Notizie

On October 26th, Studio Gonzo announced in a post on X that Shigemi Ikeda, the visionary art director known for his work on Afro Samurai, One-Punch Man, and My Hero Academia, passed away on October 13 at the age of 69. Ikedas family shared that his funeral would be held privately, reserved for close family. His passing leaves a significant void in the anime industry, where his artistic contributions to background design and world-building became a foundational influence. Over his prolific career, Ikedas distinct style and unparalleled skill in visual storytelling left an indelible mark on the anime landscape.

Shigemi Ikeda began his career in the 1970s, eventually establishing Atelier Musa, his own background art studio, in 1986. From there, he developed a signature approach that combined detailed realism with a deep respect for each storys tone, creating worlds that felt tangible and alive. In 2009, Ikedas work was recognized with an Outstanding Individual...

Shigemi Ikeda, the art director behind many popular anime series including One Punch Man and My Hero Academia, has passed away at the age of 69.

Ikeda’s family confirmed the news in a statement posted on Ikeda’s official X account on Oct 26, 2024.

According to the statement, the art director passed peacefully on Oct 13, 2024. The funeral was held privately, and the family has respectfully declined offers of condolence gifts or flowers.

Full statement can be read below:

“This is Ikeda’s family.

On October 13th, Ikeda passed away peacefully at the age of 69.

We extend our gratitude to everyone who had a connection with him.

Thank you very much.

Please note that the funeral was held privately, and we kindly request no condolence offerings or flowers.”

池田の家族です

10月13日池田が永眠いたしました。69歳でした。

交流のあった方々に感謝致します。

ありがとう御座いました。

なお、葬儀は内輪のみで済ませており、お香典お花などはご遠慮しております。

— 池田繁美 (@rgoRcTW1sMPMWBb) October 26, 2024

Shigeki Ikeda made his debut in 1981 working on the anime series Beast King GoLion.

The phrase, ‘Great minds think alike,’ is apt when it comes to some of the most groundbreaking mangakas in the industry. Gege Akutami is the proud creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, while Tite Kubo has written Bleach, one of the Big Three series. In an interview, the authors received a chance to connect with each other and were shocked to realize that they both had more things in common than they had previously imagined.

Both Tite Kubo and Gege Akutami fawning over each others’ creations was endearing, to say the least. It didn’t take much time to unearth the influences behind each author, and it became apparent that their love for Japanese mythology stood supreme.

Tite Kubo Reveals the Major Manga Series that Influenced Him Ichigo | Credit: Studio Pierrot

In the interview with Gege Akutami, Tite Kubo revealed all the manga that have inspired him. The author admitted that he...

Bastard -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- is an animated series based on the outstanding Bastard!! manga series, written by Kazushi Hagiwara and featuring that genuine blend of humor and violence that has captivated millions of fans around the world.

The first part of the series was directed by Takaharu Ozaki at Liden Films. The anime premiered on Netflix on June 30, 2022, with the first 13 episodes. The remaining episodes, from 14 to 24, premiered on September 15, 2022.

Bastard -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- is set in a post-apocalyptic world where magic and technology coexist. The story follows Dark Schneider, a powerful wizard who is sealed inside the body of a young boy named Lucien Renlen. When the Dark Rebel Army, led by the Four Divine Kings, threatens to resurrect the god of destruction Anthrasax, Dark Schneider is freed to fight them.

A Netflix gift for fans of the most classic dark fantasy anime, brutal and also fun...

Netflix recently revealed the release date for season 2 of the beloved anime series Bastard!! alongside an epic trailer. Not even a year after the first season finished airing, season 2 of the anime Bastard!! - Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - has been confirmed, and it's set to air at the end of July.

Netflix's anime Twitter account recently announced the return of Bastard!! - Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - alongside a trailer. The series might be one of Netflix's more niche anime titles when compared to series like Love Killer or Komi Can't Communicate, the first season in the series made a name for itself among fans for its classic style and dark Dungeons and Dragons inspired premise. Because of its classic source material, Bastard!! stands out starkly against the modern anime scene, and the trailer from Netflix is already working to push the series further, as new fans are already...

A new trailer has dropped for the second season of Netflix's Bastard!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-.

The trailer, which is available on the official Netflix Anime YouTube channel, indicates that Bastard!! Season 2 and feature a myriad of intense action and heart-pounding music. The clips provide viewers with some insight into what the story has in store, including a showdown between the sorcerer shoguns and the samurai corps. Moreover, it teases the potential resurrection of the God of Destruction.

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Bastard!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-'s Weekly Shōnen Jump Run

Mangaka Kazushi Hagiwara took substantial inspiration from heavy metal music and the classic tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons when he created Bastard!!. The first chapter appeared in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1988, and the ongoing series moved to Ultra Jump in 2000, where it has been infrequently serialized ever since; the most recent chapter was...

One of the most buzzed-about shows of the summer is coming this weekend: Max launches music drama series “The Idol” on Sunday, June 4. Jocelyn’s (played by Lily-Rose Depp) career was derailed by a breakdown on her last tour. Now, she wants to reclaim her status as America’s sexist pop star and believes that Tedros (The Weeknd) — a nightclub owner with a shady past and possible cult ties — can help her. But will romance blind her to reality?

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Apple TV’s upcoming thriller “Hijack,” starring and executive produced by Idris Elba, is set to debut on June 28. The action drama is told in real time — a hijacked plane makes its way to London during a seven-hour flight, as authorities on the ground try to save the lives of passengers.

Photo: ‘Bastard!!’ The New Anime on the Block (with an Old Soul) Given that Netflix is either incapable of or not invested enough to market the overwhelming majority of its content, new shows don’t so much premiere but plop into the unsuspecting viewer’s lap. This is not always a bad thing. Even with zero buildup, a new anime program on Netflix is unlikely to fly under everyone’s radar, given the service’s long and loving relationship with the medium, along with a pretty solid track record. Enter ‘Bastard!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-’, a fairly notable Netflix “original” anime whose first season premiered just in time for the July 4th weekend. Based on a manga of the same name which premiered in 1988, ‘Bastard!!’ comes from a different era — the same period of anime and manga that gave us ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’, and the shared ancestry is unmistakable; for better or worse,...