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We’ve all known that one cocky kid from high school who acted up because he had some issues at home, right? Well, what if that guy learned his real dad was Satan? And what if that guy discovered he had amazing powers and vowed to master them in order to “beat the s*** out of Satan?” Well, welcome Exwires, to the Blue Exorcist watch guide, where I’ll talk about the show where all of these things happen! Based on the manga series by Kazue Kato, Blue Exorcist is one of many shonen anime series that, despite an ongoing and continuously popular source material (having run in Shueisha’s Jump Square and in Viz’s Weekly Shonen Jump since 2009), has had long gaps between seasons, with Season 1 (animated by A-1 Pictures and directed by Tensai Okamura) airing in 2011, Season 2 (now directed by Satoki Iida) airing in 2017 and Seasons 3 and...

What is the best anime of all time? As anime attracts more new fans every day, that's a question viewers both old and new tend to ask. Watching anime was once a niche pastime, but now it's nearly impossible to find someone who hasn't at least watched one title from the medium. It's easy to see why more people love anime as a mainstream hobby nowadays, especially when the best anime of all time tell incredible, compelling stories with gorgeous visuals and fascinating characters.

Many of the top anime of all time are instantly recognizable classics that defined the medium for years while a few newer-generation hits also have pretty high ratings and command a great deal of respect. Best of all, these top anime series cover an impressive variety of cinematic genres and storytelling themes, meaning there's something for everyone in the industry's uppermost echelon.

Updated on February 5, 2025 by...

Anime often uses love triangles to increase the tension in different series. This often leads to one side of the love triangle achieving happiness with their significant other, while the remaining person is rejected. Sometimes, it's expected or appreciated, thanks to how the rejected character treats their love interest. Other times, fans can't help but feel bad for the character who didn't get the love they wanted.

Sometimes, no matter how kind and helpful the rejected character was, they didn't meet the protagonist at the right time or tey just weren't the right person for them. Sometimes, it wasn't their fault at all, or perhaps they were never even considered an option. These ten rejected love interests deserved better.

Sayaka Became a Magical Girl for Kyousuke Kyousuke Had Feelings for Hitomi Instead

In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Sayaka Miki was friends with a former violin prodigy named Kyousuke. Although she...

Gkids unveiled the English dub trailer and cast for Naoko Yamada’s latest film, The Colors Within, on Dec 4, 2024.

The announcement comes ahead of the film’s U.S. theatrical release, set for Jan 24, 2025.

The trailer introduces the voices behind the three lead characters, who not only bring their roles to life but also perform new English adaptations of the film’s songs.

The leads include Libby Rue as Totsuko, Kylie McNeill as Kimi, and Eddy Lee as Rui.

Full English dub cast of The Colors Within are as follows:

Libby Rue as Totsuko Higurashi Kylie McNeill as Kimi Sakunaga Eddy Lee as Rui Kagehira Eileen Stevens as Sister Hiyoko Hinano Kuzukawa as Saku Eden Harker as Shiho Maxine Wanderer as Sumika Lani Minella as Kimi’s Grandmother Colleen Clinkenbeard as Rui’s Mother Debi Derryberry as Totsuko’s Mother Noelle McGrath as Headmistress Susanne Blakeslee as Sister Juri Michael...

Ahead of an international theatrical release on January 24, 2025 , distributor Gkids today revealed The Colors Within 's English dub cast and a trailer highlighting the voices of the three leads and their performance of the anime film's songs in English. The Colors Within 's English dub cast is as follows: Totsuko Higurashi voiced by Libby Rue Kimi Sakunaga voiced by Kyle McNeill Rui Kagehira voiced by Eddy Lee Sister Hiyoko voiced by Eileen Stevens Saku voiced by Hinano Kuzukawa Sumika voiced by Maxine Wanderer Kimi's Grandmother voiced by Lani Minella Rui's Mother voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard Totsuko's Mother voiced by Debu Derryberry Headmistress voiced by Noelle McGrath Sister Juri voiced by Susanne Blakeslee Video Narrator voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas Ballet Instructor voiced by Stephanie Sheh Additional Voices by Susanne Blakesless, Christine Marie Cabanos, Bryan Chao, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Bindy Coda, Noelle McGrath, David Goldstein, Eden Harker, Evie Hsu, Anjali Kunapaneni, Hinano Kuzukawa,...

Female anime characters are among the most beloved. With so many to choose from across all genres, there are characters for every type of interest to love. Many of the most beloved female characters are the stars of their shows. The best anime women in leading roles stand out for their compelling personalities and gripping stories.

Anime women in leading roles are mostly seen in shojo and josei anime, but they are the stars in a growing number of shonen and seinen shows as well. Leading anime women often provide varied perspectives, which can allow for more nuance in a show. The best leading anime women move audiences with their enticing tales.

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The newest female protagonists arent necessarily strong or action-oriented, and often end up underappreciated.

Ryuko Matoi Never Backs Down In Kill la Kill Ryuko Matoi Seeks To Avenge

Ryuko Matoi is on...

Shocking plot twists are among the most memorable moments in any anime they're present in. Often dark, tragic, and depressing, the surprise factor of these twists is only one layer of them. In certain cases, they're made even more powerful while watching an anime for the second time.

Some famous anime plot twists are even more impactful when a viewer knows they're coming. Longer anime like One Piece use them to recontextualize decades of events, while shorter anime like Puella Magi Madoka Magica are entirely defined by their twists. When these twists are viewed the second time around, it's easier to appreciate everything that builds up to them.

Related 10 Best Shonen Anime If You Want Even More Action Than Dragon Ball Z

While Dragon Ball Z is the most universally known anime series, these shows are just as action-packed as that legendary title.

Kyubei's True Identity Reveals the Dark Nature...

Toonami is going through another schedule change, and it includes both the return of the Blue Exorcist anime and the premiere of Mashle: Magic and Muscles. Even with the advent of streaming, Toonami has remained an iconic part of anime culture in the West, with many anime premiering there before anywhere else, such as the recent Uzumaki adaptation and the upcoming Lazarus anime from Shinichiro Watanabe.

While not as big as it once was, Toonami remains a big part of anime culture, and its about to get even bigger. At the Adult Swim panel at New York Comic Con 2024, it was announced that with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 4 and Rick and Morty: The Anime ending, Toonami will be adding both Blue Exorcist and Mashle: Magic and Muscles to their lineup from November 2024, onward.

Blue Exorcist & Mashle Officially Join Toonami In Late 2024 Two Great Additions To Toonami's Lineup...

Released in the 2010s, the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series quickly became one of the most popular modern magical girl anime of its era. Now, the movie iteration of the series is being celebrated with a pair of expensive yet stylish dolls.

Based on Madoka and Homura, the upcoming Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion dolls are veritable pieces of art. Portraying both characters in colorful kimonos, the collectibles come complete with cute accessories. Expertly designed by a doll artist but costing a penny as pretty as them, these magical girls are now available to pre-order worldwide. With a new Madoka Magica movie on the way in 2025, these dolls are the perfect representation of the series' legacy.

Related New Sailor Moon Perfume Release Promises a "Refreshing" and "Exquisite" Scent for Diehard Collectors

The Fabulous Shop unveils its new Sailor Moon perfume, promising a "refreshing" and "exquisite" scent in a limited-edition collector's bottle.

Anime dubs have always been a point of debate among fans. Most consider them an unquestionable part of the medium. Series adapted for local consumption are always adapted for their local language, and it ultimately shouldnt impact a potential fans ability to enjoy a series. But for a minority, dubs are seen as a qualitative massacre of their original work. The original Japanese version of an anime is the way it was first created, and therefore the best way it's meant to be seen. Sometimes, but not always, these vocal few can be correct.

A simple change in language shouldnt diminish the quality of a series, but thats not the only thing that happens when an anime is dubbed. Shows can often be hampered by poor quality writing and casts, as well as multiple conflicting versions of shows. Whether its 4kids-style content changes, or unfavorable voices, there can be elements...

If you've been hotly anticipating the return of Blue Exorcist 's English dub for Season 3, then we've got the answers to all your burning questions! The first episode of the Shimane Illuminati Saga will officially hit Crunchyroll on March 9, and here's who's coming along for the ride: Blue Exorcist -Shimane Illuminati Saga- English Dub Cast Angel voiced by David Vincent Gedoin voiced by Alejandro Saab Izumo voiced by Kira Buckland Konekomaru voiced by Mona Marshall Lightning voiced by Sean Chiplock Lucifer voiced by Griffin Puatu Mephisto voiced by Sam Riegel Rin voicedn by Bryce Papenbrook Shiemi voiced by Christine Marie Cabanos Shima voiced by Brian Beacock Suguro voiced by Kyle Hebert Tamamo voiced by Allegra Clark Shura voiced by Wendee Lee Yukio voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch Related: Natsume's Book of Friends English Dub Continues on Crunchyroll with Season 4 Key Visual Related: Crunchyroll Winter 2024 Dubs Include Solo Leveling, Classroom...

Sailor Moon fans are in for a Pretty Guardian Summer, courtesy of Netflix.

Both parts of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie make their Stateside streaming debut on Thursday, June 3 — and fans now have an English-language trailer to tide them over until that day comes.

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Based on the Sailor Moon manga’s “Dream” arc,...

Somewhere in the psychoactive realm between “The Little Mermaid,” “Ponyo,” that mermaid subplot from “Beach Blanket Bingo” and the time you accidentally ate a moldy tangerine and saw never-before-seen colors for hours on end, lies a movie called “Lu Over the Wall.” It’s gorgeous, it’s distinctive, it’s quirky, it’s definitely about mermaids, and it might just make you question your sanity.

“Lu Over the Wall” is a new anime feature from Masaaki Yuasa, who is perhaps best known in America as the director of the ultraviolent, ultra-harrowing television series “Devilman: Crybaby.” Although the two projects are vastly different in tone, they share an extemporaneous quality that is both intoxicating and overwhelming. It would appear that Yuasa’s worlds are full of danger and beauty, squished together into unlikely patterns.

On the surface, “Lu Over the Wall” looks like just another retelling of “The Little Mermaid.” Kai (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas in the American dub) is a middle schooler and aspiring musician, a pessimistic loner who has no desire to communicate with his classmates. To his chagrin, two of his classmates — the effervescent Yūho (Stephanie Sheh) and the enthusiastic but embarrassed Kunio (Brandon Engman) — find out about Kai’s musical talent and invite him to join their band, Siren, which rehearses in secret at the nearby Merfolk Island.

Also Read: Gkids Picks Up North American Rights to Feminist Animated Film 'Miss Hokusai'

It’s not just a name: Kai and his bandmates soon discover that Merfolk are real, and that a mermaid girl named Lu (Christine Marie Cabanos) is totally in love with their music. She’s a great singer to boot. It’s an enormous revelation made all the more dangerous by the town’s troubling history with Merfolk, so when Siren recruits Lu into their musical act and accidentally reveal her to the whole town, and to the whole world, it leads to catastrophic misunderstandings, kidnappings, flooding and attempted fish murder.

“Lu Over the Wall” is many films, all of them vying for the same screen time. It’s as chaotic as it sounds. On one hand, it’s a film about an underdog teen pop band, and that’s probably the most endearing incarnation of this story. Kai is a believably morose adolescent who comes out of his shell when he makes a new friend, and watching Siren deal with petty jealousies and secrets gives each character moments of joy and misery. It’s a bright, sensational storyline with delightful music to amplify it.

Also Read: Paramount and Bad Robot to Develop Live-Action Version of Japanese Anime 'Your Name'

“Lu Over the Wall” is also a film about mermaids, but not just any mermaids: We’re talking some seriously weird mermaids here. It’s a vampiric breed of creature which bursts into flames upon contact with direct sunlight, and which can transform anything else into a mermaid just by biting it. When Lu’s father arrives (a giant leviathan wearing a business suit and mustache for some reason), he proceeds to bite every dead fish in this seaside community. Before long they start getting up and walking away, even after they’ve been eaten, and the movie treats this like a relatively minor plot point even though it’s so strange it makes you want to pull out your hair and beg someone, anyone, to make a big deal out of it.

It’s also a film about lingering generational animosity, xenophobia and racism. It turns out this town was cursed many years ago, when the locals sacrificed one of the Merfolk in the sun. The few Merfolk sightings since are shrouded in mystery and suspicion, so that even Kai’s grandfather thinks they’re responsible for the horrific death of his own mother. History repeats itself and lessons are learned, but if you thought this was a cutesy animated fairy tale about beach bands and happy water sprites, the third act of “Lu Over the Wall” might turn out to be pretty upsetting.

Also Read: DVDs are Dying, But Not for Anime Distributor Funimation

It’s hard to fault Yuasa’s film for its ingenuity; it’s a vividly realized and incredibly distinctive animated fantasy, which touches upon familiar myths, only to suddenly shove them in new and unexpected directions. It’s vivid and colorful, with exuberant music and (at the very least) a respectable American dub. The animation style veers from sweet and traditional to wild and elastic. You never know what’s going to happen next.

But you also never quite know if you’re going to like it. Just when you’ve got your bearings, and have come to accept “Lu Over the Wall” for whatever the heck it seems to be at the moment, it transforms into something different. Whether these mood swings are welcome or frustrating will vary from audience member to audience member, and possibly from moment to moment.

Either way, there’s no other mermaid movie quite like “Lu Over the Wall,” for better or worse. Let’s go with “better.”



Read original story ‘Lu Over the Wall’ Film Review: Wild Mermaid Anime Defies Categorization At TheWrap...