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Premiered earlier this year, Studio Mappa’s original anime, Zenshu, once again put the spotlight on the anime industry. Any mention of the Japanese animation industry sparks a mixed response from the audience. On one hand we have the bleaker aspects such as the debilitating working conditions, stereotypical representations, and fan service.

The flip side of that perception is the myriad worlds that have been brought to life with revered 2D animation. From cultural phenomena like the Big Three anime to comedy series like Nichijou and Gintama, the anime industry has allowed fans to experience a wide range of emotions.

Natsuko in Zenshu anime | Credits: Studio Mappa

It would not be unfair or incorrect to say that anime, as a medium, has actually influenced the lives of many. Zenshu brings the good, the bad, and the ugly all to life. However, the focus on the good is delightful and honors the legacy of renowned animators.

It has now been roughly 40 years since the legendary mecha anime film, Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984), made its theatrical debut in Japan. To celebrate this significant milestone, the original Macross production team reunited to create a stunning 4K remaster of the movie, providing an exhilarating new viewing experience for long-time fans.

In a recent interview conducted by Mantan Web, Macross director Shoji Kawamori and several other staff members shared new details about the upcoming remaster, which utilizes new technology to emphasize the beauty of Macross's original art while also retroactively delivering Kawamori's true artistic vision. "After 40 years, I can finally deliver the visuals I had in mind back then," he explained. "With this 4K remaster, I was amazed at how precisely in focus even the scenes that I felt were a bit off were...you can see the finer details, and the sense of realism has been enhanced.

On March 9, 1985, the first part of a trilogy video animation named “Megazone 23” was broadcasted in Japan. Hiroyuki Hoshiyama wrote the interesting and complex script of this episode produced by Aic, which became a model for the next Robotech movies.

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During an era when original video animation (Ova) was uncommon, the strong impact of this work was due to the joint effort in character design and animation by Toshiki Hirano, Haruhiko Mikimoto, and Ichiro Itano. Their collaboration had been put to the test and strengthened throughout their time working on “Macross” (1982). Director Noboru Ishiguro expertly guided and maintained harmony among this engrossed ensemble of performers.

Shogo Yahagi is a carefree biker who feels alive when he challenges himself. By chance, he meets Yui Takanaka in Shibuya, a hard-working dancer who dreams of standing on a Broadway stage one day. They start...

Anime distributor AnimEigo announces the upcoming home media Blu-ray release of the Megazone 23 Ova on November 12th.

Making its debut in 1985, Megazone 23 ignited the Japanese Original Video Animation (Ova) boom. It proved there was a market for direct-to-video anime films and paved the way for anime to become not just a niche genre, but a world-wide phenomenon. It was soon joined by a visually mind-blowing sequel, and a 2-part spinoff that takes place centuries later.

The new release from AnimEigo compiles the complete Megazone 23 trilogy along with an array of bonus features that includes the original Adv Films commentary track, Adv Films English dub tracks for all 3 parts (4 episodes), UK dubs for Megazone 23 Part III, an English subtitled Japanese commentary track with illustrator Gaku Miyao and producer Hiroki Sato, line art galleries, liner notes by noted anime author Giles Poitras, and more.

Pre-oders are available now at: https://www.

The latest re-release from AnimEigo is Megazone 23: The Complete Trilogy , and it officially has a date set. The trilogy that started with 1985's landmark Megazone 23 Ova will be available in a set full of bonus content—including a bunch from the earlier Adv Films release—starting on November 12, 2024. The collection is currently available to pre-order at the Crunchyroll Store . If you want to get it with an exclusive slipcover, you'll need to order directly from the MediaOCD store while supplies last. Megazone 23: The Complete Trilogy Release Date: November 12, 2024 Features: Contains the following bonus features: Complete Adv Films dub for all 3 parts (4 episodes) Streamline Pictures dub (Part 1) International Version (Part 2) UK Dub (Part 3) Original Adv Films historical commentary track Japanese commentary with Gaku Miyao & Hiroki Sato Original Japanese promos (now soft-subtitled) Original US and UK Promos Color and line art galleries Liner notes by Giles Poitras AnimEigo describes...

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

Animator / director / manga artist Yoshikazu Yasuhiko ( Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin ) has provided the official illustration for the Domannaka Anime Film Festival (pictured below), a two-day event featuring movie screenings and guest speakers that focuses on classic anime films from the 70s, 80s and 90s. The Domannaka Anime Film Festival will be held on May 17 – 20, 2024, at the Midland Square Cinema venue in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Domannaka Anime Film Festival poster Related: Crunchyroll to Bring Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island Anime Film to Theaters in September The films screened include: the Mobile Suit Gundam trilogy (1981 – 1982), Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993), Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984), Harmagedon (1983), Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (1987), Akira (1988) and Venus Wars (1989). Quest speakers include: Shinichiro Inoue, Masuo Ueda, Yutaka Izubuchi, Kazunori Ito, Ichiro Itano, Shoji Kawamori, Masao Maruyama, Kazuhide Tomonaga, Hiroki Yamaga, Shigeru Watanabe,...

Kodansha is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Macross franchise with a commemorative art book full of history and deculture.

Previewed by publisher Kodansha, the Macross Super Encyclopedia is getting its second volume, which features cover art by Ichiro Itano. Itano is a prolific animator and producer who pioneered a style of action sequence seen in Real Robot mecha anime. These dogfights combine acrobatics with massive explosions, accentuating the drama present in Macross and other mecha franchises. The book cover image is the first such work from Itano for the franchise in over four decades. The upcoming new volume of the Macross Super Encyclopedia is centered specifically on the original incarnations of the property, comprised of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross movie retelling The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? and music video collection The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Flash Back 2012.

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