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In these days of instant access and streaming, many young anime fans don’t realise just how difficult things were in the 80s and 90s. When something got released, if it even did get released, then many times it would be chopped up and mangled with shoddy dubbing that in some cases completely changed the character names and story. They were handled by people who cared more about making it as palatable as possible for Western audiences even if it was to the anime’s detriment. Thankfully, there were some people who did care. AnimEigo has been at the forefront of anime distribution for over thirty years. Their latest project, “The Anime Business”, a documentary series which allows those people who wanted to share anime with new audiences, gives their perspective on the early days of the industry.

John O’Donnell founded Central Park Media in 1990. It was one of the...

The magical girl genre of manga and anime has long captivated audiences with amazing stories of friendship, romance and epic transformations. Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena and other popular titles revolutionized the subgenre of anime, popularizing it for audiences around the world. After a two-year hiatus, a beloved magical girl comic series is making its return, offering fresh adventures that Sailor Moon fans will absolutely adore.

Since its initial release from Boom! Studios in 2022, Flavor Girls has garnered a dedicated fanbase, despite not reaching the level of popularity that Sailor Moon has earned over the years. The series took a two-year break — and now is the perfect time for new fans to jump into the series as it makes its epic comeback in 2025. With new issues of Flavor Girls finally being released, it's a great time to be a fan of magical girl team-up stories.

Related10 Minor Sailor Moon Characters...

Shojo anime are some of the most emotional out there, featuring stories full of depth and heavy topics that most other anime series wouldn’t dare touch. They often cover more personal struggles that hit close to home for many viewers, making them far more relatable. Despite their soft, feminine aesthetic and overall lighthearted tone, many shojo anime are shockingly dark and downright depressing. As a result, many shojo romances are also very heartbreaking.

Shojo relationships often go through struggles most anime couples never experience, facing many of life’s harshest realities. Sadly, not all shojo couples make it through these hardships, resulting in many tragic love stories that have devastated fans. But while these shojo romances are some of the saddest in the demographic, they’ve also gone down in history as some of the most beautiful.

Related10 Most Tragic Female Protagonists in Shojo Anime, Ranked

Shojo anime hold...

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the new anime movie by the studios behind Evangelion and Gundam, is heading to North America this February, as recently announced by film distributor Gkids.

Via Variety, Gkids has acquired the North American theatrical rights for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-. The film will be released on Feb. 28, 2025, and sees two titans of the mecha anime genre, Sunrise (Gundam) and Khara (Evangelion), unite for the first time. Rebuild of Evangelion director Kazuya Tsurumaki directs the film, with Yoji Enokido on the script and Evangelion's Hideaki Anno for the screenplay.

Related 'She Was My First Love': Evangelion Creator Admits Being 'Smitten' By a Key Part of Anime's Biggest Space Opera

At a recent event, Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno discussed the Space Battleship Yamato anime alongside a voice actor who was also his 'first love.'

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Gets U.S. February Release Date

As previously announced,...

Animation company GKids has acquired theatrical rights for the North American distribution of “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-.”

The film will be released Feb. 28 and is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (“Evangelion”). Yoji Enokido (“Revolutionary Girl Utena”) is the film’s screenwriter and is joined by Hideaki Anno for the screenplay.

The official synopsis reads: “Amate Yuzuriha is a high-school student living peacefully in a space colony floating in outer space. When she meets a war refugee named Nyaan, Amate is drawn into the illegal mobile suit dueling sport known as Clan Battle. Under the entry name ‘Machu,’ she throws herself into fierce battle day after day, piloting the GQuuuuuuX. Then an unidentified Gundam mobile suit pursued by both the space force and the police appears before her, along with its pilot, a boy named Shuji. Now their world is about to enter a new era.”

“The outrageous combination of...

Many anime fans consider Naoko Takeuchi’s iconic Sailor Moon franchise to be one of the best in history, often suggested as a great beginners anime and one that sparked the passion of many fans of the media. Its approach to the Shojo genre was revolutionary, focusing on topics other series of its time did not dare approach. Serena’s quest to save the universe from the forces of darkness changed the industry forever, inspiring many other amazing shows in the process.

One such franchise is the lesser-known Revolutionary Girl Utena, an incredibly complex series that many fans hail as one of the most ahead of its time. The story of the titular swordswoman is one that every Sailor Moon fan who has not given it a chance should consider watching, as its themes and story will strongly resonate with them.

Sailor Moon Director Kunihiko Ikuhara's Follow-up, Revolutionary Girl Utena,...

The iconic anime studios Sunrise and Khara, the latter known for the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, reveal their first collaboration for the new Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX series and film.

Via Animate Times, an all-new TV series, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, was announced on Dec. 4 at Gundam Conference Winter 2024. Rebuild of Evangelion director Kazuya Tsurumaki will direct the series, with Yoji Enokido handling the series composition alongside Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno. Ikuto Yamashita is handling the anime's mechanical design. The new anime marks a seismic collaboration between Sunrise and Evangelion studio Khara. With big expectations attached, it's perhaps unsurprising that the series will first premiere as a reconstructed film version in 373 theaters nationwide in Japan starting on Jan. 17, 2025. Readers can check out the first Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX character visuals and official announcement trailer below.

Related Gundam Roars to Life in New Worldwide CASETiFY Tech Accessory Release

The iconic...

Pink hair is an undying trend found among anime characters, and anime and manga creators alike have been giving their heroines pink hair since Utena Tenjou from Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997), Chibi Usa from Sailor Moon (1992) and perhaps even earlier than that. Colorful hair is a trope so commonplace in anime that it's practically naturally occurring, as well as a big indicator as to which character in a line-up will end up being important.

Many pink-haired fan favorites, just like the beloved yet infamous "white-haired anime boy" archetype, often have a certain craziness to them that is either hidden by their charisma or becomes a part of it as the story progresses. Yuno Gasai, with her relentless love for Yukiteru in Future Diary, is a perfect example of a pink-haired anime maniac. And there are so many more to name that anime fans are sure to recognize anywhere.

Related How an...

Since 2020, we have worked with Cartoons Underground to interview their up-and-coming student animators. Some returned to the festival to show their later work, such as Olivia Griselda and Sarah Cheok; others have begun to make waves abroad, such as Calleen Koh; and still others are hard at work on their own life trajectories.

This year, we spoke to the directors Jaime Ng Shu Yi (“Neh Neh Pok”), Wang Xiruo and Emily Tan (“The Seamstress’ Secret”), and Ning Xuan Tan (“I Think I’m Going to Die”). The three animations are wildly different in style, displaying a fine flight of Singapore’s up-and-coming animators. “Neh Neh Pok” is a 2D-animated memoir on a young girl’s journey towards accepting her flat chest.”The Seamstress’ Secret”, on the other hand, introduces repressed seamstress’ crush on her client, a singer, beyond the hazy crimson curtains of 1940s Shanghai. Finally, “I Think I’m...

As a whole, the shojo demographic is known for its dramatic stories and swoon-worthy romance. Most series are slice-of-life and tend to center around a high school love story starring a hopeless romantic heroine. However, there are plenty of shojo titles that break this mold, and many of them are surprisingly action-packed.

From magical girls to historical adventures to even mecha stories, shojo anime come in a wide variety of forms, often with strong female protagonists in a leadership role. These types of series have been around for decades, stemming back to the early days of the demographic, with titles like Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and The Rose of Versailles. Though theyre often a rarity, action shojo series are usually some of the best, most groundbreaking titles in the demographic and are praised for years to come.

Updated by Sage Ashford on October 31st, 2024: Just like shonen anime,...

In August 1998, horror manga creator Junji Ito published Uzumaki, a bizarrely creepy tale that would go on to become one of the artist's most iconic creations. Now, Toonami's Adult Swim is teaming up with Production I.G. (USA) to produce a new Uzumaki anime, which is set to premiere later this month.

Adult Swim recently highlighted the upcoming series on its official X (formerly Twitter) page, inviting viewers to "enter the spiral" for the show's broadcast premiere on Sept. 28, 2024, at 12:30 a.m. Max, the streaming destination for Adult Swim's original programming, will begin hosting Episode 1 the following day, on Sept. 29. Adult Swim also unveiled the anime's first official trailer, which showcases the series' disturbing premise and unique manga-esque art style. Cbr readers can check it out below.

Related Japanese Master of Horror Junji Ito Recommends a New Shonen Comedy Series

Uzumaki creator Junji Ito urges his readers to check...

Though many new release anime have become modern classics, there are some series that set the standard and still have a strong fan following. Nostalgia is a big motivating factor, and many fans who grew up with certain series still have a soft spot for classic characters and plots. Many modern anime couples build upon, or react against, other classic anime romances.

The romances in InuYasha, Sailor Moon, and Revolutionary Girl Utena have stood the test of time, maintaining their original fan base, and drawing in new viewers. Even more infamous anime romances, like Vampire Knight, have their place. They may not be healthy examples of love, but they're certainly entertaining and memorable.

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Related 10 Biggest Differences Between Modern Day Shojo Anime & Nostalgic Series

Classic shojo anime may be timeless, but modern anime have set a high bar when it comes to plot,...

I came out in the early 2000s and, like a lot of queer teens, went on the hunt for any Lgbtqia+ media I could find. During my search, I discovered two spaces where I felt comfortable about my identity — the fanfiction community and the anime/manga community. Coincidentally, I met the girl I’d end up marrying through fanfiction , and she went on to introduce me to series like Gravitation while, at the same time, stores like Waldenbooks slowly began to carry Bl (boys' love). Moments like this helped me see that all kinds of queer content existed in media, especially when it came to manga. That’s only increased over the years, much to my wallet’s dismay, but it’s been nice to see the growth of Lgbtqia+ content in the medium and the wide variety of options we have now. Related: New Manga to Read for Pride Month 2024 More importantly,...

Cartoon Network has always been a place of experimentation. In the early years, shows like "Dexter's Laboratory" brought Sam Raimi references to animation. In the early '00s, shows like "Samurai Jack," "Ben 10," and "Codename: Kids Next Door," added deep mythologies and more serialized storytelling. And in the 2010s, the network experimented with visuals in shows like "Flapjack" and "Adventure Time," which brought weirdness back into Cartoon Network.

This experimentation continued, with animators who got their start on the likes of "Flapjack" going on to develop influential and fantastic shows on their own. Still, as bold and imaginative as all these shows were, they were still mostly white men in charge of creating those cartoons. That all changed in 2013 with the release of "Steven Universe" -- one of the best cartoons of the century and a deeply emotional and inventive show inspired by superheroes and magical-girl anime. The show follows Steven,...

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for voice actor Rachael Lillis following news that her breast cancer diagnosis has spread to her spine. Lillis is known as the voice of Pokmon's Misty and Jessie in the first anime series, as well as the likes of Princess Charlotte in Berserk and Utena in Revolutionary Girl Utena, among numerous other roles.

The GoFundMe was organized by Lillis' sister and gave more insight into the iconic Pokmon voice actor's diagnosis and need for care, revealing that Lillis has been in a nursing home facility in Los Angeles since late January. Her sister writes that she "cannot go home yet because she needs money for a caregiver, particularly a home care nurse." With Rachael's cancer spreading to her spine, she is now barely able to walk.

Related "It's Gone Too Far": Official Solo Leveling, My Hero Academia Va Warns Fans Off Character...

Revolutionary Girl Utena remains a massive creative masterpiece that has influenced animators and writers around the world decades after its original release. Utena's core message on gender and sexuality remains as important and poignant as ever. The series's avant-garde and experimental approach to storytelling has made the unconventional shojo series timeless to its core.

When reflecting on the anime industry's rich history, there are some series that have managed to withstand the test of time, and leave a permanent mark on not just the industry, but on the creatives that fuel it. Many point to series like Astro Boy (1963), Akira (1988) or Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) for how they fundamentally affected modern anime, but there is one series that, regardless of how many years pass by, remains a massive creative influence for animators and writers around the globe – cementing it as one of the greatest anime ever created.

Celebrating its 27th birthday in 2024, Revolutionary Girl Utena,...

As a whole, the shojo demographic is known for its dramatic stories and swoonworthy romance. Most series are slice-of-life and tend to center around a high school love story starring a hopeless romantic heroine. However, there are plenty of shojo titles that break this mold, and many of them are surprisingly action-packed.

From magical girls to historical adventures to even mecha stories, shojo anime come in a wide variety of forms, often with strong female protagonists in a leadership role. These types of series have been around for decades, stemming back to the early days of the demographic, with titles like Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and The Rose of Versailles. Though they’re often a rarity, action shojo series are usually some of the best, most groundbreaking titles in the demographic and are praised for years to come.

Read Our Review 10 Most Aesthetic Shojo Anime Shojo anime styles are vibrant and unique,...

J.C.Staff founder Tomoyuki Miyata -- the anime studio behind popular works such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Food Wars, Toradora and One-Punch Man Season 2 -- has gone into great depth about his career in anime production, revealing that the stress of it led to two-thirds of his stomach being removed.

In an interview with Animan, Miyata detailed his journey from his youth to current times, including his time as a producer at Tatsunoko Production before founding J.C.Staff. He revealed that with the death of Tatsunoko president Tatsuo Yoshida, and the departure of important director Hisayuki Toriumi, he became one of just a few employees holding the fort. The stress eventually caused several rather graphic illnesses, including stomach problems so extreme that two-thirds of it needed to be removed.

Related Solo Leveling Voice Actor Reportedly Coughs Up Blood in an Episode Recording The Japanese voice actor for Solo Leveling's Sung Jin-woo,...

Anime director Kunihiko Ikuhara, perhaps best known among anime fans for his work on Sailor Moon R, S and SuperS, has won the defamation and targeted harassment lawsuit he filed against a woman who accused him of plagiarizing her work.

Over the past 18 months, Ikuhara pursued a defamation case against an unnamed woman who claimed that some of his illustrations were tracings of her work. Ikuhara filed the lawsuit in June 2022 to clear himself from the allegations, but also to stop the accuser's escalated efforts from further damaging his professional reputation and livelihood. The anime director petitioned for US$29,4000 as compensation for damages and was awarded about US$8,5000 after the ruling, according to Bengo4's report (via Comicbook.com).

Related Young Thug Trial Includes Bizarre Reference to Bleach Infamous Filler Arc Anime's broad appeal is again demonstrated in the most unlikely of places, with the Bleach anime's "Bount" arc referenced in an ongoing court trial.

The latest comments by Jujutsu Kaisen 0's Chief Animation Director raise serious alarm bells about the anime industry as a whole.

On Nov. 28, 2023, prominent animator and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Cad Terumi Nishii stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the industry only has a few years left before it collapses: "Seriously, it's over. Once Kagawa's generation leaves, everything will end at once. We need to do something about the training scheme by then."

Related Mappa Announces Another Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode Delay This Time Permanently The announcement that Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2will now hit Japanese services almost 18 hours later is a testament to current Mappa working conditions. まじで終ã‚.ってますからね。香å·.さんたちの世代が抜けたら一気にぜんぶ終ã‚.る。 ã.れまでにè...

Reki Kawahara, the creator behind Sword Art Online, has revealed he was being harassed online over ownership of his popular light novel series.

According to Anime Senpai, Kawahara shared his story in regard to the current lawsuit from anime director Kunihiko Ikuhara against a woman harassing the Japanese creator over accusations of plagiarism. Ikuhara, known for his work on Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena and Penguindrum, was being harassed online via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by an unnamed woman who believed the anime director was plagiarizing from her. The harassment campaign didn't just involve Ikuhara but also many who associated with him professionally. In response to Ikuhara taking action against the woman, Kawahara revealed that he too has been a victim of similar circumstances.

Related: Slayers Artist Rui Araizumi Fights Back Against AI Accusations

"Sailor Moon" & "Revolutionary Girl Utena" director Kunihiko Ikuhara was the target of a harassment...

Anime director Kunihiko Ikuhara says a woman's efforts to pressure him for an apology for allegedly plagiarizing her work has escalated to harassment, prompting concern for his personal safety.

Ikuhara has doubled down with legal action against the unnamed woman, according to Japanese newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun. A prolific creator in the anime industry, Ikuhara has explicitly denied the allegations, responding with a lawsuit claiming compensation for damages. This would also to serve as a deterrent against further aggravation.

Related: Why Sailor Moon's Queer Legacy Still Matters

Per the report, the woman's attempts to encroach on Ikuhara's personal and professional space escalated to a point that justified police support. The woman initially contacted Ikuhara in April 2022 via a direct message on Twitter, calling him out for allegedly plagiarizing one of her works. When a colleague posted one of Ikuhara's illustrations, the same woman also pointed out that this was traced from her work.

Sailor Moon is a groundbreaking series that introduced positive LGBT representation in magical girl anime, specifically with the iconic characters Michiru and Haruka. The inclusion of queer characters in Sailor Moon helped shape and popularize the genre, leading the way for more recent anime like Madoka Magica and Wonder Egg Priority embracing queer characters and themes. While not all depictions of LGBT characters in Sailor Moon are perfect, the series still deserves credit for its complex and human portrayals of these characters, and its influence can still be felt in the anime industry today.

More than thirty years after its debut, Sailor Moon remains one of the most iconic series in the magical girl genre. Between its two anime adaptations, five movies, and eighteen volumes of manga, Sailor Moon codified many magical girl tropes that are still relevant to this day and helped popularize the genre outside of Japan. One...

Sailor Moon and The Rose of Versailles share similar themes, tropes, and character types, influencing the magical girl genre. The Moon Kingdom and Versailles Court provide contrasting backdrops, with the Moon Kingdom being more egalitarian and idealistic. Both Sailor Moon and The Rose of Versailles feature stunning fashion and character designs, showcasing a combination of beauty, drama, and class commentary.

Naoko Takeuchi's creation Sailor Moon is synonymous with anime itself, especially to recent generations who grew up watching it. The series comprises five seasons, several movies, and a near-completed reboot, Sailor Moon Crystal. Though Sailor Moon isn't the first magical girl anime, it has the greatest effect on the anime genre. It's also one of the most popular shojo anime. But before Sailor Moon, there was a classic shojo romance anime and manga series that Takeuchi cited as her favorite growing up.

Naoko Takeuchi isn't alone in loving The Rose of Versailles.

Sailor Moon and The Rose of Versailles share similar themes, tropes, and character types, influencing the magical girl genre. The Moon Kingdom and Versailles Court provide contrasting backdrops, with the Moon Kingdom being more egalitarian and idealistic. Both Sailor Moon and The Rose of Versailles feature stunning fashion and character designs, showcasing a combination of beauty, drama, and class commentary.

Naoko Takeuchi's creation Sailor Moon is synonymous with anime itself, especially to recent generations who grew up watching it. The series comprises five seasons, several movies, and a near-completed reboot, Sailor Moon Crystal. Though Sailor Moon isn't the first magical girl anime, it has the greatest effect on the anime genre. It's also one of the most popular shojo anime. But before Sailor Moon, there was a classic shojo romance anime and manga series that Takeuchi cited as her favorite growing up.

Naoko Takeuchi isn't alone in loving The Rose of Versailles.

There are some love scenes in anime that have so much emotion and chemistry that fans still discuss them years after watching them. When a couple finally confesses their love or gives off a telling glimmer of their feelings, it's a huge moment. Sometimes, the emotional beat takes the audience by delightful surprise, or it's a long-awaited moment that fans worried would never come.

Romance anime like Sailor Moon have many iconic romance scenes. The ones that capture hearts the most are the moments where the characters really show up for each other in treacherous situations. Other enduring scenes, like the ones in Studio Ghibli romances, put so much emotion in just a few whispered, poignant words.

Related: 10 Best Shojo Anime Episode Types, Ranked

The Bookshelf Scene (Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke's Mansion)

Raeliana aligns herself with a cunning, complex guy in Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion.

Fans weren't sure of what to expect out of the reboot Sailor Moon Crystal, at first. Many people are understandably attached to the 1990s art style, and Crystal uses more CGI sequences and an elongated character design. People still side-eye the CGI sequences, but though the art style is different, it's quite pretty.

The best part of all, though, is that Sailor Moon Crystal follows the original manga far more closely, and it seems to be adapting the full series. There are so many classic shojo series that could use a reboot to draw in new fans who will love the story. It's also another opportunity to adapt the full story without censorship or filler episodes.

Related: Every Sailor Moon Anime (In Chronological Order)

Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club is a shojo masterpiece. It embraces many classic clichés with loving snark. There's a himbo love interest,...

Many elements go into making an anime a classic that endures with its fan base over the years and attracts new audiences. Anime creators put a lot of work into their opening and closing themes. Often they commission bespoke songs with instrumental themes and lyrics that speak to the characters' journey.

Even the opening and closing music with lower production value still tends to be an earwig for old school fans. Hearing just a few notes will bring them back to a time when they got up early or stayed up late to catch their weekly episodes. Sometimes fans will remember their favorite anime themes more readily than their favorite episodes.

Related: 10 Nostalgic School Anime That Are A Must-Watch

Record Of Lodoss War

Record of Lodoss War is greatly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. It is doubly nostalgic for the fan base that enjoys epic fantasy and the D&d magic system and character types.

The anime medium is ever-changing and dynamic, beloved for its courageousness in exploring bold ideas and setting new trends. Anime's history saw the rise and fall of countless genres and tropes that once defined the medium's identity, only to sink into obscurity when replaced by something trendier. The '70s and '80s were the golden age of mecha anime — a genre modern fans steer clear of today.

The same fate, undoubtedly, awaits contemporary trends, like isekai and dark fantasy, which will live on only as outdated classics. Yet, some older series, if they were to come back now, would've been hits with contemporary audiences despite their aged themes. These timeless shows would work best in today's anime landscape, as they already have predicted modern trends way before they became mainstream.

Related: 10 Classic Mecha Anime That Aged Poorly

Serial Experiments Lain

Innovation and experimentation have always been intrinsic to anime's avant-garde scene.

There are many reasons a classic anime will get remade. Sometimes, it's to incorporate new mediums, like sleek computer graphics to complement the animation, and sometimes, it's to hopefully attract a new audience. Some anime worlds and characters are so beloved through generations that it makes sense to release more content.

Manga lovers always appreciate an anime adaptation that keeps close to the source material. Lately, there have been rereleases of classic titles that are even more faithful to the amazing manga source material. Remaking an anime gives creators a chance not just to incorporate more of the manga but also to help keep up with the mores of the time, cutting outdated filler episodes and properly reincorporating previously censored characters.

Related: 9 Best Old School Anime That Deserve A Reboot

Chi's Sweet Home

So many grew up watching Chi's Sweet Home, and now a new generation of littles can enjoy...

Just like any other medium out there, anime comes in a variety of genres that help audiences narrow down their expectations and preferences. For unfamiliar viewers, even the basic anime genres and demographics — such as shonen, seinen, or josei — can sound intimidatingly unfamiliar.

Yet, digging deeper unveils a whole new world of peculiar anime subgenres, each characterized by a specific theme, setting, or storytelling approach. While anime shares many genres with other types of narrative fiction, like action, comedy, or thriller, some are unique to the medium. These are some of the most compelling subgenres that define their respective broader categories.

Related:10 Most Popular Anime Genres (And The Best Series Of Each)

Super Robot

One of anime's most well-known categories, the mecha genre, is generally broken down into two subgroups — the grounded Real Robot subgenre and the more fantastical, larger-than-life Super Robot subgenre. The history of mecha started in the 1940s,...

When most anime fans think of dark magical girl anime, they immediately picture Puella Magi Madoka Magica. But though this iconic series revolutionized the subgenre, it's far from the only subversive magical girl series out there. Plenty of other titles have put a dark spin on the genre as well, and some even do it better than Madoka Magica.

From classic titles like Revolutionary Girl Utena to modern hits such as Kill la Kill, the magical girl genre is filled with many incredible series that use darker elements to tell their stories. Many of these amazing series blow Madoka Magica completely out of the water with their emotional depth, stunning visuals, and lovable heroines.

Related: 20 Cutest Anime Magical Girls

My-HiME

My-HiME is a criminally underrated magical girl series predating the dark magical girl craze. Much like modern titles nowadays, this classic series takes a surprisingly grim turn, focusing on the...

It took a long time, but mainstream cartoons are finally coming out of the closet. Now, we can only hope they stay that way.

When live-action television began making inroads for gay representation during the turn of the century, animation remained a frustratingly straight (if frequently queer-coded) affair. The reasons behind the medium’s slowness were obvious and, predictably, homophobic. Animation is too often seen as content made for kids, and same-sex attraction is regarded as an “adult” topic. So, pearl-clutching TV critics would argue, children shouldn’t be exposed to “adult” (read: gay) characters through raunchy cartoons.

That’s not to say that there weren’t LGBTQ people in cartoons before the 2010s; Japanese anime, in particular, was slightly ahead of the curve on this front, with ’90s classics like “Sailor Moon” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion” featuring explicitly queer themes and love stories. But that content was often mercilessly...

Shojo series remain some of the most popular and mainstream anime that can explore slice-of-life drama, tender romances, and heightened magical girl fantasies. Many of these celebrated stories are brought to life by some excellent female storytellers and creators.

Related: 10 Best Shojo Anime, According To IMDb

Shojo series typically have female characters as their protagonists, but it's not a hardened rule, and the genre can still reflect creative diversity. Some shojo anime fans aren't aware that women have written their favorite series, like Sailor Moon, Ouran High School Host Club, and Fushigi Yuji.

Sailor Moon Written By Naoko Takeuchi

A lot of shojo series have left permanent marks on the anime industry, yet Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon is essentially emblematic of the magical girl subgenre and shojo series. Many modern magical girl shows are indebted to the framework that Naoko Takeuchi establishes in Sailor Moon. The franchise continues to evolve in surprising ways,...

Some shojo manga titles, and their resulting anime adaptations, are known for subverting expectations about traditional gender roles and sexuality. Many of these characters pushed the envelope for their time in the canon of middle-grade and young-adult storytelling. Shojo demographic content features young female leads, friendship dynamics, and strong romantic plot lines.

Related: 10 Best Shojo Love Stories

A traditional shojo protagonist is cheerful, sweet, often naive, innocent, and non-confrontational, falling in line with many of the demographic's time-old tropes and clichés. However, many shojo titles break this mold, featuring role reversals and strong heroines who push back against these stereotypical archetypes. From old-school classics like Revolutionary Girl Utena to modern titles such as Snow White with the Red Hair, these iconic shojo series defy traditional roles and offer fans a more progressive take on the genre.

Updated on May 30, 2023 by Chelsea Steele: Despite their reputation, many shojo anime titles...

Anime is a popular phenomenon across the globe, but it is particularly popular in Asian countries. It can be depicted in many different forms – books, comics, movies, and tv series. Besides fast-paced adventure series that leave you hanging at the end of every episode, there are some dramas that tend to touch the heart. Unlike television, each episode is typically 20 minutes long but tightly packed for maximum emotional impact.

So, if you are a newcomer to Japanese cartoons, this is a great list for you. These anime series are loved by millions of people worldwide. People commonly rewatch and recommend them to others. Let’s go ahead and take a look!

Cowboy Bebop

The Cowboy Bebop series revolves around Spike Spiegel, who, despite his martial arts skills, leads a laid-back life while being a futuristic bounty hunter. He travels across the galaxy with his partner Jet Black and Faye Valentine,...

The original soundtrack by J • A • Seazer to the Terayama Shūji theatrical play Nuhikun – Directions to Servants is now available to stream in its entirety as part of the InlanDimensions International Arts Festival online programme until 19 October 2021. The stream can be accessed here with a festival ticket or as an individual rental for the price of $5.00.

The stream consists of almost 80 minutes of music accompanied by the image of the cover artwork of the vinyl version of Nuhikun – Directions to Servants released by Devoted Art Propaganda. The album marks the first official release of music for Tenjō Sajiki’s plays outside of Japan.

Recorded in late 1977 and originally available only as cassettes in theaters, Nuhikun – Directions to Servants exposes the audience to a sadomasochistic universe combining elements of surrealism, dream work and Brechtian Verfremdungseffekt. Accompanied by fantastic machines, rock music and operatic echoes, the production has amazed audiences with the...

The soundtrack to the Terayama Shūji theatrical play Nuhikun – Directions to Servants, by the legendary Tenjō Sajiki troupe, will be released for the first time on vinyl via Devoted Art Propaganda. The album marks the first official release of music for Tenjō Sajiki’s plays outside of Japan. The premiere is set for 19 October 2021 following a debut stream during InlanDimensions International Arts Festival 2021. The album will be released in 2×12” gatefold vinyl format and limited to 300 copies.

J.A. Seazer is a critically renowned film and theatre music composer, as well as co-director of Terayama Shūji plays and leader of the theatre troupe Laboratory of Theatre Play Ban’yū Inryoku. Seazer combines experimental rock with avant-garde theatre. His major music compositions include Heretics (1971), Ship of Fools (1976), Shintokumaru (1978). He also composed music for Terayama’s feature films such as Boxer (1977), Death in the Country (1974) and Farewell to the Ark (1984). It’s his rock...

Diverse storytelling is one of anime’s most appealing qualities. Want a show about superheroes? There’s a series for you. Ninja? You, too. Demon slayers? Yup. Not interested in action or horror? Don’t worry. You can find series about high school volleyball teams, people who transmigrate to another world, and workplace romance. It’s not an exaggeration to say that there’s an anime for everyone, no matter their tastes or preferences.

Given the wide variety of stories, there’s a lot of anime about Lbgtq people and the queer experience. To be clear, anime has more than its fair share of problematic portrayals such as uninterrogated crossdressing tropes, unchallenged homophobia and transphobia, and comedy at the expense of a queer character. But these things are hardly unique to anime, unfortunately. Despite these shortcomings, the format does have great series exploring the LGBTQ experience in different contexts and...

Fans of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon rejoiced with the international premiere of the two Sailor Moon Eternal movies on Netflix. Not only does Sailor Moon Crystal live on in these two feature films, the manga's fourth arc 'Dream'—a story never properly adapted in the '90s anime—is finally played out the way it was meant to be.

Related: Revolutionary Girl Utena: 10 Best Fan Theories That Could Be True

The Sailor Guardians reunite in Eternal to battle Queen Nehalennia and the Dead Moon, a new set of villains with ties to Sailor Moon's past life. Seeing as these movies adapt the manga quite faithfully, there may not be a slew of surprises for the more avid fans. However, there is no denying the excitement when watching the best moments play out so beautifully on screen.

The 1997 anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena is regarded as a classic in anime circles thanks to its boldness when it comes to tackling themes of sexuality, gender identity, and the pressures of social expectations, but it's also a show that doesn't reveal many of its secrets without a fight. Utena is deliberately ambiguous with its presentation, allowing the audience to do the bulk of the work when it comes to deciphering the myriad themes and symbols scattered throughout the text.

Related: Sailor Moon Eternal: 5 Ways The '90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

This, of course, has led to the endless generation of some fan theories that are far-fetched and fascinating in equal parts. For those trying to make sense of Utena, try these on for size. They might help, or they might just add to the confusion, but both of those possibilities are happy outcomes.

Seven Seas Entertainment is excited to announce the license acquisition of the Sarazanmai Anthology manga by various creators, a collection of over a dozen short stories based on the hit anime by Kunihiko Ikuhara!

After accidentally breaking a statue of a mythical kappa, junior high students Kazuki, Toi, and Enta are transformed into kappa themselves as punishment by Keppi, prince of the Kappa Kingdom. Keppi has a task for the boys if they want their bodies back: work for him to hunt down zombie kappa born of twisted human desires. Even scarier, though? They’re going to have to expose their own deepest fears and desires to each other to do so! Explore this surrealist modern folktale–a fan-favorite anime in 2019–like never before in this collection of all-new short manga by various creators!

Seven Seas will publish the manga collection Sarazanmai Anthology for the first time in North America...

(Its full title is the Revolutionary Girl Utena 20th Anniversary Ultra Edition boxset, but hey, what's in a name...) The nineties were an interesting times for anime. On a technical front, computer graphics were slowly but surely becoming cheaper, allowing even lower-budgeted television productions to start using them. On an artistic front, creators started having fun with (in)famous eighties anime tropes, spoofing them and deliberately messing a bit with audience expectations. Several series from the late nineties became unexpectedly popular, classics even. Titles like Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Spirit of Escaflowne seemed cookie-cutter teen stuff at the start, but both turned out to be so much more. Another title from that time is Revolutionary Girl Utena, which looked to be a romantic high-school comedy...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

(Its full title is the Revolutionary Girl Utena 20th Anniversary Ultra Edition boxset, but hey, what's in a name...) The nineties were an interesting times for anime. On a technical front, computer graphics were slowly but surely becoming cheaper, allowing even lower-budgeted television productions to start using them. On an artistic front, creators started having fun with (in)famous eighties anime tropes, spoofing them and deliberately messing a bit with audience expectations. Several series from the late nineties became unexpectedly popular, classics even. Titles like Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Spirit of Escaflowne seemed cookie-cutter teen stuff at the start, but both turned out to be so much more. Another title from that time is Revolutionary Girl Utena, which looked to be a romantic high-school comedy...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...