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Afro's camping-themed popular manga series Laid- Back Camp (known as Yurucamp in Japan) began serialization on May 23, 2015. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the first large-scale exhibition for the manga will be held in Tokyo and Osaka. Laid-Back Camp began serialization in May 2015 in Hobunsha's Manga Time Kirara Forward magazine and was transferred to the company's official manga app Comic Fuz in 2019, where it continues to be serialized. So far 17 tankobon volumes have been available in Japan, printing over 10 million copies. It has also been adapted into a TV anime and live-action TV drama, greatly driving the recent camping boom in Japan. The Laid-Back Camp 10th Anniversary Exhibition is scheduled to be held at Tokyo Soramachi (5F Space 634) in Tokyo from November 15 to 24, 2025, then at Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store Wing Building (4F) from January 28 to February 9, 2026. This exhibition will look back on the 10-year history of Laid-Back-Camp with a...

The anime adaptation of Afro's mono is adding a creepy new cast member! Meet Kurokuma-sensei, creator of horror manga. Hina Yomiya (Anna Yamada in The Dangers in My Heart ) takes on the role of Torayo Kurokuma, making her first appearance in the recently released episode 5. Hina Yomiya as Torayo Kurokuma Related: mono English Dub Reveals Main Cast, Release Date It's also been hinted that the official website will be putting out a call for viewers' own scary stories, potentially as inspiration for Kurokuma-sensei's next big hit. A "winner" will be announced at a later date. Laid-Back Camp creator Afro penned the original mono manga. Ryota Aikei ( Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit episode director) directs the anime adaptation at studio Soigne, with Yoko Yonaiyama ( A Sign of Affection ) on series composition, Takuya Miyahara ( Umamusume: Cinderella Gray ) on character designs and Hajime Hyakkoku ( New Game! ) on music. Crunchyroll currently streams mono...

Aniplex's official YouTube channel is now streaming a music video for "Many Merry Memories!," the opening theme for the ongoing spring 2025 TV anime mono . The anime's three amin voice cast members — Haruna Mikawa (Satsuki Amamiya), Aoi Koga (An Kiriyama), and Hikaru Tono (Sakurako Shikishima) — perform the song as their respective characters under the unit name Cinema Photo Club . Cinema Photo Club "Many Merry Memories!" Music Video mono Creditless Opening Video "Many Merry Memories!" released digitally on April 22, and will also be included in a character song album "mono no Uta" ("Songs of mono") to release on July 2. "mono no Uta" Trailer Satsuki Amamiya edition CD jacket Related: mono Anime Gives a Snapshot of Its Activities in New Trailer Based on the manga by Laid-Back Camp creator Afro, Ryota Aikei ( Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit episode director) directs mono at studio Soigne, with series composition by Yoko Yonaiyama ( A Sign of Affection...

The picture-perfect activities of the Cinephoto Club are well underway and well documented in this season's mono anime, and you can experience some of their exploits for yourself in a brand-new trailer that was released after the third episode broadcast. Crunchyroll is now streaming the slice-of-life series. mono Trailer 2 Related: Crunchyroll Spring 2025 Anime Season Lineup Announced! Based on the manga by Laid-Back Camp creator Afro, Ryota Aikei ( Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit episode director) directs mono at studio Soigne, with series composition by Yoko Yonaiyama ( A Sign of Affection ), character designs by Takuya Miyahara ( Umamusume: Cinderella Gray ) and music by Hajime Hyakkoku ( New Game! ). Crunchyroll describes the story: Satsuki Amamiya was feeling down due to the graduation of the high school Photography Club’s president. However, her best friend and fellow member An Kiriyama encourages Satsuki to dedicate herself to the newly merged Cinephoto Club. Join Satsuki and An as...

Anime’s cultural impact stretches far beyond Japan, but there are few cases in which the Western impact is clearly visible. Although many anime titles do have a European setting, the influence seems to be empty.

Afro Samurai | Studio Gonzo

This is not so in the case of the Afro-Samurai. Anime might take from Western influences, but this anime is a rare case where the elements that are predominantly rooted in Western culture actively shape the final product and inspire its creation.

Afro Samurai was Takashi Okazaki’s brainchild, and it actually started from simple doodle sketches of African-American characters on Kleenex boxes, being a culmination of his love for hip-hop, soul music, and other American media elements.

The evolution of Afro Samurai

What began as a passion project and a way to express himself eventually evolved into a dojinshi series (which means that it was a self-published work). The...

For years now, Afro’s Laid-Back Camp series has been one of the pillars of the iyashikei genre. Fans from around the world are enjoying this stress-free anime series and while the iyashikei market hasn’t become part of the mainstream, it has its devoted fans.

This is why a lot of people are actually looking forward to the debut of mono, a new anime series based on Afro’s manga, which has finally confirmed its release date. The anime will premiere on April 12, 2025 in Japan.

Related: Netflix Reveals Its Top 10 Most Watched Anime, ‘Naruto’ Is on Top

The anime will premiere on Tokyo Mx, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, BS11, and At-x channels at 24:00 Jst. This is going to be the worldwide premiere, but early screenings of the premiere episode are going to be held on March 29 in Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture (where the anime is set), and on April 5 in Tokyo.

The first session of the Cinephoto Club will be on April 12, so don’t forget your camera! The upcoming TV anime mono , based on the four-panel manga series by Laid-Back Camp creator Afro, announced its April 12 premiere date today over on its X (formerly Twitter) account. Related: Mono Anime Reveals An Kiriyama Character Art and Trailer Ryota Aikei ( Jujutsu Kaisen assistant director) directs the mono TV anime at animation studio Soigne. Yoko Yonaiyama ( Ya Boy Kongming! ) writes the series composition and Takuya Miyahara ( Brave Bang Bravern! sub-character designer) provides the character designs. Houbunsha publishes the original mono manga in their Manga Time Kirara Carat seinen manga magazine. Yen Press releases an English version of the series, describing mono as such: The Photography Club is in danger of shutting down?! And the Cinema Club too?! Fret not, for they shall merge and become…Cinephoto Club! Now, club members Satsuki, An, and...

Welcome, readers, to Late to the Party , a column that's right on time when it comes to catching up on anime everyone's already watched. This column addresses a universal truth in regard to being an anime fan: an anime backlog is quite the powerful beast. Many of us have one, where we amass more and more content we have designated in the "planning to watch" category. How and why it takes so long to actually address this task varies from person to person, but the gratification of finally allocating the time is really quite splendid. Occasionally, it’s by watching a classic anime from yesteryear that you’ve had your eye on for quite some time. In other instances, it’s a more recent premiere that just slipped by. I wanted to ease my way into 2025 by kicking things off with an anime that is both compact and acclaimed. What...

“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” is a dazzling and definitive funk-pop documentary. It’s the second “jawn” directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, and he has leveled up from his first, “Summer of Soul” — though that lyrical-flashback-to-1969-in-Harlem concert film, in its way, was beautiful. In “Sly Lives!,” Questlove confronts the life and legacy of Sly Stone, investigates it, holds it up to the light, tears it apart, and puts it back together like the bravura mixmaster he is. Sly’s first hit was “Dance to the Music,” and Questlove wants you to dance to the music, to feel it and think it, know how it was made, and hear how its vibrations went out into the world. This is a movie made by a maestro musician and D.J.-turned-master director.

Jammed with penetrating interviews and extraordinary archival footage, “Sly Lives!” is a movie that knows how to...

mono , an upcoming TV anime based on the four panel manga by Afro ( Laid-Back Camp ), has revealed a new piece of character art and a new character trailer, this time focusing on Kako Komada (voiced by Maki Kawase). The series is scheduled to broadcast in Japan beginning in April 2025. Houbunsha publishes the original mono manga in their Manga Time Kirara Carat seinen manga magazine. Yen Press also publishes an English language version of the series. Ryota Aikei directs the TV anime at animation studio Soigne. Yoko Yonaiyama provides the series composition, and Takuya Miyahara provides the character designs. Related: Mono Anime Reveals Haruno Akiyama Character Art and Trailer Yen Press describes mono : The Photography Club is in danger of shutting down?! And the Cinema Club too?! Fret not, for they shall merge and become…Cinephoto Club! Now, club members Satsuki, An, and Sakurako are asked to be the main...

Anime production company N Lite and U.S. streetwear fashion brand Hypland have united to spotlight black anime characters in the first of multiple planned apparel releases.

Via a press release, N Lite has announced a multi-collection partnership with Hypland for anime-inspired streetwear. The first collection spotlights the Emmy Award-winning series Afro Samurai from renowned studio Gonzo, bringing the Wu-Tang Clan on board as a creative partner. Later drops will spotlight black anime characters through apparel and merchandise based on N Lite’s original afrime ("afro-anime") IP and legacy anime IP featuring black characters. The collection begins its rollout in the summer of 2025. Readers can check out the promotional art and more details below.

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Hot Topic releases a new Sailor Moon collection for Winter, featuring the perfect Pretty Guardian...

mono , an upcoming TV anime based on the four panel manga by Afro ( Laid-Back Camp ), has revealed a new piece of character art and a new character trailer, this time focusing on Haruno Akiyama (voiced by Reina Ueda). The series is scheduled to broadcast in Japan in 2025. Houbunsha publishes the original mono manga in their Manga Time Kirara Carat seinen manga magazine. Yen Press also publishes an English language version of the series. Ryota Aikei directs the TV anime at animation studio Soigne. Yoko Yonaiyama provides the series composition, and Takuya Miyahara provides the character designs. Related: Mono Anime Unveils Sakurako Shikishima Character Art and Trailer Yen Press describes mono : The Photography Club is in danger of shutting down?! And the Cinema Club too?! Fret not, for they shall merge and become…Cinephoto Club! Now, club members Satsuki, An, and Sakurako are asked to be the main characters for...

Crunchyroll announced that they will start streaming the English dub of Laid-Back Camp season 3 on the platform starting April 18, 2024.

The cast and staff involved in Laid-Back Camp season 3 English dub were also revealed.

Laid-Back Camp season 3 English dub cast includes:

Celeste Perez as Rin Morgan Lauré as Nadeshiko Katelyn Barr as Chiaki Hannah Alyea as Aoi Molly Zhang as Ena Katie Wetch as Ayano Larry Cassady as Hajime Larry Cassady as Narrator Leah Clark as Minami Jalitza Delgado as Hana Marianne Bray as Hana’s Mom

Staff includes:

Voice Director: Shawn Gann Producer: Susie Nixon Adaptation: Audrey Drake Rigg Mixer: Andrew Tipps Engineer: Jose Sandoval

Laid-Back Camp season 3, titled Yuru Camp△ SEASON3, started airing on April 4, 2024.

For the 3rd season, the animation production studio has been shifted from C-Station to Eight Bit. Studio C-Station worked on the first two seasons of the anime along with an anime film adaptation.

With the change in production company,...

Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s largest Latine/x/Hispanic dance organization recognized as one of America’s Cultural Treasures, continues its 2023/24 season. A Company that “compels audiences to think differently and lean into an unseen, unimaginable cultural vibrancy” (Broadway World), Ballet Hispánico amplifies Latinx artists and cultures through innovative contemporary works.

In honor of Eduardo Vilaro’s 15th season as Artistic Director of Ballet Hispánico, the program will feature the World Premiere of Buscando a Juan. Vilaro’s new work, inspired by The Met’s exhibition of Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter, is a layered and immersive piece inspired by the life of Juan de Pareja, the Afro-Hispanic painter who was enslaved in Spanish painter Diego Velázquez’s studio for over two decades before becoming an artist in his own right. The work, set to music by Osvaldo Golijov, is a thought-provoking homage to the nuanced dance of shared vulnerability...

Crunchyroll announced that they will be bringing the second season of Laid-Back Camp English dub on the streaming platform, with episodes releasing weekly starting Jan 24, 2024.

English dub cast and staff for the anime were also revealed.

Laid-Back Camp season 2 English dub cast includes:

Celeste Perez as Rin Morgan Lauré as Nadeshiko Molly Zhang as Ena Katelyn Barr as Chiaki Hannah Alyea as Aoi Phil Parsons as Wataru Kelsey Cruz as Saki Larry Cassady as Narrator Katie Wetch as Ayano Ian Sinclair as Clerk

Staff includes:

Voice Director: Shawn Gann Producer: Susie Nixon Adaptation: Heather Walker Engineer: Jose Sandoval

Laid-Back Camp Season 2 aired from January to April 2021.

Season 1 of the anime by C-Station aired in Japan on At-x from January to March 2018; the anime was co-financed and licensed by Crunchyroll. A short anime spin-off, titled Room Camp, aired from January to March 2020.

A live action drama series aired in Japan from...

Laid-Back Camp prepares for Season 3 with a heartwarming trailer that promises more campfire fun.

The promotional video gives Laid-Back Camp fans a preliminary look into some of the upcoming antics of the girls of the Outdoor Activities Club. The video additionally introduces the artists who will compose Season 3's theme songs, with musical unit Kiminone and singer Asaka performing the season's opening and ending, respectively.

Related: Laid-Back Camp: How to Get Started With the Anime & Manga

Laid-Back Camp Season 3 Changes Studios

Laid-Back Camp notably shifted animation studios for its latest season, with Eight Bit taking over production from Season 1 and 2's studio, C-Station. Shin Tosaka is heading the project as Season 3's new director. Masafumi Sugiura is similarly taking charge of series composition and will be working with character designer Hisanori Hashimoto. Season 3 will additionally feature the return of Akiyuki Tateyama and Takeshi Takadera, who will reprise their roles...

In the world of anime, it's pretty common for a series to have one season of 10 to 15 episodes, far from a hindrance though, some of the best anime are 15 episodes or less. These brief series are usually, although not always, complete by the end of their run. Since the investment risk in a 12 episode series is so much lower than a 22 to 26 episode series, these shorter anime can often be a little weirder, venturing into territory that longer anime may be afraid to embrace. These also tend to be based on more obscure manga, or alternatively are anime-original series with no source material at all.

Some of the best anime series with 15 episodes or less span genres, and some have much less than 15 episodes, so it's a bit difficult to compare them to each other. Still, these series had to be good enough to stand out among a crowded market.

Sixth feature film for director Daigo Matsui after his flamboyant debut Afro Tanaka in 2012, “Our Huff and Puff Journey” confirms the director's passion and dedication to stories of love and younghood set in Japan. In this case, a self-filmed road trip of four schoolgirls is another occasion to dig into youth culture.

Our Huff and Puff Journey is screening at Nippon Connection

“Our Huff and Puff Journey” is indeed an account of a journey through Japan, having as a final destination a J-pop band concert. Four high school students and friends Ichinose, Chia, Fumiko and Sattsun decide to leave their hometown in Fukuoka, the northernmost Prefecture on Japan's Kyushu Island, and travel by bike to Tokyo to see a concert of their favorite band, CreepHyp. The film starts at the cusp of their excitement, just before leaving. The girls feel like their life has just begun and this is the...