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“Perfect Blue”, the 1998 animated ‘psychological thriller’, is directed by Satoshi Kon, starring Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shiho Niiyama, Masaaki Okura, Shinpachi Tsuji and Emiko Furukawa, re-releasing in a fresh 4K restoration October 3, 2025 in theaters:

“…’Mima Kirigoe’, a former pop idol, makes a bold transition into acting, taking on a role in a drama, releasing a provocative nude photo book.

“Her dramatic reinvention grabs public attention, but also provokes unease among her fans, her manager and even herself as she struggles with the rapid shift from her days as a pop idol.

“But after a series of unexplained crimes, Mima begins to wonder if a split personality is gradually taking over her,...

KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! is the funniest isekai series of all time. It features one of the most frustratingly lovable cast of characters, a world filled with mystery, and some of the best writing in anime, all genres included. When Satou Kazuma is transported to his new world, he's allowed to bring any one thing with him. When the Goddess Aqua laughs at him during this process, he decides to take her instead, creating a hilarious dynamic within the first episode.

To be a great show like KonoSuba, an isekai series needs to have some element of humor. It also needs to have good animation, and at least decent writing. While no show can truly compare with KonoSuba's outrageous humor, some can get close. Still, there are plenty of isekai series out there that are great for anyone who loves watching Kazuma, Darkness, Aqua, and Megumin bumble their way to success.

Overlord is a popular isekai series that marries brutality and humor to create a hilarious show that's not afraid of exploring darker themes. The star at the center of the series is Ainz Ooal Gown. He's left alone in the video game Yggdrasil, but before he was trapped, he was one of the strongest characters in the game. Now he's alone with only his NPCs to keep him company. After discovering his new situation, he set out to dominate the entire world in the hopes that he could find another person like him.

To be a good Overlord isekai comparison, a show doesn't need to be as dark and funny as Overlord, but it certainly doesn't hurt. The best shows like Overlord will have smart companions to guide the main character, an interesting world filled with the promise of adventure, and a broken protagonist with powers so absurd, they stand...

Quick Links Dracula Gathers a Lethal & Cunning Court The Main Trio Take On True Nightmares The Church & the Alchemists Bring On Untold Suffering with Their Schemes The Council of Sisters Hatch a Plan in Styria

Castlevania is a four-season animated Netflix series. The story covers several generations of the Belmont family, and Alucard witnesses centuries of time, along with many other vampires. Castlevania is based in a fictionalized Eastern Europe, which isn't surprising for a western vampire tale, but what truly sets Castlevania apart is its characters.

Castlevania's cast of characters cover the moral spectrum. Heroes like Trevor Belmont are flawed, but incredibly honorable and lovable. Villains like Dracula and Striga have incredibly human moments, and may even deserve redemption and a chance at peace. Each human, vampire, magic-wielder, and clergyman is nuanced and compelling.

Dracula Gathers a Lethal & Cunning Court Lisa Seeks Out Dracula for His Knowledge

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is one of the best isekai series of all time. It features one of the biggest and richest worlds in isekai, great, well-rounded characters, and an incredibly divisive main character in Rudeus Greyrat. The story of Mushoku Tensei spans Rudy's entire life, starting with his reincarnation into the new world as a baby and leaving no stone unturned. Rudeus begins the story as a baby, eventually goes to magic college, and even begins a family of his own. While not many other animes are like it, there are a few that could be considered worthy comparisons.

To be a good Mushoku Tensei comparison, a show doesn't need to be an isekai, but it doesn't hurt. The biggest qualities a series in common with Mushoku Tensei would have would be its thorough worldbuilding, a great cast of side characters, and a deep, meaningful story that doesn't leave...

Death in Fairy Tail is something that came very later on in the series, and Hiro Mashima was very careful in making almost each and every one of those partings impactful. Following the concept of redemption for a very long time, there were hardly any deaths that lasted. However, with time, that concept also developed into heartbreaking demise one after another.

Natsu, Lucy and Gray from Fairy Tail

One character was given the same treatment. No matter how many times it felt that it would the last fans would see of him, a grand return would be awaiting him. Despite his age and ailments, there was one way or another for him to find the strength to cling on. The person responsible for keeping him alive for so long was not Hiro Mashima much to anyone’s surprise.

Makarov as a character wasn’t as liked by the Fairy Tail...

Quick Links The Fairy Tail Guild The Sabertooth Guild Zeref, the Alvarez Empire, and the Spriggan 12 Other Fairy Tail Villains

Fairy Tail, written and drawn by author Hiro Mashima, is a moderately popular shonen action series with a huge cast of colorful and fun characters, most of whom belong to wizard guilds. In Fairy Tail's fantasy world, magic is commonplace, and wizards of all kinds join formal guilds all over the nation of Fiore. That means when a new wizard guild is introduced, Fairy Tail viewers can expect to meet a handful of new characters all at once.

The story begins with the huge Fairy Tail guild, the most popular and renowned guild in Fiore, with its headquarters in the capital, Magnolia. That guild is where protagonist Lucy Heartfilia will find her future with her new family. During her many missions with her fellow Fairies, Lucy will meet a...

The Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- anime —which adapts the light novels by Kei Azumi and Mitsuaki Matsumoto—is officially back! The first episode of Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 premieres today on Crunchyroll, and we have a wealth of information to transport you to another world all over again. Read on for everything you can expect from the new season, including an absolute avalanche of anime characters, cast, trailers, synopsis, key staff and more. Watch Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 on Crunchyroll! In This Guide Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Anime Release Date: Where Can I Watch? Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Anime Characters and Cast Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Anime Staff Watch Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Official Trailers Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Anime Art & Key Visuals Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Anime Synopsis Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Additional Information Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- Season 2 Release Date: When Can I Watch? Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy-...

The leaves are withering, the air is turning crisp, and film festival season is well underway — which means even more foreign-language movies to receive raves on the fall awards circuit before getting promptly buried on a streamer. But don't let that happen to "Athena," a staggering French drama that is in danger of falling into the Netflix abyss, crowded out by your "Gray Men" or "Kissing Booth's." Or check out one of last year's forgotten festival darlings in Céline Sciamma's "Petite Maman." And because spooky season is now here, we have a horror anime classic making their streaming debuts, alongside a cyberpunk anime classic. Plus, "Little Women," but make it crime?

Let's fire up those subtitles and get streaming.

Athena – Netflix

Country: France

Genre: Action drama

Director: Romain Gavras

Cast: Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon, Ouassini Embarek, Alexis Manenti.

"Athena" is a Molotov cocktail of a movie: incendiary,...

Directed by: Satoshi Kon

Written by: Sadayuki Murai, Yoshikazu Takeuchi

Cast: Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Ôkura, Yôsuke Akimoto, Yoku Shioya, Hideyuki Hori, Emi Shinohara, Masashi Ebara, Kiyoyuki Yanada, Tôru Furusawa, Shiho Niiyama, Emiko Furukawa

Diving headfirst into Kon Month, I’ll be starting off with Satoshi Kon’s very own directorial debut, Perfect Blue. An adaptation loosely based off a book of the same name written by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, Perfect Blue originally hit theaters in 1997 and was greatly received by many around the world, not just anime fans.

To this day, Perfect Blue has strong holding in the anime industry. Many people consider this movie to be Kon’s magnum opus among his many great films. I personally had not seen it and was skeptical of their opinions; even as I began watching the film I was skeptical of its greatness. However, by the end my opinion was greatly changed,...