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This week on The Anime Effect: We hear from J Balvin about how his love of anime began and how it has impacted his music. Plus, LeAlec and Alex chat with Gwar about adopting Pochita, how they relate to the characters of Dragon Ball Z and more! In our audio-exclusive episode we fill you in on the latest in the anime world including the Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 release update, the upcoming MLB x Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba collab, and more! Episode 55 of The Anime Effect is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts! If you're waiting to watch the video episode, it'll be live on Crunchyroll and YouTube at 7 p.m. Et. Listen or Watch on: Episode 55 Summary In this week's news episode, LeAlec, Leah and Nick discuss Monster Hunter Wilds breaking records, the new My Hero Academia: Vigilantes trailer being released,...

J Balvin officially made his anime debut as Hunters Guild Gate boss Kargalgan in Season 2 of “Solo Leveling,” and while the five-time Grammy award-winning singer isn’t new to jumping in the booth to record music, he told TheWrap that laying down voice tracks for the hit series was an entirely new demon.

“You have to be precise and disciplined — it needs a lot of discipline,” J Balvin told TheWrap right after finishing his first day of recording in New York. “Normally, when you do a song, you record, you listen, you talk with your boys, then you come back. It’s art, it’s a totally new vibe … You’re watching the video before it’s out. [In music,] you do a song, you then see the video. In this case, you already have the images there … You got to be extra focused and try to make the best lip sync and also [stay] in character.

The Transformers franchise is no stranger to weird and unexpected crossovers, especially when it comes to movie tie-ins. Now, the series is given a particularly athletic one that promotes the franchise's latest movie -- months after it was released.

The German soccer team Borussia Dortmund is now collaborating with the Transformers brand -- specifically, the animated movie Transformers One. As part of the team, a familiar yellow Autobot shows off his soccer skills in a new promotional video. The choice of Transformer also matches the sport club's aesthetic, meaning that there's more than meets the eye to this mashup besides a strangely-timed alliance.

Related Transformers Revives One of Its Biggest Action Figures Ever Released in New Trypticon Sneak Peek

Trypticon returns in the latest Transformers toyline, with a massive rereleased action figure further evoking the Decepticon's G1 appearance.

Bumblebee Kicks Things Into High Gear With Transformers Soccer Collab View this...

Just as sports films have captured audiences' hearts, sports anime have risen from the ranks of TV shows or comic-inspired series to become cultural phenomenons. And looking at the most beloved and popular sports anime ever released, it isn't hard to see why.

The best sports anime series deliver compelling character histories, challenges, and victories. They also deliver on important themes like friendship, loss, family, and dedication. If all of that wasn't enough, the top ranks of sports anime have also captured enough acclaim and devotion to not only be recognized as the best of their subgenre, but be seen among the top anime of all time.

Captain Tsubasa Anime Series By David Production; Based On The Manga By Yōichi Takahashi

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Captain Tsubasa

Captain Tsubasa is an animated series focusing on Tsubasa Ozora, a young soccer prodigy...

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced a collaboration between its football game eFootball™ and the iconic manga series Captain Tsubasa. The collaboration will run

This partnership brings football superstars, including the famed ex-Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suárez into the world of Yoichi Takahashi’s celebrated series.

As a part of the collaboration, special in game cards illustrated by Takahashi, in which characters are paired with their manga-counterparts, will be launched.

In-Game Crossover Cards:

Lionel Messi is paired with Tsubasa Ōzora (known as Óliver Atom in international versions), Luis Suárez with Kojiro Hyuga (Mark Lenders), and Neymar Jr. is paired with Hikaru Matsuyama (Philip Callahan).

A special interview snippet, shared on eFootball™’s official YouTube channel, showcases the trio discussing their connection to the beloved manga and its impact on football fans worldwide.

Check out the video below:

Other stars paired with Captain Tsubasa characters include:

Takefusa Kubo...

In the sports genre, Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock has sent shockwaves, becoming one of the most popular football shows in recent times. Though there have been other popular titles such as Inazuma XI, Captain Tsubasa, Aoashi, and so many more, Kaneshiro-Sensei’s work has remained in a league of its own.

A still from Season 2 Episode 3. Credits: 8 Bit

With an extremely competitive plot, where the players give their all to become the best striker in the world, failure can’t even be considered an option. The Otaku community came forward, showering the series and the author with love. Hence, they continue to watch the second season despite having a PowerPoint presentation-type animation.

However, many fans will be taken aback, when they will learn that the artist has been doing double time, where he is working on two series at the same time. Despite coming off as a shock the...

Following the successful launch of their digital venture enchufe.tv México early this year, partners Arturo Yepez of Ecuador-based 2bLatam and José “Pepe” Bastón of Elefantec Global are gearing up for a strategic expansion.

This new initiative will extend 2bLatam’s enchufe.tv universe beyond the digital realm, venturing into streaming platforms, cinema and branded entertainment. The goal is to engage audiences in Mexico and the United States with innovative content that blends humor, creativity and value, catering to the needs of leading brands in the region, they stressed.

“We are in an era where the major players in the industry are turning their attention back to content creators and social media. This expanded agreement with Elefantec is another step in our journey to becoming the benchmark for Spanish-language comedy production worldwide,” said Yepez.

The partnership will now include original series and films based on enchufe.tv’s characters, tapping...

Dragon Ball has earned itself the status of a global cultural mainstay, and one promo just proved its legacy forever. It comes at a great time for the series. 2024 has seen the debut of the new series Dragon Ball Daima, which is getting nothing but a warm reception. Dragon Ball is generating more buzz than it has in years, and for shnen's most influential franchise, that's saying a lot.

The franchise is often unfairly relegated to the status of a nostalgic relic whose age outwears its influence, but 2024 has shown Dragon Ball to be alive and well. It's being capped off with the promo of a lifetime: a popular sports website has pitted Goku against an unlikely foe in a mutual ode between anime and soccer. It's a milestone moment for anime's relationship with soccer, but it's far from the whole story.

Dragon Ball Has Reached The Zenith Of Promotional...

They call it the King of Sports, The Beautiful Game, and of course, it is the inspiration for numerous sports anime shows . It’s soccer (or football) and today, we are taking a look at some of the best shows about it that you can watch right here on Crunchyroll. Captain Tsubasa When you think of soccer and anime, the first one that comes to mind is this one, Captain Tsubasa . The most recent adaptation of the legendary manga, Captain Tsubasa: Junior Youth Arc (2023), is available on Crunchyroll. Famous for its endless fields and physics-defying shots, this series follows the career of Tsubasa Oozora, a Japanese football prodigy who is better than Messi and Cristiano rolled up into one undefeatable person. This new anime adapts his time playing his first international tournament for Japan as a teenager, in which he teams up with his former rivals to face the best soccer powerhouses in the world,...

In a new blog post, Viz Media has officially announced that all of the Naruto and Naruto Shippuden movies are now available to stream for free on YouTube. While the free streaming includes ads, this move allows fans, especially those in the U.S., to marathon their favorite Naruto films without any cost. Its an exciting chance for long-time fans and newcomers to dive back into the ninja world of Naruto without a subscription.

In addition to Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, Viz Media is streaming hundreds of other popular anime episodes and movies on YouTube with English subtitles. Some of the major titles included are Death Note, Hunter x Hunter, Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, Vampire Knight, Captain Tsubasa, Mr. Osomatsu, and Sailor Moon. Fans can discover even more anime series and movies by visiting Viz Media's official YouTube channel. This extensive lineup offers a golden opportunity for anime lovers to revisit...

Naruto has just become a lot more accessible to American anime fans in a major new update, bringing every episode of the original series and all its movies to streaming for free.

Viz Media has announced that all Naruto and Naruto Shippuden movies are available for free streaming with ads on YouTube. Fans whose location is set in the United States can now access the Viz anime movies playlist with all the films from Naruto and other franchises; Viz also streams complete anime series and seasons of several other major titles. Readers can check out the list of free Naruto films and the other anime available on Viz below.

Related Believe It: Naruto Announces Official Overseas Theme Park for Real-Life Ninja & Kunoichi

Naruto, one of the world's most popular anime series, reveals its opening window for a theme park in France, promising fun, nostalgia and ninjas.

All 11 Naruto Movies Now...

In the world of anime and manga, sports as a genre has gained immense popularity over the years, and for all the right reasons. Part of the genre’s popularity is caused by Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock, which took the world by surprise. In the first season of the show, it took a whole new approach to the game.

Team Z. Credits: 8 Bit

Traditionally, football series such as Inazuma Eleven, Aoashi, Captain Tsubasa, and many more flaunted how the game is to be played as a team. However, Kaneshiro-Sensei’s magnum opus said otherwise because it featured that the game can focus only on the attackers, who probably have the biggest ego in the sport.

Though this idea was convincing in the first season of the show, following the disappointing second season, such an idea and belief felt absurd. However, the producer feels differently because it stands out by...

The classic Generation 1 Transformers cartoon featured many iconic scenes and episodes in its run. One of these included a three-way defection that's now being recreated in a collectible toy set.

The new "Transformers Dramatic Capture Series Dcs-3 Triple Threat Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and Starscream Set" unites three G1 Decepticons for three times the tyrannical ambition. Based on a specific episode from the second season of The Transformers, the collection even features the toys in cartoon-accurate color schemes. It's just one way in which Takara is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the illustrious brand.

Related A New Transformers Collaboration Kicks Official Soccer Team Into High Gear

The Transformers and Captain Tsubasa franchises get an unexpected but epic crossover as part of the final home game for an official soccer team.

Transformers' Newest Action Figure Collection Recreates "Triple Takeover"

Part of the new "Dramatic Capture" subline of toys, the "Triple Threat Astrotrain, Blitzwing...

The Transformers have gotten just about everything for their 40th anniversary, from new toys, cards and comics to a brand-new theatrical movie. Now, the robots in disguise are rolling out with a new store dedicated entirely to them.

Via License Global, along with fellow Hasbro brand Peppa Pig, the Transformers franchise is getting a permanent store in the UK. Featuring all manner of immersive experiences, tons of toys and everything else that fans could possibly want, it's set to be the ultimate in Transformers events, albeit being held all year round. Set to open its Space Bridge this fall, the business and all that it offers will surely be "store" than meets the eye.

Related A New Transformers Collaboration Kicks Official Soccer Team Into High Gear

The Transformers and Captain Tsubasa franchises get an unexpected but epic crossover as part of the final home game for an official soccer team.

As part of its 40th anniversary, the Transformers franchise is rolling out and teaming up with some particularly exciting brands. These include a Capcom video game juggernaut, with the collaboration resulting in a monster of an Autobot leader.

Seemingly released as part of the Synergenex line from Takara, the Transformers x Monster Hunter collaboration will give fans the chance to purchase a monstrous new character: Liolaeous Prime. Featuring one of the most legendary monsters from the Monster Hunter video game franchise, the new figure has now been hinted at through a Discord revelation. It also matches the anniversary idea for the line, both for Transformers and Monster Hunter.

Related A New Transformers Collaboration Kicks Official Soccer Team Into High Gear

The Transformers and Captain Tsubasa franchises get an unexpected but epic crossover as part of the final home game for an official soccer team.

Transformers x Monster Hunter's New Optimus...

(Courtesy image)

Paramount Global’s free, ad-supported streaming television (Fast) platform Pluto TV has inked a robust partnership with France’s M6 that involves strategies across content, editorial and advertising sales.

As part of the pact, M6 will launch a dedicated Pluto TV section within its M6 Plus (stylized as M6+) platform with 12 Fast channels from Pluto TV, while Pluto TV will launch several M6-branded content streams on the French version of its service.

M6 Plus users will get access to content from Paramount’s library and its licensed shows and movies, including “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” “Olive et Tom,” “MTV Classics” and “Blue Bloods,” while Pluto TV users will see M6 content like “Turbo,” “Mes Mareillais,” “Zone Interdite” and “Les reines du shopping,” the companies said.

Additionally, the two companies will work together on various advertising sales initiatives geared toward the connected TV market, with M6 serving as the official advertising...

M6+, the AVOD platform recently launched by French TV network M6, has signed a long-term deal with Paramount’s Fast service Pluto TV.

The partnership will include M6 content channels on Pluto TV, a new Pluto TV-branded area on M6+ and an advertising arrangement to scale the free ad-supported streaming business in France.

Editorially, under the deal, M6+ users will have access to 12 Pluto TV channels, with nearly 3,000 hours of content from the platform’s franchises such as “Just Tattoo Of Us,” “Alerte à Malibu”, ”Yu-Gi-Oh!,” “Blue Bloods,” “Olive et Tom,” “MTV Classics” as well as channels dedicated to movies, series, and animations. Meanwhile, Pluto TV users will have access to 6 M6 channels representing 2,000 hours of content, including the likes of “Zone Interdite,” “Turbo,” “Les reines du shopping” and “Les Marseillais.”

On the commercial side, M6 will become Pluto TV’s advertising partner and will be able to sell the...

Quick Links Transformers One's Sentinel Prime Twist, Explained Transformers One's D-16 Goes On a Killing Spree Transformers One's Orion Pax Becomes Optimus Prime

The following contains spoilers for Transformers One, now playing in theaters.

One of the most popular franchises in all of pop culture will always be Transformers. There have been many animated series, as well as movies, creating many love letters since the 1980s. In the modern era of advanced filmmaking, Paramount Pictures made a lot of money off the Michael Bay Transformers films. But audiences wanted something different after a while.

Josh Cooley's Transformers One had fans eager to dive in after the trailers teased the heart and soul of newer properties such as Bumblebee. In this case, it's an origin story and retelling of an alternate universe where Optimus Prime and Megatron haven't taken their more iconic names yet, nor become leaders of their respective factions.

Wistoria: Wand and Sword debuts a new trailer ahead of the release of its final two episodes.

Per Crunchyroll, the new trailer arrived on YouTube on September 15, and includes several looks at the action, horror, and drama that is set to unfold across the anime's final two episodes. The trailer features several action-packed scenes, all replete with swords being swung and spells being slung to a backing track courtesy of rock quintet, Penguin Research.

Related A New Transformers Collaboration Kicks Official Soccer Team Into High Gear

The Transformers and Captain Tsubasa franchises get an unexpected but epic crossover as part of the final home game for an official soccer team.

The Final Two Episodes of Wistoria Wand and Sword Promise a Climactic Finale

Based on Fujino mori and Toshi Aoi's 2020 manga of the same name, Wistoria: Wand and Sword takes place in a world of swords and sorcery where...

Warner Bros. Japan has confirmed that Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, an exciting new sequel to the original Batman Ninja anime film, is currently in production.

Via a press release, Warner Bros. Japan revealed on May 30, 2024, that the sequel to 2018's Batman Ninja was in the works. Kamikaze Douga will produce the film alongside Warner and serves as the animation studio. Jumpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi return as directors, Kazuki Nakashima as writer, Takashi Okazaki as character designer and Yugo Kanno for music. Voice actor legend Koichi Yamadera returns as the voice of Batman. Readers can check the official Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League logo and more information below.

Related Sailor Moon Watch Previously Limited to Just 50 Pieces Worldwide Gets Rare Re-Release Sailor Moon's official Pretty Guardians Fan Club reissues an ultra-rare gold watch first released to mark a milestone for Nakayoshi magazine.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League Continues...

Ecuador-based 2bLatam, the driving creative force behind the wildly popular Spanish-language comedy channel enchufe.tv, has joined forces with Mexican media & entertainment indie Elefantec Global to develop content around enchufe.tv’s IP.

Founded by former Televisa exec José “Pepe” Bastón, Elefantec Global is behind such notable productions as “Bosé” for Paramount+ in Latin America, “La rebellion” for ViX+ and “Todo por Lucy’ for Prime Video. With over 70 million subscribers on its social media channels, enchufe.tv is the largest Spanish-language comedy channel worldwide. Its YouTube channel alone reaches more than 27 million subs, said Arturo Yépez, CEO of 2bLatam.

The strategic partnership will seek to adapt the unique humor found in enchufe.tv’s sketches onto the big screen with its first project centering around one of the channel’s most iconic characters. More details will be announced at a later date.

The partners are also working on the development...

The creator of Captain Tsubasa, Takahashi Yoichi, announces his retirement due to age and health reasons. His two ongoing manga will conclude in April. Captain Tsubasa has been a landmark in anime and manga, pioneering the sports genre. The demanding nature of being a mangaka is likely a factor in the choice of retirement. Drafts for a final "World Cup" arc will allow other creators to continue the series. Takahashi's influence is likely to remain in future Captain Tsubasa projects.

The author of Captain Tsubasa, Takahashi Yoichi, has announced his retirement as an artist. The immediate consequence of this will be the conclusion of his two ongoing manga, which will end this April. Yoichi cited health reasons for his decision to retire but also gave fans some assurance about the series' future by laying the groundwork for one more arc.

Captain Tsubasa has been a landmark of the anime and manga landscape,...

Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio's The First Slam Dunk has surpassed the $1 million milestone in North America.

As detailed on Anime News Network, the popular sports anime arrived in theaters on July 28 and has since become a major financial success for the two studios. According to estimates from Box Office Mojo, the movie earned $662,211 during its first weekend in theaters and $98,270 during its second weekend. As of Aug. 7, the film has earned between $1,033,000-$1,050,647 million at the North American box office. The film ranked #18 overall during its second theatrical weekend.

Related: One Piece Theory: Luffy Will Fight St. Jaygarcia Saturn

The First Slam Dunk was also a major success in Japan. Released in December 2022, the film ranked #1 during opening weekend, earning over 1.29 billion yen ($9 million by current conversion rates) from approximately 847,000 ticket sales across the country. As of July 23, the film has netted an impressive 14.9 billion yen (or...

Viz Media has picked up a wide collection of rights in North America and Latin America to animated Japanese sports series “Captain Tsubasa: Junior Youth Arc.”

The series is adapted from a popular manga by Yoichi Takahashi and is licensed by Shueisha Inc. The deal includes digital streaming, TV, electronic sell-thru, home video and merchandise rights for North and Latin American territories.

The new series is currently being produced by Studio Kai, with the official main staff including: director Ono Katsumi; character design and executive animation director, Watanabe Hajime; and series composition, Tomioka Atsuhiro. The voice cast includes Sanpei Yuko as Tsubasa Ozora, Gukuyama Jun as Karl Heinz Schneider and Suzumura Kenichi as Wakabayashi Genzo and Hyuga Kojiro as Sato Takuya. It is set to launch October 2023.

The “Captain Tsubasa” manga is the creation of Takahashi Yoichi and was first serialized in 1981 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. To date,...

"Ted Lasso" was one of the biggest hits of the early pandemic, a show that helped us all during a very dark time with its relentless optimism and focus on kindness. It became a hit for Apple TV+ and helped make the platform a strong contender in the streaming wars with its tale of a fictional association football team. Even if you have never watched a single football match, "Ted Lasso does a great job of explaining the sport and its rules (as dumb as theymay seem). More importantly, the show makes it a point to highlight why it is that people around the world love this sport so much and what makes it special.

It makes sense, then, that just as Richmond AFC managed to score a promotion to the Premier League in the world of the show, they would also join the big leagues in the video game world.

If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch Shaolin Soccer right now.

This 2001 Chinese bonkers Martial Art movie was based on a popular Japanese Manga series called Captain Tsubasa. Creator Steven Chow loved the manga so much, he decided to make a film combining Kung Fu and Soccer Kinetic movement. Using over-the-top computer graphics he made a film that was so hysterically funny that it caught the world by storm.

Using a cast of mostly “non-actors” and writing a script that combined the two sports, he developed a film that was comedy platinum. Characters with names like Iron Head, Empty Fist, Hooking Leg, Iron Shirt and Hung populate this imaginary world of Kung Fu Soccer players.

An imaginary world that was so popular that Shaolin Soccer became Hong Kong’s number one grossing film at the box office until it was topped by Chow’s next Martial Arts mix-up,...

TOKYO -- The Japan Foundation says it will donate a popular cartoon, dubbed in Arabic, to an Iraqi television station, in the hope of inspiring the country's children. Captain Tsubasa, known in the Middle East as Captain Majed, tells the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a professional soccer player and winning the World Cup. The venture is part of the foundation's efforts, begun more than 30 years ago, to promote international cultural exchange and deepen mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. It currently has offices in nearly 20 regions around the world.

TOKYO -- The Japan Foundation says it will donate a popular cartoon, dubbed in Arabic, to an Iraqi television station, in the hope of inspiring the country's children. Captain Tsubasa, known in the Middle East as Captain Majed, tells the story of a young boy who dreams of becoming a professional soccer player and winning the World Cup. The venture is part of the foundation's efforts, begun more than 30 years ago, to promote international cultural exchange and deepen mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. It currently has offices in nearly 20 regions around the world.

MADRID -- Madrid-based brand manager Elastic Rights announced Monday it has inked a deal with Portuguese media giant Lusomundo. Lusomundo has picked up television and home entertainment rights in Portugal for animated soccer series Flash Kicker and its sequel, Captain Tsubasa, totaling 180 episodes. Elastic Rights also announced it will handle Spanish home entertainment rights for A&E's award-winning A&E Biography series. Elastic has secured multimedia rights in Spain, Portugal and Italy, for the popular teen reality series I Wanna Be Famous for a Day. Produced by Argentina's Ideas del Sur for Telefe, the show allows fans to play the role of a favorite pop idol or sports hero for one day.