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Read Robert Kirkman's superhero comic "Invincible" now, and it's hard not to hear the character voices from the animated series. Prime Video's "Invincible" has quite the recognizable voice cast, stocked with bona fide celebrities, prolific TV actors and celebrated voice actors. Mark Grayson himself is played by Steven Yeun, whose breakout role was Glenn on "The Walking Dead," also based on a comic by Kirkman. The show's most famous performance so far is probably J.K. Simmons as Mark's superhero dad, Omni-Man. Lightning struck twice, because Simmons is as perfectly cast as Omni-Man as he was as J. Jonah Jameson in "Spider-Man." 

"Invincible" season 3 has upped the cast's ante once more, including scoring two "Breaking Bad" alums. Aaron Paul, the erstwhile Jesse Pinkman, voices Scott Duvall/Powerplex, an energy-absorbing super-villain with a grudge against Invincible. Jonathan Banks,who played Mike Ehrmantrau, has also been cast in a mystery role.

It's been a while since I featured Anime Limited in this category (the last one was Belle two years ago...), but that doesn't mean the Scottish distributor has been quiet. In fact, the company got itself slightly reorganized and joined forces with several other distributors to streamline their ordering processes. Thankfully, what didn't change is that now and again they release an Ultimate Edition. Here is their newest, and it's... a science fiction spectacle by Watanabe Shinichirō, with a legendary soundtrack by Kanno Yōko? Wait, didn't they ultimate-release Cowboy Bebop already? Well, years before Cowboy Bebop, the two had collaborated already on the Ova-series Macross Plus and the movie version of that series. And Anime Limited has now released a stellar, stellar release of both....

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

It’s not just the legendary Dragon Ball franchise, back in the early days of Akira Toriyama’s career, he has also offered a minor but promising manga, named Dr. Slump. Long before Dragon Ball, this manga used to please the readers with Toriyama’s unique sense of humor and creativity.

Senbei Norimaki from Dr. Slump anime | Credits: Toei Animation

Now, in a surprising twist, the Dr. Slump manga unexpectedly shares one thread with the critically acclaimed Western TV series, Breaking Bad! It certainly does sound like an unlikely connection between a Japanese manga from the 1980s and a gritty American drama. So what could be the connecting link between Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball, and Breaking Bad?

Bryan Cranston Had Voiced Toriyama, But Not the Way You Might Think! Bryan Cranston as Walter White from Breaking Bad | Credits: High Bridge Productions, Gran Via Productions, and Sony Pictures Television

Bryan Cranston...

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Iconic anime director Shinichir Watanabe is back with a new look at the future in Lazarus. After making his debut with Macross Plus, Watanabe found his biggest breakout hit in the original Cowboy Bebop anime, serving as the creative lead and director of the beloved space western anime and its theatrical movie. He would go on to find success with the likes of Samurai Champloo, the anime adaptation of Kids on the Slope and Carole & Tuesday on Netflix, among others.

With Lazarus, Watanabe finds himself returning to the sci-fi genre and setting the story in 2052, in which a utopian-like society has been formed. During this period, a scientist designs a miracle drug, only to later reveal in 2055 that the drug has just a three-year half-life, leaving those who took the drug, which proves to be the majority of society, with little time to live.

Cowboy Bebop is that anime that fans watch just for the vibes and music. Sure, the ending is quite emotional but the whole show itself presents a much relaxed but chaotic atmosphere that is fun for any fan of any genre. It’s also one of those anime that is added in a starter pack along with Death Note and for good reason.

Light Yagami | Credits: Studio Madhouse

The creators took a lot of inspiration from Star Wars for sure. The whole space-theme and battles of Spike Spiegel with Galactic thugs and Syndicates are definitely a nod to Luke Skywalker and his battles with Darth Vadar and the Galactic Empire. But fans will not believe the main intent behind Cowboy Bebop‘s creation and it’s more tied to Star Wars than they think.

The reason for making Cowboy Bebop Spike Spiegel | Credits: Studio Sunrise

According to an interview with Forbes,...

Macross fans, get ready, because another beloved series is now available in a stunning package with the arrival of the Macross Zero Limited Edition . Packing the complete series with a bunch of physical extras, the set is available to order now as a Crunchyroll Store exclusive . Originally released in 2002 as part of the Macross 20th anniversary celebration, Macross Zero features the legendary Shoji Kawamori as director, with Satelight on animation production. In addition to episodes 1-5 in Japanese with English, French and German subtitles, here's an overview of the bonuses you can expect with the exclusive limited edition version: On Disc: "Macross Zero Zero" bonus footage Voice Actor comments Pv Audio commentary with Hiroyuki Kashima, Atsushi Sakiyama, Tomisaburo Hashimoto, Hiroshi Yagishita Audio commentaries from Shoji Kawamori, Kenichi Suzumura, Sanae Kobayashi In the box: 128 page booklet 8 x art cards Folded poster Related: Macross Plus Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Box Coming This Fall...

The current generation of anime weebs won’t know this, but Cowboy Bebop was one of the gateway series that led to the worldwide recognition of the anime industry. The eccentric story of Cowboy Bebop follows the adventures of Cowboy Spike Spiegel and his friends, who journey through space and work as bounty hunters in the year 2071.

Cowboy Bebop | Credit: Studio Sunrise

It was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who is famously known in the anime industry for his works like Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, etc. Watanabe is one of the best-known anime directors in history, and most of this fame comes from Cowboy Bebop. However, Cowboy Bebop was not his first project as a director.

Cowboy Bebop fans might not know this, but Watanabe also worked on the famous Japanese franchise Macross from the 80s. He was involved with the second production of the franchise called Macross Plus. But his...

Highly regarded for his creative vision, Shinichiro Watanabe’s journey before his directorial debut with Cowboy Bebop is quite remarkable. Before he started working on his first original project, Watanabe worked on various projects as the episode director and the co-director.

Kou Uraki | Credits: Studio Sunrise

One project that especially sticks out to him is the Gundam Ova, Stardust Memory, as fans still question him about the ending of the series. In an interview, Watanabe voiced his frustrations regarding the Ova series and his journey before the beginning of his directorial endeavors.

Shinichiro Watanabe on Gundam Ova Ending Nina and Kou | Credits: Studio Sunrise

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a 13-episodes-long Ova from the Gundam series. Shinichiro Watanabe worked on it as an episode director. While speaking about his journey to becoming a renowned director, Watanabe shared (via an interview with Forbes) that fans still ask him about the ending of Gundam 0083.

With a genre-defying mix of space adventure, noir, and jazz-infused style, Shinichirō Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest anime ever made. But the road to its creation was anything but smooth. In fact, the anime that is now considered a masterpiece nearly wouldn’t get made at all.

Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop | Credit: Studio Sunrise

The creation of Cowboy Bebop was a risky venture; Bandai’s misguided belief that the anime wouldn’t be financially successful almost caused the project to be abandoned altogether. Ironically, the show’s near-failure played a major role in molding it into the cultural phenomenon that it is today.

Shinichirō Watanabe’s Inspiration for His Own Creation: Cowboy Bebop

In an interview conducted by Ollie Barder via Forbes, Shinichirō Watanabe reflected on his journey as an anime director. Originally passionate about movies since childhood, his interest shifted to the anime industry...

After getting penciled in for a 2024 launch earlier this year, a release date has officially been confirmed for MacRoss -Shooting Insight- . Red Art Games announced plans to release the shoot 'em up on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch in North America and Europe on December 6, 2024, with multiple physical releases available in addition to the digital version. Both the PS5 and Switch versions will be available physically in North America and Europe, but the PS4 physical version will be Europe-only. Those who opt for the Collector's Edition will get a copy of the game in an exclusive box with a Steelcase, original soundtrack CD, double-sided poster and five exclusive MacRoss collector medals. Pegi-rated versions are available through Red Art Games and Esrb-rated versions are available through Vgp .  Related: MacRoss -Shooting Insight- Game Gets 2024 North America, Europe Releases Here's how Red Art Games describes  MacRoss -Shooting Insight- : MacRoss Shooting...

Musical mecha anime Macross 7 is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a solo concert from Nekki Basara himself! An explosive event deserves an equally explosive poster, and that's exactly what we get today. Check out the new visual for the upcoming Basara Explosion 2024, featuring art of Nekki Basara in front of his iconic robot, Fire Valkyrie: Related: Macross Plus Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Box Coming This Fall from Anime Limited The MacRoss 7 30th Anniv. Basara Explosion 2024 from Fire Bomber concert will be a solo concert event featuring performances from Yoshiki Fukuyama, the singing voice of Basara. Nobutoshi Hayashi, who voiced Basara, will also make a guest appearance. Tickets for the concert will be on sale July 18-28, and concerts will take place at Zepp venues across Japan between September and November 2024. Source: Comic Natalie...

Over the weekend at McM Comic Con London, Anime Limited announced plans to release a Macross Plus Ultimate Edition Blu-ray , with a launch penciled in for fall 2024. For folks in the UK, the set will be available via AllTheAnime.com . For Sharon Apple fans in the U.S., the Crunchyroll Store will carry the set exclusively in the region. The Macross Plus Ultimate Edition packs the four-episode 1994 Ova in a large rigid slipcase. Physical bonuses include a hardcover book looking back at the history and production of the series—complete with staff interviews, character designs, background and key animation art and more—as well as a series of nine art cards and an A3 "concert promo" poster. The discs themselves include the movie and Ova versions of Macross Plus , with options for the original Japanese language with subtitles as well as both the Manga Entertainment dub for the Ova and...

Launched in 2012, Kontravoid is the solo project of Cameron Findlay. Born in Canada and based now in LA, Findlay has perfected his own brand of dark pop that cruises freely through electronic music genres. With the release of the video for his latest single “Reckoning,” Findlay also showcased his love for anime. Tapping into his love of the works of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the video provides a window into this overall influence anime has on his artistic endeavors. When an artist is so clear about their love of anime, naturally we have to talk to them! Keep reading to learn more about Findlay’s influences and see his top 10 favorite anime. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? How it started and where you are now? Are there genres you gravitate toward? Findlay : I grew up in Toronto, and in the late ’90s/early 2000s there used...

Do you know what would make Disney+ so much better? Unedited versions of movies like Splash? No. Adding the missing Simpsons episodes? Nah. The answer is anime, namely Macross!

Yes, the legendary mecha series is coming to Disney’s streaming service! The news was posted on the series’ official website. Although a date for Macross‘s global launch hasn’t been announced, it appears it will happen this year.

Image Credit: Disney | Macross

“It has been decided that the ‘Macross’ series will be distributed in Japan and around the world in 2024 on the content brand ‘Star’ of Disney’s official video distribution service Disney+!“

However, American Disney+ subscribers will need to make some concessions. Not all of the eighteen Macross series will be available Stateside.

Two of the eighteen series will be locked down strictly for the Japanese audience:

“The Super Dimension Fortress Macross” (Limited distribution in Japan) “The Super...

Video game publisher Red Art Games announced a North American and European releases for the MacRoss -Shooting Insight- shooting game set for later this year, as the Japanese version of the game is set to be released on March 14 for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch by Bushiroad Games. Further details on the Western release such as release dates, packaging and specifications for the standard and limited editions will be revealed at a later date. Red Art Games describes MacRoss -Shooting Insight- MacRoss Shooting Insight is an all-new MacRoss game, the latest entry in the landmark science fiction franchise! When multiple dimensional folds suddenly occur across space-time, pilots and songstresses alike find themselves inexplicably transported to the Battle 7! From there, six stories unfold with the fate of the galaxy at stake. Pilots, songstresses, and characters from five MacRoss series take center stage in a completely original story. Sources: Red Art...

Bryan Cranston is an accomplished voice actor in addition to his on-screen roles, having provided English voice-overs for Japanese anime. He has played various characters in anime series and films, including Joseph "Joe" Thax in Eagle Riders, Isamu Alva Dyson in Macross Plus, Eddie Barrows in Armitage III, and Fei Long in Street Fighter II - The Animated Movie. Cranston's involvement in anime shows and movies has contributed to the popularity and success of these works, and he has played a role in introducing anime to Western audiences.

While Bryan Cranston is best known for his movie and television acting from major titles like Breaking Bad, Drive, and Malcolm in the Middle, the award-winning actor was an accomplished voice actor with a taste for plahying roles in cartoons, and interestingly enough, dubbing anime.

Like many young actors looking for their big break, Cranston nourished his early acting career by doing assorted odd jobs,...

With over 50+ films, Camera Japan Festival is proud to announce its full and diverse programme, combining films ranging from de newest and best Japanese arthouse, animation, documentaries, short films and classic cinema.

The 18th edition of the festival will be opened at Rotterdam based LantarenVenster on September 21st with a festive screening of Takahashi Masaya's European premiere of The Dry Spell. One day prior, the festival unofficially kicks off at Worm with a very special screening of Spaghetti Ramen. From 28 September – 1 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam's LAB111.

With three international and ten European premieres, the festival consists of a very special and exclusive film programme. Films such as Tsugaru Lacquer Girl, Firing the Lighter Gun and The Rest of Our Lives, will have their first screenings outside of Japan, here, at Camera Japan Festival.

As if the international premieres were not special enough, the festival is honored to welcome...

For a long time the Macross anime franchise couldn’t escape the shadow of Robotech, at least in America. Ever since Robotech utilized the first Macross series as part of its amalgamation of three shows in the ‘80s, it’s been difficult for Macross to make its own place in the United States. Due to complicated legal problems most of the franchise besides the original series wasn’t legally available in the U.S. for the past 20 years. This was a shame since the Macross franchise continued on from its original series with multiple sequels, films, manga, and more.

Now we’re finally getting it. After the agreement earlier this year between all parties involved with Macross and Robotech, the theatrical film Macross Plus is coming to US theaters on December 14th. The synopsis for the film, set in the same universe as the first Macross series, is below.

In...

Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Film Society of Lincoln Center

“Total Verhoeven” begins with the likes of RoboCop, Showgirls, and Turkish Delight.

Film Forum

Experience the best of an oft-maligned format with “3-D Auteurs,” showcasing contemporary and classic technological innovation.

Labyrinth will screen on Sunday morning.

Museum of Modern Art

“Tom Hanks: A Tribute” begins tonight, while “To Save...

Upcoming manga/anime-themed feature film Black Hat is currently in the fundraising stage, and among the cool incentives being offered is an opportunity to attend the premiere with one of the stars, Brooke Lewis herself!

We have some information on the project below; for more visit the official Black Hat fundraising campaign at Seed & Spark, "like" Black Hat on Facebook, and follow Black Hat on Twitter (@blackhatanime).

And be sure to head over and check out the sights at BrookeLewis.com as well. Oh, Ms. Vampy, how we love ya!

From the Press Release

The national fundraising campaign for Black Hat has launched to promote the passion of the anime, manga, and cosplay community with writer/director/actor Robbie Bryan (iMurders, The Stand-In). The launching pad is with Seed & Spark, a truly independent filmmaking community where filmmakers and audiences come together for crowd-funding, production, and streaming distribution.

The campaign coincides...

McM Expo/London Comic Con returns to ExCel London on 25th – 27th October. As well as hosting a galaxy of great sci-fi, movie, games, comics, anime and cosplay content, they’ve also got their usual huge line up of special guests – with more guests being added all the time! see www.mcmcomiccon.com for the latest London Comic Con news – but here’s a round-up of who’s been announced so far:

Red hot fantasy-noir show Lost Girl is coming to McM London Comic Com, with stars Ksenia Solo (Black Swan, Life Unexpected) and Rachel Skarsten (Transporter: The Series, Birds Of Prey) plus executive producer Jay Firestone (Andromeda, La Femme Nikita). Stars from hit sci-fi series Warehouse 13: Kelly Hu (Arrow, X-Men 2, The Vampire Diaries); Eddie McClintock (Bones, Desperate Housewives) and actor/director Saul Rubinek (Frasier, Curb Your Enthusiasm). The stars of new crime thriller By Any Means: Warren Brown (Luther,...

The voice cast of the upcoming animated film from directors Lauren Montgomery (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) and Sam Liu, (All-Star Superman, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) 'Batman: Year One' has been revealed. One thing that may come as a disappointment to many is that veteran voice actor, Kevin Conroy will not provide the voice for Batman as he has for years in the television shows, 'Batman: The Animated Series,' 'Batman Beyond,' and 'Justice League.' Conroy also did the voice of Batman for Liu's aforementioned animated feature, 'Superman/Batman: Public Enemies' and Montgomery's 'Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.'Suffice to say, it is a little shocking to hear that Conroy won't be the voice of Batman, but given that his tone is that of a hardened, older gentleman and 'Year One' tells the tale of a young Batman,...

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii

Written by: Kazunori Itō, Masamune Shirow

Cast: Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ōtsuka, Tamio Ōki, Yutaka Nakano, Shigeru Chiba

Music: Kenji Kawai

A question posed throughout all of human history, one possibly more insightful and more relevant than the meaning of life, deals with that of humanity.

What makes a human being? Is it our body? Our intellect? Our consciousness? What makes man any different from a machine performing functions? Could a machine be more human than a human? The list goes on and on, and there’s still no definitive answer to the question - but it certainly gets us to think, doesn’t it? In 1995, an anime readdressed this question using cyborgs.

Science fiction often asks this question, as well as its other related issues, and much of this discussion began in the popularly writings of Isaac Asimov. Ghost in the Shell, produced by Production I.

The Halo franchise is going the Animatrix route by releasing a series of anime short films in a collected anthology entitled Halo Legends. The collection will feature seven stories told across eight episodes, all serving to expand the mythology of the Halo universe, much in the same way that the recently-released Halo 3: Odst sought to do.

For those of you still waiting on your live-action Halo movie, it seems as though you’ll have to make due with Legends for now, so, if “universe expansion films” like The Animatrix or Batman: Gotham Knight haven’t turned you off completely to this sort of thing, check out these highlights from the Halo Legends official press release:

Go deeper into the Halo universe than

ever before with Halo Legends, an all-new, CG and traditional anime

PG-13 experience that presents enthralling new stories from one of the

world’s most popular video game franchises.

Exactly what you've all been waiting for... Sort of. Warner Home Video has announced today that they will release Halo: Legends, a series of seven animated short films. It will hit DVD and Blu-ray on February 9, 2010. For your amusement, please see the official press release below: Go deeper into the Halo universe than ever before with Halo Legends, an all-new, CG and traditional anime PG-13 experience that presents enthralling new stories from one of the world’s most popular video game franchises. Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, the exciting tales-beyond-the-games will be distributed February 9, 2010 by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray for $29.98 (Srp) and $34.99 (Srp), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (Srp) due date for all versions is January 5, 2010. The chapters will also be available On Demand and Digital Download. Halo Legends is a seven-story anthology – told across eight spectacular episodes – that explores the...