Naruto and Burger King are teaming up for a wild new collaboration internationally, so here’s what you need to know about the big shake ups to the menu. Not long ago, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto kicked off the 20th anniversary celebration of its original anime release with all sorts of fun projects to help celebrate how far the franchise has come in the two decades. Those celebrations are continuing further this year too as Burger King France has announced a new collaboration with Naruto that sees the burger chain amping itself up with a new menu and merchandise exclusive to the region.

Burger King France first teased fans earlier this week about a new collaboration coming with Naruto, and they celebrated with some brand new art teasing what could be coming in the new team up. Now they have officially revealed what to expect from their new menu changes on their website that includes new burgers, new chicken sandwiches, new merchandise, a special Naruto meal for kids, and special Naruto inspired sauce. But unfortunately, it’s yet to be announced if this collaboration will be seen outside of Burger King France.

What’s New for Naruto’s Burger King Menu?

As detailed by Burger King France’s website, the new Naruto collaboration sees their restaurant change its name to “BKonoha.” Separated into two different menus inspired by both Naruto and Sasuke, the Naruto offering is a burger with a white bun with sesame seeds, beef, emulsified soy sauce, onions and cheese. For the Sasuke offering, it’s the same kind of burger but with chicken instead of a beef hamburger patty. Fans can also nab a special hat or Sasuke t-shirt that will be launched alongside this new menu. There’s even a special new offering for kids.

This new kid’s offering features exclusive Naruto cards, a hat, and some special Naruto sauce. But unfortunately for fans outside of France, it has yet to be announced if Burger King will be offering this collaboration in other territories. As Naruto gets ready for this new menu, it’s the perfect kind of anime for this team up in the United States. Naruto is still one of the most popular anime franchises with a certain generation, so this kind of team up in the West would go a long way with fans (especially as they start testing the waters with anime).

RELATED: New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Preview Further Explores Kakashi/Splinter Connection

What’s Next for Naruto?

This team up between Naruto and Burger King might be exclusive to France, but thankfully Naruto still has more in the works for a release potentially later this year. As part of the celebration for that 20th anniversary was a special new four episode anime featuring the original incarnation of Naruto. This brings back the original Team 7 as seen in the pre-Shippuden release, and fans have been waiting quite a while to see the new episodes as the new anime has unfortunately been in the midst of an indefinite delay for the past year.

It was originally scheduled to make its debut in the Fall of 2023 to coincide with Naruto’s 20th anniversary, but unfortunately Naruto has yet to announce when these new episodes will be making their debut. There’s a good chance we’ll see some forward momentum as there are only four episodes to this new special release. At the same time, fans are waiting to see more of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations as the sequel series has also been in the midst of its own indefinite hiatus for the last couple of years too.

The post What You Need to Know for Naruto & Burger King’s Big Team Up appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fans are eagerly awaiting WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss to make her in-ring return, but she’s been keeping busy during her time away from the ring, and now fans can stream her latest project on Netflix. Bliss (who is credited under her real name Lexi Cabrera) is part of the English Dub cast for Netflix’s latest manga adaptation Sakamoto Days, where she plays the role of Obiguro (via Anime News Network). The best part is that the first episodes of the series are streaming now on Netflix, and you can watch the full trailer in the video above.

Sakamoto Days is based on Yuuto Suzuki’s original manga, which is based around a man named Taro Sakamoto. These days Sakamoto runs a popular store in the neighborhood and is well known as someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but it turns out that he’s actually a former legendary assassin who retired from that life to raise a family. When his family and new life is threatened, Sakamoto has to go back into action to defend it, but as his wife makes clear, he needs to do it without actually killing anyone or face divorce.

Bliss plays the role of Obiguro, who alongside her partner Boiled are two of the Dondenkai agency’s deadliest assassins. Obiguro is all about the thrill of the fight, which causes her to make some rather unexpected decisions from time to time and is also known for her mid-fight banter. The only person that has a habit of shaking her up is actually Boiled whenever he raises his voice, and their dynamic has led to incredible (and lethal) success within the agency.

As those who have watched Bliss in WWE know, she’s actually a perfect fit for a character like this, as she’s embodied all of those traits at one time during her WWE career. Whether it’s as the Goddess, the haunting ally of Bray Wyatt, or the more playfully disturbing supernatural character she played most recently, she can do it all.

[RELATED: Absent Former WWE Women’s Champion Begins Training 17 Months After Last Match: Watch]

Bliss is part of a loaded cast as well, which includes Matthew Mercer (Taro Sakamoto), Dallas Liu (Shin Asakura), Xolo Mariduena (Heisuke Mashimo), Rosalie Chiang (Lu Shaotang), Rosie Okumura (Aoi Sakamoto), Aleks Le (Nagumo), SungWon Cho (Boiled), Du-Shaunt Fik-Shun Stegall (Son Hee), and Toru Uchikado (Bacho).

The series is directed by TMS Entertainment’s Masaki Watanabe (Kado – The Right Answer), while Taku Kishimoto (Blue Lock) is in charge of the series’ scripts, and Yō Moriyama (Lupin the Third: Goemon’s Blood Spray) is at the helm of character designs. The series is being split into two parts. Part 1 will contain 11 weekly episodes and is now streaming, releasing its first episode on January 11th. Part 2’s exact release date isn’t known just yet, but it is slated to release in July. You can find the official description below.

“Taro Sakamoto was the ultimate assassin, feared by villains and admired by hitmen. But one day…he fell in love! Retirement, marriage, fatherhood and then… Sakamoto gained weight! the chubby guy who runs the neighborhood store is actually a former legendary hitman! Can he protect his family from danger? Get ready to experience a new kind of action comedy series!”

Are you excited for the new show, and when do you think Bliss will return to WWE? You can talk all things wrestling and TV with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!

The post WWE’s Alexa Bliss Stars in New Netflix Anime Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dragon Ball Daima has been making some big reveals about the Demon Realm with each new episode, and the series as a result has made Piccolo and the Namekians stronger and more crafty than they ever have been before. Dragon Ball Daima is a brand new series celebrating the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama’s original manga making its debut with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and it features a brand new story from late creator Toiriyama himself. As Goku and the others make their way through the Demon Realm for the first real time in the franchise, it’s revealed how important this realm actually is to everything seen before.

Dragon Ball has teased elements from the Demon Realm in the past with surprising foes and allies coming from this region, but Dragon Ball Daima is the first real time that the series has spent any real time to flesh it out. With this also revealing that the Namekians are indeed originally from this realm instead of outer space, Dragon Ball Daima has also begun to reveal more about Piccolo’s past and latent abilities. And they’re much different than any other demon in the Demon Realm.

Namekians Are Unique Demons in Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Daima previously revealed that the Namekians are actually originally from the Second Demon World in the Demon Realm. While it had previously seemed like they had come from the Planet Namek, they actually fled to that planet years before the events of the original Dragon Ball series. Piccolo has ties to the Demon Realm too as he previously also revealed his real name in the region, Katatz, and it’s clear that the Namekians have a much more notable thread through the Demon Realm than previously expected. Especially when it comes to using magic.

Dragon Ball fans have seen Piccolo using all kinds of abilities over the course of the franchise as he not only has access to Ki power, but also seems to have magic techniques of his own. He’s been shown to have the ability to grow giant in size, clone himself in multiple ways, and can even make clothes magically appear. And other Namekians like Neva have been shown to have their own magically abilities such as having a full range of control over the creation and use of the Dragon Balls. There’s just one small fact about all of this that stands out, however. This seems to be unique to Namekians.

Dragon Ball Daima has also explained that those in the Demon Realm are fairly unique. Rather than being able to use Ki as seen with Goku and the others in the outside world, Majin can only use magic. It was also teased that the Majin could only use one type of magic ability on top of that, so their powers are fairly limited in terms of what they can do. That doesn’t seem to be the case for Piccolo and the Namekians, however, as it’s been revealed through both Piccolo and Neva that they can increase their relative powers.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima’s English Dub Is Now Streaming, But Has One Glaring Problem

What Does This Mean for Piccolo and the Namekians?

Like Piccolo, Neva has been shown to have incredible power at his disposal. He not only originally created the Tamagamis that protect the Demon Realm’s Dragon Balls, but he’s able to quickly make them stronger in the middle of a fight too. He’s also been shown to have incredible control over the Dragon Balls in the outside world, and can even activate them while they were still in hibernation. It’s something that he’s able to do after living for thousands of years, and it seems like these powers had grown stronger over time.

We’ve seen dozens examples of Piccolo growing stronger through training. His fully transformative forms have come through fusion and a result of a wish on the Dragon Balls, but he’s been able to get himself to that point with his own power. His training has gotten his Ki levels to a new kind of mastery, and that’s something no other Namekian or being in the Demon Realm has shown the capability for. If that’s the case, then this new series has been secretly bringing Piccolo up to the level of everyone else.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was the first real example of Piccolo getting a boost up to the power of the gods that Goku and Vegeta had used, and now Dragon Ball Daima is getting him further to that level with its exploration of the Demon Realm. Piccolo has the power of a demon, and has been steadily reaching Goku and Vegeta’s levels on the outside of their paths. With each new reveal in this new anime series, Piccolo’s only going to be getting stronger from here on out if he’s such a unique demon too.

The post Dragon Ball Has Made Piccolo & The Namekians Stronger Than Ever Before appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sakamoto Days is finally here. After a wait that felt like a lifetime, fans of Yuto Suzuki’s beloved manga can finally dig into the first episode of the new anime on Netflix. The anime adaptation was first announced in May 2024, and fans rightly lost their minds daydreaming about how good the new show could be. But Sakamoto Days‘ road from announcement to release was long and hard fought.

Posters and trailers are meant to get audiences excited about an upcoming project. But every piece of promotional material for Sakamoto Days just left fans even more anxious. Some took issue with the voice cast, while others were worried about the state of the animation from TMS Entertainment. When Vaundy dropped the show’s OP, “Run, Sakamoto, Run,” another wave of anxiety hit already concerned fans (wrongly, because that song is a banger). It all came down to the premiere episode to set things right again. And it achieved that, and then some.

Sakamoto Days Episode 1 Is Better Than the Manga

Saying an adaptation is better than the source material is a sentence that will get you burned at the stake among almost any fandom. But, in the case of Sakamoto Days, it’s true. Before you grab your pitchforks, hear us out. The show’s premiere not only directly soothed the previously raised concerns, but it also blew past everyone’s expectations.

The voice acting in the first episode was phenomenal, and the entire cast perfectly captured the tone and vibe of their respective characters. Nobunaga Shimazaki balanced Shin’s competence with his childlike sense of awe and wonder at reuniting with Taro Sakamoto. While Taro himself, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, was incredibly impactful, even with a minimal amount of dialogue.

The actual animation in the episode was gorgeous, and the trailers didn’t do it justice. TMS Entertainment ripped Yuto Zuzuki’s unique art style straight from the pages of the manga, enhancing the black and white images on the page with beautiful, pastel colors. As for Vaundy’s OP, the haters will slowly come around to embrace the track as the anime gains more fans with each new episode.

One of the most important aspects of Sakamoto Days is the overall vibe. Despite being a story about the deadliest hitman in the world who has a 1 billion yen bounty on his head, Sakamoto Days is an incredibly optimistic and occasionally chill story. After all, all Taro wants is to settle down and enjoy a quiet life with his family. The anime perfectly encapsulated this vibe. Even with the action-packed fight scenes (which we’ll get to in a minute), the anime was bursting with good vibes, and made the audience truly understand why Taro left the world of assassins behind.

[RELATED: Sakamoto Days: Shin’s Wild Powers Explained]

Sakamoto Days Fight Scenes Work Better in Anime

One of the biggest concerns among the fan base was how TMS Entertainment would handle the manga’s fight scenes. Yuto Suzuki’s illustrations and fight choreography are both stunning and ingenious, as Taro utilizes a number of non-lethal methods to take down the other hitmen. The anime’s fight scenes are where it truly excels past the manga. Of course, this can be said for many anime adaptations, as there’s only so much that can be visualized on a printed page, whereas an anime can fill in all the gaps as Yuto delivers high-kick after palm-strike after elbow.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Sakamoto Days anime adds in the perfect cold open, which isn’t in the first chapter of the manga. The opening of the series cuts to a cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a hazy color palette as a young Taro Sakamoto slices his way through henchmen to take down his target. Armed with a pistol and a katana, the scene feels like a hybrid of John Wick and Kill Bill and sets the stage perfectly for Taro’s dad-bod transformation later in the episode.

New episodes of Sakamoto Days will be released weekly, dropping on Saturdays on Netflix. The first episode is available to stream now. Do you think Sakamoto Days will be the peak anime of the Winter 2025 season? Has the first episode won you over? Or, are you still not convinced about the series? Follow Team Anime at ComicBook.com for more Sakamoto Days and anime updates.

The post Sakamoto Days’ Anime Is Already Better Than the Manga appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Clover is now working through the final arc of its manga, and the first new update of the year is setting up one devil’s secret master plan in the works. Black Clover has been in the midst of its final arc through the past year as series creator Yuki Tabata has shifted overt to a new seasonal release schedule with Shueisha’s Jump GIGA magazine. This has resulted in fans getting to see a couple of new chapters from the manga every few months, and with these updates Black Clover has gone through some big phases of this final arc so far.

This is the case with the first major update from the new year as Black Clover has returned for two brand new chapters of the manga. These new chapters have kicked off the final fight between Asta, Yuno and Lucius Zogratis and fans have gotten to see the start of what could be the grand finale for the series overall. But as Lucius continues to fight, the mysterious devil Adrammalech has arrived as is clearly plotting something even bigger before it all comes to an end.

What Is Adrammalech Planning?

Black Clover Chapter 377 picks up shortly after the final fight against Lucius’ Paladins comes to an end, and Adrammalech is seen high above the battlefield as all of the fights are ending around the same time. This includes the rest of the fights against Lucius’ clones as the Anti-Magic boosters Black Bulls are bringing their respective fights to an end as well. But while all these fights seem to be ending in Asta and the others’ favor, Adrammalech himself doesn’t seem too disturbed about how everything is shaping up as their side is losing more fights one after the other.

Adrammalech has been one of the more intriguing Devils we have seen in action in Black Clover. Although the other Devils seen in the series have had contracts with fighters in the human world, Adrammalech doesn’t seem to have those same ties. In fact, whenever we have seen this Devil he’s always just been observing what has been going down. So it even seems like whatever Lucius is planning isn’t part of his own plan either as the Devil seems to be curious to see how Lucius’ future sight is panning out.

RELATED: Black Clover Was Once Considered One of the Worst Series (& Now Fans Can’t Enough)

What Does This Mean for Black Clover’s Final Arc?

As Black Clover continues through this final arc, it’s starting to look like this final fight against Lucius is far from the actual ending of the series overall. Because as Asta and Yuno’s fight against Lucius reaches its climax, there are still more questions to answer about what could be coming next. This is the case with Adrammalech’s role in it all as he’s still watching everything go down from far away, and has something up his sleeve. With so much left unrevealed about the underworld, the Devils themselves are much more intriguing than ever.

Adrammalech likely has some deal in place with Lucius to end the world in the way the Devils want it to, and that deal might be coming to fruition. As they have been watching from the sidelines this entire time, Black Clover has been setting up one last huge reveal before it all comes to an end. It’s just a matter of seeing what this plan turns out to be, and how long it actually takes to get to this point when it’s all over. Whether it be later this year or potentially even the next.

The post Black Clover: Final Arc Sets Up One Devil’s Master Plan appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Toy publisher Mattel has announced that it is partnering with Tokyopop to create manga-style graphic novels based on Mattel’s biggest toy brands. In a press release shared by Anime News Network, Mattel plans to release manga based on Barbie and Hot Wheels. The new books will be aimed at children ages 8 to 12 and are scheduled to be released sometime in 2026. Mattel announced its own publishing imprint in 2024, with Simon & Schuster serving as its sales and distribution partner. No creative team has been announced for the Barbie and Hot Wheels books.

These manga-style graphic novels are part of Mattel’s ongoing push to engage with fans through storytelling. Traditionally, the toys themselves would sell on their own; the story would stem from children’s imagination and whatever they made up. With anime and manga set to become more mainstream in 2025, several companies are now trying to capitalize on the growing market and get their own brands onto the mediums. Marvel and DC Comics also attempted to break into the manga market with officially licensed manga starring their characters. Mattel is now looking to expand its brand and create new storylines with its properties, creating new narratives that go beyond children’s imagination.

[RELATED – Barbie Is Now the Most Popular Movie on Letterboxd]

The Expanded Mattel Multi-Verse

Both Barbie and Hot Wheels had animated spin-offs that advertised the toylines. Barbie had a series of direct-to-DVD features starring the character, whereas Hot Wheels had several TV shows and made-for-TV features. Both brands had their own comic books at some point, but the upcoming collaboration with Tokyopop would be the first time both series would have manga-style graphic novels. Mattel hasn’t clarified if Japanese creators will be in charge of the new novels, but the idea of a Barbie or Hot Wheels comic meant to invoke manga may be enough to entice fans of the medium anyway.

Mattel had massive success with the 2023 live-action Barbie film and intends to expand its other brands in different mediums. The company’s film division already has various film adaptations of their different toylines in the pipeline, including Masters of the Universe, Barney, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, and many more. While theatrical films are where the big money comes in, Mattel also seems to be expanding into different mediums with the announcement of the Barbie and Hot Wheels manga. If the Barbie and Hot Wheels manga proves successful enough, fans could expect other manga adaptations of their favorite toylines.

H/T: Anime News Network, Tokyopop

The post Barbie & Hot Wheels to Get the Manga Treatment Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Castlevania: Nocturne will be making its highly anticipated return of Season 2 on Netflix later this week, and the series has dropped a special new poster to help hype up the new episodes. Castlevania has been one of the standout successes with Netflix in the last few years as Powerhouse Animation and producer Adi Shankar have been working to bring the Konami video game franchise to screen. Following the first four seasons of the original Castlevania TV series, the franchise has continued with a brand new sequel series that moves the Belmont timeline hundreds of years into the future with new allies, enemies and more.

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 will be making its premiere with Netflix on Thursday, January 16th, and Netflix is getting ready for the series with the debut of a brand new trailer and poster for the new episodes. The new trailer shows off the best look at the new season yet (which you can check out in the video above), and the new poster for the season shows off an intense look at the returning cast as they head into a new season filled with battles. Check out the new poster for Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 below.

When Does Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Come Out?

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 will be officially making its premiere with Netflix on January 16th. The new season will be running for eight episodes total at 25 minutes each with a returning staff and voice cast from the first season. Kevin Kolde and Clive Bradley will be serving as showrunners (with Bradley also handling writing duties), Samuel and Adam Deats are serving as directors, and Project 51 Productions and Powerhouse Animation are producing the new season for Netflix. The end of the first season ended on a massive cliffhanger, so things are picking up right from where it all left off.

As for what to expect from the new season of episodes, Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is teased by Netflix as such, “Now joined by the legendary Alucard, Richter Belmont and his band of vampire hunters are in a desperate race against time. Erzsebet Báthory, the Vampire Messiah, who already seems invincible, seeks the full power of the goddess Sekhmet so she can plunge the world into endless darkness and terror.” Now is the perfect time to catch up with the first season streaming with Netflix as well.

RELATED: Sakamoto Days’ Twist-Filled Opening is The Perfect Introduction to The Series

Is Castlevania: Nocturne Getting a Season 3?

With Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 now making its way to Netflix, it’s time to look ahead to a potential future. As of the time of this publication, Netflix has yet to announce any interest in a potential third season for the series. Those behind the scenes are unaware of a potential continuation either as director Samuel Deats revealed to fans on social media last Fall that production would be going on hiatus with the second season nearly being wrapped up.

“For those of you wondering, now that Castlevania: Nocturne S2 is mostly wrapped, we’re going on hiatus until release and we find out if we’re getting renewed,” Deats stated to fans on X. “It goes without saying, but if you want to see more shows of Castlevania quality, please support S2 when it releases!” If nothing behind the scenes has changed since Deats revealed this last Fall, then it might be a much longer wait for a new season than expected. So if fans want the best chance at seeing a new season, they will need to see Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 as soon as it hits Netflix to show there’s interest in a continuation.

The post Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Hypes Netflix Premiere With New Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Clover, a popular manga by Yuki Tabata, is currently in its final arc, while the anime is awaiting a sequel announcement by Studio Pierrot. The story is set in a world where magic is a day-to-day part of life. A person’s social status, the place they live in, and everything else is determined by how powerful they are. Asta, a young, magicless boy, dreams of becoming the Wizard King, a title given only to the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom.

Unlike him, his childhood friend and rival is a prodigy who has shown exceptional skills at a young age. Despite the odds against him, Asta strives to achieve his dream after receiving a grimoire with a five-leaf clover that grants him the power to nullify any magic. We follow his journey full of hardships as he joins the Black Bulls Squad and aims for the top. The story highlights perseverance and the desire to never give up no matter the odds. However, while Black Clover is considered one of the most beloved series, it received severe backlash in the beginning.

[RELATED: Black Clover’s Anime Really Needs to Come Back ASAP]

Black Clover Faced Severe Criticism in the Beginning

The manga debuted in February 2015, and a year later, critics voted it one of the worst manga for anyone of any age during Comic-Con International. The list was shared by Anime News Network, which also included Tomodachi x Monster, Guardians of the Louvre, Ninja Slayer Kills, and Servant X Service in the same category. Furthermore, for the first few months after the anime debut in 2017, it had a score of 6.51 on MyAnimeList. It’s considered below average and a lot of the reviews were slamming the adaptation for bad animation and mediocre plot.

Other criticisms focused on the pacing, heavy use of common shonen tropes, and Asta’s frequent shouting, which some viewers found irritating. However, the anime currently has a score of 8.14 in the same platform and the manga is scored 7.85. The series began to gain traction midway through the first year when the anime was airing The Dungeon Exploration Arc which focused on Asta and Yuno’s teamwork against Mars, a powerful adversary from the enemy kingdom.

The arc follows Asta and Yuno’s team up in a dungeon raid where they run into knights from the Diamon Kingdom. However, Black Clover reviews got a massive boost when the anime started airing the Eye of the Midnight Sun Encounter Arc. The studio upgraded the animation while the story showcased significant growth and character development. Fights against the Eye of the Midnight Sun, the Devil Zagred, and later antagonists highlighted high-stakes conflicts with emotional weight.

The actions of the Dark Triad in the Spade Kingdom Arc further increased interest in the series. The Clover Kingdom continues to face chaos in the Elf Reincarnation Arc, which again solidified Black Clover’s status as one of the best series in recent times. As the story progressed, viewers started to appreciate the anime for its world-building, magic system, side characters, battle choreography, and so on.

Black Clover’s Anime Is Delayed Far Too Long

The anime stopped airing in March 2021 with Episode 170, and a sequel has yet to be announced. It only set up the Spade Kingdom Arc after adapting a few chapters before the conclusion. The last two arcs include some of the best fights and plot twists fans have seen so far. An anime adaptation will elevate the excitement of these moments. It’s also imperative that the anime resolves the unfinished story and give fans the closure they’ve been waiting for.

However, if the anime were to return, Studio Pierrot would likely make it seasonal, just like they did with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Although fans will have to wait longer for the story to conclude, it will provide the studio enough time to work on high-quality animation. On the other hand, the manga is in its final arc. Black Clover transitioned from Weekly Shonen Jump to Jump GIGA in 2023, with the series concluding its WSJ run on August 21st, 2023.

The manga resumed serialization in Jump GIGA on December 25th, 2023. It was incredibly challenging for Yuki Tabata to keep up with the weekly publication schedule amid personal and family issues. The manga is now releasing new chapters quarterly, which resulted in Tabata having a healthier work-life balance and maintaining the quality of his work. Tabata even apologized to readers for the sudden change while also promising to work on the manga conclusion in better condition.

H/T: Anime News Network, @ascillios

The post Black Clover Was Once Considered One of the Worst Series (& Now Fans Can’t Enough) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Common Side Effects will be making its debut with Adult Swim in just a couple of weeks, and the new animated series is showcasing more of its best duo with a new early preview clip from the premiere. Common Side Effects is Adult Swim’s first original animated series to be making its debut this year, and there is quite a lot of excitement over what to expect from this new project. Not only does the series not look like anything else that has been launched with Adult Swim before, but it doesn’t sound like anything that has been seen on the block before either.

This is especially true when it comes to the central duo Copano and Harrington. They’re two DEA agents who get tasked with keeping an eye on the ever evolving situation with the main character, Marshall Cuso, who seems to be at the center of a huge conspiracy. But these two have really struck a chord with fans as the early promotional materials have shown off their dynamic with one another, and now a new preview clip showcases more of that great work in action. You can check it out in the video above as shared by Adult Swim.

When Does Common Side Effects Come Out?

Copano is voiced by Joseph Lee Anderson, and Harrington is voiced by Martha Kelly in the new series, and it won’t be too much longer before Adult Swim fans get to check out more of them as Common Side Effects will be premiering on Sunday, February 2nd at 11:30PM EST with Adult Swim. The new episodes will then be made available for streaming with Max the next day, and kick off with a special two episode premiere with one episode then airing on a weekly basis after. These two will be joined in the voice cast by Dave King, Emily Pendergast, Mike Judge, and more.

Originally created by Joe Bennett (who also co-created Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep, American Dad!, The Office), and produced by Bandera and Green Street Pictures, this will be a half-hour serialized story that also features King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as executive producers. As this preview clip showcases, Common Side Effects is going to have a much different vibe than Adult Swim fans might be used to. But at the same time, that’s going to make it a perfect fit for the block.

What Is Common Side Effects?

As teased by its title, Common Side Effects sees a wider mystery unfolding around the pharmaceutical industry. When Marshall spots a new kind of mushroom that could serve as a miracle drug that can heal almost any injury, he could end up disrupting the drug world as whole. Adult Swim teases what to expect from the new animated series as such, “The half-hour series follows Marshall and Frances, two former high school lab partners who share a secret: Marshall has discovered the world’s greatest medicine, a mushroom that can heal almost anything. But getting it out into the world won’t be easy – the DEA, big pharma, and international businessmen are all on the chase to stop them.”

Copano and Harrington play a key role in the animayed series as the greater mystery unfolds, and the two of them are trying to figure out their place in it all while just working another day at their jobs. It’s a fun dynamic that fans will get to see more of when the series premieres next month, and even more of that wider conspiracy reveal itself in the near future as well.

The post Common Side Effects Highlights Its Best Duo in Special Preview Clip appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fortnite leakers are notorious for discovering upcoming skins and collaborations between Epic Games battle royale and other franchises. Sometimes the leaks are accurate and players get a sneak peak of what skins are joining Fortnite, but sometimes the leaks miss the mark. A recent leak has captured fans’ attention, and there is some credibility here based on previous skins released in Fortnite. One of the biggest surprises was the correctly leaked Godzilla collaboration, which ties in directly with this new leak.

The leak of a King Kong and Kaiju No.8 collaboration comes from known leakers Dr Cacahuette and iFireMonkey, showing off a potential look at upcoming skins. The 3D models for King Kong show what skins players can equip in Fortnite to play as the giant ape, based on his appearance from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. King Kong was previously leaked to be coming to the game after Godzilla joined, but Epic Games hasn’t officially confirmed this just yet.

RELATED: Fortnite Chapter 6 Makes Controversial Weapon Change

The inclusion of skins and items from Kaiju No.8 is certainly a surprise but fits with Godzilla and King Kong also joining the game. For Kaiju No.8, leakers discovered a pickaxe codenamed Sure Bamboo, which has a similar color scheme and aesthetic to Kaiju No.8. If the pickaxe is an indicator of what’s to come, fans can probably expect a skin based on the Kaiju No.8 manga as well.

Both of these leaks should be taken with a grain of salt until an official announcement of a collaboration is made. As noted before, leakers are sometimes right, but can wrong just as often. Even well-known leakers who have gotten information correct don’t have a perfect batting average.

That said, with Godzilla’s inclusion, King Kong’s arrival makes sense, and considering both figures’ kaiju status, Kaiju No.8 also fits. Epic Games hasn’t been shy about including anime crossovers in Fortnite, so this isn’t far off the mark for what the studio may do. The current season of Fortnite ends on February 21, 2025, making it the perfect time to add more skins along with a new season.

Only time will tell if King Kong and Kaiju No.8 join Fortnite, but it would be a fitting follow-up to Godzilla. In the meantime, fans have taken to ridicule the leaked models for King Kong, specifically, the interesting choice to keep the head and body separate and King Kong’s funny facial expression. Fans of both franchises certainly hope the leaks are true, and most are happy to see new skins added. Fortnite continues to grow and expand its roster of collaborations, some of which seem impossible only to be done. King Kong and Kaiju No.8 aren’t far from the realm of possibility, so the leaks do look pretty credible.

Including kaiju in Fortnite makes sense and opens the door for even more. Godzilla and King Kong have numerous adversaries that could be added to the game, which would lead to some interesting parties. A team consisting of Godzilla, King Kong, Kaiju No.8, and another kaiju like Mothra would be an interesting sight to see dropping from the Battle Bus. Here’s to hoping more kaiju jump into Fortnite and give fans what they want.

The post Fortnite Leak Reveals New Kong, Kaiju No. 8 Skins appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Squid Game Season 2 has been taking over Netflix ever since it launched last December, and now the season has officially become one of the most watched seasons on Netflix ever. Squid Game was one of the biggest successes for Netflix in the 2020s as the Korean drama really took the world by storm. It was a surprise seeing a non-English series succeed to such an extent that it became a fully fleshed out franchise for Netflix that resulted in a brand new, completely real game show and two more seasons to help bring it all to an end. And Netflix viewers have been locked in.

Squid Game Season 2 went on to have one of the biggest premieres in Netflix history as it broke records previously held by its own first season and Wednesday. Now as the numbers continue to roll in through to the new year, Squid Game Season 2 has cemented itself as the third most-watched TV season on Netflix with 152.5 million total views worldwide. This series is still just as big as it was the first time around.

Squid Game Season 2 Continues to Dominate Netflix

As revealed on Netflix’s Top 10 lists for the week of January 6th, Squid Game Season 2 is now in its third week at the top of the Non-English TV shows chart globally with 26.3 million views. It seems the success of the new season has brought back the first season too as Squid Game Season 1 has entered the Top 10 list at third place with 8.7 million views as well. With these latest numbers, Squid Game Season 2 has gone from its 68 million view debut to its current total of 152.5 million views worldwide, and as Variety points out, this means the season has picked up 126.2 million views across 11 days.

This is a huge feat for any Netflix series as no other show has seen that kind of growth, and Squid Game Season 2 is in pretty hilarious company when it comes to the most watched seasons on Netflix overall. The current title holder is Squid Game Season 1 with 265 million views, and Wednesday comes in second with 252 million views. There’s an over 100 million view difference in between these and Squid Game Season 2’s current view count, but it’s a huge accomplishment for a follow up to a massively popular series.

RELATED: Squid Game Creator Explains Why Season 2’s Most Controversial Player Shares Name With Marvel Villain

When Does Squid Game Season 3 Come Out?

Squid Game Season 3 is currently scheduled for a release some time later this year, but a more concrete release date or window has yet to be announced by Netflix as of the time of this publication. Squid Game Season 3 will be officially bringing the series to an end, and when previously asked about a potential release for the final episodes, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk teased,  “At this point, anything I might say is going to be a spoiler, so I want to be cautious. But what I can say is, after Season 2 launches, I believe we will be announcing the launch date for Season 3 soon. I probably expect that to launch around summer or fall next year.”

A potential leak for Squid Game Season 3 teases that the final episodes will be available for streaming this June, and that would perfectly line up with what the creator had noted about its release. But as of this time, Netflix fans can only hope to catch up with the first two seasons of the series in the meantime while we all wait to see how it all comes to an end.

HT – Variety

The post Squid Game Season 2 Is One of Netflix’s Most Watched Seasons Ever appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Amidst exciting releases like season 2 of Solo Leveling and the final season of Dr. Stone, one particular anime that is already beginning to stand out is Netflix and TMS Entertainment’s Sakamoto Days. Though Sakamoto Days’ opening theme by Vaundy was met with mixed opinions prior to the anime’s release, the series is shaping up to be quite a hit regardless, and its brilliantly deceptive opening sequence in Episode 1 is all the introduction fans need to the series.

Sakamoto Days’ anime is finally here and the series looks even better than fans could have ever dreamed, starting strong with a stunning introduction to the legendary hitman Taro Sakamoto in his prime at the very start. Though plucked straight out of the manga, almost scene for scene, the anime adds its own unmistakable flair to the scene, enforcing the sharp contrast between Sakamoto’s past and present self even better than the manga did with its distinct animation style, color grading, and just the right amount of original content.

[RELATED: Sakamoto Days: Shin’s Wild Powers Explained]

Sakamoto Days’ Anime Gives Its Protagonist the Coolest Introduction

As far as main character introductions go, Taro Sakamoto surely has one of the most memorable ones as of late, with the opening scene brilliantly conveying just how intimidatingly strong Sakamoto used to be in his prime within the span of only a few minutes.

Visually, the scene easily stands out from the rest of the anime owing to its Western neo-noir feel. From the dramatic low lighting and long, slanted shadows to the dynamic action and the spurting blood of Sakamoto’s enemies, everything about the scene is highly stylized. The scene paints Taro Sakamoto as quite a John Wick-like figure in his prime, only to turn expectations upside down mere moments later as Sakamoto meets his wife and settles down.

The animation, and even the aspect ratio itself, notably shifts as this shift takes place in Sakamoto’s life, subtly conveying not just through the narration but also the visuals just how much Sakamoto’s life has changed since.

Nonetheless, stunning as it may be, it is doubtful whether the anime will be making use of this style of animation again as the series progresses. For now, fans can only hope that the rest of Sakamoto Days‘ anime continues to be just as stunning as this first episode was and that the series continues to similarly enrich the source material.

Sakamoto Days is available to watch on Netflix.

The post Sakamoto Days’ Twist-Filled Opening is The Perfect Introduction to The Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Harry Potter has launched a surprising new crossover with a famous anime and manga franchise, Detective Conan. The Harry Potter franchise is now in the works on multiple projects hoping to recapture the magic that the original books and movies were able to tap into many years ago, and part of that effort has led to some awesome team ups with other franchises. One of these new team ups has recently hit Japan as Harry Potter is now uniting forces with one of the longest (and one of the most popular) anime and manga franchises currently still running with new entries today.

The official social accounts for Harry Potter and Gosho Aoyama’s Detective Conan (as spotted by Oricon News) have officially announced that they are kicking off a new collaboration between the two franchises. While the details of what this new collaboration will entail are still largely being kept a mystery as of the time of this publication, this new crossover has kicked off with a special new poster that sees both crews of their respective series ready to take on the world. Check out the first look at the new Harry Potter and Detective Conan crossover below.

Why Is Detective Conan Teaming Up With Harry Potter?

As for why the two franchises are teaming up, there are a few different reasons why it could be the case. The first is that both stars at the center of their respective series are notable for their distinct glasses (which is something fans of both immediately noticed when the crossover was first announced), and secondly is the fact that both of these franchises have some kind of presence at Universal Studios Japan. But it’s yet to be revealed what exactly this new team up between the two will actually result in.

While Detective Conan isn’t as huge of a franchise in the United States (as most fans in the West might more recognize it under its English language licensed title, Case Closed), it’s actually huge in its native japan. Series creator Gosho Aoyama first launched the original Detective Conan manga in the pages of Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday back in 1994, and has been running with new chapters ever since. Each anime release that has hit theaters in Japan has gone on to dominate the box office too, so it’s even more successful than Harry Potter in the region.

RELATED: Naruto & Burger King Are Teaming Up for Tasty New Collab

What’s Next for Detective Conan?

Detective Conan does so well in theaters overseas, in fact, that it has a new feature film currently slated to release later this Spring. Titled Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback, the next film is actually the 28th in the long running and successful franchise. Debuting in theaters across Japan beginning on April 18th, there has yet to be any international release plans announced for the new film as of the time of this publication. But given that it’s just not as popular in the West, there might be quite a wait before fans outside of Japan get to see this one.

As for what to expect from the new movie, Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback is teased as such, “The son of a world-famous mystery writer, Shinichi Kudo, has achieved his own notoriety by assisting the local police as a student detective. He has always been able to solve the most difficult of criminal cases using his wits and power of reason.” With this new collaboration with Harry Potter also in the works, we’re likely to see some forward momentum on it soon enough.

HT – Oricon News

The post Harry Potter Launches Surprise Anime Crossover appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Vinland Saga is often considered one of the Seinen Big Three (despite Kingdom having sold way more copies,) and for good reason. The series is deeply introspective, and as Thorfinn gains a new perspective on life through the people he meets, so do we. That’s particularly unique for an anime set in the Viking era with a main character primarily motivated by revenge. But despite first impressions, Vinland Saga isn’t actually a tale of violence or revenge. It’s a tale of what revenge does to a person and what the path to healing looks like.

The series is also unique in that it doesn’t glorify war, despite being centered on the warmongering Vikings and having taken inspiration from real stories of war and subterfuge. Instead, Makoto Yukimura offers a nuanced perspective on the nature of human suffering and how that leads to violence. Vinland Saga’s profound quotes offer deep insight into the human condition, stressing the importance of mastering yourself to become a true warrior, one that does not need violence to win.

You Have No Enemies (Vinland Saga Episode 2)

When a young Thorfinn wanders into his father’s armory and curiously takes out his father’s old sword, Thors tries to make his son understand what it means to carry a weapon. Thors emphasizes that a sword is a tool meant to kill and asks Thorfinn whose life he intends to take. Struggling to really comprehend the gravity of his father’s words, a young Thorfinn replies, “Enemies,” prompting this profound quote.

“You don’t have enemies. The truth is that nobody has them. Nobody in this entire world deserves to get hurt.”

It’s common for anime to glorify weapons like guns and swords, so Vinland Saga’s grounded approach right at the start of the series is a breath of fresh air. The anime questions the very concept of an enemy, pointing out that despite our differences, we’re all humans trying to get by. What’s even better is how vital this quote is to the entire series, even though it takes years for Thorfinn to truly understand his father’s words.

Why Do We Have to Fear Death? (Vinland Saga Episode 27)

Thorfinn spends the entirety of Vinland Saga Season 1 being driven by just one thing: a thirst for revenge. But when his father’s killer is killed by another in front of him, he loses that motivation. He starts the second season of the show as a slave on a farm, eventually ending up in trouble with the farm’s retainers, one of whom threatens his life.

“Why do we have to fear death? Do we live because we don’t want to die? Does anything good come from being alive? Not for me. Not a single good thing has happened to me in my entire life.”

Even as Fox inflicts cut after cut, Thorfinn shows no reaction, not even flinching. But despite his cynical words, Thorfinn draws attention to something very important. When you have no reason to live, you may end up living purely out of fear of death. 

I Shall Bend the Waves Themselves (Vinland Saga Episode 46)

As Thorfinn reunites with Canute in the series’ second season, King Canute appears as a power-hungry man, having lost sight of his ideals. But even as he speaks of his military might, his next speech gives the audience pause. Canute unexpectedly reminds viewers of how insignificant his power is in comparison to God.

“Behold! With my power, I shall bend the waves themselves to my whim. By the will of the almighty King Canute: Stirring seas, be calm. Both of you, did you see? Such is my power— too meager to slow even the gentlest of waves.”

A Peaceful Place Beyond the King’s Reach (Vinland Saga Episode 47)

When Canute tries to build a paradise on earth for the sinners of humanity, Thorfinn acknowledges that even in such a paradise, there will be those who will be oppressed. But unlike other anime protagonists, Thorfinn acknowledges that Canute’s paradise will help more people than it will harm. And proposes a different solution for the oppressed minority.

“I’ll create a peaceful place beyond the king’s reach using methods different from yours. For the people who can’t live in the world you create. For you and for me.”

That last part of this quote is particularly interesting and draws attention to the parallels between Canute and Thorfinn. They are each other’s foils, working outside the other’s sphere of influence. But ultimately wanting the same thing.

[RELATED – 10 Best Naruto Quotes That Moved Fans Worldwide]

You’re a Beautiful Man (Vinland Saga Episode 47)

When Thorfinn asks Canute not to seize Ketil’s farm, he does not use intimidation or threats. He merely tells Canute not to do so and is willing to leave peacefully if Canute doesn’t comply. Canute admires Thorfinn’s character and marvels that he turned out that way despite having lived a life of violence among war-hungry Vikings from a young age.

“So the Vikings are capable of producing someone like you. You’re a beautiful man.”

This quote is especially significant considering Canute’s first instinct on reuniting with Thorfinn is to view him as a threat. He even considers killing him. But Thorfinn changes his entire perspective when he chooses non-violence, despite being a capable warrior.

Everyone Is a Slave (Vinland Saga Episode 8)

For most of Vinland Saga Season 1, Askeladd is a cryptic character. He is viciously intelligent and not without a cruel streak, but there is more good in him than he has others believe. An excellent example of this is his words when Gorm beats the slave girl Hordaland.

“The guy who’s a slave to money holds a whip, and pretends to be the master of the slave he bought with his money. He just doesn’t realize it himself. Everyone is a slave to something.”

What makes this speech even better is that Gorm is not the only Vinland Saga character it applies to. Right after Askeladd says these words, the camera pans to Thorfinn, implying that he, too, is a slave to his need for revenge. And so is Askeladd to his ancestral nation’s legacy.

It’s Better To Be Empty (Vinland Saga Episode 32)

As Thorfinn tells his fellow slave Einar about feeling empty without his need for revenge, Ketil’s elderly father, Sverkel, overhears him. Later, as he shows Thorfinn and Einar how to catch fish with a net, he offers Thorfinn some unexpected wisdom. His speech in Vinland Saga frames emptiness as a good thing that can become a precursor to growth, giving Thorfinn some much-needed hope.

“If you’re empty, then you can fit anything inside you. In fact, it’s better to be empty if you want to be reborn.”

A True Warrior Doesn’t Need a Sword (Vinland Saga Episode 4)

After Thors defeats Askeladd in their duel, the latter compliments his skill with a sword. But instead of feeling flattered, Thors looked saddened. He calls his inability to win fights without a sword a weakness instead of a strength. This quote beautifully represents Vinland Saga’s central theme of true strength being not the ability to fight, but the ability to win without violence.

“I must rely on a sword like this, because I am not yet a master. A true warrior doesn’t need a sword.”

Canute’s Awakening Speech (Vinland Saga Episode 18)

The first half of Vinland Saga Season 1 sees Canute as a weak and timid prince. But after his caretaker Ragnar’s death, Canute questions the meaning of love and comes to the understanding that true love is not discriminatory. He then sees a berserk Bjorn, who is about to attack him, but as Canute stands up to face him, the much bigger warrior suddenly becomes scared and backs away. Canute then calms the berserker down with just his words and a gentle hug, a powerful display of his “love for all” philosophy.

“Miserable warrior. You’re the farthest from love. You, who have been expelled from paradise. Isn’t there any way to end the suffering from your punishment other than death?”

This speech marks Canute’s awakening as a true warrior. One that doesn’t need a sword to win his fights. And while he somewhat wanders away from this ideal later, he eventually finds his way back when he sees the same traits in Thorfinn.

A Place Called Vinland (Vinland Saga Episode 1)

A central point of Vinland Saga is the tale of Vinland, a peaceful land far away from the world’s suffering. The first time we hear this tale is when Thors tries to ease the suffering of a dying slave. But what really makes this speech impactful is how frequently Thorfinn recounts it to the slaves he encounters. Even when twisted by his pain and need for revenge, Thorfinn uses his father’s quote as a source of comfort.

“Far to the West, across the great sea. There is a place called Vinland. It is warm and fertile. Far from the slave trade and the fires of war. There, you will be able to live without pain.”

The post 10 Best Vinland Saga Quotes That Got Fans Rethinking Their Lives appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The anime streaming wars are in full swing. Crunchyroll might be the biggest platform that focuses exclusively on anime, but the likes of Netflix, Hulu, MAX, and other streaming services have been working their way into the anime medium. HIDIVE has been looking to carve out its own place in the wars, as the platform has followed in the footsteps of Crunchyroll by focusing entirely on all things anime. Unfortunately, HIDIVE has shared the fact that three major series are departing the service this month, so if you’re a subscriber you might want to take note and check out said series before they’re no longer available.

HIDIVE first began in 2017, housing several anime series as a result of the fracturing and shuddering of “The Anime Network.” In 2022, HIDIVE was acquired by AMC Networks and expanded its catalogue with each passing year. While the streaming service has closed its platform to several countries outside of the United States in recent years, it’s also managed to get its hands on some big time exclusives. The biggest HIDIVE exclusive is easily Oshi No Ko, the dark idol anime that became a smash hit when it first hit the platform. Alongside this particular anime adaptation, the streaming service also has housed the likes of Call of The Night, Eminence in Shadow, and Akiba Maid Wars.

[RELATED: Ninja Scroll Will Arrive on New Streaming Service (And How The Anime Film Changed The Game)]

Bye Bye HIDIVE

In an official press release, HIDIVE confirmed that Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Giant Beasts of ARS, and Spy Classroom will be leaving the platform on January 15th. Perhaps the biggest of the three is Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.

Spy Classroom arrived early in 2023, following a group of spy school “washouts” who are placed into more dangerous scenarios to prove their worth. Finally, Beasts of ARS sees humanity pit against giant creatures in a fight for survival, holding a premise somewhat similar to Attack on Titan as this anime’s version of humanity searches for the mysteries of their world. Unfortunately, no word has been released as to if these series will find a new home in the streaming wars or if this might be your last chance to check them out.

Want to stay updated on the anime streaming world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on HIDIVE and the other platforms and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post HIDIVE Is Losing These Three Popular Anime to Start 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Hunter x Hunter is one of the greatest Shonen manga and anime series of all time. However, the franchise has suffered terribly due to creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s concerning health. The manga has gone on several hiatuses over the years, some even spanning for years. Because of this, even the anime adaptation has suffered significantly. The first anime debuted in 1999, more than a year after the manga debut. However, it reached its conclusion in 2001 after airing 62 episodes. NIPPON TV and VAP introduced HxH to fans with a reboot in 2011, which adapted many more arcs than the original anime.

However, since the anime lacked source material, it also stopped airing in 2014, leaving the story unfinished for over a decade. The manga is currently in its Succession Contest Arc, which has 71 chapters so far. HxH went on another indefinite hiatus again in 2024 after releasing ten new chapters. The mangaka promises to return with 50 chapters, possibly concluding the ongoing arc. While the anime adaptation still seems like a long shot, an update from the official website of AnimeJapan may be pointing toward an anime announcement from NIPPON TV and VAP. However, we can’t get our hopes too high without an official confirmation.

[RELATED: After 10 Years, Hunter x Hunter Is Overdue For a New Anime]

NIPPON TV and VAP Will Share New Announcements at AnimeJapan 2025

On the official website of AnimeJapan, NIPPON TV and VAP are listed as exhibitors and have confirmed their joint participation in the exhibit during the event in 2025. They will be presenting a number of ongoing anime series and announcing a few upcoming projects. The tags include Hunter × Hunter, Ponkotsu Quest, The Fable, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Tougen Anki. Since the website specifically mentions HxH, we may be getting new information regarding the sequel.

AnimeJapan is one of the world’s largest annual anime events, which will feature a record-breaking 117 exhibitors, including major companies like Aniplex, KADOKAWA, and TOHO Animation. The public days are scheduled for March 22nd and 23rd, 2025, at Tokyo Big Sight. Meanwhile, a separate event will be held on business days for professionals on March 24th and 25th, 2025. It’s when animation studios and producers announce major news.

However, the production studios will also exhibit and sell their products, so it’s possible those items will be HxH-themed. On January 17th, 2025, the official YouTube channel of AnimeJapan will stream “AnimeJapan KICKOFF 2025” to reveal the lineup and provide the latest updates about the event.

Considering that the manga has 71 chapters left to be adapted, it may be possible for Madhouse to work on at least a short season while awaiting the rest of the chapters from Togashi. The Succession Contest Arc is one of the best arcs focusing on political drama, layers of mysteries, and thrilling battles. It’s common for royal princes of the Kakin Kingdom to fight to the death to ascend to the throne. The arc centers around Kurapika, who is hired to protect the youngest prince, Woble. He also plans to retrieve the remaining Scarlet Eyes during this mission.

H/T: AnimeJapan

The post Hunter x Hunter’s Sequel May Be Sooner Than You Think appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Live-action anime adaptations are growing more popular, thanks in no small part to Netflix’s One Piece series hitting the ground floor running. While North America is getting in on the live-action anime train, Japan has been out of the station for years at this point. Properties such as Rurouni Kenshin, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, Tokyo Revengers, and Cells At Work have received their own feature-length films and a major vampire-centric anime was looking to do the same this year. Unfortunately, this project that would have brought Baban Baban Ban Vampire to life has had to be delayed due to “circumstances” beyond the team’s control.

Originally, the Baban Baban Ban Vampire live-action movie was slated to arrive on February 14th in Japan, Valentine’s Day, to unleash its supernatural adventure that was far more of a comedy than anything else. While it hasn’t been confirmed why the film has been delayed, recent news regarding the films lead, actor Ryo Yoshizawa, has surfaced that has many anime fans believing his recent altercation with a neighbor might be the cause. On December 30th, Yoshizawa allegedly entered his neighbor’s apartment while intoxicated instead of his own. Ryo has since apologized and moved out of the apartment.

[RELATED: Vampire Hunter D Celebrates 40th Anniversary With New Project]

A Vampire Delayed

In an official statement on Baban Baban Bang Vampire’s official website, the Film Production Committee shared the following message: “Regarding the film “Baban Baban Bang Vampire,” which was scheduled to be released on Friday, February 14, 2025, in light of various circumstances and after discussions with all parties concerned, we have decided to postpone the release date. We apologize for any inconvenience this postponement may cause to everyone who was looking forward to the release of the film, and we appreciate your understanding.”

The official statement continued, “The new release date will be announced on the film’s official website and official social media accounts as soon as it is decided. In addition, advance Mubichike tickets (cards or online) that you have already purchased can be used when the film is released after the postponement, so please keep them until the release date. We look forward to your continued support for the movie “Baban Baban Ban Vampire.”

Where To Catch This Vampire Anime

Baban Baban Ban Vampire’s anime adaptation is a Netflix exclusive, with the first episode kicking off the streaming service’s new year in the anime department. The official description for the supernatural anime series reads as such, “When 15-year-old Rihito falls in love, an ancient vampire who craves 18-year-old virgin blood must protect the teen’s virginity at all costs.”

The franchise first began as a manga from creator Hiromasa Okujima in 2021, releasing eight volumes of its printed story to date. As the story continues, it has yet to be seen just how popular the anime is but with an eventual live-action movie, perhaps it’s a safe bet that a season two is on the way.

Want to see what the future holds for this unique anime vampire? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Baban Baban Ban Vampire and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via ANN

The post Live-Action Vampire Anime Adaptation Postponed Due To Main Actor Controversy appeared first on ComicBook.com.

An ace or signature card is like a character’s main card in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. Aces are traditionally the most commonly used cards by a specific duelist in the series. Examples in the franchise include Yugi Muto’s Dark Magician card in the original series or Yusei’s Stardust Dragon from 5DS. All the lead’s ace cards have one important feature in common. It’s a specific feature that makes identifying a main character’s ace card easier. Nearly every protagonist’s ace card has a base Attack point total of 2500. Shockingly, though, when going through the different Yu-Gi-Oh anime, it took the franchise a while to firmly establish that unspoken rule of ace cards. All the common features of a protagonist’s ace card can be pinpointed back to Dark Magician, which did have the 2500 base Attack. However, it took Yu-Gi-Oh! GX until its second season to establish the pattern and make it a trope.

When GX first began airing, many of the cliches and traditions associated with the franchise had yet to be accepted. When the series started, fans weren’t even aware that an ace card should follow a specific trope because there was only one other show beforehand. Even GX itself seemed to be unaware if it was meant to follow a specific set of rules until further down its run. When GX accepted the plot elements from the original series, fans could grasp the tropes and traditions of the franchise.

[RELATED – Yu-Gi-Oh! Announces Anime Remaster (But Not For The Series You Think)]

The Original Ace Card of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Didn’t Have 2500 ATK

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX starred the prodigal yet unserious Jaden Yuki, who attended the prestigious Duel Academy to become a professional Duel Monsters player. Right away, Jaden was everything that Yugi (and Atem) weren’t in the original Yu-Gi-Oh show. Jaden was an airhead, rarely took things seriously, and was very outgoing. GX intentionally started with lower stakes, with the first half of the first season covering the characters’ day-to-day lives in the academy. To further set himself apart from Yugi, Jaden used a specific themed deck that involved only one archetype – the Elemental Heroes. Yugi didn’t have a particular theme around his deck, it was just a hodge-podge of cards he used whenever the plot demanded.

GX didn’t need to follow any traditions because no traditions were established yet. While certain things were carried over from the original series into GX, like Jaden getting a Kuriboh card and having a Kaiba-like rival, there was no rule on what a protagonist’s ace card should be. Jaden was meant to be the opposite of Yugi, following his own rules and play styles separate from the original King of Games. Jaden’s dueling method evolved around Polymerization, fusing two monster cards to create a better creature. Early in GX’s runtime, the fusion monster Elemental Hero Flame Wingman served as Jaden’s ace. Flame Wingman was a relatively weak fusion monster, even at the time, with only 2100 attacks and 1200 defenses. Nevertheless, the fusion monster had a great ability, inflicting damage to an opponent’s life points equal to the attack of a monster Flame Wingman had sent to the graveyard. Flame Wingman came in clutch for Jaden multiple times in the first season of GX.

Elemental Hero Neos Establishes The 2500 ATK Rule

As Yu-Gi-Oh! GX continued, the series started bringing more elements from the original show. GX got more serious, with Jaden evolving into a different person as the series progressed. After an existential crisis, Jaden discovers the Neos cards in the second season. Among the Neos card would be the monster card that becomes Jaden’s main ace for the rest of the series, and firmly establishes the 2500 Attack point stat rule. Elemental Hero Neos would become Jaden’s ace, having 2500 Attack and 2000 Defense. The attack stats were a clear callback to Yugi Muto’s Dark Magician card, which was the first protagonist ace in the series.

From then on, almost every main protagonist’s ace will have 2500 Attack points.

• The ace card for Yussei in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5DS is Stardust Dragon with 2500 Attack and 2000 Defense.
• Yuma’s signature card from Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is Number 39: Utopia with 2500 Attack and 2000 Defense.
• Yuya’s main card in Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V is Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon with 2500 Attack and 2000 Defense.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains bucks this trend with Playmaker’s ace being Decode Talker, which only has 2300 Attack. However, Vrains initially set up Firewall Dragon as Playmaker’s ace, and Firewall Dragon does have 2500 Attack. Firewall Dragon quickly got banned from competition, potentially explaining Vrains’ pivot away from Firewall Dragon and to Decode Talker.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens and Go Rush!! also don’t follow the ace rule, but those shows technically follow a different card game with different rules.

It Took Awhile for Yu-Gi-Oh! to Find its Identity

Jaden became progressively more like Yugi as GX continued. Not only would he become more serious as the series ended, but a spirit would possess his body. It’s a similar situation between Yugi and Pharoah from the original show. The protagonist having an external spirit cohabiting with them would also later act as a trope in the series, reappearing again in Zexal and Arc-V. Jaden adopted a monster card with the same attack points as his predecessor’s ace, which may represent Jaden becoming more Yugi-like. However, in the final episodes, Jaden re-adopts his carefree nature during a friendly duel with Yugi himself.

While the ace rule is firmly ingrained in Yu-Gi-Oh! mythology now, it took the franchise a little time to fully confirm the trope. The creators were still experimenting with the franchise in GX, still deciding what elements from the original show should be carried over. It should be noted that the most iconic parts of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime wouldn’t show up later in that series, either. The duel disks are stables in the franchise, yet they weren’t introduced until the original show’s second season. The cards didn’t really follow a set of rules in the first season, either. It wouldn’t be until the Battle City arc that the core basics of the rules would be firmly set, establishing the core principles of the card game. Sometimes, it just takes a while for a franchise to find its identity.

The post How This Yu-Gi-Oh! Spinoff Perfected a Classic Franchise Trope appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For Dragon Ball fans, there is no event bigger than Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour. While Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO and Dragon Ball FighterZ are featured at various FGC events, many of the other games in Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour’s lineup don’t see much action. Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 is the latest installment in the annual event, and players have been prepping and practicing in anticipation. However, there is some bad news for those planning to attend Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour. And unfortunately, it came right before the event was set to begin.

Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 has been canceled due to the wildfires in Southern California. The event was planned to take place in Los Angeles, California, on January 18th and 19th. The choice to cancel was made to protect hosts, attendees, and everyone involved with the event. While no official date or plan was given, Dragon Ball Games Hour 2025 did inform fans it would provide further updates.

RELATED: Is Dragon Ball Daima A Quiet Remake of Dragon Ball GT?

No information was given as to whether refunds would be given to those who purchased tickets or not. Presumed, this information will come out at a later time and the focus is on informing fans and attendees the event was canceled. If the event is moved to a new location and time, it is likely attendees will have the option of keeping their ticket or relinquishing it.

The event was slated to feature Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball Super Card Game Masters, Dragon Ball Legends, Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle, and Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World in tournament formats. Without the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 to host them, players of these titles will have a harder time finding venues and ways to play in-person.

The annual event is one of the biggest events for Dragon Ball, featuring numerous games and an environment where fans can get together to share their love of the franchise. News of the cancellation hit fans hard, but it is understandable for Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 to cancel considering the devastation of the California wildfires.

There is a good chance the event will be rescheduled and moved to a new location. Many fans suggested Las Vegas as a viable alternative, and the city is known for hosting events such as these. However, with Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 set to take place in a few days, there is no way to get it rerouted to Las Vegas in such a short amount of time.

Fans expect an announcement revealing Dagon Ball Games Battle Hour 2025 taking place within the next few months. If this proves to be true, the event would only be delayed a short amount of time. Until an official announcement is made, fans will need to be patient and wait for the organizers to come up with a new strategy. Still, fans can watch the various anime of Dragon Ball to hold them over until an announcement comes.

The post Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour Event Cancelled appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most surprising crossovers in recent years has seen Team 7 teaming up with the Heroes in a Half Shell for a new comic book series. Creating an entirely new universe to help facilitate Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi coming face-to-face with Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, IDW is hinting at some big changes to the lore for each team. Set to release four issues in total, The Big Apple and the Hidden Leaf Village denizens are hinting at some major surprises for the future of this crossover that might just take the cake when it comes to fictional ninjas meeting for the first time.

Warning. Be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory for the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, so if you haven’t read it, you might want to turn back now. As mentioned previously, this new series creates an entirely new universe with a new backstory for all the players involved. Rather than seeing the TMNT dropped into Konoha or Team 7 hitting the Big Apple, “Big Apple Village” is a new village that exists in the anime ninja world and harbors the green-skinned teenagers. In a new mission to protect April O’Neil, Naruto and his allies run into the “Heroes in a Half-Shell” and have a case of mistaken identity in doing so.

[RELATED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Reveals a Shocking Connection Between Kakashi And Splinter]

Master Splinter x Kakashi

One of the biggest twists of the first issue of this crossover was that Master Splinter and Kakashi the Copycat Ninja appear to share a common history. While that origin wasn’t unveiled in the premiere offering of the crossover series, a new preview for issue two hints that the next story will get right into it. Even though the crossover series only has four issues in total, the changes that have already been made prove that the meeting of the Ninja Turtles and Konoha’s finest will be one for the record books.

Teenage Mutant Ninjas Crossovers

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have come into contact with a lot of pop culture icons in their history. While the Heroes in a Half Shell haven’t ventured much into the anime realm for crossovers, they have met the likes of Batman, the kids from Stranger Things, the Ghostbusters, the Transformers, Savage Dragon, The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and even Mulder and Scully from the X-Files. Ironically enough, while there was never an official meeting between the TMNT and Naruto’s top ninjas, the four turtle brothers did get their own anime series.

Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend was an original video animation released in 1996 that gave TMNT fans a very different take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What made this series so memorable is the fact that the turtle siblings were given the ability to transform into more powerful forms that made them look much more like human beings. As it stands, this is the only anime output that the TMNT has received in their history but fingers crossed that this Naruto crossover might receive its own special animated adaptation.

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

The post New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Preview Further Explores Kakashi/Splinter Connection appeared first on ComicBook.com.

After giving Jinwoo a job class in the first season finale, Solo Leveling‘s second season is finally expanding on Jinwoo’s new Shadow Monarch powers, with the first two episodes already showcasing what his shadow army is capable of. The battle within the Red Gate has not only given Jinwoo the perfect chance to show off his new abilities but has also brought new additions to his shadow army, introducing one of Jinwoo’s funniest shadow soldiers yet.

Season 2, Episode 2 of Solo Leveling sees Jinwoo turn Kim Chul, the A-rank hunter from the White Tiger Guild, into one of his shadow soldiers, naming him Iron. Though Kim Chul doesn’t leave the best first impression by abandoning half his team and even threatening to kill Jinwoo and the rest in Episode 2, as Iron, he arguably becomes one of Jinwoo’s funniest allies with the latest episode already giving fans a small glimpse of his quirky personality.

[Related: Solo Leveling Hiatus Extended Due To Car Accident]

Iron Finally Joins the Cast of Solo Leveling and We Already Love Him

Charismatic as Igris may be, Iron is arguably one of Jinwoo’s most underrated shadow soldiers and the most entertaining addition to the shadow army, at least at present. Though he may not be as powerful as other fan favorites like Beru and Igris, Iron’s delightful personality inserts just the right amount of light-heartedness that Solo Leveling‘s otherwise dark, fast-paced story needs, and it will be a delight to see more of him as Season 2 progresses.

As seen in Season 2 Episode 2, Iron is just as loyal to Jinwoo as the rest of the shadow army. That said, his berserker tendencies often see him going hilariously overboard like he did with Baruka in the latest episode. Meanwhile, his devotion to Jinwoo often comes across as hilariously over-zealous, especially in the latter half of the series as Iron begins to compete with the rest of the Elite Knight shadows. That said, easily the most endearing aspect of Iron is his interactions with the rest of the shadow soldiers, which are often quite animated. Iron often managed to get other lower-ranked soldiers just as carried away as him, much to Igris’ chagrin, and these wholesome exchanges are one of the most underrated aspects of the series.

Overall, dim-witted as he may be at times, Iron’s addition to the army not only helps round out Jinwoo’s defenses but also helps insert more character into his shadow army, who, despite being an army of the undead, are very much teeming with life and quirks of their own, rounding out Solo Leveling‘s cast as a whole as a result.

While fans are no doubt waiting for the adorable, historical-drama-loving Beru to make his entry, Iron may just steal fans’ hearts through the anime till then. Nonetheless, though the anime has maintained quite a brisk pace so far, hopefully, Season 2 will also include more anime-original scenes fleshing out Jinwoo’s quirky new shadow soldiers like Iron.

Season 2 of Solo Leveling is available on Crunchyroll!

The post Solo Leveling Introduces Jinwoo’s Funniest Ally Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Demon Slayer is preparing to unleash the first film of a trilogy that will bring the anime adaptation to an end in the Infinity Castle. With the first offering set to arrive this year, the Demon Slayer Corps still has some major projects outside of the anime series, even with the manga having already come to a close. A live-action stage play covering the Swordsmith Village Arc is in the works, continuing the tradition of bringing Tanjiro and Nezuko’s story to the stage. Alongside a new poster, the adaptation has revealed what the demons of the Swordsmith Village Arc will look like when they enter the “real world.”

For those who need a refresher, the Swordsmith Village Arc made up the third season of Demon Slayer’s anime adaptation. Following the fight against Gyutaro in the Entertainment District, Tanjiro needed to get his demon-slaying sword fixed at the locale that the Demon Slayer Corps relied on to make all their weapons. Unfortunately for Tanjiro, this village wasn’t free from the villainous eye of Muzan as the demon lord unleashed two of his strongest lieutenants upon it. Considering that Gyokko and Hantengu are two of the least human looking demons under Muzan’s employ, seeing them in live-action might throw many anime fans for a loop.

[RELATED: Demon Slayer Inspired New X-Men Series (And Here’s How)]

The Swordsmith Village Demons Assemble

The live-action Demon Slayer production, “Demon Slayer: Part Five – Attack on The Swordsmith Village,” will run in Tokyo at the Galaxy Theater from April 11th to April 20th. Following this initial performance, the stage play will continue from April 25th to April 27th at the AiiA 2.5 Theater Kobe in Hyogo. For the live-action adaptation, actor Shogo Sakamoto will return to the role of Tanjiro following the earlier adaptations of previous anime storylines.

For the demons involved, actor Kazama Yujiro will take on the role of Hantengu, while actor Hashimoto Shohei will take on his younger/stronger self, Sohakuten. The inhuman demon known as Gyokko will be played by Kawasaki Yusaku. You can check out the poster and the first looks at the three demons in the posters below.

The Infinity Castle’s Demons

Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle trilogy is planning to unleash the strongest demons that the shonen franchise has introduced. While we haven’t seen many of these demons in action, anime fans should prepare to see some major battles erupt from the silver screen later this year. Even if Muzan’s underlings are defeated by Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps, it’s going to take some serious thinking to devise a way to defeat Muzan himself. As was seen in the fourth season finale, Muzan seems nigh invincible as it appears that only the sun itself can bring about his undoing.

When it comes to the live-action world, Demon Slayer hasn’t confirmed that it will be creating a live-action movie and/or television series. However, since franchises like One Piece have garnered major success in the live-action world, seeing Tanjiro and Nezuko do the same would make sense considering the shonen franchise’s popularity.

Want to stay in the loop on all things Demon Slayer Corps? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on Demon Slayer and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via Comic Natalie

The post Demon Slayer’s Live-Action Adaptation Unleashes Its Demons With a First Look appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Netflix just unleashed a new trailer for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, and why did it take so long for Geralt to be animated?! The new anime movie adapts Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story, “A Little Sacrifice,” from the second novel in the Witcher series, The Sword of Destiny. With Netflix’s animated and live-action Witcher projects all set in the same universe, the streamer has had to get creative with casting following the departure of Henry Cavill.

Doug Cockle returns as Geralt of Rivia in Sirens of the Deep, lending his distinctly gruff, American baritone to the White Wolf. Cockle voiced Geralt in all three of CD Projekt Red’s acclaimed The Witcher video games, including the beloved The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Sirens of the Deep combines The Witcher‘s TV universe with its video game universe, as Anya Chalotra and Joey Batey will voice Yennefer and Jaskier, respectively.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Trailer Showcases Monsters & Mayhem

The new trailer shows off the beautiful animation and grand action scenes in Sirens of the Deep. Additionally, fans have gotten a better look at how director, Kang Hei Chul, has stretched Sapkowski’s short story to a feature length runtime. Unlike the short story, which solely focuses on the romance between a local lord and a mermaid, Sirens of the Deep raises the stakes exponentially, as Geralt is thrust in the middle of a brewing war between the settlers of a coastal city, and an entire underwater civilization.

Despite his best efforts to remain neutral, Geralt is forced to unsheathe his sword, and the action teased in the trailer looks incredible. The trailer shows off the giant monsters, breathtaking sword work, and even a first-person P.O.V. fight sequence.

[RELATED – The Witcher 4 Revealed in First Trailer]

What Next for Netflix’s The Witcher?

While the live-action The Witcher adaptation has been incredibly divisive — three seasons with mixed reviews, with two more seasons on the way without Henry Cavill, plus the failed Blood Origins spin-off — the world of animation has been far more successful. Nightmare of the Wolf took fans back in time, following a young Vesimir. The film received strong reviews and much acclaim from the fan base. Netflix are hoping Sirens of the Deep can achieve similar success. Netflix haven’t announced any new anime Witcher project at the time of writing.

As for the live-action series, The Witcher will come to an end following the next two seasons. Liam Hemsworth is stepping is as Geralt of Rivia for Seasons 4 & 5. While some are boycotting the show due to Henry Cavill’s departure, some are still holding out hope for Liam Hemsworth to be a decent, if not equally good, Geralt of Rivia.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep releases on Netflix on February 11th, 2025.

The post The Witcher’s New Anime Unleashes Killer Trailer: Watch appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Solo Leveling has taken what was once considered to be “The World’s Worst Hunter” and transformed Jinwoo Sung into a force of nature. The anime’s first season saw the protagonist progressing via “the system” he achieved thanks to a near-death experience, with the first season finale changing the game. Thanks to leveling up against the Blood Red Commander Ingris and his endless soldiers, Sung has gained the power of a necromancer and can bring his fallen opponents back to life to join his army. In a new preview for the next riveting episode, Solo Leveling is highlighting just how far Jinwoo’s new necromancy powers can go.

When last we left Jinwoo, the anime star had overcome the challenge behind the newest “Red Gate.” Fighting against an army of ice elves, Sung also had to contend with the malicious elements that were a part of his human crew, attempting to save the weaker members of the outfit from the stronger ones. In claiming victory against the elves, Jinwoo was able to add some major new allies to his shadow roster, including a giant bear and a larger-than-life soldier known as “Iron.” With Jinwoo’s biggest challenge at the moment remaining the Hell Tower that houses a cure for his mother’s ills, his heightened powers are still going to be put to the test.

[RELATED: Solo Leveling Season 2 Has Made Some Big Changes From Its Source Material]

The Necromancer Returns

While Jinwoo can summon countless allies to back him up, there is a drawback to doing so. Much like MMORPG video games, Sung bringing back the dead to fight on his side does drain him of mana. On top of his deceased allies, Jinwoo still has his wild strength and speed at his disposal which he will put to good use within the “Hell’s Tower.” The third episode of season two is titled “Still a Long Way To Go” and A-1 Pictures has a description to get fans hyped.

“Sung has fulfilled his promise to conquer dungeons 19 times with Morobishi, and his level has improved compared to when he fought Cerberus. In order to collect materials for the “Sacred Water of Life” that could cure her mother’s illness, he once again challenges the S-class dungeon “Devil’s Castle.” The condition for completing the quest given to Sung was to collect 10,000 demon souls.”

The Future of Solo Leveling

In a recent interview, Jinwoo’s voice actor, Taito Ban, discussed the future of the series, hoping to see the brutal anime adaptation continue for quite some time in the future, “Of course, we finished recording Season 1, Season 2, but of course, I would really, really like it if the momentum continued and it didn’t just stop because there’s so much more of the story left to tell. So Season 3, Season 4, Season 5, maybe even a movie in the works.”

Considering the original manwha is currently in its sequel series, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, these dreams of the series hitting multiple seasons down the road definitely appear plausible. As the anime’s second season continues, expect some major surprises related not just to Sung’s future but his past as well.

Want to see what the future holds for Jinwoo Sung? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Solo Leveling and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 3 Preview Highlights Jinwoo’s Wild New Upgrades appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Netflix’s One Piece came out of the gates running at full tilt, becoming a worldwide phenomenon as countless new viewers learned about Monkey D. Luff and his quest to become the king of the pirates for the first time. As production for season two continues, word on major new casting has arrived online when it comes to the villainous side of the Grand Line’s equation. While villainous anime icons like Mr. 3 and Crocodile have already found their actors, a new actor has arrived to join Baroqueworks and two actors will be taking on the role of characters that give Dragon Ball’s Vegito a run for his money in the fusion department.

To start, Sophia Anne Caruso of Beetlejuice and The School For Good And Evil fame has been cast as Miss Goldenweek. For those unfamiliar, Goldenweek, aka Marianne, has the power to hypnotize opponents using her paints and can effectively control targets by throwing a coat of paint onto them. Much like Mr. 3, Marianne encounters the Straw Hats on the island known as Little Garden, which not only is populated by prehistoric residents but two larger-than-life giants to boot. On the Drum Island side of the equation, Mark Penwill of Catch Me a Killer and Anton David Jeftha of Legacy will be taking on the roles of Chess and Kuromarimo. The villainous pair works for Wapol and have a technique that allows them to fuse into a terrifying opponent, with no fusion dance required.

[RELATED: One Piece’s Live-Action Zoro Confirms How Long He Wants To Stay In The Series]

One Piece Season 2: The Cast So Far

If you want a refresher on which actors will be bringing some of the Grand Line’s biggest heroes and villains to life in season two, here’s a handy breakdown of the live-action cast. The new actors joining the cast include Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, Joe Manganiello as Crocodile, Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, Lera Abova as Nico Robin, Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra, Brendan Sean Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Clive Russell as Crocus, Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton and Werner Coetser as Dorry.

Of course, the season one Straw Hat Pirates will all be making a comeback and are planning to be joined by Tony Tony Chopper. Chopper, for those who might not know, arrives as a part of the Drum Island Arc and eventually joins the main crew of the series. While we’ve witnessed many big names being cast as heroes and villains alike for the upcoming season two, Tony Tony has yet to be cast. During one preview video however, One Piece fans did take note that it appears Chopper will be a CG character.

Want to stay in the know when it comes to the live-action take on the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via Deadline

The post One Piece Season 2 Adds More Actors To Its Villainous Roster appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Solo Leveling Season 2 wraps up its Red Gate Arc in the first two episodes. The season kicks off with Jinwoo attending Jinah’s parent-teacher conference. Knowing that Jinwoo is a hunter, Jinah’s teacher requests him to convince Songyi, a newly awakened E-Rank Hunter, to return to school and live an ordinary life. In order to expose her to the dangers of being a hunter, he takes her to a C-Rank gate believing she will be scared after witnessing the monsters. They join the raid of the White Hunters Guild as observers since the mission is supposed to be an easy one.

However, the situation turns dire when it turns out to be a Red Gate, and the hunters are trapped in a snowy landscape. Kim Chul decides to only bring along hunters above C-Rank, thinking the weaker ones will be a burden to him. Even so, Kim Chul’s team gets wiped out by Ice Elves in an instant while Jinwoo’s team is safe and comfortable despite the harsh circumstances. Even when the entire tribe attacks them, Jinwoo easily defeats them including their leader, Baruka. This is something even an A-Rank hunter like Kim Chul couldn’t accomplish.

Warning: Minor spoilers from the Solo Leveling Manhwa Ahead!

[RELATED: Solo Leveling Season 2 Has Made Some Big Changes From Its Source Material]

Solo Leveling Season 2 Will Confirm Jinwoo’s Rank

The fact that Jinwoo can clear a Red Gate all on his own is proof enough that he’s an S-Rank hunter. He has an army of the undead at his beck and call, that only grows stronger with him. While facing Baek Yoonho, Jinwoo doesn’t even flinch. In Chapter 61, after he attacks the Demon Castle, Jinwoo admits he has reached the level of S-Rank, and there’s no point in pretending otherwise. The only reason he was hiding his strength was because he wanted to avoid unwanted attention and potential threats from other hunters who might try to exploit his unique ability to level up.

During the Retesting Rank Arc, Yoonho admits that Jinwoo might have been as strong as him when they first met. But now, the man has leveled up once again. Because of his beastly instincts, Yoonho realizes how terrifying Jinwoo’s powers are at a single glance. Solo Leveling Season 2 will now commence the Demon Castle Arc before moving on to the Retesting Rank Arc where his identity as an S-Rank hunter will be made public. Jinwoo will be sought out by the best guilds in the country and even the Hunter Association but no offer can entice him as he has his own plans.

Although he has the status of an S-Rank, his strength far surpasses any hunter in the country. Jinwoo’s power is limitless, and he will only continue to get strong despite surpassing every other hunter. In the Dungeons and Lizards Arc in Season 1, he admitted he’s weaker than Woo Jinchul, an A-Rank Hunter and a member of the association. However, now that Jinwoo is a Necromancer, he has long surpassed Jinchul and everyone else in just a few months.

The post Solo Leveling: Is Jinwoo an S-Rank Hunter in Season 2? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Haikyu!! is now in the works on its second and anime feature film preparing to bring the anime franchise to an end, and there’s no way that the movie is going to be able to tackle everything that’s supposed to happen. There just isn’t enough time to get it all. Haikyu originally ended its TV anime run after Season 4 of the series aired some time ago. It was then announced that the franchise would be continuing not with a fifth season as many had expected (and hoped) but a two feature film finale planned for theaters. And as expected, there just isn’t enough time.

Hailkyu!!: The Dumpster Battle hit theaters around the world last year as the first of these two final films planned for the anime’s grand finale, and it adapted the Nationals match between Karasuno and Nekoma High Schools. This picked up right from the events of Season 4, and even ended with a post-credits scene that teased the game that would immediately coming next. But there’s still an entire final arc of the series that could be left on the anime’s cutting room floor.

What’s Next for Haikyu’s Anime?

Haikyu will be officially celebrating the 10th anniversary of its anime with a special event coming later this March, and this will likely be the first time we will get details on how the anime is planning to end its run. This will be the second of these two final projects initially announced as “Haikyu!! FINAL” but it’s unclear as to what this new anime will tackle. Light spoilers for Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle and beyond, but Karasuno moves forward in the Nationals tournament and the post-credits scene for the movie directly teases the next match against Kamomedai High.

To get into the real spoilers for what’s coming, there’s an entire arc that happens after Nationals comes to an end. After the end of Nationals, there’s a huge time skip that goes years into the future after Shoyo Hinata and the others leave high school. The final arc of the series then follows the older Hinata as he’s in Brazil learning how to play beach volleyball before using those skills as a pro. Then fans are treated to one final game featuring Hinata facing off against older versions of many of the characters fans had seen in the prior arcs.

RELATED: Haikyu Creator Hypes 2024 Olympics With Team Japan Sketch

Will Haikyu’s Anime Get to the Timeskip?

There has been a worry as to whether or not the Haikyu anime will showcase the time skip at all, but there have been teases that fans will get to see the older versions of the characters in action. During a special panel featuring Production I.G., WIT Studio, and Signal MD for Anime Expo 2024 last year, it was teased that “everything will be animated” when it comes to the finale. It’s yet to be revealed what exactly this tease means, of course, but that is a great sign for what’s to come. But that’s also a problem.

Haikyu!!: The Dumpster Battle wraps up its adaptation with Chapter 325 of Haruichi Furudate’s original manga (with some extra bit for the future tease), but there are 402 chapters of the series overall. This means that the anime has to somehow cover over 70 chapters with its final movie. If there’s a chance that this is the “everything” that was teased, there is clearly going to be something that is skipped over in favor of highlighting other moments. And for a series like Haikyu, that’s a shame.

One of the best elements of Haikyu!! is seeing Hinata and the others grow through their experiences, and often the best part of the series is seeing in between all of the games. That way when the game itself hits, it hits hard as it capitalizes on all of the character growth seen up to that point. The final 70 plus chapters of the series showcase the most growth possible with its time skip, so the anime’s going to miss out on spending the necessary time to get there. It’s something that fans will be missing out on with the anime choosing to come to an end in this way.

Haikyu!! is such a notable franchise from Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine that it deserves the massive anime ending that series like My Hero Academia are getting. Fans deserve to see it build to that finale over the course of many years, and deserve to see weekly episodes building to it. The way it’s being done now, fans who have only seen the anime will be missing out on a massive chunk of the finale. While there is a potential to end it in a way where fans won’t feel like they are truly missing anything, it just won’t be the truth. Haikyu’s anime is going to end with so much left on the table.

The post Haikyu’s Anime Future Faces a Massive Problem Before It Ends appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Over the last two decades, One Piece has managed to stay the undisputed king of Shonen Jump, outliving the many sensations that come and go and drawing in fans of all ages. A huge reason for One Piece‘s appeal is its straightforward story and lovable cast of characters, as well as Eiichiro Oda’s unblemished reputation as the series’ author.

That said, given how long One Piece has been running, the series itself does have its fair share of moments that have not aged as well. Be it in the anime or the manga, One Piece has had quite a few instances that have stirred up controversy over the years. While a few of these controversial moments can be chalked up to individual opinions, others are much harder to defend and still haunt fans even years later.

Yamato’s Gender

One of the most recent examples of instances in One Piece that left fans divided is Yamato’s gender identity. What caused a stir is that Yamato, in identifying as Kozuki Oden refers to himself as Kaido’s son rather than daughter, even using male pronouns to refer to himself in Japanese.

As with Kikunojo, the portrayal of Yamato’s gender identity isn’t problematic by itself but rather subtle, tasteful trans representation, at least in comparison to One Piece‘s previous portrayal of trans characters. Most of the controversy surrounding Yamato stemmed from the general confusion and mixed reception from fans instead.

Gear Five’s Cartoonishness in the Anime

One of the biggest sources of controversy in One Piece as of late was actually Luffy’s newest form, Gear Five, which received a very mixed reception upon its anime debut. Though the reveal in the manga was also met with some skepticism, Gear Five’s debut in the anime sparked countless heated debates due to its goofiness which was turned up even further in the anime.

Many argued that Gear Five was ruining One Piece and would take away the seriousness from future fights while others argued that Gear Five’s reality-bending powers were simply too overpowered. But of course, the Egghead arc has proved that Gear Five can be goofy while still giving fans amazing fights that are just as tense and that One Piece still has many formidable opponents who can measure up to Gear Five in store.

Robin’s Post-Timeskip Change in Skin Tone

Along with the new revamped animation, One Piece‘s time-skip also saw many of the Straw Hats get a redesign, though one particular change that fans are still quite upset with to this day is the lightening of Robin’s skin tone. Robin, along with Zoro and Usopp, were noticeably whitewashed after the time skip, and it is still unclear why.

The common assumption is that Toei simply guessed Robin’s skin tone was darker since there hadn’t been an official colored illustration released of her at the time of her anime debut and that they simply changed her skin color to be more accurate following the time skip. Still, regardless of the reason, this change remains a point of contention even years later, with many fans wanting Robin to return to her old iconic look.

The Fan Service Around Jewelry Bonney

One Piece‘s Egghead Arc has seen Jewelry Bonney finally take the spotlight, though certain recent revelations about her have caused some controversy. Though not revealed in the anime just yet, Chapter 1098 of One Piece confirms that Bonney is, in fact, 12 years old and has been using her devil fruit powers to appear older.

This revelation of Bonney’s true age paints the countless instances of fan service around her in a rather uncomfortable light. Even the beginning of the Egghead Arc portrays Bonney quite provocatively and scenes such as Blackbeard asking Bonney to become his woman have especially aged poorly in retrospect.

S-Snake’s Powers Working on Adults

The Seraphim are one of One Piece’s coolest new additions to the story that have introduced the possibility for many interesting matchups especially since many of these Warlord clones wield interesting devil fruit powers. In the case of S-Snake, the clone of Boa Hancock, she too wields the power of the Love-Love Fruit. However, the implications of this power being used by S-Snake with her childlike appearance have rightly caused quite a bit of controversy especially after they seemed to work just as well even on adults.

This is because the Love-Love Fruit’s powers of petrification seem to rely on feelings of lust toward its user, at least with Hancock. The SBS section in volume 106 of One Piece has since clarified that the Love-Love Fruit’s powers even work when one thinks the user is cute, likening S-Snake’s charm to how one might find an infant cute, though that still doesn’t stop it from being extremely weird.

[Related: One Piece’s German Luffy Goes Viral For Unbelievable Gear Fifth Performance]

Pell’s “Death”

One controversial decision that no doubt haunts fans of One Piece fans to this day is Pell’s so-called death. It has been decades since Pell emotionally sacrificed himself only to turn out to be alive a few chapters later but to this day, this fakeout is one of the biggest reasons why many fans will not believe a character is truly dead unless they see the body or the funeral, or both.

To make matters worse, One Piece has continued to do so since with multiple characters like Igaram, Sabo, and most recently Dr. Vegapunk. While not as egregious as other controversial instances in One Piece, Pell’s death is most commonly regarded as the beginning of this unfortunate trend of fakeout deaths and it seems Oda doesn’t intend on stopping any time soon.

Vander Decken’s Obsession with Shirahoshi

One of the weirdest aspects of the Fishman Island Arc that often gets overshadowed by other criticisms of the arc is Vander Decken’s very inappropriate decade-long obsession with Shirahoshi which begins when the latter is six years old while Decken is 25.

Decken not only stalks Shirahoshi using his devil fruit powers but even tries to kill her when she doesn’t agree to marry him in the present day, at which time she is only sixteen years old. Granted, the Mermaid Princess is at the age of consent in Japan, though this doesn’t make Vander Decken’s obsession with her any less creepy.

Absalom’s Inappropriate Behaviour Toward Nami

While One Piece undoubtedly has its share of perverts and simps, the Thriller Bark Arc sees Absalom simply take it too far. During the arc, Absalom abuses the powers of his Clear-Clear Fruit to peek at Nami, with his behavior towards her easily classifiable as harassment. He not only intrudes on her privacy without consent but also grabs her by her wrists and pins her against a wall before declaring her his bride.

Absalom then goes on to kidnap Nami and attempts to marry her while she is unconscious. Admittedly, it is hard to condemn Absalom for peeking when Sanji himself has tried to do so with his Germa powers and gotten away with it mostly judgment-free, Absalom’s actions as a whole are far more sinister and predatory than any other in One Piece.

Kamabakka Kingdom’s Treatment of Sanji

Despite Bon Clay, Ivankov, and the okama at Impel Down serving as model representations of Japan’s okama culture as well as the transgender community, Kamabakka Kingdom’s portrayal during the time skip sadly missed the mark. The okama themselves have been poorly received in the West, being seen as caricatures and nothing but instruments for cheap comedy. This is mostly because of the stark difference between okama culture and drag culture in the West.

That said, while the visuals and designs of the okama can be somewhat justified, one thing that cannot is their behavior toward Sanji. When Sanji arrives at Kamabakka Kingdom during the time skip, the okama can be seen chasing him down to force him into becoming an okama, with Sanji himself describing the place and his time there as a living hell. Of course, the point of this was to give Sanji a taste of his own medicine, though portraying the okama in this way does push the harmful false rhetoric about transgender people and drag queens being predators, even if this may not have been Oda’s intent.

Whitebeard’s Original Jolly Roger

Though many may not be aware of this, Whitebeard’s Jolly Roger wasn’t always the cross-shape that fans today know it to be. Whitebeard’s original symbol as well as Ace’s iconic back tattoo used to be a swastika instead and was changed upon Oda’s editor’s request to avoid controversy as One Piece began to grow popular outside of Japan.

Though the swastika is generally associated with good luck and auspiciousness across South East Asia, the symbol largely has negative connotations in the West due to Nazi appropriation which is why it was eventually changed to something far less offensive. Safe to say, this was the right call by Oda’s editors regardless, as One Piece surely would have had quite a huge controversy on its hands otherwise.

One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll and Netflix with the manga available from Manga Plus and Viz Media!

The post 10 Controversial One Piece Moments That Still Haunt Fans to This Day appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Clover is now making headway through the final arc of the series, and the newest chapters of the manga have helped to explain why Yuno makes such a perfect rival for Asta. Black Clover has returned for its first new release of the year as it continues to make its way through the final fight against Lucius Zogratis and the Paladins. While many of the updates seen throughout 2024 had brought more of the Paladin fights to an end against their respective opponents, it’s now time to see Asta and Yuno taking on Lucius for what could be the final time.

Black Clover has returned for Chapters 377 and 378 for the first new release of the year, and with them Asta and Yuno directly challenge Lucius for the first time since Asta made his grand return to the battlefield. While the series has previously seen Asta and Yuno working together to take down some powerful enemies in the past, Lucius is the first one to really point out why they are such a strong duo. It’s because despite the fact that the two of them have directly opposite abilities, their rivalry pushes them to new heights that they couldn’t overcome before.

Why Asta and Yuno Are the Perfect Rivals

Black Clover Chapter 377 begins Asta and Yuno’s fight against Lucius Zogratis, and once again Asta is now factoring into whatever future that Lucius is apparently able to see. Lucius previously revealed that Asta is the only one that could ruin his vision of the future, and thus he singles Asta out as the world’s flaw. As the two of them continue to fight against Lucius, their boosted abilities are able to keep up with the overwhelming power that he seemed to have before. As he fights, Lucius thinks to himself about how the two of them are so distinct.

Yuno is loved by mana and had unlimited potential with access to both Wind and Star Magic (due to his royal Spade Kingdom heritage), but Asta is the direct opposite as his anti-magic abilities repels magic of all kinds and can even destroy it. In all cases, the two of them should not be working as well together as they do in big fights like this. But the secret is, they are not actually working as well together as it might look on the outside. They’re such strong rivals with one another that they are actively trying to surpass one another even in the midst of battle.

RELATED: Black Clover & Boruto NEED to Announce New Revivals at Anime Japan

Black Clover Introduces A New Kind of Rivalry

So while Asta and Yuno are certainly on the same page when it comes to taking down Lucius and every other enemy they have defeated before, the two of them are still never forgetting the fact that they are trying to surpass one another in power and ability. It’s been core to their characters since the start of the series as they want to be the next Wizard King, and now it seems like it’s going to lead directly into how it all ends for Black Clover.

Because while Lucius might be the final opponent against the Clover Kingdom, the series has always been able Asta and Yuno. It’s likely that the series won’t really come to an end until the two get to settle which one of them is truly the strongest one. It won’t be the end of their rivalry, for sure, but it will likely let them move forward into a much bigger phase of their lives when all is said and done. They will keep making each other stronger forever.

The post Black Clover Explains Why Yuno Is Asta’s Perfect Rival appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Jujutsu Kaisen might have come to an end last year, but the creator behind it all is still showing Satoru Gojo, Yuji Itadori, and Sukuna love with some special sketches. Jujutsu Kaisen surprisingly ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last year as fans had seen how the Shinjuku Showdown against Sukuna came to an end. Then with the release of the final two volumes of the series later in December, Jujutsu Kaisen returned with a special new epilogue set after the finale’s events. But even with all of this being wrapped up and all coming to an end, the creator behind it all is still looking back on it fondly.

Jujutsu Kaisen series creator Gege Akutami has shared some special new sketches for Gojo, Yuji, and Sukuna (as spotted by @Go_Jover on X), and they give fans one last look at each of these characters after the series has come to an end. While Jujutsu Kaisen might have a bright anime future ahead of it, new sketches from the creator will be the only fresh way that we’ll be able to see these characters in manga form heading into the future.

Jujutsu Kaisen Creator Brings Back Gojo & Sukuna

While it hasn’t been that long since Jujutsu Kaisen fans got to see Yuji and Sukuna since the manga series came to an end, it’s been much longer since fans got to see Gojo in action. Gojo might have been a prominent figure early on in the series as a mentor to help guide Yuji into the wild world of Jujutsu Sorcery, it’s a much different case later as Gojo takes a step back for a majority of the final few arcs as Yuji and the other surviving fighters need to step up in order to compensate for Gojo’s absence.

Then when Gojo finally makes his return to the series, it’s not for a long time. Fans get to see how Gojo’s power stacks up against Sukuna, and it’s the first real example of what the both of them can do when going up against an opponent who can match each others’ strength and abilities. But it’s also the last example fans get to see either as it’s not long after that the series was revealed to be in the midst of its final arc and speeding towards the grand finale for everything overall.

RELATED: Jujutsu Kaisen Animator Teases Sukuna vs. Yuji in Latest Update

What’s Next for Jujutsu Kaisen?

Jujutsu Kaisen might have come to an end last year, but it’s far from the end for the anime. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 was announced to be in the works shortly after the second season came to an end, but it has yet to be revealed when fans can expect to see the new episodes in action. There are all sorts of mysteries surrounding the production for this new season as well as it’s currently unclear as to whether or not Studio MAPPA will be returning for this new season (along with the members of the staff seen in the second season).

What has been revealed, however, is the fact that Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will begin with its adaptation of the Culling Game arc from Gege Akutami’s original manga series. This picks up immediately after the events of the Shibuya Incident as Yuji now needs to enter a deadly tournament filled with not only brand new Cursed Spirits, but also a bunch of sorcerers from the Heian era that have been revived in new bodies. It’s stacked to the brim with action, so fans are going to want to see what happens next.

The post Jujutsu Kaisen Creator Brings Back Gojo & Sukuna With New Art After Series Finale appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Squid Game Season 2 might have broken records previously held by Season 1 of the series with Netflix, but one star has addressed the divisive reaction fans have had to the new episodes. Squid Game Season 2 premiered last December and quickly broke records as one of the highest streaming premieres in Netflix’s history, and the new wave of episodes introduced fans to a new set of games and wild characters staking their lives on them. As the series ran through its run of seven episodes before it came to its cliffhanger ending, fans have not had as overwhelmingly positive response as they did for the first season.

It’s likely due to its cliffhanger ending that fans had a more negative response to Squid Game Season 2, and the fact it had less games than the first season as it aims to tell a completely different kind of story. But as star Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Front Man in the series, noted in a recent interview with Star News Korea, “I personally found it fun.” Explaining that no series can be truly free of criticism, it seems the star is confident in the new episodes and the creator behind them all.

Squid Game Star Addresses Season 2 Backlash

“I respect those opinions,” Byung-hun stated. “In fact, no work can be free of criticism. I personally found it fun. I thought that director Hwang Dong-hyuk is a very smart person.” It’s a very stoic reaction that seems to be aware of how fans might have approached the new season much differently than the first time around. It makes a lot of sense as the first season of the series is a real lightning in a bottle kind of success that even Squid Game series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was aware of as he didn’t immediately have plans to follow up the series when that first season initially released.

It’s also why Squid Game will be ending its story with a final season of episodes coming later this year. As Dong-hyuk explained about when creating the story for the new season, it was initially one much longer story arc, “When I first wrote the story of Seasons 2 and 3 it was one long story arc. And I was originally planning to write this story across a span of about eight to nine episodes, but once I finished the story, it came to over 10 episodes, which I thought was too long to contain in a single season.” 

RELATED: Squid Game Creator Explains Why Season 2’s Most Controversial Player Shares Name With Marvel Villain

When Does Squid Game Season 3 Come Out?

Squid Game Season 3 is currently slated for a release some time later this year, but has yet to confirm a release date as of the time of this publication. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk teased that the final episodes would be coming to Netflix sooner than fans might have expected, and teased a potential Summer release for the final season. But as of the time of this writing, Netflix themselves have yet to comment on the matter.

While Squid Game Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger that absolutely rocked Seung Gi-Hun heading into the finale, the first look at Season 3 teased that the series would be returning to its games in the final season. It’s yet to be revealed what to expect from these games, or who could be making it to the end, but fans are going to be locked in for when the final episodes of the series make their debut.

via Star News Korea [HT – ScreenRant]

The post Squid Game Star Addresses Season 2’s Divisive Reaction: “I Personally Found It Fun” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World was one of the major standout new releases of the Winter 2025 anime schedule, and the first episode of the new series has proven why with its own anime take on the Power Rangers‘ famous Megazord. Koyoshi Nakayoshi’s The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World has been running with Square Enix’s Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine since 2020, but now the series is about to find a whole new group of fans with the debut of its new anime. Crossing over multiple worlds in fun new ways, this new series throws a Red Ranger into a traditional fantasy anime world.

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World takes inspiration from Super Sentai (the franchise in Japan that inspires Power Rangers) and imagines what it would look like if a Red Ranger with all of the skills, technology, and abilities of these Super Sentai squads had been sent to a new fantasy world following the final fight against a big villain. Helping to kick things off is the debut of their own Megazord, and it’s just as wild as you would hope from a Super Sentai franchise.

What Is This New Anime Megazord?

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World introduces fans to the multi-colored team of the Kizuna Five. These are five heroes that have been fighting against the Breakup King and his army of monsters that seek to break up the bonds holding humanity together. In the opening minutes of the new anime’s premiere, fans get to see this super team in action as they take on the Breakup King for their final fight. It’s here that they summon their own Megazord, Maximum Kizuna Kaiser, which combines their five animal inspired mechas together into one large machine.

It’s following this fight that the Red Ranger, Togo Asagaki, is transported into a new world. Becoming an adventurer with the intent of trying to find a way back home after saving this new world from their own respective troubles, the Red Ranger has come with all of the access to his transformations, weapons, and even the Megazord. So he’s already shaking up this new world filled with magic in wild new ways with the kinds of Super Sentai vigor that Tokusatsu fans are all too familiar with.

RELATED: The Top 2025 Anime Releases You Don’t Want to Miss

What Is This New Power Rangers Isekai Anime?

The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is now streaming its new episodes as part of the ongoing Winter 2025 anime schedule. Keiichiro Kawaguchi is directing the new anime for Satelight with Atsuhiro Tomioka overseeing its script composition. Shuji Maruyama is designing the characters, and Koichio Kameyama is composing the music. At the center of the series are Tomoya Ito as Togo Asagaki (aka Kizuna Red) and Konomi Inagaki as Idola Avom, the fantasy world mage that gets wrapped up in all sorts of Tokosatsu wildness.

If you wanted to check out the latest episodes as they air in Japan, you can now find the series exclusively streaming with Crunchyroll. They tease what to expect from The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World as such, “Togo Asagaki was the Red Ranger in a heroic Ranger squad. During their final battle against an evil organization, he gave his life to guarantee their triumph. But fate had other plans, and he found himself reborn in an entirely different world. Embracing his new role as an adventurer, he transforms into Kizuna Red and continues his pursuit of justice, helping those in need.”

The post New Power Rangers Isekai Shows Off Its Own Anime Megazord: Watch appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Anime Japan 2025, one of the world’s largest anime events, is scheduled for four days. The public will have access on March 22nd and 23rd, 2025. Additionally, the event will continue on March 24th and 25th specifically for industry professionals, exhibitors, and business representatives. Animation and production studios will share information regarding new anime projects or merchandise. The event will take place at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan. Tickets for the public event will be on sale starting January 17th. Studio Pierrot, best known for creating Bleach, Naruto, Boruto, and several major franchises, is listed as one of the exhibitors at the event.

As one of the oldest anime studios, established in 1979, Pierrot is known for creating some of the most popular series to date. However, in recent years, several fan-favorite shows have been sidelined, probably because of workload or sales issues. The official website of Anime Japan shares that they will introduce their lineup of new works and anniversary productions after 2025. Fans will surely expect updates regarding their favorite series, such as Black Clover, Boruto, and more.

RELATED: Naruto & Burger King Are Teaming Up for Tasty New Collab

Studio Pierrot Needs to Announce News About Several Fan-Favorite Anime

Black Clover fans can’t wait for a new anime season. The manga is incredibly popular and is currently in its final stretch. However, the anime stopped airing in March 2021. While the studio did release a non-canon movie in 2023, the rest of the story since the Spade Kingdom Raid Arc hasn’t been adapted yet. The Spade Kingdom Raid and the final arcs include some of the most intense battles in the story, and fans have already waited long enough. The manga is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in February, so it’s possible the studio will share more information in Anime Japan 2025.

Furthermore, Boruto’s anime still needs a sequel confirmation even though it stopped airing in March 2023. The manga is currently serializing its sequel Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. Naruto (Shinsaku Anime) was announced as a four-episode special to celebrate the anime’s 20th Anniversary. It was originally expected to premiere in September 2023 but was indefinitely delayed due to production issues. The studio has yet to confirm a release date regarding this.

Additionally, Yona of the Dawn, one of the most beloved shojo manga, still hasn’t been renewed for a second season, even though the anime concluded its first season in March 2015. The manga is also in its final stretch, and it’s about time the later arcs receive an anime adaptation, too. However, it’s rare for an anime to receive a sequel after a decade, especially if it’s a shojo series. Yona of the Dawn’s manga is fairly successful, with over 15 million copies in circulation.

Not only that, but Tokyo Ghoul’s controversial anime adaptation made fans hope for a reboot for a long time. While the first season was good enough, the anime deviated significantly from the manga later on. The manga has much richer backstories and motivations for characters like Juuzou, Ayato, and Nishiki, which are barely touched on in the anime. There have been several criticisms regarding the adaptation; only a reboot can be fixed. The manga concluded in 2014, but it’s never too late to wish for a sequel.

H/T: Anime Japan

The post Black Clover & Boruto NEED to Announce New Revivals at Anime Japan appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Mike McFarland, who has been seen in shows like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and more, is now getting support for a new crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe following a successful surgery removing a brain tumor. If you have been enjoying English dubs for a while, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard McFarland’s work. Not only has the actor providing work for memorable characters like Master Roshi and Yajirobe, but has also worked as an ADR director and more to help direct performances behind the scenes. And many across the voice acting industry have gone to social media to share their support.

Voice actors J. Michael Tatum and Brandon McInnis have started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign earlier this week on behalf of McFarland. Noting that following the actor going through a successful surgery to have a brain tumor removed, the campaign is to get support for the star to hire a live-in medical assistant for as long as he can while on the path to recovery. As of the time of publication on Monday, January 13th, this fund has reached over $88,000 USD towards its now extended goal of $100,000 (after quickly passing over its previous goal of $65,000 USD). You can find the GoFundMe here for more information.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Is Finally Making the Kamehameha Powerful Again

Anime Fans and Stars Rally Around Mike McFarland

“As some of you may know, earlier this week Mike McFarland, the English voice of Master Roshi, underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor,” the GoFundMe listing begins. “The procedure was successful, and Mike’s spirits are high as he sets out on the road to recovery. But in the meantime he’ll need a little help from us. Proceeds will go toward hiring a live-in medical assistant for as long as necessary to help get this legend back on his feet.”

“Mike’s been an integral part of this industry for decades, not just breathing life into beloved characters like Master Roshi, Buggy, and Jean Kirstein, but directing landmark dubs such as the Full Metal Alchemist franchise, Tokyo Ghoul, and Attack on Titan,” the listing continues. “Those who know him best count Mike among the sweetest, funniest, most compassionate humans on the planet; always quick to lend a hand, give sage advice, advocate for the underdog or share in an adventure.

“He’s given a lot of himself over the years, quietly and asking for nothing in return. It’s time for us to give some of that back. Please consider donating. Every little bit helps. And by all means, get the word out!” As the fund has quickly reached its initial goal, fans are clearly rallying around the star in this tough time. We here at ComicBook wish Mike McFarland a speedy recovery.

The post Dragon Ball Star Mike McFarland Launches GoFundMe Following Brain Surgery appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The One Piece manga and anime are both on hiatus due to separate reasons. However, the show running its Final Saga is surely an issue. While the manga has only recently commenced its Elbaf Arc, the anime is still in the Egghead Island Arc. Luffy and his crew will face much bigger threats than CP0 which will put Vegapunk’s life in danger. They are already planning to escape to Elbaf and the manga is currently preparing to begin their new journey. Apart from the holidays, Eiichiro Oda has also taken several breaks due to health issues and Netflix’s One Piece live-action Season 2 production.

As the Executive Director of the show, Oda was busy during the production of the first season as well. The manga went on several hiatuses as it was difficult for him to keep up with the weekly schedule. During the filming of the second season, he went to Cape Town and met the stars. This is Oda’s first time visiting an OPLA set, so his schedule appears even more packed than before. The consecutive manga hiatuses and the anime break result in the dullest period in the history of One Piece.

RELATED: One Piece Staff Doubts IShowSpeed’s Claim to Stream All Epiosdes

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Is Off to a Slow Start

The Elbaf Arc is something fans have been awaiting since the Little Garden Arc of the Arabasata Saga. After a long wait of over two decades, the manga brings the Straw Hats to the Kingdom of the Giants. The arc begins in Chapter 1126 where the crew gets separated briefly. Road, who is pretending to be the Sun God keeps Luffy and some of the crew captive. It doesn’t take long for them to break free and the arc introduces Prince Loki in Chapter 1130.

The chapter was released on October 20th, 2025 before going on a three-week hiatus. It’s been three months since the Prince of Elbaf was properly introduced but the manga still has only released Chapter 1135. As stated by a popular One Piece theorist, @newworldartur, this is the driest period in One Piece history since the manga has never taken this many breaks in the span of three months.

One Piece’s Anime Is Set to Return in April

While the manga is taking several breaks, the anime has been on hiatus since October 2024. Toei has worked on a remastered version of the Fish-Man Island Saga, but the Egghead Arc is still on hold. The anime will return in April 2025 and will likely conclude the arc this year. Toei announced this break to maintain the anime’s quality and ensure it doesn’t overtake the manga’s storyline.

One Piece is known for its slow pacing, adapting one or even less than one chapter in a single episode. However, the anime is expected to resolve this issue after its return since the manga has gotten quite a headstart thanks to the break. 2025 will also be an exciting year for OPLA fans as the second season is set to release in the second half of this year. Furthermore, while WIT Studio hasn’t revealed new information on the remake yet, we can expect updates sometime this year.

H/T: @newworldartur

The post One Piece Is Now In the Most Boring Phase In Its History appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Prepare your garlic mix and sharpen your stakes, because Netflix’s Castlevania: Nocturne is gearing up for a big return in a few short days. Based on the Konami video game franchise of the same name, the beloved Castlevania animated series follows the fight between the Belmont clan of monster hunters and the vampiric forces seeking to rule the world. Season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne releases on January 16, and the latest trailer teases the high-stakes action fans can’t wait to experience.

Netflix’s animated Castlevania series first debuted in 2017 to rave reviews from fans and critics. The original series ran for four acclaimed seasons on the streamer, before wrapping up in 2021. The sequel series, Castlevania: Nocturne — set 300 years after Castlevania — debuted in 2023 to similar acclaim, and fans have been desperate to see Richter Belmont return to the screen ever since.

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Brings Back Alucard

Fans were ecstatic to see Alucard return in Season 1’s finale. Long-time fans will recognize Alucard as the son of Dracula from the original Castlevania series — while even longer-time fans know him as the supporting-turned-player character who first appeared in 1989’s Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Alucard is back in Nocturne with a new, video-game accurate look.

The newest trailer gives fans a fresh look at Alucard in Season 2 of Nocturne, and he’s back fighting alongside a Belmont after 300 years. Alucard leading a French military musket brigade wasn’t on our 2025 bingo card, but we can’t wait to see it on the big screen. The team will also have a new vampiric foe to face off against, Tera, Maria’s mother. Tera sacrificed herself at the end of Season 1, letting herself be turned into a vampire, while Richter, Maria, and Annette fled from the Vampire Messiah.

Season 2 sees Richter Belmont, Maria, Annette, and Alucard take the fight to the Vampire Messiah, who achieved her aim in Season 1 of blocking out the sun, causing an endless night so that vampires could rule the world. With the newfound aid of Alucard, as well as veteran member of he Belmont clan, Juste Belmont, Richter, Maria, and Annette are taking the fight to the Vampire Messiah and her army of vampiric henchmen.

[RELATED – Castlevania: Nocturne Cosplay Gets Spooky With Alucard]

Who Stars In Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2?

The core cast of Season 1 are returning for the show’s sophomore season. Edward Bluemel, Pixie Davies, and Thuso Mbedu return as Richter, Maria, and Annette, respectively, while Iain Glen reprises his role as Juste Belmont. James Callis also makes the jump from the original Castlevania series to voice Alucard in Nocturne‘s second season. Sydney James Harcourt returns as everyone’s favorite night creature, Edouard, who managed to keep his human soul. Franka Potente reprises her role as Erzsbet Bathory, the Vampire Messiah, and Zahn McClarnon returns as Orlox, the vampire who killed Richter’s mother many years ago.

Season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne releases on Netflix on January 16. The new season will run for eight episodes, and all eight will drop at once on Netflix on the premiere date.

The post Netflix’s Castlevania Nocturne Hypes Season 2 Release With Incredible Trailer: Watch appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Solo Leveling Season 2 is the most popular anime of Winter 2025. It debuted on January 4th and has currently aired two episodes. Set in a world where the appearance of mysterious gates endangers public safety, the story follows Sung Jinwoo’s rise from an E-rank hunter known as the weakest hunter in mankind to the strongest of them all. After the appearance of the gates, humans started gaining extraordinary abilities to combat the threat. Since modern machinery doesn’t work on the monsters residing in the gates, humans awaken magical powers to fight them.

However, hunters can’t upgrade their skills no matter how hard they train, making Jinwoo the only exception thanks to the mysterious system. Solo Leveling Season 1 ends with Jinwoo gaining the ability of a Necromancer. Not only does he continue to level up, but he has an entire army of the undead at his beck and call. After getting considerably stronger than before, Jinwoo can rise against any threats. The first two episodes adapt the Red Gate Arc from the manhwa. However, the anime has considerably faster pacing than the manhwa, making it exclude a few scenes from it.

RELATED: Solo Leveling Star Stokes Fan Hopes For Anime’s Future

Solo Leveling Season 2 Excludes Scenes For Faster Pacing

The first season of Solo Leveling adapted 45 chapters from the manhwa in 13 episodes, which makes up for pretty good pacing. However, the first two episodes of the second season have already adapted ten chapters of the manhwa. Since the pacing is faster, it’s understandable that the anime will exclude a few scenes. In Chapter 46, before going to Jinah’s school for a parent-teacher conference, Jinwoo stops by a bank to make a debit card and update his account. The employee is astounded by the enormous money in Jinwoo’s possession.

Later, another scene was removed where Jinwoo meets Jinah’s teacher who complimented him for his looks. He’s seeing the teacher for the first time despite graduating from the same school. The manhwa also included a scene in Chapter 48 where Woo Jinchul is driving Hwang Dongsoo to the Red Gate where the latter asks about his brother’s funeral. Additionally, in the anime, we don’t see the scene where Jinwoo is completing his daily quest inside the dungeon.

He even told the other hunters that there would be a penalty if he didn’t do it, making them speechless. Another example is in Chapter 55 where Jinho misunderstands Jinwoo’s relationship with Songyi. In the anime, Jinho doesn’t ask Jinwoo if he should call Songyi “miss” as a way of acknowledging their relationship. We also didn’t see Jinwoo attempting to clarify the misunderstanding by explaining that Songyi was just his little sister’s friend.

While the anime isn’t excluding major scenes, it’s subtly removing parts of the conversations to progress the story faster. The fight scenes also seem a bit shorter compared to the first season, but it’s still well-adapted nonetheless. This second season aims to adapt several arcs such as the Red Gate, Demon Castle, Retesting Rank, Hunters Guild Gate, Return to Demon Castle Arcs, and maybe even parts of the Jeju Island Arc.

The post Solo Leveling Season 2 Has Made Some Big Changes From Its Source Material appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dragon Ball Daima has been shaking up the Dragon Ball franchise in some pretty significant ways since the new anime began last year, and it’s really putting the work in to finally give the Kamehameha Wave the impact it used to have in the classic series. As part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the late Akira Toriyama’s original Dragon Ball manga hitting the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, Goku and the others are now on a brand new adventure through the Demon Realm. Getting turned into children again as a result of a new wish on the Dragon Balls, it’s been a real return to form.

Dragon Ball Daima has forced Goku and Vegeta to rely on their skills in order to make up for the lack of combat ability in their new smaller forms, and the anime thus far has seen the two of them reaching new heights of power in order to overcome new threats in the Demon Realm. This has put more of an importance on what they are capable of as of the end of the Majin Buu arc, and it’s made the Kamehameha Wave more important than it has been in quite a long time. It’s back to being special again.

Goku’s Going Back to Basics in Dragon Ball Daima

Dragon Ball producer Akio Iyoku explained in a recent interview that Goku and the others were turned into children again both because it serves as a way to ease in both lapsed fans of the classic Dragon Ball anime yet still offers something new for more dedicated fans. The team thought it would be fun for the Z-Fighters and their families to go through this new transformation to kick off this new anime series, and it’s been the case so far with the first cour of the new series that aired through the Fall 2024 anime schedule last year. As the anime continues with new episodes this month and beyond, we’re seeing even more examples of this mentality in action.

The action in Dragon Ball Daima thus far has been both intriguing for dedicated fans, and fun to watch in general. Goku and Vegeta have had to adjust to fighting within their much smaller bodies, and had thus been limited in terms of what they could do. Coupled with the fact that this new series takes place after the events of the Majin Buu arc but before the Battle of Gods arc that kicks off Dragon Ball Super, Goku and Vegeta are also without many of the god powered transformations that they get later in the franchise. Goku even had to go back to using his Power Pole in the Demon Realm to make up the difference.

It’s made Super Saiyan all the more important than ever, and Vegeta even showed off a missing Super Saiyan form to compensate for all of the changes. But even more so, it’s made the aspect of fighting itself all the more cool. Fights in the franchise been blown up to massive proportions over the years, and Dragon Ball Daima has returned to that classic Dragon Ball essence where fans can easily follow every punch and kick thrown while also being able to keep track of the immediate area around the fighters. It means that even the smallest bits of Ki use seem more grandiose as a result. Thankfully, that also means the Kamehameha Wave has gotten a visual and physical upgrade in this new style too.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima’s English Dub Is Now Streaming, But Has One Glaring Problem

Goku’s Kamehameha Wave Feels Big Again

As Goku is fairly limited in what he can do, it also means that his techniques are fairly limited too. Each use of the Kamehameha Wave in Dragon Ball Daima feels huge as it’s technically now the strongest move in his arsenal. Goku isn’t going to be able to layer on it with stronger abilities as we’ve seen in other series, and it takes a greater amount to charge because of those limits placed on his body. So with all of this extra effort put in to help build it, each use is that much cooler like how Goku used it to push back a giant dog in the latest episode (even going as far as to use familiar sound effects for it).

Dragon Ball Daima has been a return to basics in many ways, and those basics have been elevated in order to provide a fresh experience. It’s giving all of the action a shot in the arm as the action has gotten muddier over the course of the series releases. But with this new yet familiar take on Goku, we’re also getting a familiar, yet fresh take on everything Goku is capable of.

The post Dragon Ball Is Finally Making the Kamehameha Powerful Again appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the best modern era romantic comedies is going to be ending very soon according to a new report claiming that Komi Can’t Communicate is ending in just a few more chapters. Tomohito Oda’s Komi Can’t Communicate first kicked off its run with Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Magazine back in 2016, and introduced fans to the titular Shoko Komi. She is a quiet and shy girl who has trouble communicating with others, but has the grand goal of making 100 new friends by the time she leaves high school. This meant that the series always had a very clear end date.

Komi Can’t Communicate first announced that it would be entering its final arc last Summer, and fans have been keep a very close eye on the series ever since. According to a new report from @MangaMogureRE on X, it seems the series’ ending is closer than ever before as it’s expected to end in three more chapters. While this has yet to be officially announced by publisher Shogakukan, it’s definitely raising eyebrows as the finale has felt close by for quite some time. So it’s time to brace yourselves just in case.

Is Komi Can’t Communicate Ending Soon?

If Komi Can’t Communicate is indeed ending in three more chapters, then it will be wrapping up with 496 chapters under its belt when it’s all said and done. This final arc has seen Komi and Tadano Hitohito in the midst of their third year and readying for graduation. The end of the series has also been closer than ever before as Komi herself is nearing to reaching 100 friends than ever before. With these big milestones being so near, it makes a lot of sense for the series to come to an end overall as well after not too long.

Komi Can’t Communicate also seemed like the type of series that could go on for as long as it wanted to. While the central conceit was initially seeing Tadano helping Komi to branch out and make friends, it wasn’t long before the series introduced more romantic elements. Tadano and Komi started to really like one another, they started a new relationship, and the series has since seen the two have a very happy time as a couple. But it also started to expand more to the rest of its cast as it was clear there were all sorts of fun new stories to tell.

RELATED: The Top 2025 Anime Releases You Don’t Want to Miss

Is Komi Can’t Communicate Season 3 Happening?

With the Komi Can’t Communicate manga potentially ending within its next few chapters, is there a chance that the anime can make a return too? It’s hard to say at the moment as the anime currently only has two seasons under its belt as of 2022, and has yet to announce any more in production as of the time of this publication. But if a third season were to happen, it’d be a perfect time for more episodes to hit after the series had come to an end.

With nearly 500 chapters (and potentially even more if the series doesn’t end as quickly as the report claims), Komi Can’t Communicate could have a rather lengthy anime future if it wants to. There are tons of characters with their own unique identities, and many chapters take smaller detours to explore these characters outside of Tadano and Komi’s immediate orbit. Given that this is one of the best modern romantic comedies, a third season would definitely be welcome.

If you wanted to catch up with Komi Can’t Communicate before it’s all potentially over, you can find all chapters of the manga with Viz Media’s Viz Manga app. The first two seasons of the anime are now streaming exclusively with Netflix in the meantime.

HT – @MangaMoguraRE on X

The post One of the Best Modern Rom-Coms Is Ending Very Soon, New Report Says appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Amazing World of Gumball is currently in the works on a new season of episodes, and it turns out that they are finally coming our way some time later this year. The Amazing World of Gumball came to an end after six seasons of episodes in 2019, and then ended completely after two specials aired in 2021. It was shortly after this that the animated series then confirmed that a new series was in the works. First seeming to be a new reboot of the fan favorite franchise, it was then revealed to instead be a new season of the series.

The Amazing World of Gumball Season 7 was previously teased for a potential release some time in 2025 or 2026 as revealed by the last updates from the creative team last year, but a new update from Vice President, International Content Partnerships and Content Strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery, Sean Henry (as spotted by @RegularTweetsUK on X), revealed that the series will be returning for new episodes some time this year. While no concrete release date had yet to be announced as of the time of this publication, fans can relax easy knowing new episodes are on the way.

The Amazing World of Gumball Season 7 Release Window Revealed

As Henry revealed in an interview with C21Media teasing the year ahead for children’s content, The Amazing World of Gumball Season 7 will be hitting with its new episodes later this year. Demand for animation is still high in demand from children, but Cartoon Networks is concerned with competing for screen time with the likes of YouTube. This ties right into The Amazing World of Gumball in a perfect way as the animated series strikes a perfect balance of demographics. Not only has the series been a hit with children, but adults who support Cartoon Network’s various projects as well.

This is going to be especially important as while Cartoon Network and Max are going through a number of changes with their library and streaming offerings, The Amazing World of Gumball is a major 2010s franchise that lines up with some of the other revivals they now have in the works alongside Regular Show, Adventure Time, and more. And as Warner Bros. Discovery plans to attack the next year, The Amazing World of Gumball could serve as a big platform to help kick it all off.

What We Know About The Amazing World of Gumball Season 7 So Far

As teased during a special presentation for the series at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last year, The Amazing World of Gumball will be kicking off with the first episode titled “The Burger” and follows Gumball and Darwin as they try to eat healthy. It was also teased that the new season would be following up on the huge cliffhanger from the end of Season 6 that reintroduced Gumball’s biggest foe, Rob, and that this new season would be revealing more about the Void seen in the original series.

There was also a movie for The Amazing World of Gumball announced alongside the new season, but had thought to be cancelled. Series creator Ben Bocquelet alleviated these worries, however, as he stated that the film was changing from what it was originally intended to be, “It is not dead […] we still have a script I’m really working. We still kind of want to do it. But obviously it’s interesting because with time I’m now looking at like the movie where we’re trying to make back then differently. So it’s kinda like a good thing in a sense, but also bad, that I get sort of like revise the story and stuff and have a really new take on it. So it is not dead.” A release window or date for the film has not been announced either.

The post The Amazing World of Gumball Is Finally Coming Back With New Episodes Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dragon Ball Daima is continuing Goku and the others’ adventure through the brand new Demon Realm, and the newest episode of the series actually has a cool tie to one of Piccolo’s coolest but forgotten powers! Dragon Ball Daima has been a major hit with each episode as they have been changing what we know about the Dragon Ball world as a whole. As Goku and the Supreme Kai have been visiting the planets of the Demon Realm for the first time in franchise history, it’s been revealed just how influential the Demon Realm actually has been for Dragon Ball’s multiverse as a whole.

This is the case with the newest episode too as it not only brings in more elements from Dragon Ball GT, but also has a secret way to further flesh out the Namekians’ ties to the Demon Realm. It’s here that Goku (and fans) are introduced to a plant full of giants known as the Megath, and it’s yet another tie to the Namekians’ own ability to turn into giants themselves. As these reveals continue to showcase more of what the Namekians can do, it’s a sign that Piccolo could be growing much stronger than ever before.

Dragon Ball Reveals New Race of Giants

Dragon Ball Daima Episode 13 introduces the planet of Megath, a planet in the Second Demon World where things are massive compared to Goku and the others (especially in their much smaller forms). Goku, Piccolo and Vegeta face off against a Megath child, but this giant still towers over them with massive proportions. They even have trouble with the Megath child’s puppy, and it really takes all of their power and a keen strategy to keep from getting squashed by the giant. But this is just the beginning as there seems to be a tie with the Namekians too.

When they first get on the planet, the mysterious Namekian Neva quickly realizes that they are going to be out of their depths. Neva has been hard to pin down as he’s clearly more knowledgeable than he lets on thanks to how long he’s been alive within the Demon Realm, and he not only knows all about this giant planet but also about a planet of even bigger giants known as Gigath. So why are the Namekians so clued into all of these different abilities within the Demon Realm? Maybe it’s because it informs their own powers.

Namekians Can Turn Into Giants Too

The last time we had seen Piccolo using his ability to turn giant was during Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Although he had already unlocked the god level abilities of the Orange Piccolo form, he notably had forgotten that he was able to turn giant in order to deal with Cell Max on an even level. It’s timing that perfectly works out as we had been reminded of this power heading into Dragon Ball Daima, and with everything we’re learning about the Demon Realm, it makes all too much sense that there are other giants in that realm too.

With how much we’re learning about the Namekians, it seems they might have gained the ability to learn to become giants from seeing these giants in action. As the anime continues to reveal more about the Demon Realm, the Namekians are getting stronger with each new episode. Now that the series has revealed a giant key to the Namekians’ powers, the demons are getting much more intriguing as the series continues to lay the groundwork for how big of an impact that they’ll have on the rest of the franchise.

The post Dragon Ball Reveals New Demonic Secret Behind Piccolo’s Coolest Ability appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Squid Game Season 2 has been taking over the world ever since it debuted with Netflix last year, and the creator behind it all opened up about why the new season’s most controversial new character is named after a Marvel villain. Squid Game Season 2 has been breaking records with the streaming service since its debut in December, and it’s no secret as to why as the season introduces fans to a whole new group of characters competing in deadly games to win a massive prize. But Thanos the rapper has been standing out from the pack for a number of different reasons.

Squid Game Season 2 fans introduces a rapper who has named himself Thanos. He’s not only inspired by the famous Marvel villain as he sports purple hair, but even painted his nails to boast his own version of the Infinity Stones. Speaking to Netflix, Squid Game series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained that Thanos being named after a Marvel villain was a way to help fans around the world be drawn to the character. He was specifically designed for for worldwide appeal.

Why Squid Game’s Thanos Is Named After a Marvel Villain

As Squid Game series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk points out about the character, “The reason I named the character Thanos… It doesn’t really suit a rapper as a name, was to design him to be a character fans worldwide could love. But I am so grateful he is getting this much love.” As for the response to the character, it seems this appeal has worked as Thanos has been hailed as one of the big standouts from the new season. He’s outwardly different from anything that was seen in the first season, and the offers a chaotic presence to make the second season that much more of a tumultuous experience overall.

Thanos plays a key role in the new season as a direct antagonist that creates some chaotic moments that shake up the other characters. It’s a personality type that fans had not seen in Squid Game before, and is one that leads towards a certain conclusion that we find at the end of the season. Heading into Squid Game Season 3 later this year without this chaotic presence means things are about to get a lot more serious before the Netflix series comes to an end completely.

RELATED: Squid Game Fans Will Love These Death Game Manhwa for Their Next Binge

Squid Game’s Thanos Has Been Facing a Backlash

There has been controversy for Thanos behind the scenes as well. Actor Choi Seung-hyun was arrested for marijuana use in 2017, and Squid Game’s creator opened up to People about Choi taking on such a big role after a lengthy hiatus from the entertainment industry, “As you may know, the actor Seung-hyun, about nine years ago got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and wasn’t able to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea,” the creator noted. “And so this is a comeback after quite a long hiatus, and particularly because he portrays a character that’s a rapper and also someone who is on drugs.”

In elaborating further, Hwang noted how it was brave for the Thanos star to take on such a role too, “I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too,” Hwang stated. “So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role. Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I’m very satisfied with what he did with the character.”

The post Squid Game Creator Explains Why Season 2’s Most Controversial Player Shares Name With Marvel Villain appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dorohedoro first made its TV anime debut five years ago, and a new update for the anime has confirmed that Season 2 will be hitting screens this year as part of the celebration of that fifth anniversary. Q Hayashida’s original Dorohedoro manga made its debut with Shogakukan’s Monthly Ikki magazine back in 2000, and had been running with Shogakukan’s various magazines for nearly two decades after. But the series really found its footing with fans with the debut of its official TV anime adaptation back in 2020 as it was one of the few big standouts fans got to enjoy that year overall.

It was then surprisingly announced early last year that Dorohedoro would indeed by making its comeback with Season 2 of the anime. But when it was confirmed to be in the works, there were very few details about what to expect from these new episodes or when fans can expect to see it. But with a new update shared to help commemorate the fifth anniversary of the anime, Dorohedoro has now confirmed that Season 2 of the anime will be hitting screens some time later this year. Check out the special promo poster released for the anime below:

What to Know for Dorohedoro Season 2

Dorohedoro not only confirmed that Season 2 will be launching some time this year, but also confirmed that MAPPA will be behind the anime’s production once more just like they did with the first season. While it’s yet to be revealed if the rest of the staff from the first season will be returning for their respective roles, Yuichiro Hayashi has been confirmed to return from overseeing Season 1 to handle directing duties for the new episodes too. Dorohedoro Season 1 featured Hiroshi Seko behind the scripts, Tomohiro Kishi designing the characters, and [K]NoW_Name and Fairy_gone composed the music, but their involvement has not been announced.

When Dorohedoro Season 2 was first announced to be in the works, series creator Q Hayashida revealed that the season was actually in the works for quite some time, “I have never been so happy to have a continuation of the Dorohedoro anime! I would like to thank everyone involved in this project. The production has been in progress for quite some time now, and I have been looking forward to watching it.” This teases that these new episodes will certainly be worth the wait when they hit later this year.

RELATED: The Top 2025 Anime Releases You Don’t Want to Miss

What Is Dorohedoro?

If you wanted to check out Dorohedoro before the second season hits, you can now find the 12 episode first season exclusively streaming with Netflix. It’s yet to be revealed if the second season will also be streaming with the platform, but there’s plenty of time to catch up with it all before the new season hits just in case. As for what to expect from this wild anime series, Netflix teases the story of Dorohedoro as such:

“In a city so dismal it’s known only as ‘the Hole,’ a clan of Sorcerers have been plucking people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious ‘experiments’ in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Caiman, a man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, they’re hunting and killing the Sorcerers in the Hole, hoping that eventually they’ll kill the right one. But when En, the head Sorcerer, gets word of a lizard-man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of ‘cleaners’ into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.”

The post Dorohedoro Season 2 Confirms 2025 Release With New Update appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Clover is now working its way through the final fight against Lucius Zogratis, and the cliffhanger from the newest chapter of the series is setting up for the return of some of the series’ best villains. Black Clover made its first big return of the year with a new update with the Winter 2025 issue of Shueisha’s Jump GIGA magazine, and with it offered two new chapters bringing the final arc one step closer to its end. As Asta and Yuno reunited on the battlefield, they are now pitting their newly formed abilities against a seemingly all-powerful Lucius. But he might not be all they need to beat.

Black Clover Chapters 377 and 378 brought the series one step closer to its grand finale as it confirmed that the fights against the Paladins and the Lucius clones are coming to their respective conclusions. As Asta and Yuno kicked off their final fight against Lucius, it seemed like the two of them were able to take out the Zogratis as the newest update came to an end. But it’s clear that this is far from the end of the fight as Lucius is not only seemingly poised for a comeback, but his former Dark Triad siblings might be on the way back as well.

Black Clover Teases the Dark Triad’s Return

Black Clover Chapter 377 sees Asta and Yuno reuniting and heading straight towards the center of Lucius’ massive spell over the Clover Kingdom. But within this giant spiritual tree, Lucius is seen sitting on a throne in front of the bodies of the defeated Zogratis siblings. Throughout the entire area, four heartbeats are heard as Lucius prepares to fight Asta and Yuno. Soon enough, that fight begins as it’s clear that Asta and Yuno’s improved abilities over this final arc are bridging the gap to Lucius’ overwhelming power.

Asta had spent some time before these final battles learning the Zetten technique within the Land of the Sun, and he’s able to land a decisive hit with it as Yuno delivers a fully powered Saint Spirit of Boreas. The two of them are so strong that Lucius is overwhelmed to the point where they seem to be avoiding all of his future visions, but then Lucius is seemingly defeated as Chapter 378 comes to an end. The fight is far from over yet as the final moments see those four heartbeats kicking in once more.

RELATED: Black Clover Hypes 2025 Return With Special New Year’s Promo

Is The Dark Triad Really Coming Back?

When we had last seen the Dark Triad in action during the climax of the Spade Kingdom Raid arc, the three Zogratis siblings had activated their respective Devil abilities to such an extend that they were at full power. But all three of them were decidedly defeated by Asta and the other Magic Knights, and Lucius was activated as a result. Lucius’ return helped to kick off this final arc, and thus it seems like part of his plan was to use his siblings in some capacity.

It’s unclear as to whether or not Lucius will be bringing the three of them back, possibly with new Paladin abilities, or is using them to fuel his own power. But it seems like we’re about to get that reveal soon as their heartbeats are clearly being heard within Lucius’ spell. But as Black Clover makes its way through this final arc, it’s becoming noticeably further away from its true ending as there are still some more layers of this fight to unfurl through the new updates coming in the rest of the year.

The post Black Clover: Final Arc Cliffhanger Teases Return of Its Best Villains appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dragon Ball Daima fans are now going to be treated to a double dose of new episodes every week, but the English dub is going to have some trouble getting off the ground for a while thanks to its release schedule. Dragon Ball Daima kicked off its run last year as a brand new anime telling a brand new story from late series creator Akira Toriyama, and it has been surprising fans with all sorts of big events that have changed what we think of the Dragon Ball franchise forever. And now even more fans are able to take the chance and jump into the new series themselves.

Dragon Ball Daima has officially kicked off the streaming premiere for its English dub release, and this will be the first time many fans get to check it out for themselves. Much like with Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super‘s anime releases, many fans wait for the English dub to dip their toes into new Dragon Ball stories. But unfortunately, the wait for the dub is going to be even tougher as we’re only going to get one episode a week that’s months after the original premiere of the episode.

Dragon Ball Daima’s Dub Schedule Is Too Slow

Dragon Ball Daima has kicked off its English dub release with its first episode now streaming with Crunchyroll, and it’s a great first impression. Much like when fans saw the premiere episode last year, Dragon Ball Daima reintroduces fans to the Dragon Ball world with an extended first episode that kicks in the big hook for this new series in its final moments. Episodes will be releasing at a weekly pace, so barring any major schedule hiccups behind the scenes, fans of the dub will be able to catch up soon enough. But that’s the issue.

Dragon Ball Daima is now 13 episodes into its run of the original Japanese language broadcast, and some huge things have happened with each one thus far. Each episode has either offered up some new piece of Dragon Ball lore expanding what was previously known about the franchise, or brand new characters, transformations, and moments that have been talked about by fans online quite a bit. It’s fair to say that anyone waiting to watch the dub has likely already seen all of the big surprises.

Which means that anyone seeing the Dragon Ball Daima dub will also likely see some of the big events that will be happening when the anime comes to an end far before their own watching experience gets to that point. It’s a shame too because anime as a whole has had a lot better luck when it comes to releasing their English dubs much closer to the release of the Japanese language drop. Sometimes it’s even on the same day of release, and it’s made for a much bigger response with all sorts of fans being able to take part.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima’s Changes To The Universe Have Strengthened The Franchise

It’s Going to Stall Bigger Conversations

This staggered release for Dragon Ball Daima’s English dub had been seen before with the likes of Dragon Ball Super, but it’s a different case this time around. Not only did Dragon Ball Super’s English dub eventually make its way to Adult Swim for its television broadcast (which is highly likely for Dragon Ball Daima as well), but it had the lead in from its adaptation of the Battle of Gods and Resurrection F movies. So it’s not like fans waiting for the dubbed episodes weren’t entirely out of the loop.

This staggered conversation and response is going to hurt Dragon Ball Daima‘s longevity in the long run. Holding back its English dub for such a long time (and then releasing weekly after showing off the first three episodes last year), means that the fandom can’t capitalize on the full power of its hype with each new episode. In the streaming age where even franchises like Dragon Ball have to compete for views, the conversation around each episode is even more important than ever before. Especially when big things happen like Vegeta unlocking a brand new form that fans have been waiting years to see in action.

Dragon Ball might be one of the biggest action franchises in the world, but staggered releases for the anime are holding it back from even bigger successes. That was something the franchise could get away with years ago, but it’s much different with this new demographic that’s getting into anime in the last few years. The new generation of fans is more involved with the current conversation, and will move on to the next thing when the next seasonal anime wave hits. So if there’s anything holding a series back, it’s like it never leaves the starting line. And that might be happening here.

The post Dragon Ball Daima’s English Dub Is Now Streaming, But Has One Glaring Problem appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Beloved historical drama The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 has made its debut this Winter 2025 on Crunchyroll. It’s one of the most highly anticipated anime of the season and is off to an incredible. Both opening and ending visuals are stellar just like the first season. However, the opening theme teases the frog scene from the manga and light novel. Anime-only fans may not be aware but it’s a popular scene among the fandom focused on Maomao and Jinshi.

Written by Natsu Hyuuga, The Apothecary Diaries is set in an ancient Chinese court following Maomao, a genius sharp-witted girl with incredible knowledge in apothecary and a hobby for solving mysteries. After being kidnapped and sold to the inner palace as a servant girl, Maomao strives to keep a low profile till her tenure is over. However, she catches Jinshi’s eye, a beautiful eunuch and manager of the rear palace, who asks for help in a number of mysterious cases surrounding the palace. The second season will run for two cours and adapt Volumes 3 and 4 from the light novel.

Warning: Spoilers from The Apothecary Diaries manga ahead!

RELATED: The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Needs to Solve Its Biggest Mystery So Far

What Is the Frog Scene in The Apothecary Diaries?

The scene is included in Chapter 63 of the manga. In the light novel Volume 3, it happens around the ending so we can expect this scene to be covered in the first cour. Jinshi asks Maomao to join in on a hunting trip with Gaoshun and Basun. Maomao notices they’re behaving differently and spends the rest of the day indoors. Not to mention the food being served to Jinshi contains aphrodisiacs. He refuses the dinner and on the following day, Jinshi, Gaoshun, and Basen join the hunt, leaving Maomao behind.

However, she attends the banquet and sees Jinshi leaving his seat before following him into the woods. They’re suddenly attacked and escape by jumping into a nearby waterfall. While others search for the two of them, Jinshi takes Maomao into the cavern. Maomao and Jinshi being drenched in water. It also shows a small glimpse of a cave. In the manga and the light novel, the duo scratch their heads over attempting to escape.

Maomao stands on Jinshi’s shoulders to reach the cave opening. However, she loses her balance because a frog lands on her head. They both fall and Maomao ends up on Jinshi. She mistakenly places her hand in between his legs and realizes Jinshi is not an eunuch. Jinshi is already comtemplating whether he should tell the truth to her or not. But because she knows its dangerous for Jinshi to hide his identity, she acts clueless and claims she touched a gross.

Maomao even wipes her hand, saying frogs are slimy and gross. They’re both rescued shortly after. The story is slowly progressing their relationship with each adventure and being stuck in the cave alone was one of those moments. Jinshi is well aware of his feelings towards Maomao but the latter is still keeping a distance. Although he wants to be honest with her, Jinshi doesn’t realize that Maomao knows more about him than she lets on.

H/T: @keiuzuki

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Anime based on webcomics or webtoons isn’t unheard of, but The Beginning After the End is unique for one specific reason. The web series is written by Korean-American Brandon Lee, who goes by TurtleMe and drawn by Fuyuki23. The original series is made in America, making The Beginning After the End the first American web novel to get an anime adaptation. The webtoon is released by Tapas, a Korean digital website and publisher. Tapas specifically markets the original web series with North America in mind. The animated adaptation of The Beginning After the End shows the global appeal of anime, and how various brands and companies are taking advantage of the medium’s growing popularity.

Despite its American origins, The Beginning After the End has grown a sizable fanbase across the globe. The original web novel has a big following in the East and West, making it an ideal series to sell for all parts of the world. The Beginning After the End popularity is also indicative of how popular webcomics have become, especially in the West. Other series based on web series, like Solo Leveling, have been turned into huge anime shows with big marketing pushes. Beyond manga, manhwa and other webcomics are being thrust into the limelight and could be the next big thing in anime.

RELATED: The Beginning After the End Anime Sets April 2025 Release & New Trailer: Watch

The Beginning After the End, A Western Anime

While The Beginning After the End will be the first American web novel turned into an anime by an Asian studio, American cartoons have often outsourced animation by Asian studios. The Simpsons had relied on animation from the Korean studio AKOM for many years during its peak. Shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender have clear Asian inspirations. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was a Netflix animated series written by an American staff yet animated in Japan by Science Saru, Inc.

TurtleMe has discussed his influence on The Beginning After the End with Anitrendz, covering why he believes the series was able to find a footing on both sides of the globe. The author details his upbringing with American and Asian media, citing Fullmetal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, Eragon, and The Name of the Wind as the biggest influences on his work. He believes that because he wrote something that he wanted to see when growing up, which includes elements from America and Asia, The Beginning After the End appealed to audiences in both East and West. TurtleMe is very much involved with the anime adaptation’s progress and hopes fans of the webcomic can enjoy the new experience the medium can provide.

H/T: Anitrendz

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Naruto is in the midst of a huge comeback, and now the classic anime and manga franchise is teaming up with Burger King for a tasty new collaboration. Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga might have come to an end years ago, and the anime adaptation might have ended soon after, but the franchise has honestly been stronger than ever before. With the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex sequel continuing the manga with new chapters each month, and the anime readying to make its comeback with its long in the works 20th anniversary special, Naruto is preparing for what could be an even bigger 2025.

Burger King France has taken fans by surprise with some special new Naruto art for the series in anticipation of a new collaboration with the burger restaurant (which has been increasing its anime collaborations in many countries throughout the past year especially) beginning on January 14th. It’s yet to be revealed what kind of menu changes or potential merchandise fans might be able to check out with this new Naruto team up, but fans can check out the first look at what this new shake up will bring with some special art revealed on Burger King France’s official social media. Check them out below:

Naruto Teams Up With Burger King?

While Burger King France is currently playing coy about what fans can expect from this new team up with Naruto, international fans have yet to get a collaboration of this kind. If it’s successful there might be a chance of getting this team up in other territories outside of France or Brazil, so it’s definitely something to keep an eye on heading into the rest of the year. Burger King seems to also be planning to expand its reach into the world of animation in the future too.

This follows fun collaborations with McDonald’s in the past couple of years (with the company recently teaming up with Neon Genesis Evangelion) that have seen anime make it their way to huge team ups like this. As anime continues to grow in popularity with younger generations, fans can hope to see more promotional materials like this. It’s pretty common in Japan as the huge franchises often team up with restaurants and convenience stores pretty regularly, but it’s not the same in the West as anime has only started to really break through into the mainstream in this way in the last five years.

RELATED: Anime’s Going to Be Huge in 2025 (But Fans Are Nervous for One Reason)

What’s Next for Naruto?

Naruto could have a huge 2025 if we’re lucky. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ anime has been on hiatus since 2023, and it has yet to be revealed when fans can hope to see the next wave of episodes. When the series does return, there’s still plenty of material it can adapt before the series kicks off its adaptation of the manga’s time skip sequel, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. This new manga has been releasing new chapters each month, and introduces a whole new kind of world for the Naruto franchise.

For fans who still miss the classic Naruto from the 2000s, however, the anime has been readying for a celebration of the 20th anniversary. Announced to be in the works some time ago, this is a special four episode miniseries bringing back the original Team 7 line up for Naruto before the events of Naruto Shippuden. While it was planned to release some time in Fall 2023, these episodes have been put on an indefinite delay ever since. But we could get some news on that this year if we’re lucky.

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Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is finally coming back for Season 6 of the animated series, and Disney has debuted the first trailer showing off what to expect from these new episodes with the first trailer. Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir ended the fifth season of the animated series a couple of years ago, so fans have been eagerly waiting to see the series make its comeback. It’s a bit different of a situation this time around, however, as things have changed in some significant ways behind the scenes for this new season and beyond as the series heads into the future.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Season 6 will be making its highly anticipated debut with the Disney Channel and Disney XD in the United States on Saturday, January 25th at 11:00AM ET/PT with international releases hitting throughout the rest of the year. This is going to be the first season of the series to be animated with entirely new technology, and will be featuring new makeovers for returning characters and some new super hero identities for other members of the cast too. Check out the trailer for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Season 6 in the video above.

What Will Miraculous Season 6 Be About?

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Season 6 and 7 are co-productions with Disney Branded Television, Brazil’s Globosat, Italy’s KidsMe, and France’s TF1. Season 6 will premiere later this month, and Season 7 of the series is currently slated for a release some time in 2026, but has yet to confirm its concrete release date as of the time of this publication. As for what fans can expect to see in this next season of the series, Disney teases the story for Miraculous Season 6 as such:

“Marinette and Adrien have never been so close but they’re still keeping secrets from each other. Meanwhile, Ladybug and Cat Noir must face a mysterious and elusive new enemy out to steal their Miraculous and cause chaos in Paris. Along with their classmates and a newly formed superhero team, our heroes are about to experience a school year full of emotions and revelations.” But the story for the new season is not the only thing new heading into this next wave of episodes for the long running series.

RELATED: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir’s Cristina Vee Teases Season 6, New Designs, and More

Miraculous Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir will be kicking off the 10th anniversary celebration for the animated franchise with the premiere of Season 6 later this month. This is the first season of the series animated with Unreal Engine, and therefore is leading to a major design overhaul for many of the characters. Maria Doolan, head of content partnerships and distribution at Miraculous Corp., teased how big of a deal this new season with “The launch of season six coincides with the 10^th anniversary of the Miraculous brand and promises an exciting new chapter in the franchise.”

Continuing further with, “This season features characters who have grown and evolved with refreshed visuals that capture their development, and a bold new storyline weaves together themes of courage and self-belief that continue to resonate with fans of all ages.” It’s clear from those behind the scenes and the fans anxious to see the new episodes that this is going to be a big deal, and the first trailer for the animated series helps to emphasize why as it teases some bigger and more expanded action than seen in prior seasons.

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Dr. Stone has returned for the first wave of episodes as part of the anime’s fourth and final season, and things have kicked off in a huge new way with the debut of a new set of opening and ending themes. Dr. Stone Science Future serves as the fourth season of the anime taking on Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi’s original manga series, and it will be adapting the final moments from the now finished manga. This final season will be taking place over three full cours of episodes with breaks in between, and the first of these batches is now airing this Winter.

Dr. Stone Science Future is definitely one of the big anime releases to look out for as part of the now airing Winter 2025 anime schedule, and this first batch of episodes have set Senku Ishigami and the rest of the Kingdom of Science on a new adventure. These have also debuted a new opening theme titled “CASAN​OVA POSSE” as performed by ALI, and you can check out the creditless version in the video above. The new ending theme for the season is titled “Rolling ​Stone” as performed by BREIMEN, and you can check it out below.

What to Know for Dr. Stone’s Final Season

Dr. Stone Science Future is the final season of the anime now airing this Winter, and fans can find it along with the English dub release now exclusively streaming with Crunchyroll. This final season features a returning staff and voice cast for its episodes, and is currently scheduled to run for three cours overall. These batches of episodes will have breaks in between, but it’s currently unclear how long each of these breaks will last. So it’s likely that fans will see the anime come to its complete end some time in 2026 with its true grand finale.

This new season has quite a lot to take on from the original Dr. Stone manga, so that means fans will have plenty to look forward to before it all ends. As the new opening teases, there’s a new key character who will be serving as one of the final primary antagonists that Senku will face. Because as he and the Kingdom of Science hope to make their way to other countries like the former United States of America for resources, they are going to find that they aren’t the only civilization that has come back in this stone world.

RELATED: Dr. Stone Anime Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Special Poster

How Will Dr. Stone End?

Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi’s original Dr. Stone ended its manga run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine back in 2022, so that means there is still quite a lot of ground to cover before the anime can come to its conclusion as well. With the manga’s ending also set in stone, there’s also a pretty clear runway for the anime to take as it tackles these final chapters. There were also some extra chapters released after that ending, so the anime could take things even further if it wants to.

But this final season features the first direct antagonist for Senku since the first season had pitted him against the Tsukasa Empire, and unlike some of the other ones seen before, this next antagonist has the same level intelligence of Senku. That means it’s going to be the first real time that fans will be seeing two scientists take on one another before the anime comes to an end. But now it’s just a matter of seeing how the anime brings it all to life in the next couple of years.

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