News

Another chapter ends on a year of anime news, which means it's time to look back at the newsy calendar that was! Now in my fifth year of writing this , I've come to terms with one aspect of this roundup article that I'm changing going forward: Rather than highlighting articles published pre-2024 that still make it in our top-read of the year, I'm only listing articles actually published within the year in this top list. It was funny the first time to see articles from 2022 (and earlier!) still be the most read years after, but it didn't really feel representative of the year in anime news. Having said that, looking at the year makes it clear that Demon Slayer had truly returned, after last being on the list in 2022 . Solo Leveling also made an impressive intro, showing up most as a single title between the News and Features Top 10 most-read.

From the briny waters within One Piece to the vast reaches of space from Cowboy Bebop, the wide world of anime offers plenty of lands, societies and cultures, yet transportation remains a crucial need for many. The lush worldbuilding in many anime titles often require creative solutions when it comes to vehicles, with many anime series forced to think outside the box when it comes to transportation.

The relative mundanity of answering the question of travel presents a unique opportunity for anime series to flex their worldbuilding muscles in answering that need, with some proving more ingenious than others. From All Might’s Hercules vehicle in My Hero Academia to Goku’s Flying Nimbus in Dragon Ball, these vehicles stand apart in terms of creativity and utility, remaining iconic to this very day.

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Inuyasha fans can look forward to an exciting December, as Inuyasha: The Final Act -- a direct anime sequel to the first Inuyasha series -- has found a new streaming home.

Per Whats On Netflix, Inuyasha: The Final Act will be added to the streaming platform's anime collection on Dec. 1. Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashis beloved romance-fantasy manga-turned-anime, has been a long-standing fan favorite since the anime's original debut in 2000. Inuyasha follows the story of Kagome Higurashi, a modern-day teenage girl who is transported to Japan's Sengoku period through a magical well. There, she meets Inuyasha, a half-demon, and together, they embark on a journey to recover the shards of the Shikon Jewel, a powerful artifact that can grant immense power.

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Yakuza Fianc is the romance anime of the season, and it presents quite the questionable (yet addicting to watch) duo. Yoshino Somei and Kirishima Miyama are the grandchildren of two very high-ranking members of the Yakuza who've become engaged. Yoshino is a tough girl who stands her ground and possesses a head of beautiful red hair, and Kirishima is a masochistic young man with numerous red flags to match.

In spite of Kirishimas more concerning qualities, many fans have grown to love their uniquely compelling dynamic, as Kirishima's devotion to Yoshino is nothing short of endearing. And though their incredibly interesting and mildly problematic relationship is one that is hard to replicate, there are a great many anime couples with similar enemies to lovers dynamics.

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Kagome...

For over 23 years, anime voice actor Masako Nozawa has provided the voice for Son Goku from Akira Toriyama's beloved shonen franchise, Dragon Ball. Recently, Japanese audiences demonstrated their appreciation for Nozawa's iconic role by granting her the title of "Japan's top female voice actress."

NetLab, a popular Japan-based entertainment site, collaborated with "Voice Note" to hold a survey asking viewers to state who they believe to be "the best female voice actor in Japan." This particular poll, targeted toward audiences in their 50s and 60s, allowed participants to choose performers from not just anime but also video games, TV commercials and VAs for foreign-made films. In a landslide vote, roughly 24.4% of voters chose Nozawa. The second place winner, with 11.3% of the vote, was Nobuyo Oyama, who voices the titular robot cat from Shin-Ei Animation's Doraemon anime. The top 13 winners are listed below.

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Already adapted as a two-part feature film, the acclaimed manga “Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction” is to be made available worldwide as an animated TV series on Crunchyroll later this week.

The two-part feature film, distributed by Gaga Corp., has only been released in Japan – part one debuted in Japan in March, while part two will open on May 24.

The film content, complemented by new footage not seen in the theatrical features, will be screened as an 18-part TV series. Starting from May 23, episodes will upload every Thursday evening Los Angeles time.

The underlying manga is based on a graphic novel by Asano Inio (“Goodnight Punpun”) and was published by Shogakukan between 2014 and 2022, with over three million copies in circulation. It was recognized as one of the year’s best new manga at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con and was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2019.

The tale is a dystopian...

The official websites for the Chibi Maruko-chan series, as well as Nippon Animation , announced today that voice actor Kokoro Kikuchi (Sarada Uchiha in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations) is now cast as the leading role of Momoko “Maruko” Sakura in the long-running Chibi Maruko-chan TV anime. Kikuchi replaces Maruko's previous voice actor, Tarako, who passed away in March at the age of 63. Tarako previously provided the voice of Maruko for 34 years since the debut of the first TV anime adaptation in 1990. Kikuchi's first episode as Maruko will air on Sunday, April 21 in Japan. Kikuchi previously guest-starred on Chibi Maruko-chan as "Ohana-chan" in “Maruko, Yurei wo Tasukeru”, an episode that aired on August 12, 2018. Related: Chibi Maruko-chan Voice Actor Tarako Passes Away at 63 Based on the original manga by Momoko Sakura, Chibi Maruko-chan is produced by animation studio Nippon Animation. The series has broadcast, in its current iteration, on Japanese TV since...

Tite Kubo, creator of the Bleach manga, has released a touching message following the passing of manga legend and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.

Kubo released a statement in the Q&a column of his Klub Outside following Toriyama's passing: "It would be strange to write a diary without mentioning this, so I'll just talk about something serious. Personally, I don't feel any loneliness or pain. I'm not saying there aren't any at all, but there aren't as many as I thought. It's the death of someone I've read since I was a child, someone who works in the same magazine as me, and someone I'm deeply influenced by, so it feels different than when I deal with death in general, but that's why I feel like it doesn't exist."

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Esteemed voice actor Tarako, the voice of Chibi Maruko-chan’s Maruko Sakura for 35 years, has unexpectedly passed away at the age of 63.

Per Livedoor News, Tarako’s family delivered the sad news to Fuji TV. They reportedly stated that she had gotten sick earlier this year but that her passing was unexpected. There will be a private family funeral honoring her.

Tarako was born in Gunma, Japan in 1960, and started what would become an extensive voice-acting career in 1981. She made appearances in some of anime’s biggest titles, including Hunter x Hunter and Inuyasha, as well as the Studio Ghibli films Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro and Castle in the Sky. However, Tarako's longest-running role was as the main character Maruko Sakura of the popular anime Chibi Maruko-chan, adapted from the best-selling manga written by Momoko Sakura. The story follows a young Maruko (based on...

Additional reporting from Mikikazu Komatsu The voice actor Tarako, most known as the leading voice in the Chibi Maruko-chan anime, passed away at the age of 63 on March 4, 2024. A cause of death was not confirmed at the time of reporting. The official Chibi Maruko-chan website, along with Nippon Animation , released a statement on Tarako’s passing: “We regret to inform you that Tarako-san, who had played the role of Maruko in Chibi Maruko-chan , passed away on Monday, March 4 in the early hours of the morning. We would like to express our sincere condolences and gratitude to her for her great contribution to the show. The last episode of Tarako-san's appearance on Chibi Maruko-chan , "Maruko, Do You Know the Taste of Water?" will air on Sunday, March 24 during the one-hour broadcast. Except for this episode, we will air the previously aired episodes from March 10 onward for the time being. We are...

The competition for "weirdest characters in Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction " is pretty stiff, but the latest additions to the upcoming anime film's cast are definitely in the running. For your consideration: an alien mushroom and an extremely irresponsible child. Joining the cast as Isobeyan and Debeko are Tomokazu Sugita (Apocalypse in Undead Unluck ) and Tarako (Maruko in Chibi Maruko-chan ): Related: Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Anime Film Drops 10 Character Posters Isobeyan and Debeko are a sort of Doraemon and Nobita pair... if, instead of an earless robot cat coming from the future, an alien mushroom arrived instead. While Debeko gives Isobeyan all sorts of trouble, the two consider each other their best friends. Both voice actors were thrilled both to take on the roles and to be working with each other. Related: Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Anime Film Releases Main Trailer Featuring Theme Songs The anime will...