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Bartosz Sztybor, the writer and producer of Netflix's biggest sci-fi anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, has revealed his motivations for the series' somber narrative direction while promising an even darker and sadder sequel.

Sztybor shared a video from his Cyberpunk: Edgerunners panel at Anime Expo on his X (formerly Twitter) account, where he cheekily admitted that his goal was to "make the whole world sad" with the anime. At the panel, which also featured voice actors Emi Lo (Lucy) and Zach Aguilar (David Martinez), the showrunner was asked about the focus on human stories within the dystopian world of Cyberpunk. "Human stories are important for CD Projekt Red. We created Cyberpunk 2077 and we always want to write stories that are character driven, so that was important," Sztybor explained. "But the other thing is that we are a company from Poland. I'm from Poland and people in Poland are sad. They are born sad,...

At Anime Expo 2025, fans of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners were hit with some huge news: the anime is officially getting a second season. The announcement came with a brand new teaser and poster, giving everyone a glimpse of what’s next for Night City.

Some familiar voices showed up for the event too. Emi Lo, who voices Lucy, and Zach Aguilar, the voice of David Martinez, made appearances and were met with big cheers. Writer and producer Bartosz Sztybor was also there, and to everyone’s surprise, director Hiroyuki Imaishi joined the panel as well.

When asked why they decided to make a sequel, Sztybor said he always hoped the story wouldn’t end with just one season.

“Night City has so many stories to tell,” he said. “I wasn’t satisfied with the sadness… so I want you to be even more sad now.”

Netflix dropped a short teaser right after the announcement,...

At Anime Expo 2025, fans got exciting news as the sequel to the popular anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was officially announced. The first poster for the new series was revealed, and some familiar faces appeared at the event, including voice actors Emi Lo, who plays Lucy, and Zach Aguilar, the voice of David Martinez.

Bartosz Sztybor, the writer and producer of the series, was also there, along with director Hiroyuki Imaishi, who made a surprise appearance.

When asked why a sequel was made, Sztybor explained that Night City has many stories left to tell. He said he dreamed the story wouldn’t end with the first anime because there are lots of interesting characters and tales to explore. He also joked, “I wasn’t satisfied with the sadness… so I want you to be even more sad now.”

Now Netflix has released a short teaser, reminding fans that David is dead, but...

During its panel at this year’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles, CD Projekt Red announced that the company has reunited with studio Trigger to create a new standalone anime series set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 titled Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2.

The Anime Expo panel revealed the logo and poster art for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 and confirmed Kai Ikarashi as director of the new episodes.

The panelists included Hugo Award-winning writer Bartosz Sztybor, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners director Hiroyuki Imaishi, and voice actors Emi Lo (Lucy Kushinada) and Zach Aguilar (David Martinez). The panel was hosted by Joey “The Anime Man” Bizinger.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is being developed by CD Projekt Red in collaboration with the legendary studio Trigger and will be released on Netflix.

At the panel, titled “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — Behind the Scenes With Its Creators,” Sztybor announced the new collaboration between CD Projekt Red and animation studio Trigger to create Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. Together with Imaishi,...

The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime is officially getting a second season. The big announcement was made at Anime Expo 2025, and fans were treated to a first look at the new poster.

Voice actors Emi Lo (Lucy) and Zach Aguilar (David Martinez) were both at the event. Writer and producer Bartosz Sztybor also joined the panel, along with a surprise visit from director Hiroyuki Imaishi. The panel was hosted by popular YouTuber and anime content creator Joey, also known as TheAnimeMan.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Sequel Anime First Poster Visual

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard from Sztybor about Edgerunners. In an earlier interview, he talked about the ideas behind the show and how it all came together.

At the Anime Expo panel, he kept things dark and funny. “I’m from Poland. People in Poland are sad. They are born sad, they die sad, so I just wanted to make the whole world sad…...

At Anime Expo 2025, fans got exciting news as the sequel to the popular anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was officially announced. The first poster for the new series was revealed, and some familiar faces appeared at the event, including voice actors Emi Lo, who plays Lucy, and Zach Aguilar, the voice of David Martinez.

Bartosz Sztybor, the writer and producer of the series, was also there, along with director Hiroyuki Imaishi, who made a surprise appearance. The panel was hosted by TheAnimeMan, also known as Joey.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Sequel Anime First Poster Visual

There was a project announcement back in September 2024 about a new collaboration between Netflix Animation, CD Projekt Red (Cdpr), and Cyberpunk, but it wasn’t clear if that was the same as this new series. Sztybor teased the fans by saying, “But don’t get too excited. David’s dead.”

When asked why a sequel was made, Sztybor explained...

CD Projekt Red is returning to the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners universe with a new stand-alone entry, which the game developer announced alongside the anime series’ showrunner during a panel at Anime Expo on Friday.

The video game developer will once again partner with the animation studio Trigger for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, which, like its predecessor, will stream on Netflix. An official logo and poster art were shared as part of CD Projekt Red’s “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — Behind the Scenes With its Creators,” with a promise that later in the day, Trigger would tease new footage for the series at the Peacock Theater as part of its own panel.

The series will serve as a new 10-episode stand-alone story set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, and asks the question: in a city that thrives in the spotlight of violence and when the world is blinded by spectacle, what extremes will you go to...

The year was 2022. Anime fans tuned in to Netflix to discover one of the best new series they've ever watched. And then... silence. For a long while, it felt like Cyberpunk: Edgerunnerswould never get a Season 2, a sequel series, or anything that continued the story. The first glimpse of news came last year, and only today at Anime Expo did we get to see concrete plans for the future of the franchise. During the anime series' panel, it was finally revealed that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is in the works.

The panel featured screenwriter Bartosz Sztybor (Mr. Car and the Knights Templar) and voice actors Zach Aguilar (David Martinez) and Emi Lo (Lucy). The trio talked about the process of bringing Cyberpunk: Edgerunners to life. As any fan of the series will tell you, the show excels both in its impressive visuals and in its twisty story. In the original show,...

Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersfans just got a major update courtesy of Anime Expo. As revealed during the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners - Behind the Scenes with Its Creators panel held on July 4 at Anime Expo, the announcement for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners II has finally been unveiled. The new series will bring audiences back to the world of Cyberpunk 2077 for a brand-new adventure that is just as exciting, and possibly even more explosive, as it was the first time around.

Panel participants included Emi Lo (voice of Lucy), Zach Aguilar (voice of David Martinez) and Bartosz Sztybor (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners writer). Studio Trigger director Hiroyuki Imaishi also made a surprise appearance. The upcoming 10-episode Cyberpunk II anime series will be directed by Kai Ikarashi (Episode 6 director), and was described by the panel as a standalone series that will be "darker" and "sadder" and produced by a "younger, fresher" team, alongside the tongue-in-cheek confirmation: "But don’t get too excited.

It's been nearly 3 years since Netflix released Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Based on the CD Projekt Red video game, Cyberpunk 2077, this show was a huge success, winning "Anime of the Year" at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, as well as earning a perfect critics' score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, fans will receive another chance to return to Night City as a limited Blu-ray Disc set will be released before the end of the year.

Aniplex of America announced the news during Anime Expo, where it revealed a new cover for this release, featuring David Martinez and Lucyna "Lucy" Kushinada. Not only will this Blu-ray release feature all 10 episodes, it will also include a booklet, a book of the storyboard of episode 10, a two-year anniversary visual poster, and a cel-style sheet. Pre-orders are scheduled to open on August 26 and will be released on October 28. You can view the new cover and poster below.

When it was announced that The Apothecary Diarieswould have its own panel at this year's Anime Expo, fans knew that something special was brewing. With Season 2 having just wrapped its run, though, there wasn't much that could be teased about the series... except a new season, of course! And now it's official: to no one's surprise, The Apothecary Diaries is returning for Season 3. The announcement was made before the panel even started, and a release window for the new episodes is yet to be announced. A teaser was unveiled to confirm the production of the new episodes, and it hints at a major change of scenery for the series.

The renewal of The Apothecary Diaries was pretty much a given, since the series remains one of the most popular anime titles of the year. Recently, the show saw a boost in its popularity due to Season 1 finally debuting on Netflix—...

Anime has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it’s been a huge part of Aapi culture for even longer. As someone who remembers going to Anime Expo when it was still held in Long Beach, it’s strange to see just how huge anime is now – mainstream even! It fills me with an odd sense of pride because I know the part the Aapi community has played in making anime the worldwide phenomenon that it is today. Back when it was still a niche medium, so many of us were spreading the word about Asian media in our own way – dragging friends to the nearest import stores (shoutout to Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle on Sawtelle!) to marvel at all the anime figures, rocking the Domo-kun T-shirts and trucker hats, and sharing copies of whatever anime or manga we had at home with...

For the first time, Netflix subscribers outside of Asia will have access to the hit mystery-drama and romance anime series. The Apothecary Diaries. Season 1 of the popular title will become available to stream in the U.S. next month.

Per What's On Netflix, The Apothecary Diaries will join Netflix's ever-growing catalog of anime titles starting April 1, 2025. While the series does have an English dub, the site does not specify if this will be offered alongside the original Japanese version. Until recently, Netflix has only streamed The Apothecary Diaries for viewers in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. At the time of writing, Crunchyroll holds exclusive streaming rights to the series in North America and several other major territories.

Related'i Found Myself Crying': The Apothecary Diaries' New Anime Director Reveals the Difficulties Behind Season 2

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 director Akinori Fudesaka describes the emotional process of...

Last month, popular mystery-drama animeThe Apothecary Diaries returned to the airwaves for its Season 2 debut. In addition to remaining faithful to the titular light novel series, Season 2 director Akinori Fudesaka is also trying to produce a visually engaging anime that captures the full emotional spectrum of The Apothecary Diaries' world and characters.

While Fudesaka originally served as the assistant director for Season 1, he has since taken over the directorial role from Norihiro Naganuma. The latter is now assisting Fudesaka as chief director. In a recent interview conducted by Mantan Web, Fudesaka expounded upon the challenges that now face him as leader of the series' animation staff. "The assistant director's job is to receive exactly what the director wants and give it shape...when the director starts an anime production, they create the framework and the path, and directs the production on site..." he explained. "...this is something I'm really particular about when making anime,...

Winter 2025 has been a great season for anime lovers of all kinds, from Shonen Jump buffs to mystery fans and even hopeless romantics. Recently, a popular Japanese news site unveiled nationwide survey results showcasing which new and returning IPs are garnering the most love this season.

From Feb. 3 to Feb. 17, Animate Times asked its readers to choose the Winter 2025 series that they wanted "everyone to watch" until the end. The newly-released top 10 list includes a number of works that have gained notoriety and acclaim outside Japan, including Dr. Stone, Sakamoto Days and My Happy Marriage, to name a few. The site's #1 pick is The Apothecary Diaries, Season 2 of which debuted on Jan. 10. In second and third place are Medalist and From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!, respectively. The full top 10 list, listed from highest to lowest ranking, can be seen below.

RelatedDemon Slayer Anime Misses #1 Spot in New Official...

Crunchyroll announced on Feb 5, 2025, that Grammy-nominated Colombian singer J Balvin is set to make his anime voice acting debut in the English and Spanish dubs of Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise From the Shadow-.

J Balvin expressed his excitement about the role, saying:

“I’m beyond thrilled to join the cast of Solo Leveling! This series has such a passionate fanbase, and getting the chance to be part of the anime world, after being a fan for such a long time, is an absolute honor. I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working on!“

Crunchyroll has yet to reveal which character J Balvin will voice but listed the role as important.

The English dub of Solo Leveling Season 2 began streaming on Jan 18, 2025, featuring returning cast members, including:

Aleks Le as Sung Jinwoo Rebecca Wang as Sung Jinah Daman Mills as Barca Emi Lo as...

Room for one more? The English dub of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 begins streaming on Crunchyroll from Sunday, January 26 with the below cast and crew for Episode 1! The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 English Dub Cast Rentaro voiced by Travis Mullenix Hakari voiced by Sarah Wiedenheft Karane voiced by Ariel Graham Shizuka voiced by Sara Ragsdale Nano voiced by Cassie Ewulu Kusuri voiced by Lindsay Sheppard Hahari voiced by Corey Pettit Kurumi voiced by Emi Lo Love God voiced by Kenny James Narrator voiced by Jim Foronda The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 English Dub Crew Voice Director: Helena Walstrom Producer: Samantha Herek Adaptation: Macy Anne Johnson Mixer: Rickey Watkins Engineer: Jose Sandoval Related: Crunchyroll Winter 2025 Dubs Include Solo Leveling Season 2 and More Key Art Related: The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You...

Crunchyroll announced that the English dub of Apothecary Diaries season 2 will be streamed on the platform from Jan 24, 2025.

Cast and staff details for the English dub have also been revealed.

Apothecary Diaries season 2 English dub cast includes:

Emi Lo as Maomao Kaiji Tang as Jinshi Bree Han as Xiaolan Monica Piskor as Lingli Jim Foronda as Guen Alex Hom as Gaoshun Molly Zhang as Gyokuyou Naya Moreno as Ailan Giovannie Cruz as Hongniang Monica Rial as Narrator Kelly Greenshield as Guiyuan Suzie Yeung as Shisui Kelsey Cruz as Yinghua Alex Mai as Emperor Wendy Powell as Madam Ciarán Strange as Pairin Trina Nishimura as Lihua Rebecca Danae as Meimei Monica Flatley as Joka Reshel Mae as Lishu Oscar Seung as Ukyou

Staff includes:

Voice Director: Shawn Gann Producer: Susie Nixon Adaptation: Clayton Browning Mixer: William Dewell Engineer: August Cline

The Apothecary Diaries season started airing on Jan 10, 2025. It will run for two consecutive course.

Crunchyroll announced that the English dub of Solo Leveling season 2 will be available to stream on the platform starting Jan 18, 2024.

The cast and staff involved in the English dub were also revealed.

Solo Leveling English dub cast includes:

Aleks Le as Sung Jinwoo Rebecca Wang as Sung Jinah Daman Mills as Barca Emi Lo as Han Song-Yi Patrick Seitz as Kim Chul Trina Nishimura as Park Heejin Geoff Bisente as Go Myunghwan SungWon Cho as Woo Jinchul Matthew David Rudd as Hwang Dongsoo Ian Sinclair as Choi Jong-In Kent Williams as Go Gunhee Christopher R. Sabat as Baek Yoonho Cory Yee as Ahn Sangmin Anthony Bowling as Hyun Kichul Sally Vahle as Teacher Monica Flatley and Kirsty Johnson as Students Bryson Baugus, Aiden Call, Ethan Gallardo, Brandon Acosta as B-Rank Members Drew Breedlove as C-Rank Member Aiden Call as Ice Elf

Staff includes:

Voice Director: Caitlin Glass Producer: Samantha Herek...

Episode 1 of the English dub for ‘Solo Leveling‘ Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- premieres this Saturday, January 18 at 1 p.m. Pt / 4 p.m. Et only on Crunchyroll. New dub episodes will continue to stream weekly on Saturdays.

Voice actors from the first season, including Aleks Le, Patrick Seitz, Rebecca Wang and Emi Lo, will return to reprise their roles in the second season.

The full English dub cast is as follows: Aleks Le as Sung Jinwoo Rebecca Wang as Sung Jinah Daman Mills as Barca Emi Lo as Han Song-Yi Patrick Seitz as Kim Chul Trina Nishimura as Park Heejin Geoff Bisente as Go Myunghwan SungWon Cho as Woo Jinchul Matthew David Rudd as Hwang Dongsoo Ian Sinclair as Choi Jong-In Kent Williams as Go Gunhee Christopher R. Sabat as Baek Yoonho Cory Yee as Ahn Sangmin Anthony Bowling as Hyun Kichul ‘Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise From the Shadow...

Fans of the hit anime Solo Leveling are in for an exciting treat as the much-anticipated English dub of season two, titled Arise from the Shadow, officially premiers this Saturday, January 18 at 1:00Pm Pt and 4:00Pm Et on Crunchyroll. Building on the momentum of the first season's success, new dubbed episodes will stream weekly on Saturdays, making sure fans can stay up-to-date on the gripping story of Sung Jinwoo and his shadow army.

Returning fans can look forward to familiar voices, as many of the season one cast members are reprising their roles. Aleks Le returns as the voice of Sung Jinwoo, joined by Rebecca Wang as Sung Jinah, and Emi Lo as Han Song-Yi, among others. With such a talented cast bringing the characters to life, the dub promises to be just as intense, emotional, high-stakes, and action-packed as the subtitled version.

Source: Crunchyroll Press Release

Solo Leveling...

Arise, Solo Leveling fans. Crunchyroll has finally announced the release date for the English dub of Solo Leveling Season 2.

Via a press release, Episode 1 of the English dub for Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- will premiere this Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. Pt / 4 p.m. Et. New English-dubbed episodes will continue to premiere weekly every Saturday, exclusively on Crunchyroll. English voice actor Aleks Le returns as Sung Jinwoo for Season 2. Le also plays Yoichi Nagumo in the currently airing Shonen Jump action series Sakamoto Days on Netflix.

Related There's Exciting News for Fans of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is set to return this year with a first anime movie, with fans now treated to a teaser trailer and release date.

Crunchyroll Announces Solo Leveling Season 2 English Dub Streaming Release Date & Cast

Image via Crunchyroll

In addition to Le, Patrick Seitz, Rebecca Wang...

The official website for streaming service Hidive today announced cast members for an English-dubbed version of Fall 2024 fantasy anime Loner Life in Another World , which is scheduled to begin releasing weekly on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 12:00pm Est. John Swasey ( The Eminence in Shadow ) helms the series as English Adr Director with the below cast. Loner Life in Another World English Dub Cast Haruka voiced by Nathan Wilson Class Rep voiced by Monica Rial Cooking Girl voiced by Alyssa Marek Delinquent A voiced by Ben McLaughlin Delinquent B voiced by Andrew Love Delinquent E voiced by James Marler Delinquent F voiced by Shane Fenimore Elf voiced by Hilary Haag Fish Girl voiced by Elissa Cuellar Gal A voiced by Karlii Hoch Gal D voiced by Natalie Rial Gal Leader voiced by Kira Vincent Davis Vermilio Gatek voiced by John Hallmark Girl Shield voiced by Allison Sumrall Gymnastics voiced by Alissa...

For a medium as diverse and wide-spanning as Anime, it can be difficult ranking the best anime series of all time. Looking at the wide range of metrics fans use to judge the quality of any individual anime makes the ranking even tougher.

Though no metric is necessarily wrong, ultimately things such as animation quality, industry impact, direction, atmosphere, and consistency can quantify how to rank each anime. Unfortunately, that last point disqualifies some notable fan favorites. Though Naruto and Bleach are both incredible series, their abundance of poor filler eliminates them from ranking. It also wouldn't be fair to count any currently ongoing series. While One Piece, Spy x Family, Ranking of Kings, and Kaguya-Sama are all masterpieces in their own right, it's impossible to rank them without knowing their endings.

Summer Time Rendering Animated By Olm, Based On The Manga By Yasuki Tanaka

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Secret Level is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Prime Video series consists of fifteen stories set in the worlds of fifteen different video games, including Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, Pac-Man, Sifu, Spelunky, PlayStation, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. So, if you loved the video game elements, the blend of genres, and compelling characters in Secret Level, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Love, Death & Robots (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Love, Death & Robots is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Netflix series consists of animated short stories in different genres ranging from sci-fi to fantasy and thriller drama to dark comedy. Love, Death & Robots stars Fred Tatasciore, John Dimaggio,...

Dragon Ball Daima has a streaming premiere date!

The English dub of the series arrives on Crunchyroll starting on January 10, 2025 in select territories.

Based on an all-new story and character designs from author Akira Toriyama, this original anime series from legendary studio Toei Animation commemorates the 40th Anniversary of Dragon Ball.

Here’s a plot summary: “Goku and company were living peaceful lives when they suddenly turned small due to a conspiracy! When they discover that the reason for this may lie in a world known as the “Demon Realm,” a mysterious young Majin named Glorio appears before them.”

Keep reading to find out more…

English dub episodes of Dragon Ball Daima will be released weekly, starting with Episode 1, “Conspiracy,” which premieres on January 10, 2025. The English dub will stream on Crunchyroll in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The Dragon Ball Daima English dub voice cast:...

Despite the existence of time-loops, stable and malleable timelines, and parallel dimensions, there are really only two types of time travel in anime, which are further divided into two subgroups. One where every action has massive consequences and one where time travel is only a device to comment on the era that the protagonist is exploring.

As a rule of thumb, Time Camping media tends to be pretty uncomplicated and does not leave viewers with an aftertaste of bitter existential dread. On the other hand, anime about time travel are more rewarding to watch for those fans who are into intricate narrative mechanics and unexpected plot twists.

Updated on October 18th, 2024 by Chelsea Steele: Time travel is a classic sci-fi concept that can be found in just about every form of media under the sun, and that includes anime. In fact, some of the greatest anime series of all time feature this unique premise,...

The history of Hollywood adapting video games in movies and TV shows has been a little spotty, to say the least, but in recent years, I think the tide has been turning. With shows like The Last of Us and Fallout, video game fans have developed a little hope to see their favorite adapted into a great piece of art and while there will still be wasted efforts like Netflix’s The Witcher and Paramount+’s Halo, they are still only two shows. So, in keeping with that spirit of hope we created a list of the 10 best TV shows that were adapted from video games, they can be original stories in the world of video games but they have to be connected to the original IP.

Knuckles (Paramount+ & Prime Video Add-On)

Knuckles is a comedy-adventure series created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher. Based on the Sonic the Hedgehog...

The TV academy has honored voice-only performances since 1992, when six cast members from “The Simpsons” collectively became the first actors to receive Emmys for such work. The Best Voice-Over Performance category became an official non-juried one in 2009 and was then split into two categories in 2014: Best Character Voice-Over and Best Narrator. Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”) was the former category’s first champion, having been nominated once before for the same series.

The 2023 Best Character Voice-Over ballot consists of 148 performances, which is down by 74 from last year. Seeking her third victory is Maya Rudolph, who plays Connie the Hormone Monstress on “Big Mouth.” Also in the mix are former winners Shearer, Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”), Alex Borstein (“Family Guy”), and Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”).

Unlike the live action and fictional program nominees, which are chosen by all 20,000 plus academy members, the Best Character Voice-Over contenders are picked only by voters...

Voiceover acting is a trade with a rich history. It’s also a predominately white business. With A-list actors only encroaching more on the world of voiceover work for feature film and television, those dynamics get even more skewed.

The voiceover actors at Funimation, one of the premiere anime entertainment companies working in the field of dubbing and distributing East Asian media, are hoping that those demographics can be changed. Emi Lo, Apphia Yu, and Shawn Gann are just three of Funimation’s voiceover actors (with Yu and Gann also directing for the company), and all of them are committed to furthering discussions about the role of Asians and Asian-Americans in voiceover roles.

There’s a frankness to discussing entering the industry as an Asian-American. “I really wanted to go into film but my parents [were] like, ‘You’re not pretty enough,” Lo said. That thinking stemmed from the type of...

Specialty distributor Shout! Studios has secured all North American rights to ecology-themed Chinese animated feature “The Legend Of Hei.” In a partnership with France’s Play Big, it will give the film a release in the U.S. and Canada.

“The Legend Of Hei” is a heart-warming fantasy about a cat spirit who goes on a journey of self-discovery after its forest home is destroyed by humans. It was directed by Zhang Ping (a.k.a Mtjj), who spent five years adapting the picture from a Flash animation series that he created in 2011 and published online.

The feature had a successful commercial release in China from September last year and earned $48 million at the box office. It subsequently enjoyed festival play at the Guangzhou and Beijing student festivals and at the 2020 edition of Annecy. It recently began a theatrical outing in Japan.

For the North American release, Shout! and Play...