Official Site: https://godzilla.store/chibigodzilla/Official Twitter: @chibigodziSpecial Thanks to Andrew Nguyen   Photo courtesy of Toho. © 2023 TOHO CO., LTD.   The latest entry in the long-running Godzilla series, the anime CHIBI GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (ちびゴジラの逆襲, Chibi Gojira no Gyakushū), will premiere in Japan at 7:00am on Saturday, April 1, 2023. The show is part of the TV Tokyo station's Iniminimanimo (eeny, meeny, miney, mo) block of children's programming. Chibi Godzilla was introduced in 2018 as part of the lead-in for Godzilla's 65th anniversary the following year. He was designed by Chiharu Sakazaki, a popular illustrator known for Suica Penguin (Suicaのペンギン, Suika no Pengin), a character appearing on East Japan Railway Company’s prepaid IC cards, and Chiba Prefecture's mascot Chi-ba+kun (チーバくん).  Chibi Godzilla  is intended to be an "introductory Godzilla" that younger children can relate to and hopefully become the first step in creating

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Source: https://leijisha.jp/ The legendary Leiji Matsumoto, creator of Space Battleship Yamato (宇宙戦艦ヤマト, Uchū Senkan Yamato), Captain Harlock (宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック, Uchū Kaizoku Kyaputen Hārokku) and Galaxy Express 999 (銀河鉄道999, Ginga Tetsudō Surī Nain) , has passed away due to accute heart failure. His company, Leijisha Co., Ltd., has issued a statement...   Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto left for the Sea of Stars from a hospital in Tokyo on February 13, 2023, at the age of 85. The funeral ceremony was already held with only close relatives. I think he had a happy life as he ran through his thoughts of continuing to draw stories as a manga artist. Matsumoto always said, "Where the wheels of time meet, we will meet again." We believe in those words and look forward to that day. To all the fans who have supported us so far, to

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Concept art from the upcoming kaiju short film, MIDNIGHT THE ERA. Photo courtesy of Studio Mujaku. ©Studio Mujaku Author: Keith AikenSource: Studio MujakuSpecial Thanks to Avery Guerra  A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Photo courtesy of Studio Mujaku. ©Studio Mujaku   SciFi Japan is pleased to present an exclusive preview of MIDNIGHT THE ERA, an upcoming kaiju short, created by an exceptional team of university students, that combines animation with traditional Japanese tokusatsu FX techniques. MIDNIGHT THE ERA is being produced by the independent film studio, Studio Mujaku. Established in Noivember 2021, Studio Mujaku is fully staffed by college students, mainly those studying art. The movie is being financially backed through a fundraising campaign, with a tentative completion date of July 2023. Unlike many student works, MIDNIGHT THE ERA will not be released on YouTube. Instead, it is scheduled to premiere at the Summer 2023

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Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. © BIRD STUDIO / Shueisha ・ Fuji Television ・ Toei Animation Source: Toei Animation Co., Ltd. press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto DJ Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak and Toei Animation have joined forces to activate two of the world’s most iconic anime titles at New York Comic Con from October 6-9, 2022 – DRAGON BALL SUPER and ONE PIECE. Located in the Toei Animation Booth 2537 at Jacob K. Javits Center in NYC, Dim Mak and Toei Animation will present an immersive experience for fans to engage with their favorite characters while shopping the official merchandise exclusively unveiled at the event. Steve Aoki. Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. DIM MAK x DRAGON BALL SUPER follows the Universe Survival Arc as Goku discovers and achieves power level “Ultra Instinct” to rescue the multiverse from instant annihilation. The action-packed collection

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Source: HIDIVE press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: https://akibamaidwar.com/ (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox HIDIVE has announced that it will debut AKIBA MAID WAR (アキバ冥途戦争, Akiba Meido Sensō, 2022) , an original anime project from P.A. Works (YA BOY KONGMING!) and Cygames (ZOMBIE LAND SAGA), in October as part of its Fall 2022 simulcast lineup. Akihabara is the center of the universe for the coolest hobbies and quirkiest amusements. In the spring of 1999, bright-eyed Nagomi Wahira moves there with dreams of joining a maid café. She quickly dons an apron at café Ton Tokoton, AKA the Pig Hut. But adjusting to life in bustling Akihabara isn’t as easy as serving tea and delighting customers. Paired with the dour Ranko who never seems to smile, Nagomi must do her best to elevate the Pig Hut over all other maid cafés vying

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Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. © Delightful Love Letter to Japanese Pop Culture  Debuts Everywhere on Digital and  On Demand October 11, 2022 Source: Shout! Factory press release Special Thanks to Eric McEver, Jeff Hammer, Bob Eggleton and Sarah J. De Bruin IKÉ BOYS key art by award-winning artist, Bob Eggleton. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. ©   A charmingly offbeat fantasy adventure that mixes live action, original animation, and tokusatsu special effects, the new feature film IKÉ BOYS will debut on Digital and On Demand on all major platforms October 11, 2022 from Shout! Studios. Heart-warming yet comedic, IKÉ BOYS is a coming-of-age story of adventure and friendship set amongst high school friends in late ’90s Oklahoma who escape the dull reality of daily life via a shared obsession with all things Japanese. A love letter to kaiju, anime

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Source: HIDIVE press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: https://mushikaburihime.com/ (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox HIDIVE announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to BIBLIOPHILE PRINCESS (虫かぶり姫, Mushikaburi-hime, 2022), the arresting historical drama anime based upon the light novel and manga of the same name. The series will premiere exclusively on HIDIVE during the Fall 2022 season. Known as the Bibliophile Princess for her unquenchable love of books, Lady Eliana Bernstein wants nothing more than to shirk social duties in favor of retreating to the library. So, when the handsome Crown Prince Christopher promises to shield her from high-society drudgery in exchange for pretending to be his fiancée, she jumps at the chance to hide behind their sham relationship and read to her heart’s content (especially since he’s offered her access to the palace library). But much like the plot of her

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Source: HIDIVE press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: https://uy-allstars.com/ (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox HIDIVE has announced its acquisition of URUSEI YATSURA (うる星やつら), the highly anticipated, new TV series based on the best-selling manga of the same name by legendary mangaka Rumiko Takahashi, the renowned creator of Inuyasha, Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku. A new adaptation of the beloved classic series, URUSEI YATSURA features the instantly recognizable and utterly iconic character Invader Girl Lum and will premiere on HIDIVE during the Fall 2022 simulcast season. When an alien race known as the Oni invade Earth, the chronically unlucky and unapologetically lecherous Ataru Moroboshi is selected as humanity’s representative in a duel for the fate of the planet! His opponent is Lum, the Oni’s very pretty princess, and it’s only thanks to Ataru’s unscrupulous behavior that he’s able to scrape out a win

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Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. © Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation Source: Toei Animation Co., Ltd. press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto All eyes will be on legendary anime studio Toei Animation when it takes over New York’s iconic Times Square as part its largest ever fan experience at this year’s New York Comic Con 2022. This showcase of franchise properties, including ONE PIECE FILM RED, DRAGON BALL SUPER and WORLD TRIGGER, will offer fans an array of experiences over four days from October 6 – 9 and will encompass celebrity panel, screenings, a Dim Mak pop-up, giant and life sized character displays  and more. Toei Animation’s event line-up kicks off on Thursday, October 6 at 6:00 pm with the U.S. Red Carpet Premiere of ONE PIECE FILM RED, which opens November 4 in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. The finale takeover event happens Saturday,

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CAROLE & TUESDAY, December 20th Source: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its December slate of releases which includes CAROLE & TUESDAY, a 24-episode anime television series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. It was animated by studio Bones, in commemoration of the studio's 20th anniversary. A CAROLE & TUESDAY Limited Edition Premium Box Set will be released soon. Product details follow, in order of release...   Coming December 2022 Photo courtesy of Section23 Films. BEYOND THE BOUNDARY Published by:    Sentai Filmworks Distributed by:   Section23 Films Run Time:         495 min. Street Date:      12/6/2022 Format:             BD Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles SRP:                 $79.98 As the last surviving member of her clan, Mirai Kuriyama was born with the ability to control her blood and wield

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Image courtesy of Shochiku. © SOTSU • SUNRISE Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd.Author: Andrew Nguyen Official Site: https://g-doan.net/(Japan), https://www.crunchyrollmovienight.com/ (US)   Image courtesy of Shochiku. © SOTSU • SUNRISE After defending its main headquarters in Jabruo, South America, the Earth Federation Forces prepare to launch an operation to capture Odessa, the headquarters of the Principality of Zeon’s Earth Attack Force and the key linchpin of Zeon’s supply network on Earth. Amuro Ray, the pilot of the titular Gundam mobile suit, and the White Base, an Earth Federation spaceship that he is serving on, head to Belfast to resupply before the operation. On the way to Belfast, the White Base is given a new mission; to head to an uninhabited island, commonly known as the "Island of No Return" to wipe out any Zeon stragglers. Amuro and his friends set out to search for any Zeon spies,

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Source: Sentai press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: http://caroleandtuesday.com/index.html (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox Sentai revealed today that it has acquired the home entertainment rights to the critically-acclaimed music anime CAROLE & TUESDAY (キャロル&チューズデイ, Kyaroru & Chūzudei, 2019) from original creator and chief director Shinichiro Watanabe, who is wildly admired for such commercially successful titles as COWBOY BEBOP, SAMURAI CHAMPLOO and SPACE DANDY. Animated by production studio Bones (FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD, MOB PSYCHO100, SPACE DANDY, MY HERO ACADEMIA) and directed by Motonobu Hori (animation director for PSYCHO-PASS) with soundtrack by record label FlyingDog, CAROLE & TUESDAY will be released on home video by Sentai later this fall. In the not too distant future, AI-generated music dominates entertainment on Mars, where the cutthroat music industry churns out dozens of plastic stars manufactured for mass appeal. It is here that Carole Stanley, an

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Source: HIDIVE press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: https://shinmai-renkin.com/ (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox HIDIVE announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to MANAGEMENT OF A NOVICE ALCHEMIST (新米錬金術師の店舗経営, Shinmai Renkinjutsushi no Tenpo Keiei, 2022), the heartfelt fantasy anime series based on the light novel of the same name by Mizuho Itsuki. The series will premiere exclusively on HIDIVE this fall. Orphaned Sarasa just graduated from the Royal Alchemist Academy, and that means her longed-for life of elegance and riches is close at hand! As a graduation gift, her teacher gifts her a house to set up shop — but Sarasa’s dilapidated new digs are beyond far-flung. What’s a novice alchemist to do when they're stuck in the middle of nowhere with a business to run and supplies to gather from a very dangerous natural world? Whether it’s facing down frightening

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Source: HIDIVE press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: https://shippona-anime.com/ (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox HIDIVE announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to MY MASTER HAS NO TAIL (うちの師匠はしっぽがない, Uchi no Shishō wa Shippo ga Nai, 2022), the anime adaptation of the manga serialized in Kodansha’s good! Afternoon magazine. The series will premiere exclusively on HIDIVE this fall. Throughout time, supernatural, shapeshifting tanuki loved playing tricks on humankind. One plucky tanuki, Mameda, is no different. But there's one big problem. She wasn’t born in the days of yore — she was born in modern, more cynical times! How can she fulfill her mischievous tanuki destiny when supernatural hijinks are a thing of the past? She finds an angle when she meets Bunko, a master of the Japanese art of rakugo, which uses storytelling to beguile its audience. Mameda is determined to

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Source: HIDIVE press release, AMCN Entertainment Group Official Site: https://www.yamanosusume.com/ (Japan) Special Thanks to Scott Barretto and Stephen Cox HIDIVE announced today that it acquired exclusive rights to ENCOURAGEMENT OF CLIMB: NEXT SUMMIT (ヤマノススメ Next Summit, Yama no Susume Nekusuto Samitto, 2022), a new adaptation of the mountaineering manga of the same name in Comic Earth Star magazine. The series will premiere exclusively on HIDIVE this fall. Aoi Yukimura’s fear of heights won’t hold her back in the next adaptation of Encouragement of Climb! Joined by fellow mountaineering enthusiasts, including the spirited Hinata Kuraue and the other climbers they’ve met on their journey to great heights, Aoi and friends tackle tough challenges and conquer new summits while they embark on adventures throughout the mountain ranges of Japan. Fans new to the franchise will get to know the world of ENCOURAGEMENT OF CLIMB via a selection of

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ROYAL SPACE FORCE – The Wings of Honnêamise 4K Remastered Memorial Box Available November 4th Source: Section23 Films press release Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its November slate of releases which includes a special collaboration with Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. to distribute ROYAL SPACE FORCE – The Wings of Honnêamise the first feature-length animated film by renowned anime studio GAINAX. The film has been remastered in stunning 4K in honor of the legendary film’s 35th anniversary. Product details follow, in order of release...   Coming November 2022 Photo courtesy of Section23 Films. FATE/KALEID LINER PRISMA ILLYA 2WEI! Published by:    Sentai Filmworks Distributed by:   Section23 Films Run Time:         500 min. Street Date:      11/1/2022 Format:             BD Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles SRP:                 $79.98 Magical

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Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation ©“2009 One Piece” Production committee Source: Toei Animation Inc. press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation ©“2009 One Piece” Production committee ONE PIECE, the  global hit anime series from Toei Animation, will air its 1,000th episode this November. To celebrate this franchise milestone, Toei Animation and Fathom Events will present ONE PIECE FILM: STRONG WORLD as a special two-night theatrical event on November 7 (English Dub) & November 9 (English Sub) in select U.S. theaters. This will be the first-ever U.S. theatrical release of ONE PIECE FILM: STRONG WORLD – the 2009 movie written by creator Eiichiro Oda and 10th film in the ONE PIECE franchise. As part of this special event, moviegoers will also experience the U.S. premiere of the ONE PIECE: MUGIWARA CHASE featurette.

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Photo courtesy of The Loot Company. ©SOTSU・SUNRISE The Gundam Fans Have Spoken with the Loot Crate Gundam Capsule Collection Source: The Loot Company press release Special Thanks to George Roush Are you ready to live the G-Life? Celebrate this super special series of wear focusing on the winning mechs of our Gundam universe tournament polls! With a design focus decided on by the fans on our @GundamLifeCrate Instagram, this capsule collection fully complements the Loot Crate Gundam Life Crate Series! This limited-edition collection can only be purchased from Loot Crate. The Gundam Capsule Collection includes five pieces of apparel, voted on by the fans, including a Gundam Wing Henley, Gundam Seed T-shirt, Mobile Suit Gundam T-shirt, Gundam 00 Long-Sleeve Tee, and a Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans T-shirt. Each item is 100% cotton and made in the U.S.A. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise, Mobile Suit Gundam

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Source: Shout! Factory press release Special Thanks to Shannon Meehan Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. © 2020 SHIROBAKO PROJECT A love letter to the anime industry, the highly anticipated new film SHIROBAKO The Movie (劇場版 SHIROBAKO, Gekijōban Shirobako, 2020) will be released on digital download and on Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack on October 26, 2021 from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory. The fan-favorite anime about making anime makes its home entertainment debut following a North American theatrical release this summer. Bonus features on the Blu-ray + DVD combo pack release include a teaser and trailer never before seen in North America, and a 4-page booklet with stunning character art.   SHIROBAKO The Movie is the eagerly awaited sequel to the television anime series of the same name, which has also been adapted as a manga series. SHIROBAKO The Movie’s director Tsutomu Mizushima (GIRLS UND

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©2021 Funimation Global Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Source: Funimation press release Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (SPE) and AT&T Inc.* (NYSE:T) today announced that SPE has completed its acquisition of AT&T’s Crunchyroll anime business through Funimation Global Group, LLC.  Funimation is a joint venture between SPE and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.’s subsidiary, Aniplex Inc. The agreement was first announced in December 2020.  Crunchyroll is a premier anime direct-to-consumer service with 5 million SVOD subscribers and growing. It serves 120 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories offering AVOD, mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution. The deal provides the opportunity for Crunchyroll and Funimation to broaden distribution for their content partners and expand fan-centric offerings for consumers. “We are very excited to welcome Crunchyroll to the Sony Group,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “Anime is a rapidly growing medium

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