“Our love is like a red, red rose … and I am a little thorny.” – The Mask in The Mask (1994). The manga series Chainsaw Man created by Tatsuki Fujimoto began publishing as part of Weekly Shōnen Jump in… Read More ›
Manga
Manga Breathing First Form — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” reaches the first part of its three-part cinematic finale in the blood-soaked “Infinity Castle.”
Manga author Koyoharu Gotouge’s fantasy adventure shonen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃) first published in February 2016, introducing audiences to Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy living in Taishō era Japan with his mother and siblings, making their living as… Read More ›
When death is on your side, “All You Need Is Kill.” [Fantasia]
Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Before these words were linked to the Doug Liman-directed Edge of Tomorrow (2014), they belonged to Hiroshi Sakurazaka and his light novel All You Need Is Kill. Initially… Read More ›
“Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards” walks the fine line between manga art direction and reality, bringing some fun along with it. [Fantasia]
Trigger Warning: An extended introduction sequence includes frequent brief flashing effects that may be difficult for photosensitive viewers. What does it mean to be a hero? Stories from around the world and throughout time try to navigate this question. Few… Read More ›
Latest “My Hero Academia” film, “You’re Next,” solidifies the next generation of heroes as the true successors.
Can anybody tell me the way to make it? I guess no, I’m the only one. I never offered me a wrong future. No matter what happens, I won’t chill, I won’t stop. I’ll make you prouder step by step!… Read More ›
Utilizing the style and action of its source material, “BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI-” offers a cinematic perspective that may delight fans while leaving new audiences a touch cold.
Since August 2018, the Japanese manga series BLUE LOCK, also stylized as BLUELOCK, has published in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine — publisher of such tales as Go! Go! Loser Ranger! and Girlfriend, Girlfriend. Written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by… Read More ›
Shout! Studios and GKIDS Films release a HD home edition of Takehiko Inoue’s “The First Slam Dunk” that’ll have you out of your seat until the shot clock stops.
Sports films are often used as a metaphor for something else. The grit, the determination required to succeed either as a team or an individual being a symbol for some other kind of battle. In the feature film directorial debut… Read More ›
The destined battle plays out fair and square in the theatrical adaptation of “Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle.”
Mangas, like all other kinds of storytelling, come in a variety of types. Americans are familiar with the isekai (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime), shonen (Jujutsu Kaisen), and parody (One-Punch Man), with several breaking through into mainstream… Read More ›
Jazz and animation flow in animated powerhouse “BLUE GIANT” on home video via Shout! Studios.
Adaptations are growing in number more and more these days in entertainment. If there’s not a cinematic version of a book, show, or comic, there’s a television one. Often times, these tales involve beings of incredible strength or speed, of… Read More ›
In concert with variant animation, the music of Hiromi Uehara helps Yuzuru Tachikawa’s “BLUE GIANT” adaptation transcend to a cinematic experience.
Despite what one might think when it comes to anime, the adventures aren’t just about super-powered beings fighting one another (My Hero Academia), gifted individuals trying to protect the world from curses (Jujutsu Kaisen), or maybe that time you came… Read More ›
Director Keiichi Hara’s “Lonely Castle in the Mirror” transports to home video via Shout! Studios.
It is not uncommon for a film to be based on material from a different medium. For one, it allows the filmmakers a sense of whether there’s a desire for the film before they even start pre-production. For two, audiences… Read More ›
From “The First Slam Dunk” to the last, this manga adaptation will have you on the edge of your seat. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Born first as a manga series that ran from 1990 – 1996 under the title Slam Dunk, the creation of Takehiko Inoue has been adapted for television, film, and video games since its debut. The series ran in Shueisha’s Weekly… Read More ›
Turn down the lights, pop some corn, and snag your favorite candy to celebrate the home release of “Pompo: The Cinéphile” with a well-deserved movie night.
It all begins with three words: Lights. Camera. Action! Sure, with the changing of technology, the specific terms have changed, but they all go back to these three. Three words which, while not large, immediately call to mind tales of… Read More ›
With “Edge of Tomorrow” on 4K UHD, you can watch-repeat this Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt sci-fi actioner as often as you like.
Among the many Tom Cruise films that have wowed audiences, too few recent features place him in a role offering vulnerability. He may be the underdog, but rarely is he truly out of his depth as master spy Ethan Hunt… Read More ›
Animated comedy “Pompo: The Cinéphile” is powered by the magic of celluloid and freshly made popcorn.
If there’s one thing that all cinephiles share, it’s that excited feeling when the house lights turn down low, the screen lights up, and the possibilities are endless for the adventure to come. It doesn’t really matter if you’re in… Read More ›
Even newbies will get into dark fantasy manga adaptation “Jujutsu Kaisen 0.”
Started by creator Gege Akutami in March 2018, Weekly Shōnen Jump series Jujutsu Kaisen is a supernatural horror/comedy action series involving sorcerers who protect the world’s population by destroying or controlling curses (primarily sentient monster-like creatures) that come to being… Read More ›
Large in scope but small in focus, “My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission” is everything and nothing like you’d expect from the long-running series.
Just after season five of popular anime My Hero Academia ends its run in the U.S. and before the sadness of no new episodes can set in, fans of Class 1-A may rejoice in a new adventure featuring their favorite… Read More ›
“Yakuza Princess” offers a breakout performance from lead MASUMI. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
The list of Yakuza-centric films runs the gamut from dramas like Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020) to martial arts films like Chocolate (2008) to science-fiction horror like Versus (2000) to straight up thrillers like Black Rain (1989). What the… Read More ›
Funimation’s 4K UHD Limited Edition set of “Akira” is well worth the time and investment.
Director Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s 1988 adaptation of his own 1982 manga, Akira, is considered one of the greatest film ever made if only for its influence on all the post-apocalyptic cyberpunk stories to come. Both the manga and film pre-date Masamune… Read More ›
Travel the globe with gentlemen thief Lupin III in his latest adventure “Lupin III: The First.”
First created by artist Monkey Punch in 1967, the adventures of gentlemen thief Lupin III have generated multiple mangas, tv series, and films depicting a variety of escapades. During a press interview for Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie… Read More ›