere, and ever since starting messing with space and time with a new entropy device that caused all of the issues seen in the premiere.

It was then alluded to in the episodes that followed that this new Rick's Morty was actually known as "Space Morty." This version of Morty was then seen battling the members of the Galactic Federation with ease. Wearing a special suit, Space Morty was becoming a hero among the plants for all of the big victories he was a part of. But this also put a big target on his back, and something had apparently happened to him before the events of the series. Now it's confirmed to be a full death of the character.

How to Watch Rick and Morty: The Anime Episode 7

Seeing Space Morty's death play out on screen certainly helps to answer at least one of the questions we've seen in the series before, and will likely only spark even further questions as this version of Rick and Space Beth are still dealing with the Galactic Federation in the later episodes. As for Elle's role in it all, it also remains to be seen how her connection with Space Morty leads to the romantic connection with the anime Morty as seen in the episodes thus far. But we'll see it all work out soon.

As for when we'll be able to actually see the episode, Rick and Morty: The Anime Episode 7 is titled "When We Meet In Our Dreams" and will be premiering its English dub release with Adult Swim on Thursday, September 26th at midnight before airing its Japanese release on Saturday, September 28th as part of the Toonami programming block. (with the episode then being available to stream with Max the next day). The episode is teased as such, "When a Morty goes down, a Rick takes action. Nothing bad could happen to the universe, right?"

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be having a major crossover with Naruto later this Fall, and the artist behind the series has dropped a new sneak peek at the highly anticipated team up with some special new art. Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto is now officially celebrating the 25th anniversary of the manga's original debut in Shuieisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and that means we're likely to see all kinds of fun new projects celebrating how far Naruto has come in that time. This has led to the announcement of not only a new live-action movie in the works, but a fun new crossover event too.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is a fun team up between IDW Publishing, Shueisha and Viz Media launching later this November that will see the Hidden Leaf Village colliding with New York, and it's going to spark a whole new conflict between all of these famous ninjas. The artist behind the second issue of the new crossover, Jorge Jimenez, took to social media to share a new sneak peek at the crossover that highlights both Donatello and Naruto's Kyubi form to great results. Check it out below:

What Is TMNT x Naruto About?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto teases that it will kick off when April O' Neil has a meeting with the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. This secret meeting not only catches the attention of the Hidden Leaf Village (which seems to already exist within the Turtles' version of New York), but of the Turtles' own ninja foes, the Foot Clan. So naturally it's not long before the two have to join forces to take on an even bigger threat. Speaking with ComicBook earlier this Summer about the highly anticipated crossover, series writer Caleb Goellner opened up about bringing the two franchises together.

In incorporating Naruto into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' world, Goellner revealed that the Hidden Leaf Village was fully brought into the universe, "Team 7 will actually be headed to a new version of the TMNT's turf! We metaphorically (and I guess literally) added a TMNT section to the world of Naruto for this story so we could make it feel as lived-in and authentic as possible. Series artist Hendry Prasetya has done a ton of truly stunning design work to make this possible, of course. He's got powerful design jutsu."

When Does TMNT x Naruto Come Out?

In bringing these universes together, Goellner also explained why they felt this crossover is already seemingly perfect, "The magic of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is pretty self-evident, but the main reason it works in my opinion is that the TMNT as a concept already has so much innate shonen energy. I mean, I've always loved the two Japanese TMNT anime OVAs and the resulting toys. I could easily imagine a TMNT series created specifically for Shonen Jump." And by the looks of this newest cover art, the two are already a perfect team before the first issue hits just as the writer says.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is currently scheduled to hit comic shop shelves beginning on November 20th, and will be running for four issues to tell its story written by Caleb Goellner with illustrations provided by both Jorge Jimenez and Hendry Prasetya. Each of the issues will also likely have multiple variants, so fans of both franchises will want to keep an eye out for all of the cool crossover art that will be coming our way with this new limited series launching later this Fall,.

Transformers One is the start of a whole new origin story for the Autobots and Decepticons and the director behind the film is teasing plans for a potential trilogy of movies to come. Transformers One has already been a marked success for the franchise as it's not only done well with critics, but it's also one of the best received releases by fans in quite some time. The new film goes all the way back to the beginning before the Autobots and Decepticons fought over Cybertron, and it ends with the tease that this war would be at hand soon.

Transformers One comes to an end with the versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron that fans have seen in other entries, and it seemed like it was setting up for more. Speaking with The Wrap about a potential continuation for the feature film, director Josh Cooley is hinting at what could be coming next, "There's definitely more story to tell." Teasing that we could see a new version of the traditional story between Autobots and Decepticons in future projects, Cooley is definitely open to the idea.

Will Transformers One Get a Trilogy?

"We're used to seeing the story begin once the planet's dying and they leave for Earth, so there's a whole war that happens once they break apart and once they leave the planet," Cooley stated. "So there's a lot more story to tell there and it could be really fun." Transformers One introduced a new take on Orion Pax and D-16 before they became the Optimus Prime and Megatron that fans might recognize in other entries, and saw the Autobots successfully take control of Cybertron at film's end.

It seemed like the story was really just getting started as there is quite literally the story that Cooley is referring to here. Optimus and Megatron still need to fight for Cybertron, and get it to the point where we eventually see in the first moments of the original version of the story as they all need to escape the war torn Cybertron and eventually make their way to Earth. It's the story fans have gotten to see in all kinds of ways through the decades thus far, and one that will likely see once more through these films as they continue with new entries.

Is Transformers One A Success?

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura teased how there would be plans in place to continue Transformers One that would have more of a character focus coming in the future entries. But first it comes to this first entry having enough success in the box office to make it viable, "Number one, if we're successful with this [Transformers] movie, we're going to do a sequel for this. And we already have, I think, the beginnings of a really interesting story for the second one, which is also character-based, the way the first [is]," the producer stated.

Transformers One has done well ratings wise with both critics and audiences on the likes of Rotten Tomatoes, and has even marked a first for the franchise as both critics and fans agreed as to the quality of the actual release. If the box office success is able to match how well it's been received overall, then it likely won't be too long before we find out whether or not there will be any plans to continue. At least for now, there's a potential story path to follow in the films to come in the future from the sounds of things.

HT - The Wrap

When it comes to romantic dramas, no one is carrying anime quite like My Happy Marriage. The series is has been around since 2019, and since its launch, we have seen Miyo Saimori endure her share of trauma. From arranged marriages to supernatural awakenings, My Happy Marriage has done it all. All eyes are on the series now that its second season is on the horizon, and we've just been given a first look at the comeback thanks to Netflix.

As you can see below, the first trailer for My Happy Marriage season two is live, and it brings our favorite couple center stage. Miyo Saimori can be found hand-in-hand with Kioyka Kudou. In the wake of season one, My Happy Marriage has put this couple on a level field, but all is not peaceful in the Taisho era. With forces still threatening the pair, Miyo and Kiyoka will be forced to work together against the coming threats. And of course, there is also the issue of Miyo and her budding feelings for her would-be husband.

The long-awaited second season of My Happy Marriage is here, along with new cast members!

Ryotaro Okiayu as Tadakiyo Kudo
Kikuko Inoue as Fuyu Kudo
Yuuya Uchida as Naoshi Usui

Coming to Netflix in January 2025 ? pic.twitter.com/Au8KZqnLg5

-- Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) September 23, 2024

When Does My Happy Marriage Come Out?

This latest peek at My Happy Marriage is nothing short of gorgeous, and it proves Kinema Citrus is in top form. The studio plans to release the anime's new season in just a few months, after all. My Happy Marriage season two is set to release in January 2025. The main cast and crew behind season one is expected to return for season two, so My Happy Marriage has high expectations to meet.

After all, the romantic drama became a massive hit upon its launch in July 2023. My Happy Marriage made its first run on the screen with a live-action film adaptation, but its anime had a much wider appeal. Thanks to its impressive writing and pacing, My Happy Marriage is the perfect blend of action and romance. It did not take long for Kinema Citrus to order a season two for the anime. Now, we are on the cusp of its return, and this new trailer for My Happy Marriage is just what fans wanted to see.

What's Next for Netflix and Anime?

With My Happy Marriage on the horizon, Netflix is stacking up some big anime releases. The streaming service has been investing in the industry for years at this point. From original series to exclusive licenses, Netflix has its eye on anime, so My Happy Marriage can count itself lucky for being in that group.

After all, Netflix is also eyeing two big releases with Dandadan and Sakamoto Days. The former is slated for an October 2024 launch, and so far, Dandadan looks like a strong contender for Anime of the Year. As for Sakamoto Days, the Netflix exclusive will make its debut in early 2025. So when the new year comes around, it will bring with it tons of anime goodies.

What do you think about this latest peek at My Happy Marriage? Are you excited for the anime's second season? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

It is almost time for Re:Zero to make its comeback. Back in 2020, the hit isekai series dropped season two to great fanfare, and now Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World has its comeback laid out. In October, White Fox will bring Subaru Natsuki back to the small screen with season three, and we have been given a first look at its big premiere.

As you can see below, a first look has been posted for Re:Zero season three, episode one. The update shows what "Theatrical Malice" will bring to the screen on October 2. From Subaru to Garfield, we have see a ton of characters in this sneak peek at season three. So if you are eager to check out Re:Zero's return, its 90-minute comeback will go live in just a few days.

What to Expect From Re:Zero Season 3

When it comes to content, Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World has a lot of story to cover in season three. Given what we have seen from the trailers, the show's comeback will put a focus on two specific arcs. If Re:Zero is given a two-cour order for season three, you can expect the light novel's fifth and sixth arcs to come into play.

If you have followed the isekai for awhile, you know the fifth arc is titled "The Stars That Engrave History". The story began in 2014, and it focuses on Anastasia as she brings a number of camps to a special gathering. The groups arrive in Watergate City only for teh Witch Cult to appear, leaving Subaru to unite the factions invited by Anastastia in hopes of defeating the villains.

And as for arc six, the story is known as "The Corridor of Memories", and its run lasted a whopping 90 chapters. It follows Subaru in the wake of the Watergate City battle as his group heads to Pleiades Watchtower. It is there the group is faced with the tower's three trials, and as the game gets underway, Subaru is confronted by several familiar (and unwanted) faces from the past.

The Fall 2024 Anime Season is Stacked

With Re:Zero season three on the horizon, all eyes are on the Fall 2024 anime season and for good reason. The fall cour is always stacked so far as anime is concerned, and that goes doubly this year. Not only is Re:Zero slated for a comeback on October 2, but other releases like Dragon Ball Daima, Dandadan, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, and more on the horizon.

As far as Re:Zero is concerned, you can catch up on the isekai easily enough. The show's first two seasons are streaming on Crunchyroll as well as Hulu. The Re:Zero manga is also available thanks to the team at Yen Press. And next month, Re:Zero season three will begin streaming on Crunchyroll with a simulcast.

What do you think about this new peek at Re:Zero? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The anime adaptation of the Tokyo Ghoul manga series from Sui Ishida launched in 2014, introducing Ken Kaneki and his fellow ghouls to legions of fans that remain loyal to this day. A follow up series Tokyo Ghoul: re, wrapped up in 2018. Now you can get every episode of Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul ?A, and Tokyo Ghoul:re in a single Blu-ray collection for the first time ever. Pre-orders are available here at the Crunchyroll store and here on Amazon now with a release date set for December 31st.

"The art outside the box is newly commissioned artwork from the animation studio Pierrot that features the main character Kaneki and visual references to the fan-favorite opening song "Unravel" by TK from Ling Toshite Sigure. Special features will include select episode audio and video commentaries, the "Jack" and "Pinto" OVAs, the "Kaneki in Black and White" featurette with the English dub cast and crew that discusses questions and themes of the anime, and more." A full breakdown of the special features can be found below.

Tokyo Ghoul - 10th Anniversary Box Set Special Features

• Textless Opening & Ending Songs
• Episode Commentary
• Kaneki in Black and White
• Commercials
• Promo Videos
• Trailers
• Tokyo Ghoul:re - Cast and Crew Answer Your Tweets
• Tokyo Ghoul: Jack - OVA
• Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto - OVA

Tokyo Ghoul Episode Commentary:

• Episode 4 - with Austin Tindle, Brina Palencia, J. Michael Tatum, Mike McFarland
• Episode 12 - with Austin Tindle, Monica Rial, Christopher R. Sabat, Mike McFarland

Tokyo Ghoul ?A

• Episode 1 - with Brandon Potter, Mike McFarland, Todd Haberkorn
• Episode 7 - Video Commentary - with Mike McFarland, Maxy Whitehead, Lindsey Sydel, Brandon Potter
• Episode 21 - with Austin Tindle, Mike McFarland, Brina Palencia, Cliff Chapin

Tokyo Ghoul:re

• Episode 1 Commentary - with Mike McFarland, Austin Tindle, Adam Gibbs, Mikaela Krantz
• Episode 21 Commentary - with Mikaela Krantz, Caitlin Glass, Philip Weber
• Episode 24 Commentary - with Mike McFarland, Austin Tindle, Dave Trosko

Will Tokyo Ghoul Return To Anime?

Despite Tokyo Ghoul fans spending years attempting to will Ken Kaneki's animated return into existence, there has been nothing confirmed regarding Sui Ishida's series receiving a new anime adaptation. For those who might not be familiar, Ken's story has only been animated by Studio Pierrot, the production house responsible for anime such as Naruto, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Black Clover to name a few. Pierrot may have been able to take on additional anime in the past but their new approach might make returning to Kaneki's world a bit more difficult.

In the past, Pierrot has confirmed that rather than overloading its staff by working on a never-ending schedule for its anime works, the production house is instead taking a more "seasonal" approach. Following the success of Demon Slayer and Ufotable's approach to the Demon Slayer Corps, Pierrot decided to follow suit, taking its time with the likes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War for example. This has made it so that franchises including Naruto and Black Clover have yet to receive return dates, let alone new projects such as a Tokyo Ghoul revival.

Since the horror master Junji Ito first picked up his pen to draw manga that would send shivers down readers' spines, it has appeared impossible to adapt the mangaka's works. Thanks to the level of detail and skin-crawling imagery that Ito has employed throughout the decades, anime adaptations have tried, but for the most part failed, to bring the artist's works to life in relation to fan expectations. All that has changed with Toonami, Studio Drive, and Production I.G.'s Uzumaki, as the limited series has done what many believed was impossible, capturing the essence of Junji Ito's art and created the perfect anime for the Halloween season.

Uzumaki follows the two high-school teenagers Kirie and Shuichi. The pair live in a mountain town where things are beginning to go awry in some unexpected ways. In the first episode of the anime adaptation, viewers are given glimpses into how an obsession with spirals can become horrifying abominations that twist and distort the villagers unfortunate enough to fall under their sway. As things continue to get worse, Shuichi and Kirie need to survive and see if it is even possible to dodge a curse that has unexpected ramifications for the town and its residents.

Uzumaki's plot is a strong one, in terms of Junji Ito's overall horror library. Often, the series is considered one of the horror artist's greatest works, and for good reason. While it does have its two main characters in Shuichi and Kirie, it will often branch out from them and tell the stories of handfuls of characters unfortunate enough to be cursed in rather unique ways. This works in a way to create an anthology-style tale that is also cohesive in its overall plot. Shuichi, for example, is dragged into a specific curse thanks to his father's obsession with spirals, as the young boy even explains to his girlfriend how ridiculous it sounds on the surface, while documenting how terrifying it is to see it with his own eyes. That's Ito's work in a nutshell; concepts that, on paper, sound hilarious but put into practice, make for the stuff of nightmares.

What works so well about the horror aspect here is how unsettling so many of the moments are in relation to the "spiral curse." For example, Shuichi's mother, in an effort to "escape" her husband's obsession post-mortem, begins cutting off her own fingertips to eliminate spirals from her body. A young boy is transforming into a slug in an embarrassing yet skin-crawling way that hits close to home for those who might have been bullied. Perhaps the creepiest of all in the first episode is a young girl who has a mark on her forehead that has long since benefited her romantic life but begins to grow and distort in such a way that it has become one of Ito's most recognizable images to this day.

Of course, we would be remiss to not touch upon the animation style used here to perfectly capture Junji Ito's art style. Studio Drive incorporates both 2-D and CG animation to bring the story to life and, obviously, it's no easy feat to recreate the work of the horror master, yet the production house does so. The characters themselves appear to have something of a "marionette" style that adds to the creepiness factor of the series, while the animation perfectly captures the uneasiness of the curse lying in wait. The world itself feels like it's "breathing," ready to pounce and to heighten the horror to levels that will drag viewers in. Past attempts at fulfilling the promise of adapting Ito's works have fallen flat in countless respects but that assuredly is not the case here.

Musical artist Colin Stetson was an inspired choice to create the soundtrack for Uzumaki, as the saxophonist's tracks work well in once again lending to a feeling of uneasiness in the portrayal of the cursed town. Stetson's work helps to set the mood and exquisitely accompanies the madness that is a part of the series. On top of the soundtrack, both the Japanese and English Dub work is stellar here, so its up to anime fans which method they'll want to experience Uzumaki in when it begins on Adult Swim on September 28th.

Horror anime is something that viewers don't nearly get enough of and so it is beyond satisfying to finally see what might be the perfect example of the genre arrive right in time for the spooky season. Adult Swim's Uzumaki might have taken years to finally arrive but it was beyond worth the wait. Junji Ito's latest anime endeavor is sure to be one that anime fans will revisit on an annual basis when Halloween rolls around and we can't wait to dig our teeth into the rest of the four-episode miniseries following its premiere.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Uzumaki premieres on Adult Swim on August 28th.

It looks like another live-action anime is in the works. Following successes like One Piece, Hollywood is eyeing the industry for new material, and filmmakers in Japan are doing much the same. For decades, Japanese studios have pursued live-action anime adaptations, and one is now turning its attention to Makoto Shinkai. After all, 5 Centimeters per Second is getting an adaptation with help from Toho.

According to the distributor, 5 Centimeters per Second is being adapted into a live-action movie with Studio Spoon producing. Yoshiyuki Okuyama is directing the project while Ayako Suzuki oversees the script. So far, a full cast for 5 Centimeters per Second has not been found, but we know one of its stars. Hokuto Matsumura will star in the movie, and fans will know the actor for voicing Sota in Shinkai's Suzume.

The Story of 5 Centimeters per Second

Now if you are not familiar with 5 Centimeters per Second, you should know the movie is one of Shinkai's earlier hits. The film made its debut in 2007, and the romantic drama earned several awards upon its release. From its script to its animation and director, Shinkai oversaw every aspect of the film with CoMix Wave Inc. The success of 5 Centimeters per Second put Shinkai on a top-notch trajectory that eventually gave the world Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume. So if you love those films, then 5 Centimeters per Second will be up your alley.

The movie is separated into three acts, and each of these episodes jumps forward in time. We start in 1991 as we meet Takaki Tono, the film's protagonist, as he friends Akari Shinohara in school. The elementary students become fast friends, and as the pair grow up, they develop feelings for one another. As 5 Centimeters per Second continues, we see the couple's slow evolution as each of them struggles to understand their love for another. However, life is very rarely straightforward and mixed signals begin to block the pair at every turn. From love to loss, 5 Centimeters per Second has it all, so the movie's live-action future has high expectations to meet.

The Rise of Live-Action Anime

With 5 Centimeters per Second in production, this live-action anime is just one of several to make headlines as of late. Netflix's One Piece has dominated the space with season two now that filming has begun on the comeback. From Naruto to My Hero Academia, there are a number of anime adaptations floating around Hollywood. In fact, another Shinkai film is on that list thanks to Your Name. In 2017, J.J. Abrams optioned Your Name for a live-action adaptation, and the project is still wading through development. In 2022, we learned the movie had nabbed Carlos Lopez Estrada to write and direct after Marc Webb and Lee Isaac Chung exited the project. So for now, there is no telling whether or not Your Name will actually make it in Hollywood.

What do you think about this latest live-action anime? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

My Hero Academia is still working through season seven, and its latest episodes have been nothing short of intense. The final war with All For One has begun, after all. From Dabi to Toga and Shigaraki, all of the anime's villains are making their final stand against our heroes. It seems every week the anime finds a new way to set the deck with its fights. But this week, My Hero Academia piqued curiosity with a cameo rather than a knockout.

Yes, that is right. A cameo in My Hero Academia season seven has the fandom geeking out this week. The blink-and-miss-it moment came courtesy of Giulio and Anna. The two characters made their debut in My Hero Academia: You're Next, and now they are shaking up the canon with their entry into the mainline series.

Who Are Giulio and Anna?

Now if you are not familiar with Giulio and Anna, well - you have not seen the fourth My Hero Academia movie. The two characters are central in the film, after all. Giulio made his series debut as a mysterious butler who had Anna on his hit list. As for the girl, the blonde found herself ensnared with Dark Might as the villain coveted her quirk. As My Hero Academia: You're Next went on, audiences learned how Anna and Giulio were tied to one another. And by the end of the film, Deku helped reunite the estranged couple despite the odds.

Now, Giulio and Anna have hopped out off the big screen to tackle My Hero Academia season seven. The two are shown in the TV series watching frontline footage of the war with other evacuated citizens. For one, Giulio is dressed down in jeans and a loose top while Anna rocks a white dress. The pair are hard to miss in the shot, so My Hero Academia wasn't being very subtle with the cameo.

The easter egg was obviously appreciated by fans, and it only reinforces a truth about the My Hero Academia films. If you did not realize, anime films have a history of being outside the canon when it comes to shonen titles. From Naruto to Dragon Ball, we have seen this issue come up time and again; However, many shonen series are now tying their feature films to their canon. My Hero Academia has done this since its first film as characters like Melissa have been mentioned (or even appeared) in the main series. Now, Giulio and Anna are continuing that tradition.

What's Next for My Hero Academia

If you have not had the chance to check out My Hero Academia: You're Next, you will get a chance to soon. The movie made its premiere in Japan over a month ago, and Toho International will bring the feature stateside on October 11. The movie marks the fourth My Hero Academia has pushed to date, and currently, no word has been given on whether a fifth is in the works.

Beyond the anime, My Hero Academia is taking a breather for the most part. Kohei Horikoshi, the series creator, brought the manga to a close this year after a 10-year run. You can find the entire manga through Viz Media's Shonen Jump app. And of course, My Hero Academia seasons one through seven are now streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

What do you think about this latest My Hero Academia update? Are you keeping up with the anime's current season? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The Summer 2024 anime schedule is ending, so that means it's time to get ready for Dragon Ball Daima's big premiere coming next month. The Fall 2024 anime schedule is kicking off in full in October, and that means a new wave of anime is going to get their start. This Fall in particular is packed to the brim with some highly anticipated returns from blockbuster franchises, but it doesn't really get any bigger than a new Dragon Ball series. With the late Akira Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, it's all kicking off with a bang.

Dragon Ball Daima is a brand new anime set within the Dragon Ball universe that will have a new story not seen in any of the previous anime or manga releases. Following Goku on a new journey, this new anime will finally be making its debut in Japan on October 11th. But thankfully for those in other territories outside of Japan, Dragon Ball Daima will also be available for streaming in a few ways for those who want to check out the new episode as soon as they possibly could.

Where to Watch Dragon Ball Daima

For fans in the United States, Dragon Ball Daima will be streaming with both Crunchyroll and Hulu beginning on October 11th as well. The exact release timing has yet to be announced as of the time of this publication, but Crunchyroll has also announced that they will also be offering the anime for fans in North America, Central America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. For fans in France and Germany, the anime will be streaming with Animation Digital Network.

The first episode of Dragon Ball Daima will be a bit more special than the rest of the series, however, as it has been announced to also feature an additional ten minutes of material to give it an extended runtime. That means the first episode is going to be a big event when it premieres, and fans in all sorts of territories around the world will be able to check it out for themselves not long after the anime premieres in Japan. So it's time to mark your calendars for this highly anticipated franchise to make its big return to screens.

What's New in Dragon Ball Daima?

Although franchise creator Akira Toriyama unfortunately passed away before Dragon Ball Daima will premiere, the late creator still had a great deal of impact on the new anime's story. Creating the original story and new character designs for Dragon Ball Daima, the anime also features a packed staff. Yoshitaka Yashima and Aya Komaki are directing the series for Toei Animation, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru is adapting Toriyama's designs for animation, and Yuuko Kakihara is supervising and writing the scripts. The voice cast is also going to have a blend of new and returning stars.

Masako Nozawa will be leading the cast as the returning voice of Goku, who will be turning into a "Mini" version of himself. Traveling through the Demon Realm in order to find out the cause behind a mysterious conspiracy that turned him and the others into smaller versions of themselves, Goku will meet all sorts of new faces. New friends joining his side include the likes of Yumiko Kobayashi as Supreme Kai (who has also been turned Mini), Koki Uchiyama as Glorio, and Fairouz Ai as Panzy.

There will be plenty of new foes and potential villains in the coming series as well with the confirmed additions of Showtaro Morikubo as Gomah, Junya Enoki as Degesu, and Yoko Hikasa as Dr. Arinsu. Dragon Ball Daima will also feature an opening theme titled "Jaka Jaan" as produced by Zedd, with vocals performed by CLIEVY and KEEN of C&K. The ending theme for the series is titled "NAKAMA," as also produced by Zedd with vocals performed by AI.

Is Dragon Ball Daima Canon?

Since it's a new story from Akira Toriyama himself, it also means it's part of the official Dragon Ball timeline. Through the promotional materials revealed thus far, it seems like Dragon Ball Daima takes place after the events of the Majin Buu saga but before the Battle of Gods arc as Beerus and Whis seem to be completely missing from the series thus far. Also curious is the fact that Gohan and Videl have been missing from all of it thus far too. That's just another one of the big mysteries behind t all, and another reason curious fans will want to tune in.

With the Dragon Ball Super manga currently on hiatus, and with Toriyama no longer here, this is going to be the first new Dragon Ball we're going to get for quite a while. That's reason enough to be excited for when it's going to premiere, so make sure you're ready for when the time comes.

The Chainsaw Man anime is currently in production on its first feature film, and Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc is steadily coming together. Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man manga was already a hit for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, but reached entirely new levels thanks to the success of its official anime adaptation. Premiering in 2022, the first season adapting Fujimoto's original manga series was such a hit that it was no surprise to find out that there were already plans in place to continue the anime in some form. But what was a surprise was finding out that it would be continuing with a new movie.

Chainsaw Man's TV anime wrapped with 12 episodes under its belt as it ended with the final moments of the Katana Man arc from Fujimoto's manga. With so much left from the series still left to be animated, fans were delighted to find out that Chainsaw Man would be taking on the Bomb Girl arc that followed. But rather than this new arc being adapted into a new wave of episodes as part of a full second season of the TV anime, the upcoming Reze arc will be the focus of the first feature film, Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc.

What Is Chainsaw Man's New Movie About?

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc will be adapting the Bomb Girl arc from Tatsuki Fujimoto's original Chainsaw Man manga. This runs from Chapters 39 through 52 of the first part of the series, and follows Denji as he meets a mysterious young girl named Reze. Voiced by Reina Ueda in the final episode of the first season (during the final scene that briefly shows Reze as a tease for what's to come in the future), she will be returning to reprise the role in the new feature film that will be showcasing much more of her in a surprising new light.

This arc sees Denji getting into a surprising new romance with Reze, and it leads to an explosive result as the romance ends in pretty much the same way every one of Denji's connections with women have ended. Denji ends up in a much bigger mess than he ever would have anticipated, and the Bomb Girl's full reveal from that point on makes for a different kind of antagonist fist for a new feature film. It's likely why it's an arc tackled in such a cinematic way compared to the events of the first season.

Is There a Release Date for the Chainsaw Man Movie?

Unfortunately, there has yet to be a release window or date set for Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc as of the time of this publication. There are still many questions lingering about its production as well with very little confirmed since it was first announced to be in the works back in 2023. The staff and voice cast from the TV anime are expected to return for the new feature film, but outside of being produced by studio MAPPA, the staff behind it all has yet to be fully confirmed. If you wanted to get ready for the new movie, it's the best time to catch up with Chainsaw Man now streaming exclusively with Crunchyroll.

You can also read ahead in the manga with Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library. But series creator Tatsuki Fujimoto also recommended that fans actually also check out the feature film, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, ahead of the new film as well as they share some similarities, "The motif behind Denji and Reze, who are both expendable and being used by others, is based on the main characters of the animated movie Jin-Roh. I think there are a lot of imperfections in their composition, so I recommend you check out Jin-Roh as well."

The film is centered on a tragic romance in an alternate future imagining what would happened if the Nazis won World War II, and while the Bomb Girl arc doesn't really get to that level, it's certainly an interesting perspective to take into the next movie. If you really want to be ready for the Reze Arc movie, maybe take Fujimoto's advice and see it as well to get a much fuller idea of what Denji's in for this time.

My Hero Academia is now in its final few episodes for the Summer, and Season 7 is getting ready for All Might's final fight against All For One with the first look at his biggest moment of the season. My Hero Academia is now working through the final fights between the key heroes and villains left in the series alive, and with these fights have been fluctuating between major wins and losses for both sides. While it seems like either side are gaining the advantage in any given episode, it's clearly all in a constant state of chaos as the war gets more intense.

My Hero Academia is now in the final stretch of episodes for Season 7 this Summer as the Fall 2024 anime schedule fast approaches, and that means that some of the biggest fights are still to come before it's all capped off. As All For One grows much stronger the longer the fight has gone on, he's now going to make his way towards Tomura Shigaraki to try and end the war once and for all. But as the heroes struggle to hold him back, it's going to be up to All Might to step into action for his final battle against his greatest villain.

#MHA
Nevermind on my previous tweet that had the 15 second PV, this full 30 second PV looks PEAK!!! pic.twitter.com/djgxrnbZIE

-- Alanin_8 (@Alanin_8) September 21, 2024

What Happens in My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 18?

Hawks and the other heroes are trying their best against All For One, but the villain is only getting stronger thanks to the now active Rewind quirk. Through all of this Hawks unfortunately discovers that All For One's quirks are being treated as internal rather than external, so he's in no danger of losing all of these extra abilities despite the fact that the villain's body is being rewinded to his prime self. The only drawback to this ability seems to be that his body is getting younger the more damage he takes.

At the same time, this younger form is also starting to impact All For One mentally. He's starting to act more aggressively than he would have before, and while he blames the Tomura Shigaraki side of himself, it's clear that his physical changes are becoming internal as well. With this newfound body and strength comes a new confidence that he can single handedly end these fights by forcing his way to Tomura Shigaraki and combining once and for all. But that's before All Might steps in.

How to Watch My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 19

As teased with the first look at My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 19, All For One is trying to make his way to Shigaraki to fully fuse their bodies and power after taking out all of the other heroes that had tried to slow him down. With very few options left to keep the two separated (as Deku is still in the middle of his struggle against Shigaraki), All Might is making his debut on the final battlefield as revealed by the first look at the coming episode. Titled "I Am Here," this is teeing up All Might's biggest moment in this final arc as he will get into his final fight against All For One.

Donning a suit of armor that has been sneakily teased every week in the official opening theme sequence for the season, All Might is going to try every trick he has available to make sure that All For One never joins up with Shigaraki. It's one of the big final fights of the series, and it seems like we'll finally get to see it animated after all this waiting. My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 19 premieres on Saturday, September 28th and fans will be able to stream the episode with Crunchyroll and Hulu.

Kinnikuman made its anime comeback this Summer with a brand new anime picking up from where the original anime release left it all off, and now it's set to continue as Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc is getting a Season 2. As part of the 45th anniversary of the Yudetagamago's original Kinnikuman manga making its debut in the pages of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, the franchise returned for its first new anime adaptation in over 30 years. But rather than be a completely new experience like many classic franchises have done with their own revivals and returns in recent years, this one picked up right where it's first anime release left off.

Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc made its debut this Summer in an entirely esoteric way as fans of the classic series were able to jump right into the events of the titular Perfect Origin Arc, it wasn't entirely welcoming to many newcomers. This made it seem like it would potentially be a short lived comeback, but now it's been confirmed that not only is there a second season of this new anime now in the works, but it's already on track for a release early next year to jump right back into the action.

What to Know for Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Season 2

Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc wrapped up the first season of its run this Summer, and following the finale, Pony Canyon has confirmed that Season 2 is already in the midst of production. The new episodes are currently scheduled to make their debut some time in January as part of the Winter 2024 anime schedule, and will be streaming exclusively with Netflix when they premiere. Right now you can catch up with the first season of the series now streaming with Netflix too, and Pony Canyon teases the coming episodes as such, "This winter, the battle between the Seigi/Akuma Allied Forces and the Perfect Large Numbers unfolds at the Tottori Sand Dunes."

The staff and voice cast from the first season are returning for their respective roles as well. Akira Sato will be directing the second season for Production I.G. with Makoto Fukami handling the series' scripts, Hirotaka Marufuji designing the characters, and Yasuharu Takanashi will be composing the music. The main voice cast will once again be led by the returning Mamoru Miyano as Kinnikuman, Akira Kamiya as Mayumi Kinniku, and Akira Kamiya as Prince Kamehame from the first season.

Why Kinnikuman Season 2 Is a Surprise

Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc getting a second season is indeed a surprise for a number of reasons. Not only is it not the most popular franchise outside of Japan, but its last point of major relevance in North America was with a dramatically different take seen in the English dubbed translation, Ultimate Muscle. The two series are nothing like one another outside of the wacky action at the center of it all, so the fact it was still able to garner an audience worldwide goes to show its core strength as a notable action series.

On top of this, the anime's release with Netflix was also a factor in its successful launch of a second season. Thankfully now that the streaming service has started to release new episodes of their anime alongside their initial launches in Japan, there hasn't been a long wait to keep up with any respective series licensed to Netflix. It's much better than it was before, and series like Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc are allowed to find their respective audiences while there's still an active interest.

One Piece is now hard at work on Season 2 of the live-action series with Netflix, and new star Lera Abova has shared a special message with fans ahead of her debut as Miss All Sunday. One Piece has been in the midst of production on Season 2 with Netflix since earlier this year, and thus fans have gotten all sorts of updates about what and who to expect in the coming season. This includes not only many of the arcs from Eiichiro Oda's original manga series we'll get to see adapted, but also many of the stars helping to bring all of the characters to life.

Netflix recently shared a major update with fans during Geeked Week 2024 as they revealed that Lera Abova would be joining the cast of One Piece as the mysterious Miss All Sunday. Known by fans of the series as Nico Robin, this character knows a lot more than they let on when they first make their debut. It's something Abova herself is playing into with a special message shared with fans following the confirmation of her casting as she teases her work on One Piece Season 2.

Welcome aboard, Miss All Sunday!!! pic.twitter.com/mkTkgdAVkn

-- ONE PIECE NETFLIX FAN (@OP_Netflix_Fan) September 20, 2024

Netflix's One Piece: Lera Abova Speaks Out on Nico Robin Casting

"Hi Grand Fleet, it's Lera Abova here. Otherwise known as Miss All Sunday," Abova's special message to Netflix's One Piece fans began. "Thanks for welcoming me aboard. Couldn't be more excited to go on this incredible adventure with now. But for now, I'm headed back to Cape Town to continue filming Season 2. Let me tell you, there are some secrets and mysteries you won't want to miss. Knowledge is power, Nakama." As teased with her message, Miss All Sunday has a lot more going on as her mysterious nature would imply.

It's something fans of One Piece's manga and anime are well aware of as Nico Robin is one of the most important new additions to the series in Season 2. Not only does this character plant some big seeds for the future with her initial debut as a member of the Baroque Works group (together with Joe Manganiello's Mr. 0/Sir Crocodile), but she'll also play an even more significant role in everything that's going to happen in a future season of the live-action series should One Piece continue beyond Season 2.

What to Know for Netflix's One Piece Season 2

One Piece Season 2 is now in the works for a release with Netflix in the future, but has yet to announce a release window or date as of the time of this publication. One Piece series creator Eiichiro Oda previously confirmed that the new episodes will be adapting the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs from the original manga, so Nico Robin's role in the coming episodes are certainly more interesting given that she has more to do in the series later.

But like seen with the first season, there will likely be time made to explore more of the characters who don't really have a lot of screen time in the original version of One Piece. It's something unique to the live-action series as more characters are given more to do thanks to the benefits of retrospect (as some seemingly small moments led to huge things in the future), and that's likely going to be the case for Season 2 as we'll see more of Robin ahead of her full thrust into the story.

WWE superstar Zelina Vega is no novice when it comes to tying her love of all things cosplay into her career as a professional wrestler. Throughout the years, you've probably seen her incredibly intricate bedazzled looks on WWE Raw, SmackDown and even Premium Live Events. Her looks have inspired other wrestlers to show their fandoms proudly as well, which can be seen a lot across the WWE specifically, with stars like Jade Cargill, Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano (another pioneer in the cosplay gear realm), The New Day, Seth Rollins, AEW's Mercedes Mon? (Sasha Banks in WWE), Ricochet, Rey Mysterio and so many others.

Zelina taps into her nerdy side to combine two worlds that are often overlooked with the amount of crossovers there are between wrestling and other "nerdy" outlets like gaming, anime, comics, superheroes, and so much more. In collaboration with ComicBook, Zelina is giving a first look at some of her upcoming cosplays as the Halloween season draws closer. To kick things off, Zelina is showcasing her love of Tokyo Ghoul, more specifically the iconic Ken Kaneki.

Tokyo Ghoul is a dark fantasy series that takes place in an alternate version of Tokyo, Japan, where humans coexist with ghouls. For the uninitiated, ghouls appear like humans but the only way for them to survive is by consuming human flesh. The widely successful manga has produced several other forms of media, including video games, an animated series and a film.

When asked about why she decided to choose to cosplay Ken specifically, Zelina says it mostly came down to how much she connects with his tragic backstory. "I chose this cosplay because I love the anime but more specifically, the beautifully tragic story of Ken losing his humanity and finally giving in to his ghoul side in the form of a subconscious encounter with Rize and the transformation being illustrated by blood splashing on to a white rose, turning into a spider lily.

It's why I have brought spider lilies into my hair and gear. I love Ken's iconic look but I especially love the meaning behind him developing Marie Antoinette syndrome. Being mentally tortured by Jason so much that his hair turned white. "What's 1000-7?" stays with me." The gear that Zelina is referencing was shown on a recent episode of WWE Raw where the white gear is adorned with spider lilies and crystals. Additionally her hair -- which resembles Ken's -- has a spider lily clip and there are other red accents throughout that tie the look together.

The spider lily's origins began when they were planted atop graves to keep rodents and other creatures from digging. Over time, they became synonymous with death in Japanese folklore, and in Tokyo Ghoul specifically, there is a scene where Kaneki is surrounded by the blood red flowers, signifying the death of his old self. Elsewhere in pop culture another Tokyo Ghoul superfan, chart-topping rapper Megan Thee Stallion, has many references to the flowers in the music video for her single "HISS."

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A post shared by Thea Trinidad Bu?dgen (@zelinavegawwe)

Who is Ken Kaneki From Tokyo Ghoul?

Ken is one of the main characters from the highly popular manga Tokyo Ghoul which was released in 2011. Ken is turned into a half-ghoul after having an encounter with Rize Kamishiro after their date, forcing him to battle with a complex social and political climate while grasping at the strings of his humanity.

While it's one of two ways to become a ghoul, the half-ghoul is often much stronger than a pureblooded one due to their unique abilities. Ken is unique, though, because when you're a half ghoul only one of your eyes undergoes the red transformation known as the Kakugan which is a clear focal point of Zelina's cosplay.

Ken's ghoul mask is made of leather with a wide mouth opening filled with artificial teeth and gums, making it appear more realistic. In between there is a zipper which comes in handy for the ghouls so they can easily open and close it when consuming meals without having to take their whole mask off. This also prevented them from being exposed and discovered by what was once known as the CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul). The organization's main priority was to exterminate ghouls by using their powers against them.

Tokyo Ghoul is streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

Transformers One has hit theaters with a new animated take on Optimus Prime and Megatron's origin stories, and it's made history for the Transformers franchise for getting both fresh rating from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The Transformers franchise has been releasing films in theaters for decades at this point, but this current era of its run can be traced back to the first Michael Bay directed film released back in 2007. Ever since, the Transformers franchise has been viewed in a certain way with each subsequent sequel and fans and critics have rarely agreed on the films' success as a result.

This has all changed with the release of Transformers One, however, as it's now made history for the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. Transformers One is not only Certified Fresh with a current score of 89% with 116 reviews totaled as of the time of this publication, but has also scored a 98% among audiences with over 1,000 reviews catalogued. This is a first for the animated film side of the franchise (except maybe the first The Transformers: The Movie in the 1980s) as audiences and critics really haven't been on the same page to this extent for the live-action films.

Transformers One: Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed

Transformers One has a score of 89% with Rotten Tomatoes, which is currently the second highest of the current era of the Transformers franchise after Bumblebee's 90%. But the way Transformers One takes the top spot is with both a highly positive critics score at 98%, and an audience score as Bumblebee has capped out at 75%. In fact, the second highest score among audiences in the franchise comes from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts at 91%. With these being the latest releases for the franchise as well, it's all trending in a positive direction. The current scores for the franchise breaks down as such:

• Transformers One - 89/98
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - 51/91
• Bumblebee - 90/75
• Transformers: The Last Knight - 16/43
• Transformers: Age of Extinction - 18/50
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon - 35/55
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - 20/57
• Transformers - 57/85

Transformers One dramatically changed the origins of the Autobots and Decepticons with the intention of starting things over from the very beginning in a new animated form, and it's clear that this has already been a hit with both fans and critics with just this first film alone. But there have yet to be any plans for a potential continuation announced as of the time of this publication.

Will Transformers One Get a Sequel?

It has yet to be announced whether or not Transformers One will get a sequel, but those behind the film are paying very close attention to whether or not its success will warrant another entry. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura teased how that success could continue the story with plans to have more of a character focus coming in the future entries, "Number one, if we're successful with this [Transformers] movie, we're going to do a sequel for this. And we already have, I think, the beginnings of a really interesting story for the second one, which is also character-based, the way the first [is]," the producer stated.

Given that both critics and audiences are enjoying the film, all that remains to be seen is whether or not the box office numbers will be backing up these positive scores. Because no matter how many enjoy their time with the film, if it's not enough people then it won't really seem fit for a potential continuation.

The team behind One Piece is getting bigger by the day. From crew to cast, Netflix is recruiting in a big way for One Piece season two now that the show has resumed production. With Luffy leading the Straw Hat crew, all eyes are on season two as One Piece will bring some big characters to life. Not long ago, Netflix even confirmed Joe Manganiello had joined the One Piece cast to bring Crocodile to life. And thanks to some epic fan art, we can see how Manganiello might look as the villain.

As you can see, the art comes from K164 over on X (Twitter) as they did some clever editing to bring Manganiello to life in One Piece. The shot gives us a clear vision for how the True Blood star may look when he goes up against the Straw Hat crew. Fitted with a hook prosthetic and smart suit, Crocodile looks nothing short of savage here. One Piece fans know just how heartless the villain can be, and Manganiello will be asked to bring that apathy to television soon.

??#Crocodile #MR0#JoeManganiello#ONEPIECE #ONEPIECELIVEACTION pic.twitter.com/ZKV9YXFNil

-- K164 (@K16416) September 20, 2024

Who Is Crocodile?

Clearly, the Hollywood star fits the look for Crocodile, and we will get to see the villain unfurl ever so slowly in One Piece season two. After all, the new season will start off in Loguetown, so the Straw Hat crew will meet Manganiello first as Mr. 0. The codename marks Crocodile as the leader of Baroque Works, a mysterious crime syndicate that has its fingers all over Arabasta. The group is set on overthrowing the desert kingdom with Mr. 0 at the helm. However, at the same time, Crocodile makes sure the public sees him as an ally so his deception is never even suspected.

Crocodile is a major antagonist in One Piece, and his legacy stretches far longer what we saw from Arlong. Whether as a Warlord of the Sea or the leader of Baroque Works, Crocodile is a gnarly guy. To this day, Crocodile remains a threat to the Straw Hat crew and the Grand Line. Over the years, the character has worn a lot of hats, and Crocodile's roots run deep. So Manganiello better hunker down; He could be with this role for a long, long time.

What to Expect From One Piece Season 2

With Crocodile cast, Netflix's One Piece is moving along with production, and Manganiello admits he will be heading to set soon to start filming. In the meantime, plenty of stars have already hit up Cape Town, South Africa to film. Not only is the main cast of One Piece returning from season one, but more newcomers are in the wings. Lera Above, for example, has been cast as Nico Robin (or rather Miss All Sunday). Other actors like Katey Sagal and David Dastmalchian have also signed on to One Piece season two, so the show is stacked.

As for when One Piece will return to Netflix, we have not been given a solid date. Reports suggest a 2025 launch is in the cards, however. When the show does return to the air, series creator Eiichiro Oda has shared what arcs it will cover. Netflix's One Piece is about to tackle Loguetown in season two and capstone its return at Drum Island. So yes, it won't be much longer before the world gets to see Tony Tony Chopper in live action!

What do you think about this One Piece casting? Are you excited for the show's second season? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Aardman Animations, the production studio behind the classic stop-motion Wallace and Gromit franchise, is taking on Over the Garden Wall with a new special this Fall. As the Summer season fades away to the Fall and the end of the year, animation fans get in the proper mood to watch something spooky. Over the Garden Wall fits that bill perfectly as the last few years have seen more and more people check out the limited series as a way to usher in the Fall season. Originally premiering with Cartoon Network back in 2014 and airing in its entirety over a single week, Over the Garden Wall has amassed a major cult following in the decade since.

It's gotten to such a well of support for the Cartoon Network animated series that Over the Garden Wall is coming back in a new way as part of the celebration for the tenth anniversary of its original premiere. Cartoon Network has announced that they have recruited Aardman Animations on a new special anniversary celebration for Over the Garden Wall's 10th anniversary. Making its debut on November 3rd, 2024, ten years after its premiere, more information about the special will be revealed at a later date. Check out the announcement for the upcoming special below.

Dancing in a swirl of golden memories...?? A little gift from The Unknown to celebrate the 10th anniversary of #OvertheGardenWall. Stay tuned, wayward souls.#cartoonnetwork #halloween #firstdayoffall #spookyseason #fallvibes #october @aardman @Patrick_McHale pic.twitter.com/2bmp8OWEML

-- Cartoon Network (@cartoonnetwork) September 22, 2024

Where to Watch Over the Garden Wall

Patrick McHale, original creator behind Over the Garden Wall, teased this new special even further for fans on social media with "Just a fun little thing to show our appreciation to fans of the series. Aardman + Over the Garden Wall. Nov 3rd. More soon." With Aardman most being well known for their stop motion animation work on franchises like Wallace and Gromit, and films such as Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, and more, there's a good chance that this special will also feature stop-motion animation as teased by the visuals of the announcement.

Thankfully, there's still a way to watch the original limited series before its tenth anniversary celebration. Over the Garden Wall has been in the crosshairs in an unfortunate way in the last few years, however. While it was originally available for streaming with Max, it was one of the many animated works removed from the streaming service in the purges seen last year (McHale even responded on social media when the initial removal news broke). This was almost the same case for its current streaming home with Hulu, which has thankfully walked it back just as it seemed like it was going to expire. So you can now find all ten episodes of Over the Garden Wall now streaming with Hulu.

What Is Over the Garden Wall?

First premiering on Cartoon Network on November 3rd as part of a special week long event, Over the Garden Wall is a special limited series that tells its story within its ten episode run. The series stars two brothers named Wirt (voiced by Elijah Wood) and Greg who end up lost in the mysterious forest called the Unknown. Needing to navigate the forest to find their way home through the episodes, the brothers also find themselves stalked by a monster known as the "Beast" that seeks to trap them in the forest forever.

It's got a very unique tone that hasn't really been matched by any other Cartoon Network series in the ten years since. Each year it's timeless quality seems to pull more interested eyes into it, and thus it now has a much bigger following than it ever did during its original premiere ten years ago. Although there don't seem to be any plans to ever bring it back in animated form, this new special with Aardman is likely going to be a fun way to celebrate such a massive milestone.

The Lord of the Rings is ready to make its return to theaters. While Amazon Studios carries on with The Rings of Power season two, Peter Jackson's series is eyeing a winter comeback. IF you did not realize, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is slated to launch this December under Warner Bros. Pictures. Now, the prequel has dropped a brand-new look at Middle Earth with a special promo ahead of its debut.

As you can see below, the new teaser comes courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures as The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim puts a spotlight on Hera. The new poster gives a close-up look at the female protagonist which is fitting given her record. As the Hera will act as the protagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, marking a first for female leads in the film franchise. So if you are ready to move on from Bilbo and the Shire, this movie should do the trick.

The Lord of the Rings Tackles Anime

With Hera at the forefront, this new peek at The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim sets up an epic clash for Middle Earth. We know this film will act as a prequel to Jackon's iconic trilogy given its focus on Helm Hammerhand. The legendary king of Rohan is a familiar figure in J.R.R. Tolkein lore, and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will explore his fight against the Dunlendings army. This piece of history is a key to Middle Earth, and many fans of The Lord of the Rings have wanted it to hit screens. Soon, the war will do just that, and it will do so with help from director Kenji Kamiyama.

After all, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an anime. The movie marks the IP's first foray into anime, and so far, trailers for the project have left fans enamored. Kamiyama was tasked with directing the film after proving his mettle on franchises like Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Sola Entertainment produced the movie alongside Warner Bros. Animation and WingNut Films, proving the industry's investment in anime. After all, the medium has grown exponentially since 2020, and you only have to peep The War of the Rohirrim to see as much.

What's Next for The Lord of the Rings?

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is slated to go live on December 13, marking one of many projects coming for the IP. The Rings of Power is still going strong as its Second Age tale has roped in Tolkein fans across the globe. And when it comes to the big screen, Warner Bros. Discovery is keeping a steady pace. Last year, the company announced a new development plan centered on The Lord of the Rings. The strategy was crafted to bring several new Middle Earth movies to life with help from New Line Cinema and Freemode. So if you want more, then you've got it.

What do you think about this latest peek at The War of the Rohirrim? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Oshi no Ko is now in the final stretch of episodes for Season 2, and the anime has welcomed Aqua and Ruby's mysterious father ahead of the season finale. Oshi no Ko Season 2 has been following Aqua as he entered the Tokyo Blade stage play with the intent of working with Lala Lai, a company that his mysterious father had been attached to. While taking on its intense challenges, Aqua had also been proceeding with submitting secret DNA tests for everyone he has come across in the entertainment industry thus far to even get a clue as to who his father could be.

Following the end of the Tokyo Blade stage play, Aqua had discovered that he actually had a half-brother with fellow star, Taiki Himekawa. It was through Taiki that Aqua actually found out who his father could be, and thus decided to move on from his life full of revenge after finding out that man's fate. But cruelly, it seems that Aqua and Ruby's mysterious father is very much still alive. Almost taunting the two of them with his hidden presence, this character made their full anime debut in Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 11 with an even more mysterious voice actor behind them.

Miyano Mamoru as their father's VA?!? I WON pic.twitter.com/Q14ojQZP45

-- RinSS (@RinSS_HI) September 18, 2024

What Happens in Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 11?

Oshi no Ko Season 2 Episode 11 follows Aqua as he continues to try and figure out how to move forward. Taiki had told them that their shared father had died in a murder suicide with Taiki's mother, and thus Aqua believed that the source of his revenge was already dead. Without the goal that he's been living his entire reincarnated life to pursue, Aqua then confides in Akane Kurokawa about the fact that he no longer seeks to kill his father as he's already dead. But ominously, she seems to figure out something he's missing in his story.

Akane seems to piece together that there's a loophole within everything that Aqua's telling her, and his father is likely still alive. She's worried about telling him this because not only would it ruin his recent happiness (one that would also result in them breaking up), but then it would only lead to more pain later. But at the end of the episode, the worst is confirmed to be the case as Akane's right. Aqua and Ruby's father is still very much alive, and looks much differently than the father Aqua thought he had.

Who Voices Aqua and Ruby's Father?

When Ruby stops by Ai Hoshino's grave to tell her about B-Komachi's upcoming performance (which is happening in the town where she had died in her past life), she's passed by a mysterious blond stranger. This stranger remarks that Ruby has grown into a fine woman, and that it's expected because she's their child. Referring to Ruby being the secret child that he and Ai had together, this is the most significant introduction in the anime to date. Now that their father has a face and voice, it's only a matter of time before Aqua's on the path to revenge once more.

Bringing this mysterious stranger to life goes to the uncredited Mamoru Miyano. While it's an uncredited performance, fans are able to recognize the voice star anywhere as he has previously brought famous characters to life with the likes of Light Yagami in Death Note, Rintaro Okabe in Steins;Gate, Riku in Kingdom Hearts and much more. This character will be playing a huge role in Oshi no Ko's future, so let's hope the anime will be continuing after the second season comes to an end with its next episode. Make sure you're all up to date with Oshi no Ko's episodes now streaming exclusively with HIDIVE.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is gearing up for a new season, and all eyes are on the Earth Kingdom. When the Netflix show returns with season two, Aang and his friends will come face to face with the world's best earth bender. The time has come for Toph Beifong to make her debut, and we have learned actress Miya Cech will bring the bender to life. And now, Cech is breaking her silence on the big role now long after her introduction to the world.

The update, as you can see below, comes courtesy of the Netflix team. On the set of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cech recorded a video with co-star Gordon Cormier that shows the actress reacting to her casting reveal. The video is adorable as the 17-year-old star is blown away by the support of the show's cast and fanbase. So when it came to addressing her role as Toph, Cech was quick to share her love of the original series.

Let's give a very warm welcome to our Toph, Miya Cech!!!! #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/ODYYqgNEK5

-- Avatar: The Last Airbender (@AvatarNetflix) September 20, 2024

Toph Joins Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2

"I grew up watching the animated series. I've always been such a big fan and probably watched it ten times all the way through. Toph was always my favorite character, so as soon as the casting notice came out, l begged my team to please get me an audition," Cech shared.

In the casting reveal for Cech, the team behind Avatar: The Last Airbender addressed how the actress will get a feel for Toph. Fans of the series know the earth bender is blind, so to help Cech better represent Toph, the show has brought in a blind consultant to work with the actress. Cech is "working with a producer and consultant, who is blind and a professional from the blindness community, to make sure the blindness community is represented," the series explained.

So far, we have little info on when Avatar: The Last Airbender season two will go live, but it has found its biggest cast addition. Toph is a key figure in Aang's story, and her character has been a fave with fans for ages. Thanks to her dry wit and sharp bending, Toph has fans spanning the globe. When casting began for the bender months ago, netizens were as eager as they were wary of seeing who'd fill in for Toph. Now, Cech has been introduced to the fandom, and the actress has high expectations to meet.

Who Is Miya Cech?

If you are not familiar with Cech, don't fret. The actress began working professionally in 2015 with a role in Hawaii Five-0. Since then, Cech has gone on to take guest roles in series like American Horror Story and American Housewife. On the big screen, Cech has commanded roles in films such as The Darkest Minds and Rim of the World. Now, she is returning back to television with Avatar: The Last Airbender, so Cech will get to experience earth bending firsthand.

With Cech having joined the cast, Avatar: The Last Airbender season two is set for production. The show is filming on set in Canada once again, and according to co-star Ian Ousley, Cech was brought to set early to undergo a bending bootcamp. At this time, Netflix has not announced when Avatar: The Last Airbender will return with season two, but fans are crossing their fingers for a late 2025 launch. After all, season one went live in February 2024 to mostly positive reviews. The show's reception lead Netflix to order two more season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, so the streaming service has high hopes for its benders. So hopefully, Cech is able to nail her take on Toph and her prodigal bending.

What do you think about this latest casting for Avatar: The Last Airbender? Are you excited for season two to go live? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Transformers One has made some changes to the origin behind Megatron and the Decepticons in the new animated feature film, and with it has opened up a whole new kind of story for fans in the future. Transformers One has introduced fans to a whole new take on Optimus Prime and Megatron as the new film goes all the way back to the beginning of Cybertron to before the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Revealing how the two leaders eventually grew to command their respective factions, Transformers One offers some new character drama that will certainly spark bigger conflicts to come.

Transformers One showcased the origin story for Orion Pax and D-16, who were the robots that would eventually become the Optimus Prime and Megatron fans are familiar with later. While versions of the duo's origins had the two knowing each other before they gain their ability to transform and eventually go to war, the core differences here in the film are sparked by how they differently react to the foundation of their beliefs are shaken by some critical reveals. In Megatron's case, he response full of rage and pain is ultimately what leads to the fracturing of the Decepticons.

How Megatron Becomes Megatron in Transformers One

Transformers One introduces Orion Pax and D-16, two mining robots who continue to go into the depths of Cybertron to mine Energon. They believe they are helping out the rest of their planet by doing so, but soon the truth is revealed. Their hero and leader, Sentinel Prime, has been telling them all this time that he has been searching the surface of the planet for the mysterious Matrix of Leadership to restore Energon to their planet. But that's only half the story. It's actually revealed that he has formed a deal with Cybertron's enemies, the Quintessons.

When Orion and D-16 discover this news, they react to the betrayal in two key ways. Orion wants to work to unveil Sentinel Prime's treachery to the rest of the planet, and punish him as society sees fit. But D-16 instead wants to kill Sentinel Prime for not only lying to them, but essentially wasting their lives as they have been living faithfully to this lie ever since they were born. As the two gain the ability to transform, D-16 starts to act more aggressively as his newly acquired power only fuels his revenge even further.

How the Decepticons are Formed in Transformers One

When D-16 is successful in killing Sentinel Prime, he takes Sentinel's gear (which once belonged to D-16's hero, Megatronus Prime) and then fully becomes Megatron. Seeking to then destroy the entire place, he and the rest of the Transformers who agree with him (the Primes' former High Guard, that had also been betrayed by the Primes) start attacking everyone and everything. But Orion Pax is then awarded the Matrix of Leadership and officially becomes Optimus Prime. And the two fight.

With Megatron defeated, Optimus then exiles him along with the rest of the High Guard. This leaves Megatron angrier than ever. Deciding to then name their group the Decepticons to represent the fact that they won't believe anyone's lies anymore, Megatron declares war on the rest of the planet. While Optimus and Megatron have had relationships in different iterations of their origin, Transformers One makes them former best friends who break apart when their lives are changed. It's a much different take on their respective origins than seen in other Transformers media, and it's all the more heartbreaking as a result when seeing how far Megatron falls within his rage.

In the world of anime, there are few gigs more coveted than voice acting. From VA academies to seiyuu idols, the anime industry has turned Japanese voice actors into bonafide celebrities. The very public job has its ups and downs, but the industry's top actors have proven just how rewarding VA work can be. Of course, there is a flip side as every job comes with drama, and a new report from Japan just confirmed One-Punch Man star Itaru Yamamoto has been let go from their agency due to a contract breach.

The update comes from I'm Enterprise, the talent agency that represents the Japanese voice actor. The company has confirmed it has ended its deal with Yamamoto, and this move became effective on September 14. No specific were given about Yamamoto's exit, but the talent agency did say the decision was made because of an "acknowledged serious breach of contract." Furthermore, I'm Enterprise shared Yamamoto will not be part of the entertainment industry moving forward.

As for what this means in the short term, well - the team behind Transformers One is scrambling. Yamamoto voiced the character Soundwave in the new animated feature, but a re-dub is already being done. According to staff, Yoji Ueda will voice Soundwave in the updated Transformers One dub. No release date has been given for the new audio, so for now, Yamamoto's performance is still showing in theaters.

Who is Itaru Yamamoto?

Beyond Transformers One, Yamamoto is also part of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest as he plays Madmole; No word has been given on how the role will be handled in the wake of this contract breach. Yamamoto has also appeared in a number of other big-name series such as One-Punch Man (Sourface) and Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Yamamoto began his work in voice acting over a decade ago with Gintama in 2011. And in that time, the actor added plenty of roles to their resume. Now, a dire contract breach has taken Yamamoto out of the industry entirely, and netizens are waiting on recasting news as such.

What do you think about this latest anime report? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

HT - Oricon

Day by day, we are getting closer to Halloween, and that means Jack Skellington is everywhere you look. The star of The Nightmare Before Christmas is no stranger to publicity, and his time in the spotlight doubles during October. More than a decade after his debut, Jack has become an icon of all thing spooky, and the Disney icon has a devoted fanbase. And today, those fans are doing a double take because Jack has been given a hot anime makeover courtesy of Twisted Wonderland.

Yes, you read that right. Jack Skellington, everyone's favorite festive skeleton, is coming to Twisted Wonderland. Today, the team at Disney released a new teaser for the mobile game, and it is there fans are given a peek at its next book. It seems Twisted Wonderland is ready to bring Jack Skellington into the fold as the game asks fans to "witness an enchanted nightmare" this Halloween.

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Why Add Jack Skellington?

As you can see above, the Twisted Wonderland promo taps another Disney IP and gives its iconic characters an anime makeover. From Alice in Wonderland to Hercules and Lion King, Twisted Wonderland has explored a number of top-tier franchises. With help from Aniplex, Twisted Wonderland takes famous faces from Disney and turns the legends into anime characters. Of course, the team does its best to make these makeovers as hot as possible, and Jack is living proof. Aniplex wanted to turn the skeleton into a heartthrob, so can you imagine what the team could do with Oogie Boogie?

With Twisted Wonderland expanding by the day, it is no surprise that Jack has joined the party. The game is preparing for a major Halloween event, and when it comes to Disney, no title could be more appropriate than The Nightmare Before Christmas. The 1993 movie was once distanced from Disney given its dark tone, but these days, the media company is all about Halloween Town. From Jack to Sally, the world's obsession with The Nightmare Before Christmas is bigger than ever. So really, it was just a matter of time before Jack was brought into Twisted Wonderland.

What Is Twisted Wonderland?

Now for those curious about the game itself, Aniplex brought Twisted Wonderland to life in 2020, and it has since become a top title for the publisher. Developed by f4samurai, Twisted Wonderland features truly stunning artwork thanks to Yana Toboso, the creator of Black Butler. The game is a gacha title that follows a female character named Yuu as they enter a magical world through a mysterious mirror. It is there Yuu finds herself at Night Raven College, and after a small mix up, they start studying at the prestigious school.

As for the college, it is made up of seven different dormitories based on a different Disney villain. For instance, the Octavinelle Dorm is inspired by Ursula from The Little Mermaid while Scarabia is tied to Jafar from Aladdin. From Maleficent to Hades and Scar, Twisted Wonderland puts its focus on the darker side of Disney. Now, Jack Skellington is about to expand that focus with a Halloween event. So if you have not checked out the game just yet, Twisted Wonderland can be found on mobile right now. Plus, it has an anime series on hand which you can stream on Disney+ and/or Hulu depending on your region.

What do you think about this Twisted Wonderland update? Do you approve of Jack Skellington's anime makeover? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Jujutsu Kaisen is marching towards its final chapter. It has been a long time coming, but at last, the hit Shonen Jump series has a single chapter left to its name. Creator Gege Akutami has been building their epilogue for weeks now, and as you can imagine, fans are not ready to say goodbye to Yuji Itadori. It is difficult to imagine the series ending, but all good things must come to a close... or do they?

In the past month, rumors about the future of Jujutsu Kaisen have run rampant, and now that gossip has high a new high. We have the most recent chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen to thank for the bump. After all, chapter 270 ends with a special teaser that confirms Jujutsu Kaisen "will continue", but the question is how.

The Final Days of Jujutsu Kaisen

To break down this new teaser, we have to look at the Jujutsu Kaisen promo in context. At the end of chapter 270, a text box can be found that reads, "Jujutsu Kaisen will continue! Latest news and great announcement!" The blurb is posted in the Jujutsu Technical College News section of Weekly Shonen Jump, a dedicated part of the magazine focused on all things jujutsu. Each week, this section posts new info about the franchise whether we are talking merchandise, collaborations, anime updates, and beyond. So as you can imagine, this teaser about Jujutsu Kaisen continuing has fans pressed.

But it must be noted that the line does not single out the manga. Jujutsu Kaisen is going to continue, but we knew that already. Even if the manga is closing shop, Jujutsu Kaisen season three is in the works, and that Studio MAPPA project has often been discussed in this newsletter section. There are also additional descriptions of Jujutsu Kaisen in this week's update teasing a "grand finale" and the "conclusion of the series". So if you were hoping for Jujutsu Kaisen part two, well - you will want to temper that expectation ASAP.

What's Next for Jujutsu Kaisen?

In the past, Akutami has talked about his desire to give Jujutsu Kaisen a satisfying end, and he has struck a cord with readers for the most part. From a series of surprise revivals to a major jujutsu coup, the manga's epilogue has been busy. When it comes to the final chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen, there is just one thing fans want an answer on, and that is Gojo Satoru. The sorcerer's death has hardly been acknowledged in the epilogue, leaving many to speculate about Gojo's return. Jujutsu Kaisen has one more chapter to pull off such a revival, and knowing Akutami, he will do the most to surprise readers with his finale.

With Jujutsu Kaisen set to close next week, all eyes will soon turn to Studio MAPPA and its production schedule. The team announced Jujutsu Kaisen season three some time ago, and we know the comeback will adapt the Culling Game arc. With the horror of Shibuya out of the way, Yuji and our heroes are about to encounter a new kind of jujutsu thanks to Kenjaku's tournament. So if we are lucky, Jujutsu Kaisen season three might drop an update on fans this winter during Jump Festa 2025.

What do you think about this Jujutsu Kaisen update? Do you believe the series will continue with a sequel or spin off? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The ComicBook Nation crew review Transformers One, and it's Peak Geek TV time again with Agatha All Along, The Penguin and Zack Snyder's anime Twilight of the Gods all premiering this week!

PLUS: The Clue movie reboot may have a director; the Transformers & G.I. Joe movie gets an update; Zack Snyder's 300 TV series is happening - and Netflix's One Piece Season 2 drops some major casting surprises!

Transformers One Review

Here's what ComicBook Nation's Anime Initiative host Evan Valentine had to say about his 4-star review of Transformers One:

I would be remiss by not calling this the best Transformers film since the 1980s animated film. If this is the future of the Transformers franchise, then Autobot and Decepticons fans have a bright future to look forward to indeed.

The Penguin Review

ComicBook's Jenna Anderson had the following to say in her 4.5 out of 5 star review of The Penguin:

Across its eight episodes, The Penguin redefines what verisimilitude can mean in the world of comic book adaptations. The grittiness, violence, and double-crossing that fans would expect from the title are abundantly present, but balanced with a truly heartfelt take on loss, rebirth, and personal agency. The series is not only one of the better crime dramas in recent memory, it is one of the best examples of how to branch out decades of beloved lore.The Penguin is simply a show about people trying to thrive in a world much bigger and weirder than they can even comprehend - a subject that would be universal nonetheless, but transforms into something special with its engrossing performances.

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Transformers One has flipped the franchise on its head with a new origin, so it deserves to continue telling its new version of the story. Transformers has been around for a long time, and over the decades fans have seen a number of different iterations of the franchise. It's a series that's no stranger to remakes, reboots, sequels or otherwise as it's all been put through the lens of multiple creators over the years. While the core tenants have been the same, each Transformers entry takes its out route to get to those core tenants that fans recognize.

It's the same case for Transformers One as it introduces new takes on Optimus Prime and Megatron, and ends with the characters in the starting place that fans would recognize more as they both end up the leaders of the Autobots and Deceptions. While this is a fitting story in its own right as it showcases a new side of the Transformers lore that's rarely seen on such a blockbuster level, it's also still an origin story. A story that we need to see continue with an official sequel.

Why Transformers One Needs a Sequel

A sequel to Transformers One is built into name. The title featuring a "one" not only represents the fact that the story has gone all the way back to square one, but it's also the first part of a new era for the franchise. It's an intentional moniker that's basically all but confirming the story will continue with a new entry some time in the future. But that's really just in the business side of things, and thankfully the movie itself offers up a great path to continue in with some great hooks for future stories.

Transformers One tells the origin story for not only Optimus Prime and Megatron, but for the Autobots and Decepticons as a whole. This look back on Cybertron has widened the scope to a planet full of characters and stories. While these characters have been seen in other ways in the past, this new story allows Transformers to then release new takes on the war for Cybertron overall. While the Quintessons served as a good introductory enemy, it wasn't until Megatron came into play that the film really got going.

Once the third act reveals the real antagonist of the film, Transformers One begins to zoom by at such a speed that it's so exciting to see the versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron that we were hoping to see in action. This origin had done the work to make this pivot exciting, and thus it's opened up this rivalry to years worth of attention as Orion and D-16 are fully fleshed out characters who will only further get more complex as this particular film series goes on in further entries. It deserves to evolve further.

Transformers One: How to Make a Sequel

Thankfully, the Transformers franchise has been so varied over the years that it's entirely possible to release both live-action and animated takes on the universe that will still feel different from one another. As the live-action franchise finds a new way to reboot itself with its upcoming G.I. Joe crossover, the animated version of the franchise has thankfully already figured it out with Transformers One. This could be the launching point for a new trilogy, and potentially beyond as we can now see Optimus and Megatron fighting on Cybertron before even getting to Earth. Which will then further distinguish itself from the live-action films.

As for how to approach a sequel, Paramount has already set a precedent for how to continue the franchise. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was a hit for Paramount, and was subsequently followed up with the announcement that not only is there a new movie in the works, but there's a streaming series released in the meantime. Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles even offered its own style to further distinct itself from the movie, and that's exactly the same path that the Transformers One franchise should take with its own sequel.

Transformers One should be followed not only with a new movie, but a new TV series as well. There are so many characters from the original Transformers franchise that didn't get too much screen time in Transformers One, but would be perfect to follow in a new TV series instead. The film sequel could still focus most of its attention on the core dynamic between Optimus and Megatron, while the following TV series could then feature more of the wide ancillary cast. All the while, continuing to flesh out this cinematic universe in different ways.

We're Getting More Transformers Either Way

The cold hard truth of the matter, however, is that we're going to get new Transformers either way. Whether it's a sequel to Transformers One, or another animated movie trying yet another new take on it all, we're going to see Transformers sticking around just as it had for all these years before. It's been four decades since Transformers first started out (even celebrating its 40th anniversary this Summer), and in all that time we've got many beginnings and endings for these characters. But Transformers One is the first truly great start that we have seen on the big screen in quite a long time.

With that age also comes the challenge of offering a fresh take on the Transformers that hasn't been seen before, and Transformers One somehow meets that. While it could be a much different situation in a sequel or third film to follow (as keeping that originality will get harder with each attempt), Transformers One deserves to take that chance and follow it up with a sequel. We have got to see how it all works out from here. It's time to see what a full film featuring what this version of Optimus Prime and Megatron brings to the table.

Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto manga first made its debut 25 years ago, and the manga is commemorating the occasion with a special video showing off the series' biggest moments. Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto manga hit the pages of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on September 21, 1999, and it's been 25 years since the manga went on to become one of the biggest and most influential franchises of all time. Naruto has been such a success for Shueisha since it made its debut that it's since continued with a full sequel series, which is now even in the midst of its own sequel.

The anime adaptation for Naruto recently celebrated its own 20th anniversary not long ago, but now the manga has hit another major milestone. While it's been 25 years since the series first made its debut, it feels just as fresh today as fans are still taking the time to highlight some of the biggest moments that happened over its initial run. Shueisha is using this time to look back as well with a special new video to show off Naruto's best moments as the perfect way to kick off this 25th anniversary party. Check it out below:

What Is Naruto?

First making its official debut in 1999, Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto introduces fans to Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan who has been ostracized from the rest of his home village of ninjas, the Hidden Leaf Village. It turns out that years before, the village had been attacked by a monster known as the Nine-Tailed Beast. His father had sacrificed himself to help take down the monster, and it was then sealed within a baby Naruto to keep it under wraps. Due to having this monster within his body, Naruto's been forced to live on his own while everyone hates him.

Despite all of this, Naruto's dream is to become the leader of the whole village, the Hokage, in order to gain the people's respect. He doesn't seem to have any ability to use traditional ninja abilities, and he doesn't really have the physical skills to do well in school, but Naruto tries anyway. It's this spirit that pushes him throughout the series as he takes on increasingly deadlier enemies and grows to such a level of power that he eventually becomes the Hokage by the end of it all.

What's Next for Naruto?

Funny enough, that was far from the end of the Naruto series by any means. The timeline has continued with an official sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. This manga, written and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto with Kishimoto overseeing the story, introduced fans to Naruto's son, Boruto Uzumaki. Boruto deals with his own troubles, and they grow to such an extent that it's now in the midst of its own sequel series keeping the story going, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. You can now find it all with either Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library or Sheuisha's MangaPlus service.

As for Naruto itself, it's currently still working on its celebration for the anime's 20th anniversary. With the planned return of the original Naruto anime for four special episodes, this celebration will take Team 7 on a new mission never seen in the franchise before. The manga has yet to announce whether or not it will have any grand plans for this milestone just yet, but given how big this franchise is, this special video is likely far from the only 25th anniversary celebration that Naruto will have for the monumental occasion.

Solo Leveling is coming to theaters with a new movie offering a sneak peek at the now in the works Season 2, and this new movie has finally locked down a release date for fans in the United States. The anime adaptation for Chugong and DUBU's original webcomic series made its debut earlier this year as one of the most successful anime premieres of the year so far. Solo Leveling had a huge swell of support among fans as they have been waiting to see this adaptation for quite a while, and the first season met all of those expectations and exceeded them.

Solo Leveling quickly announced that Season 2 of the TV anime was already in the works shortly following the end of that first season, and the latest update during Aniplex Online Fest 2024 earlier this month revealed it will be returning to screens in full early next year. But with Solo Leveling Season 2 making its full debut next year, fans will be able to get an early sneak peek at the coming season with the new Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- movie event that will be officially coming to theaters in the United States and Canada beginning on December 6th.

What Is Solo Leveling -ReAwakening-?

Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- is a new movie event coming to theaters in the Unites States and Canada on December 6th as provided by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment. This new movie event will feature a special recap of the events from the anime's first season, and the first two episodes of Season 2 of the series. These episodes are titled "You aren't E-rank, are You" and "I Suppose You aren't Aware," and will be the first time any fans get to see the new season in action outside of Japan and Korea.

Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- will first be screening in Korea on November 28th, and Japan on November 29th before coming to the United States and Canada but the wait between the releases clearly won't be too long. Solo Leveling Season 2 has not locked in a concrete release date as of the time of this publication, but has confirmed that it will be releasing its new episodes some time in January as part of the Winter 2025 anime schedule kicking off next year. So fans looking to see more of the series will get to do so very soon.

Why This Is a Big Deal

Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- follows in line in the latest trend of brining anime feature films to international theaters, and is extending this in whole new ways. It used to be that anime films were released outside of Japan long after their initial debut, if at all, but the window between a film's launch in Japan and its international releases are much easier to wait through these days. It's been such a successful endeavor as fans support these new releases that we're now getting these kinds of special cinematic events.

These early premieres of new seasons might have gotten more popular with the success of releases such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and now it seems like even more franchises will be given the chance to have this kind of huge rollout and early premiere. This Fall already saw releases like DAN DA DAN: First Encounter find success with its own early premiere of its episodes in theaters, and this series could strike even more of a chord as fans are anxious to see what's coming next in this action packed series. Especially when boosted by the theatrical experience of such a watch.

Kagurabachi is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, and the manga is highlighting the new main duo at the center of all the fights with the cover art for Volume 4 coming to shelves. Takeru Hokazono's Kagurabachi first hit the pages of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine one year ago, and has been a massive hit for the magazine ever since. Not only was it already garnering a lot of buzz with manga fans before the first chapter even made its original debut, but it's somehow been keeping up that hot streak with each new chapter that has come out since.

Kagurabachi celebrated the first anniversary of the manga's serialization with the start of a brand new arc sending Chihiro Rokuhira on a whole new set of fights, but it's also coming at the end of a major arc, the Rakuzaichi Auction, that sort of changed the series at its core. With it Kagurabachi now has a new duo at the center of all the fights as Hakuri Sazanami is joining Chihiro's side on the path of death ahead. These big changes led to them sharing the cover art for Volume 4 of the Kagurabachi manga, hitting shelves in Japan on October 4th. Check it out below:

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Kagurabachi: Who Is Hakuri Sazanami?

Hakuri makes his debut during the Rakuzaichi Auction arc of Kagurabachi. This was the second major arc of the series (or third if you separate the introduction and vs. Sojo arcs) that saw Chihiro breaking his way into the titular Rakuzaichi Auction in order to get closer to the next of the Enchanted Blades, the Shinuchi. This arc begins with Chapter 19 of Hokazono's original series, and sees Chihiro coming across Hakuri as the new addition had been thrown out by the rest of his clan. Deemed a disappointment, Hakuri ends up inspired by seeing Chihiro in action.

First seeming a bit too wacky to gel with the way Chihiro has been out on a one-way path to his revenge, Hakuri ends up becoming one of the most important people Chihiro has met thus far. Hakuri fights together with Chihiro using his knowledge of his family's auction, and thus the two are able to disrupt it by even breaking into the storehouse that had only previously been accessed to with the sorcery belonging to Hakuri's father. It's Hakuri who's able to tap into a new power to control, and Hakuri who helps Chihiro save the people trapped inside.

Chihiro and Hakuri Team Up in Kagurabachi's Future

Following the end of the arc and fall of the Sazanami family, Hakuri is left without a direction to go in the future. Thanks to how much he had bonded with Chihiro due to their time fighting alongside one another, Hakuri decides to accompany Chihiro on his path for revenge and help him from that point on. In fact, Hakuri's become so reliable to Chihiro that the sorcerer is playing a huge role in Chihiro's posed plan for the Sword Bearer Assassination Arc now playing out in the newest chapters of the series.

Chihiro's gone from being uneasy with having someone fighting with him, to now relying on Hakuri as a central part of his plan (as he wants to use Hakuri's storehouse ability to save the Enchanted Blades and bearers), shows just how much has changed within this first year run of the series. Chihiro's looking entirely different than what he did in the first chapter, and soon we'll see what that means for the next year of its serialization.

Transformers One is offering a whole new take on the Transformers franchise, and with its new animated movie has fleshed out more of what Cybertron looked like before the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. The Transformers series has expanded from its original toy line to a massively popular franchise featuring many different TV series, feature films, video games and more with their own takes on the fights between the Autobots and Decepticons. Transformers One follows in this trend with its own take on that core battle as well, but goes even further back to show what Cybertron was like before these factions even existed.

Transformers One features a new origin story for Optimus Prime and Megatron, who are introduced in the new animated feature film as their identities before becoming Transformers, the mining robots Orion Pax and D-16. Through this early look into how these legendary characters eventually went on to become the leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons respectively, fans also got to see what kind of a world Cybertron was before it starting shaking up its society for a whole host of new problems.

Transformers One: What Pre-War Cybertron Was Like

Cybertron was first introduced as a planet with Transformers scattered throughout that lived under the protection of a group of Primes, warriors who protected them from invaders. Made out of the body of their god, Primus, an energy called Energon freely flowed throughout the planet thanks to the Primes taking care of a mysterious object known as the Matrix of Leadership. But when the Primes are killed by the Quintessons and the Matrix of Leadership is lost, Cybertron's flow of Energon dries up and thus robots like Orion Pax and D-16 are tasked with mining the planet for whatever Energon might be left.

Orion Pax and D-16 are robots who come to life without a special gear that allows them to become Transformers, and now live deep beneath the surface to spend all of their days mining. Sentinel Prime, the final of the Primes who survived the fight against the Quintenssons, is now spending his time searching the surface for the missing Matrix of Leadership to find the missing Energon. Only, that is a lie and it continues to wrinkle pre-war Cybertron even further as a class war develops.

Who Is Sentinel Prime?

It turned out that Sentinel Prime had been working with the Quintessons, and provided them with the Energon that the bots that mined to keep himself safe under their rule. From this, Cybertron begins to fraction ever more. Laying the seeds to the war between Autobots and Deceptions to come later, Orion and D-16 react to all of this much differently. Orion wants to stop Sentinel, get the truth out and free the rest of the workers while D-16 wants to kill him and run the planet much differently.

This, naturally, leads into a full fight between the two as the film comes to an end. Transformers One then gives way to more of the pre-war Cybertron as it reveals that following Sentinel Prime's defeat, Optimus Prime and the Autobots form to protect the planet from the Quintessons in the future. It's from here on that the planet will eventually give way to an even bigger war as the Decepticons reveal themselves and try to take over, and thus fans got to see how one conflict and revolution eventually leads to a full on war overall.

So while Cybertron is much different in Transformers One than what fans see the Autobots abandon years later, the building blocks for what's to come are already there.

My Hero Academia Season 7 is now in its final few episodes for the Summer, and with the newest episode of the anime has made a major change to All For One. My Hero Academia is working its way through the final fights between the heroes and villains, but each episode has turned the fight in either direction. At any given moment it seems like both the heroes and villains are on the winning side with new tricks or plans, but it's now starting to seem like All For One continues to be ahead of everyone else as he keeps getting stronger.

This has only gotten truer with the latest episode of My Hero Academia as All For One's stolen Rewind continues to make his body younger. As All For One takes more damage, his body is getting further back into the prime of his life. It's made access to all of his quirks easier than before, but it's also seemingly a one way trip. That's the case for the latest episode too as All For One has been replaced by a new voice actor bringing this younger version of All For One to life, Hiroshi Kamiya.

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My Hero Academia: Who Is All For One's New Voice Actor?

My Hero Academia Season 7 Episode 18 continues the heroes' struggle against All For One, and the villain continues to brush off all of the efforts with relative ease. Despite the Shiketsu High School students making it to the battlefield and supporting Tokoyami's attacks in their efforts, All For One is only getting stronger he continues to use all of the quirks at his disposal. It's here that Hawks notes how much Rewind has impacted the villain, and figures out that All For One's quirks count as internal and thus aren't taken away as All For One's body changes back to its prime.

All For One also notices this change as well, and reveals to himself that the more damage his body takes from the heroes, the more Rewind continues to wind back his age and body when it recovers. This has altered him further than before as he's now a young adult version of himself, and with it comes a new voice actor. My Hero Academia has announced that Hiroshi Kamiya is now the voice for All For One's new younger form, replacing the former star behind the villain, Akio Ohtsuka.

My Hero Academia: Who Is Hiroshi Kamiya?

Kamiya is a great late stage lock for My Hero Academia as it heads into its uncertain future. With the manga now ended, it's likely that the My Hero Academia anime will be ending fairly soon as well. Anime fans might recognize Kamiya's work as notable characters such as Levi Ackerman in Attack on Titan, Trafalgar Law in One Piece, Kusuo Saiki in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. and more. If he's going to serve as the new voice of All For One in the fights to come, then the star has quite a lot on their shoulders for what's to come.

Kamiya will serve as the final voice for the villain in these final battles (until All For One makes an appearance within Tomura Shigaraki, of course), and that also means that My Hero Academia still has some huge moments for the villain before Season 7 comes to an end in just a few more weeks. The fights are only going to get more intense from here on out, so catch up with My Hero Academia's Season 7 episodes now streaming with Crunchyroll and Hulu.

Ranma 1/2 is coming back for a brand new anime remake next month as part of the Fall 2024 anime season, and fans have gotten a new look at what to expect with a new trailer for the remake ahead of its premiere. As Shogakukan continues to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publisher's tenure, fans have gotten to see some of their biggest franchises return in some form. Rumiko Takahashi's likely the most well-known creator with the publisher, and her works such as Urusei Yatsura have returned with full anime remakes as part of this celebration.

Another of Takahashi's legendary works, Ranma 1/2, is coming back with a new anime this October along with the rest of the new wave of anime hitting as part of the upcoming Fall 2024 anime schedule. This new remake will be bringing back the classic characters from the original adaptation in a whole new way, and now fans get to see more of these returns (including the highly anticipated first look at Shampoo), with the newest trailer for Ranma 1/2. You can check out the remake in action below.

When Does Ranma 1/2 Remake Release?

Ranma 1/2's big anime remake will be making its debut on October 5th, and will be streaming exclusively with Netflix outside of its release in Japan. The remake will feature many of the original voice actors from the first anime adaptation returning to reprise their respective roles, and this new trailer in particular showcases the returning Rei Sakuma as Shampoo, Tomokazu Sugita as Tatewaki Kuno, Ayane Sakura as Kodachi Kuno, Toshiyuki Morikawa as Tofu Ono, Mamoru Miyano as Mikado Sanzenin, and Aoi Yuki as Azusa Shiratori. They'll be joined by the also returning Kappei Yamaguchi as Ranma Saotome, Megumi Hayashibara as the female Ranma, and Noriko Hidaka as Akane Tendo.

Konosuke Uda will be directing the new anime for MAPPA with Kimiko Ueno handling the scripts, Hiromi Taniguchi designing the characters, and Kaoru Wada composing the music. The opening theme (which can be heard in this newest trailer for the anime as well) is titled "Iinazukekkyun" as performed by ano, and the ending theme for the anime is titled "Anta Nante" as performed by Riria. It's number of episodes for its comeback have yet to be announced as of this publication, however.

What Is Ranma 1/2?

Ranma 1/2 was first published in the pages of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine in 1987, and ran for several years. The series stars Ranma Saotome, who has been training in martial arts since he was a child. He's been promised to be married to childhood friend, Akane Tendo, who's set to inherit the duties at the neighboring Tendo Dojo. But things take a turn when an accident has Ranma falling into the waters of the mysterious Junsekyo, a cursed spring in China that changes his sex when exposed to cold water (and changes back when exposed to hot water).

This gender swapping comedy series then gets into all sorts of hijinks from this point on as Ranma uses this cursed ability to get around all sorts of problems (only to create more misunderstandings as a result). Like Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2 influenced the humor of much of the manga and anime we see in action to this day, and now even more fans will get a fresh look at how this franchise got so legendary with manga and anime fans all those years ago. Another reason to keep an eye out for the Fall, for sure.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has exactly 182 characters in the launch lineup, a roster that's impressive for a number of reasons. For one, having 182 fighters means Sparking! Zero has more characters to start with than any Dragon Ball game in history, and it'll already have more characters than any of the Budokai Tenkaichi games ever got in the past. But in addition to that already notably milestone, Dragon Ball fans are now realizing that the number of characters wasn't a coincidence at all and that it seems to be one big Dragon Ball Easter egg decades in the making.

If the 182-character roster stirred something in your Dragon Ball memories, that's because it appears to be a callback to one of the episodes from the original Dragon Ball series. More specifically, you have to venture back to Dragon Ball Episode 84 which was titled "Rivals and Arrivals" in the English version of the show and helped kick off the Tien Saga. Krillin, Yamcha, and more arrive for the World Martial Arts Tournament and encounter Tien, Chiatzu, and Master Shen, but it's actually from an otherwise unmemorable character that we get the Dragon Ball reference.

Towards the very end of the episode, the announcer who welcomed everyone to the World Martial Arts Tournament thanked them for their attendance and laid out the schedule for what the tournament will look like moving forward. The announcer also said that that specific World Martial Arts Tournament would be the biggest one yet with -- you guessed it -- 182 fighters in attendance.

"This one promises to be the biggest yet, with a record-high attendance of one hundred eighty-two fighters," the announcer said in the episode.

Twitter user BigMeruemFan shared a screenshot of the find to show the scene in question for those who don't have easy access to streaming Dragon Ball. The dialogue is heard in the recap in Episode 85, but you can also hear it at the very end of Episode 84.

182 characters huh https://t.co/1nKgdep9XY pic.twitter.com/hVwksLeLWo

-- KBC #ThankYouToriyama (@BigMeruemFan) September 19, 2024

It's pretty much impossible for this to be a coincidence, so we can pretty safely assume that this was the intention all along while Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero's roster was being finalized. You'll see some posts from Bandai Namco saying that the game has 181 fighters at launch, but that's only because the version of Goku from Dragon Ball Daima is considered to be the "surprise" character that's part of the preorder bonus.

While it's unclear when this 182-fighter goal was established, it's likely the devs had to dig deep to make the launch roster into the Easter egg that it seems to be. We can see that through characters like Dr. Wheelo and the Frieza Force Soldier which aren't exactly fan-favorites but apparently made the cut to make the Dragon Ball nod possible.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will be out on October 11th, so expect to see all these 182 characters then with even more on the way afterwards as DLCs.

Chainsaw Man's anime is in working on the first film of the franchise, Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc, but the manga has continuously been releasing weekly installments regularly. Following the fight against the Control Devil and the death of many of Denji's allies, the second part of the bloody manga series has taken a very different approach. Surprisingly, creator Tatsuki Fujimoto decided to give the Chainsaw Devil company as Asa Mikata, the War Devil, has been the second protagonist leading the charge. Based on where the story has gone so far, Chainsaw Man Part 2 is most assuredly worth your time and arguably, even exceeds its predecessor.

To start, the decision to focus on Yoru and the pact it made with Asa was a strong choice. It established a mystery regarding Denji's whereabouts to start while also establishing the new character who would play a significant role. The new status quo also gave readers a more in-depth look at the world besieged by devils, revealing shocking facts and brutal battles that helped push the idea that humanity is hanging on by a thread in the face of constant supernatural assault. Of course, as Chainsaw Man readers know, Denji was operating in the background in a very different role.

Denji's New Role Is Complicated And Intriguing

The Chainsaw Man becoming Japan's premiere superhero was a wild new status quo for Denji, with the young anime hero finding himself unable to capitalize on his alter-ego's popularity. On top of this new profession, the protagonist was juggling taking on the role of an adoptive father to Nayuta, the new Control Devil who took over Makima's place. It made for one wild series of events that followed the Chainsaw Devil until a grenade was thrown into his happy home.

Of course, Asa and Denji didn't begin as fast friends and they certainly aren't in recent chapters. While they might share starring duties in the manga, the War Devil wants revenge on the Chainsaw Devil for a past defeat and the reduction of war the world over. As readers would go on to see, the love/hate relationship between these two stars is extremely complicated, hilarious, and perhaps most importantly, compelling.

Chainsaw Man's Strong Villains

On the topic of villains, I think that Chainsaw Man Part 2 does surpass its predecessor. While Makima, Katana Man, and the Bomb Devil were strong antagonists, Part 2 has introduced some classic anime antagonists that will stand the test of time. One of the biggest collectives that were featured in this second part were the Primordial Fears, ancient, powerful devils that are as strong as they are creepy. The Falling Devil, for example, has both a power and design that readers could recognize as both creepy and noteworthy, with the chef motif sure to look amazing once animated.

Famine's status as both a villain and something of an ally has worked wonders so far and this is without even touching upon the Chainsaw Man Church. Ironically, the church is a collection that truly worships what Denji has done and his status but is more than willing to strike against the Chainsaw Devil should the need arise. On top of the religious movement, even the Japanese government has been making sinister, often cringe-inducing moves to make sure that the future they desire is put into place. There are scant few heroes in this Chainsaw Man tapestry and Part 2 benefits from this fact.

Part 2's Battles Are Unbelievable

Tatsuki Fujimoto has been holding nothing back in terms of just how unbelievable the fights in Chainsaw Man Part 2 can be. In the latest fight, for example, Denji has let Pochita take the wheel and has been killing devils left and right. This fact has made it so that devils like the Ear Devil and Mouth Devil have been taken off the board, meaning that ears and mouths from all of humanity have done the same. While the War Devil is able to help reverse this, Denji is still on a wild rampage.

To counteract the Chainsaw Devil's uncontrollable spiral, Asa has employed both the Gun Devil and Tank Devil as her new arms, showing how Fujimoto is going to wild lengths to up the ante. Chainsaw Man has always been known for its high-octane action but the mangaka appears to be putting their foot on the gas in terms of every story beat.

Want to stay up to date on Chainsaw Man's world, both in the manga and the anime? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Denji and his fellow devil hunters and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

One Piece is now in the works on Season 2 of the live-action series with Netflix, and new addition to the series Joe Manganiello has shared a special statement with fans following his casting as Mr. 0. Netflix's One Piece has been full steam ahead with its production on Season 2 of the live-action series since earlier this Summer, and with it has been adding tons of new members to the cast as the series readies to take on its next wave of arcs from Eiichiro Oda's original manga and anime franchise. This includes some of the big villains coming Luffy and the Straw Hats' way.

Netflix recently shared a great deal of updates during Geeked Week this year, and One Piece Season 2 is looking more full than ever with the confirmation that Joe Manganiello will be joining the cast as Mr. 0, who goes by Crocodile in the original manga release. To celebrate his joining the series, Manganiello shared a special statement with fans teasing that he's going to be starting work on the series in full very soon. You can check out Manganiello's message below as shared by One Piece's official X account.

Joe Manganiello as Mr. 0 is bringing a whole new level of danger to the Grand Line! ? Join the Straw Hat Grand Fleet Broadcast Channel through our Instagram Bio for early access to exclusive updates like this! pic.twitter.com/MwDyXU5B8A

-- ONE PIECE(?????) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) September 21, 2024

Netflix's One Piece Live-Action Cast So Far

"Hello Grand Fleet, Joe Manganiello here," Manganiello began. "You may have seen the leak! But you don't know all of my secrets. I'm excited to join the cast as Mr. 0, and now I've gotta head to set to get down to business. So keep your guard up, Straw Hats because we're just getting started. See you soon." Manganiello's message teases that he'll start his time filming for the new episodes fairly soon (while addressing that it was leaked before its official announcement), and he's only one of the many new cast members confirmed to be joining the series for the new season.

Manganiello will be joined in the cast by not only the returning members from the first season, but new faces such as Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Clive Russell as Crocus, Werner Coetser as Dorry, Brendan Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton, Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Cobra Nefertari, Charitha Chandran as Vivi Nefertari, and Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday.

What Role Will Joe Manganiello Play in Netflix's One Piece?

Manganiello will be introduced to Netflix's One Piece as the mysterious Mr. 0 in Season 2. That's his codename as a member of the Baroque Works group, and he plays a huge role in the series' future. What's interesting about his character appearing, however, is just how much we might get to see Manganiello in the series compared to the original iterations of the story. One Piece series creator Eiichiro Oda previously confirmed that the new episodes will be adapting the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs from the original manga, and that's raised some questions about Crocodile.

This major foe plays a significant role much later after these arcs, and that could mean that Netflix has even more plans for One Piece in the future. Season 2 already seemed like a lock because of how popular that first season was, and characters like Mr. 0 popping up feel significant as it teases that there could be pieces in place for a potential third season to follow to cover what Manganiello's really meaty role will come into play.

Transformers One has restarted the Transformers franchise story from the very beginning with a brand new take, and with it has revealed the unliked origin of Optimus Prime. If there is one thing that fans might know about the Transformers universe throughout the years of its movies, TV shows, video games, toys, and more, it's that Optimus Prime stands at the center of it all as its main hero. This figure is the leader of the Autobots, and fights against Megatron to protect Cybertron and later, Earth. This is the character we've seen in action through decades of media at this point.

But it's all much different in Transformers One. The new animated film takes the lore in a whole new direction and reboots the story from the very beginning. With it, fans are introduced to who Optimus Prime was before he became the Prime fans all know today. With Chris Hemsworth voicing this new character, Orion Pax, the film follows him as he steadily learns more about the dark truth of his life on Cybertron and rises up to one day save all of the other robots from their terrible burden to become the Autobots in the future.

Transformers One: Who Is Orion Pax?

Orion Pax is a robot who was seemingly activated without a gear that would allow him to transform like some of the other Transformers seen across Cybertron. Without a gear, Orion and other robots like him instead mine the depths of Cybertron for Energon to help their leader, Sentinel Prime, in the search for the Matrix of Leadership. It's explained that this device was one held by the legendary warriors known as the Primes, who have since loss their lives in the war against a deadly invading force known as the Quintessons.

Wanting to help Sentinel find the Matrix of Leadership, and knowing there must be a bigger purpose for him, he and his best friend, D-16, head to the surface to find it. It's throughout all of this that they discover that Sentinel Prime had actually lied to them all, and they've been mining Energon for the Quintessons as part of some shady deal. After seeing the truth of their planet, Orion gets a core with the ability to transform and starts fighting back. But he doesn't become a Prime that we all know until much later.

How Optimus Prime Was Born

Orion Pax and D-16 fight over how to handle Sentinel Prime's betrayal, and D-16 decides to kill him. Taking a shot at him, he shoots Orion by mistake. Then sending Orion's lifeless body into the depths of the planet, it's here that Orion is recognized by the god of Cybertron, Primus. The past Primes and Primus all recognize Orion as someone worthy of holding the Matrix of Leadership, and thus Orion is granted this new power to officially become Optimus Prime. At the same time, D-16 kills Sentinel Prime and takes his gear (which once belonged to Megatronus Prime) to become Megatron.

It's here that Optimus Prime is now in full force with the full look and abilities (such as laser axes) that fans have seen him use across the franchise's movies, TV shows, and more over the years. It took a little longer to get there with this new origin story, but it's clear that he rose through adversity and a full death that Optimus Prime has worked all the way back from all of this to becoming the prominent leader fans know and love today.

Netflix's One Piece has had some rather big announcements to reveal in recent days, as the recent Geeked Week dropped quite a few information bombs on Grand Line fans. Not only did the streaming service reveal that Joe Manganiello and Lera Abova would be taking on the roles of Crocodile and Nico Robin, but the platform also took the chance to reveal a brief hint as to what Tony Tony Chopper will look like. While Charithra Chandran had been confirmed as Princess Vivi earlier this year, a new behind-the-scenes video has had keen-eyed fans spot a potential change to the daughter of King Cobra.

While Alabasta might not be a significant part of One Piece's upcoming second season, that doesn't mean that Princess Vivi won't have a significant role. As Grand Line fans know, King Cobra's daughter initially appears as "Miss Wednesday", working undercover within Baroqueworks in a bid to save her threatened nation. While Vivi doesn't have any Devil Fruit powers to speak of, her strength of character and determination see her as a worthy ally both before and during Luffy's time in Alabasta. Thanks to a recent video released by Netflix, Jeff Ward walked fans through a behind-the-scenes look at the making of season two, giving viewers a big Vivi easter egg.

Princess Vivi Hair Color Change

While far from confirmed, numerous One Piece fans online think they have spotted the wig that Charithra will be wearing for One Piece's second season. Said wig looks far darker than Vivi's hair which was seen in both the manga and anime, proving that the live-action adaptation is willing to make changes from its source material. At the Netflix Geeked Week, showrunner Matt Owens was remiss to even confirm a release window for the second season but filming is already underway in South Africa as of the writing of this article.

Nami, Vivi and Robin's wigs? ?#OPLA pic.twitter.com/DpUPqvLulz

-- OPLA Daily (@OPLADaily) September 18, 2024

Vivi In Season Two

If the live-action series continues to take its cues from the source material, Princess Vivi won't be alone when she hits the scene in One Piece's second season. In the manga and anime adaptation, Vivi had a quirky protector in the form of Karoo, a big yellow bird who was more than willing to throw itself into harm's way if it meant protecting Alabasta's princess. While no hints have been revealed as to how Karoo might look in live-action, the glimpse at Tony Tony Chopper leads credence to the idea that CG might bring the Alabasta bird to life.

While Alabasta most likely won't be heavily featured in season two, viewers might get something of a glimpse at the desert locale. At that point, Vivi will be fully onboard with the Straw Hats, meaning that she is sure to play a major role in season three, should Netflix bring the series back. Vivi does leave the Straw Hats following the Alabasta Arc but she remains a major part of the franchise to this day all the same.

Alabasta's Anime Predicament

As One Piece anime viewers have seen in recent days, King Cobra's death has been revealed. Thanks to the reveal of World Government leader Imu, the Alabasta's ruler's days were numbered. The Grand Line might have believed that Sabo was the perpetrator but the truth is far more insidious and has put both Luffy's brother and the resistance in a tricky situation.

Want to follow along with the live-action take on the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Straw Hat Pirates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid last hit screens with its TV anime a few years ago, and now the anime franchise is finally returning with a brand new movie. Coolkyousinnjya's Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid manga first hit the pages of Futabasha's Monthly Action magazine in 2013 (and later Manga Action magazine this year) and has been a mega hit ever since. The series has since spawned a number of spin-offs, and two full seasons of a TV anime that ended their run back in 2021. But Kyoto Animation is finally bringing the franchise back for more after all this time.

Kyoto Animation recently shared some big announcements touting some of the big projects they are now working on for the near future, and they have announced that the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid anime will be returning for a new movie. Scheduled for a release in Japan some time in 2025, this new film is titled Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved. Teasing that Kanna will be taking a starring role in the adventure this time around, you can check out its first teaser in the video above and poster below.

What Is Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid?

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved will feature Tatsuya Ishihara returning from the second season of the anime to direct the feature film, and returning cast members currently confirmed include the likes of Mutsumi Tamura as Kobayashi, Yuki Kuwahara as Tohru, and Maria Naganawa as Kanna. The film is currently scheduled to release some time next year in Japan, but has yt to confirm any potential international release plans as of the time of this publication. But it's also the perfect time to catch up with the first two seasons of the TV anime.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid focuses on the titular Kobayashi, an office worker just going through her daily life when she suddenly comes face to face with a massive dragon that turns into a girl in a maid outfit. This dragon, Tohru, was saved by Kobayashi and has ever since offered her services. This starts the wacky life of the two living with one another, and steadily introduces all sorts of more dragons and mystical creatures to Kobayashi's life in the time since.

Why Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Main Anime's Return Is Important

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is one of Kyoto Animation's projects that fans have been hoping to see more from a long time, but the studio itself has been working through some rough times over the last few years. Their studio was the target of a deadly arson attack in 2018, and the studio ever since has been in a period of mourning and recovery. It's been five years since, and the studio had lost 30 individuals within the attack. But now that the studio has mourned the losses (including those formerly working on the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid anime), it seems that it's going to move forward with new projects to honor their memory.

Kyoto Animation returning to work on these major franchises is a big deal for the production studio moving forward from its tragedy, and on the bright side of it all, it means that it won't be too much longer before the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid anime returns to screens. If it's a success in Japan, it will likely lead to a potential international release given how successful other films of its type have been in recent years.

Transformers One took the opportunity to not only reveal how Optimus Prime and Megatron became the respective leaders of the Autobots and the Decepticons, but the prequel film also revealed how Orion Pax and D-16 went from simple mining 'bots to full-fledges Transformers. The two future enemies are joined in their initial outing by future Autobots, Elita-1 and Bumblebee, giving them the backup they need to learn what is really going on in Cybertron. Orion and D-16 come to receive their abilities by learning a horrible truth about Cybertron, the Primes, and Sentinel Prime, creating a monkey's paw scenario that changes the future forever.

Warning. If you have yet to watch Transformers One, our article will dive into some serious spoiler territory for the recently released prequel film. After gaining notoriety for winning the Iacon 5000 race, D-16 and Orion are sent to the lower depths of Cybertron and meet the future Bumblebee (B-127). The trio discovers a message from one of the biggest Primes, Alpha Trion, who reveals where he currently lies. Once the three, who are joined by Elita-1, come to discover Trion's dormant body, they manage to bring him back to life and learn what really happened to the Primes. Needless to say, the truth is far more insidious than the film's stars were expecting.

The True Origin of Cybertron

As Alpha Trion explains, Sentinel Prime has betrayed the Primes, destroying nearly all of them while throwing his lot in with the Quintessons. Stealing the Transformer Cogs from numerous Cybertronians, Sentinel would cast 'bots like D-16 and Orion Pax into the mines to forge for Energon, looking to give it directly to the Quintessons. In revealing these secrets, Alpha Trion uses the cogs from the fallen Primes to grant Orion, B-127, D-16, and Elita-1 the power to transform for the first time, though their problems were far from over.

As we witness in the film's runtime, Sentinel Prime's lackeys strike at just the right time, sending the movie's stars on the run and capturing Alpha Trion. Unfortunately for the remaining Prime, Sentinel isn't keen on keeping the witness to his crimes alive, eliminating Trion from the board permanently. Luckily, Alpha's message is one that the quartet aim to spread and with their new transforming powers in place, bring the war to Sentinel.

How Everyone Becomes Transformers

Sentinel's betrayal cuts D-16 to his core, setting the stage for him to become the villainous Megatron as he looks to build an army and make sure that Cybertron never falls for this deception again. In gathering the likes of Starscream, Shockwave, Soundwave, and more, Megatron tears apart Sentinel Prime with his bare hands. While the "High Guard" already had the ability to transform, many of the Autobots did not.

Once Orion Pax becomes Optimus Prime, he is granted the Matrix of Leadership. Through this new power, Optimus gives all Cybertronians the ability to transform, setting the stage for the war that Transformers fans would come to know. During the brief sequence, we are able to see familiar faces like Ironhide, Jazz, and Wheeljack receiving their cogs for the first time, proving that the creators of Transformers One were more than willing to dive into the franchise's past to forge its future.

Want to stay up to date on all things Transformers? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Autobots and Decepticons and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

As the anime world becomes bigger across the globe, fast food chains are recognizing the benefits of teaming up with some of the medium's biggest franchises. McDonald's created its own anime universe earlier this year in its "WcDonald's" campaign and recently announced that its restaurants will be teaming up with the Hoyoverse video game, Genshin Impact. Genshin is a game that clearly has an anime aesthetic and a new anime adaptation is in the works. Recently, Burger King has teamed up with My Hero Academia in France to push some new food items and merch, and the "King" has taken a shot at McDonald's recent anime campaign.

McDonald's specifically has teamed up with several major anime franchises recently. On top of the recent Genshin Impact collaboration, the restaurants have collaborated with the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, One Piece, and more. While Burger King's recent My Hero Academia collaboration might only be in France, the anime crossover may make its way to North America should it prove to be a success.

McDonald's Vs. Burger King

In a new social media post, Burger King "threw shade" at McDonald's, stating that "My Hero Academia better" than Genshin Impact. While the video game has yet to unveil its anime adaptation that will be brought to life by Demon Slayer's Ufotable down the road, it would be an interesting debate to see which franchise has cultivated a more passionate fanbase.

My Hero Academia better https://t.co/DIuuFWqT18

-- Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) September 19, 2024

If you want to learn more about the McDonald's/Genshin Impact campaign which is currently available until September 29th, here's how the fast food chain breaks down the new meal that fuses the two properties, "For a limited time only, unlock Genshin Impact rewards including an exclusive Wind Glider and Custom Namecard when you order the Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal in the app. Remember, opt-in to email before purchase. The Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal starts with your party leader--a crispy, juicy, tender chicken fillet sandwich with shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes and mayo. Plus, you get medium World Famous Fries(R), a medium soft drink and a limited-edition dessert made with 100% American-grown apples and a lattice crust, baked to perfection and sprinkled with sugar. Order yours today from our full menu in the app for McDelivery(R) or pickup.^ There are 1,350 calories in the Genshin Impact Deluxe McCrispy Meal and a medium Coca-Cola(R) soft drink."

The WcDonald's Campaign

Creating your own anime universe was something that McDonald's did that proved their love of all things anime. Earlier this year, we here at ComicBook.com had the chance to talk with anime artist, Acky Bright, about the creation of the handful of anime characters in the WcDonald's world, "I was aware that this campaign would be global and that many people all over the world would look at these characters, so it wasn't just a domestic audience. I really wanted to pay attention to how diverse, cultural, and international aspects could be placed into all the characters so that anyone from any background could find their favorite character."

Bright then took the chance to recognize the importance of the McDonald's anime campaign, thrilled about the increasing popularity of anime around the world, "I go to Anime Expo and anime conventions quite often. I really feel the heat has been hotter every year, but nevertheless, I feel that the golden age is about to arrive. It's not there yet, but in America, there are a lot of people who haven't seen manga or anime. Doing this kind of campaign with McDonald's, I am expecting that anime and manga will be seen by more people, which might make them fans in the future. In that sense, this campaign is very meaningful."

Naruto fans have gotten plenty of video game adaptations over the years, but a lot is owed to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, the PS3 game released back in 2018. It kicked off the Ultimate Ninja Storm series overall which led to three more Ultimate Ninja Storm games, but Naruto fans haven't gotten another of those since 2016 when Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 was released. Fast-forward to the present day, however, and we're now about to see the original Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm make a comeback that'll make it playable in a new way nearly 16 years later.

That's because the classic Naruto game is getting a rerelease this month, Bandai Namco announced this week. The game was brought forward to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch version following those in 2018, and on September 25th, it'll be ported once more to mobile devices this time.

"A Naruto game full of 3D competitive action! Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm finally makes its way to smartphones!" an overview of the game from its new iOS page said. "Experience the stories and battles of Naruto's childhood through beautiful graphics!"

This single-player Naruto game consists of a story-based mode where you can play through different missions and battles related to moments Naruto fans should be pretty familiar with already. It'll also have a "Free Battle Mode" that includes 25 different characters to choose from.

Given that it's been over 15 years since the original Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm first released, it makes sense that the Naruto game is also getting some modern optimizations to bring it in line with other current games. It's got an autosave feature now and also has new control settings so that players can pick between casual or manual controls. Given that it's a smartphone game now, you'll now see a suite of touch controls. An image shared through the game's site which can be seen below shows an example of what the controls will look like. It's also worth pointing out that since this is a single-player game, you can pause it, so even if the mobile controls take some getting used to, you can at least take your time with it.

Bandai Namco said the game is "now available," but it's actually scheduled to be released on iOS and Android devices on September 24th. Another caveat to consider is that this Naruto game won't be free on mobile platforms. It'll be sold for $9.99 through both the Google Play and App Store marketplaces, but that's still cheaper than it being sold for the $19.99 you'll see on other modern platforms.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm will be available on mobile devices on September 24th.