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Closing a remarkable circle, TF1 espionage thriller “State of Alert,” starring legendary French singer-actor Patrick Bruel in his first major TV work, will world premiere March 27 at Series Mania.

The red carpet affair, featuring other cast and crew, will take place at the very same festival where Keshet Intl. head of drama Atar Dekel, having put through initial development, pitched the series as an Israeli project way back in 2018.

A fast-paced thriller set between Paris and the spectacular white-sand Negev Desert in Southern Israel, “State of Alert” kicks off with a taxi 43 kilometres outside Paris. Anatoly, a Russian journalist, is called on his cell-phone. When he answers, the taxi stops, on a railway crossing. The taxi doors lock, as a train thunders towards the car.

The assassination almost certainly involved software developed by Israeli intelligence services which can send a virus through a cell-phone call to take control of a car.

Renowned French actor and singer Patrick Bruel is making his TV debut in a leading role as a revered secret agent in “State of Alert,” a geopolitical thriller set in Paris.

The thriller, based on Dov Alfon’s bestselling novel “A Long Night in Paris” (“Unité 8200”), was produced by Elephant International with Keshet International (“Rough Diamonds”).

Slated to premiere later this year on TF1, “State of Alert” was directed by Dan Sachar, who notably worked as a second unit director on 36 episodes of “Fauda,” and co-directed episodes of “Tehran.”

Striking a similar chord as Netflix’s “Zero Day” with its timely techno plot and geo-political themes, “State of Alert” sees Bruel playing Israeli spy Zeey Abadi who travels to Paris for a tech summit where he embarks on an unexpected investigation to connect the dots between stolen software, the death of a Russian journalist and a mysterious disappearance three days...

This article contains mentions of sexual and physical assault, cruelty and death to children and animals, and stalking. Reader discretion is advised.

The great thing about anime is that anything can happen. Even the most outlandish premises are not out of the question for any story. Sometimes, though, anime can still surprise fans. This most often occurs when a disturbing episode comes out of nowhere. Even some of the sweetest anime can be plagued by an episode that is so jarring that it practically feels out of place.

The most shocking episodes still haunt audiences long after many of these series end. The switch in tone between these episodes and the rest of their series can be so stark that it almost feels like viewers are watching a different anime entirely. These particular episodes may be disturbing, but their anime are made all the more intriguing by their inclusion.

Related10 Most Disturbing Anime Series,...

Science fiction anime, and sci-fi media in general, cover themes other than the obvious advanced technology and extraterrestrial exploration. Tropes like artificial intelligence or post-apocalyptic settings can create profound narratives around sensitive or complicated issues. Ergo Proxy, for example, uses sentient machinery to touch upon the subjects of identity and nihilism.

Sci-fi commonly uses elements to explore abstract concepts such as humanity and corrupt societies, and exploring such potentially deep subjects often gets dark. And, often, these stories reveal that there is nothing more terrifying than humanity itself or more disturbing than the human mind.

Related 10 Most Disturbing Anime Series, Ranked

Anime like Flowers of Evil, Paranoia Agent, and Higurashi are creepy to their cores, giving many anime fans a sleepless night.

Gantz is a Merciless Game of Survival Available to Stream on Crunchyroll

In 2004, Studio Gonzo released the psychological horror known as Gantz. After dying in a train accident,...

The medium of anime has famously drawn people in with the boundless creativity of its stories and settings. From rich fantasy adventures to imaginative sci-fi universes, anime has a knack for building compelling, detailed worlds that feel both wondrous and immersive. Nonetheless, there is such a thing as too much exposition, and some anime franchises are guilty of going overboard with fleshing out the lore of their universes.

The most complex anime worlds often have to spread out to countless spin-offs, multimedia alternate retellings, and supplementary materials to fit all the information the creators come up with, resulting in unavoidable confusion. While there’s plenty of intrigue to figuring out the complexities of anime’s densest lore webs, these franchises take it a step too far.

Related Top 10 Most Beautiful Anime Worlds, Ranked

Discover the 10 most beautiful anime worlds that captivate with stunning visuals and imaginative settings. See how these worlds enhance their stories.

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If you are an anime fan with a Shudder subscription in November 2024, then you might find yourself overwhelmed with the sheer number of brilliant anime shows you can find on the horror streaming service. So, if you love anime or want to get into the colorful world of anime, then this month Shudder has some amazing options.

Parasyte – The Maxim Season 1 (November 28) Credit – Madhouse

Parasyte – The Maxim is a Japanese horror thriller drama anime series. Based on the Parasyte manga series by Hitoshi Iwaaki, the Madhouse series follows Shinichi Izumi, a high school boy whose right hand becomes the host for an alien entity who calls itself Migi after which they join forces to fight against other alien parasites feasting on humans.

Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Seasons 1-4 (November 28) Credit...

Shudder is bringing a diverse array of horror content to fans this November 2024, featuring a blend of originals, exclusives, and beloved horror franchises. The month kicks off with Doc of Chucky on November 1, an in-depth documentary chronicling the legacy of the Child’s Play franchise, followed by classics like Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky. November 4 introduces The J-Horror Virus, a deep dive into the rise of supernatural horror from Japan, accompanied by other genre-defining films like Ju-On The Grudge and One Missed Call. Fans of dark, avant-garde horror can look forward to The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula on November 5, a competition to crown the world’s first drag supermonster.

Shudder Originals like Black Cab on November 8 explore chilling narratives, while The Creep Tapes on November 15 follows the terrifying journey of a serial killer who manipulates videographers into filming his disturbing life. November 22’s Rita brings the haunting tale of an...

After a long wait, the anime adaptation of Junji Ito’s classic manga Uzumaki is set to premiere on September 28th, 2024. It’s one of my most anticipated anime productions of the year. Not just because the source material is so good, but because of the respect in which I hold series director Hiroshi Nagahama. Yet it has been five years since Uzumaki was first announced in 2019. What kind of series would this be, I thought, if the production staff had such a tough time making just four episodes? We finally have our answer. In a recent interview with Vulture , influential producer Jason DeMarco divulged previously unknown details from the making of the Uzumaki anime. “Nagahama’s idea was to use motion capture and build everything in CG, then redraw all of it,” he said, “which he felt would give the animators the ability to tackle Ito-sensei’s line work…...

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...

Popular manga publisher Kodansha, which has overseen the release of cult classic and modern hit titles like Akira, Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan and more, will soon host its first-ever pop-up event in New York City, promising major attractions for fans this fall.

Via a press release, Kodansha will launch a new pop-up: "Kodansha House: Where Manga Meets" on Oct. 4, 2024, in SoHo, New York City. The pop-up will be located at 45 Grand Street, open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 12 p.m.-9 p.m. and run throughout the month. Activities and attractions will include big-creator meet-and-greets, a caf, lounge, exhibits and more.

Related Attack on Titan Gets First-Look Reveal for 'Battle for Liberio'

Attack on Titan's upcoming release will transport fans to one of the franchise's most exciting battle scenes with a new themed fight simulator.

Witch Hat Atelier, Vinland Saga & More Creators Gather in NYC for Kodansha Event...

East Asian cinema and television have been garnering global interest and critical acclaim in the past few decades, especially now that streaming services and platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Viki have been producing or acquiring the rights to many successful South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dramas. While some fans may have a predilection for K-drama, K-pop music, and Korean lifestyle and cuisine in particular, others prefer Japanese productions because they’re more raw and fast-paced, or fantasy C-dramas for their epic action and artistic aesthetics.

This branched enthusiasm translates well into numbers: the Netflix survival series Squid Game was streamed by more than 142 million households in its first month; the revenge drama The Glory received 8 nominations at the Baeksang Awards and won three; the fantasy and adventure series Secret of the Three Kingdoms secured 14 billion views in 50 days and won Best Television Series at the Tencent Video Star Awards; and...

by Palomo Lin-Linares

Mangaka Shuzo Oshimi tells of an episode from his youth in which he hid in a unisex bathroom with a mirror (his intentions were obvious). More specifically, he tells of the tight-chestedness he experienced upon realizing the distastefulness of his actions, and the feeling of shame which soon followed. This embarrassing anecdote, which inspired “The Flowers of Evil,” is told in the afterword of the manga's first volume. This sincerity on the part of Oshimi, his dedication to laying bare any source of shame, gives his work the feeling that all the events have been lived, and are being recreated by the author with nothing but accuracy and candidness in mind. This honesty is what elevates “The Flowers of Evil” beyond your average daytime drama or angsty serial, into something far more heartfelt, yet still perverted.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

The story,...

Anime – and, by extension, all forms of animation – has the capacity to express itself and experiment with visual storytelling in ways that other mediums can only dream of. Anime that tested the boundaries of their animation and expectations are more common than one would expect, and only the truly unique ones stood out.

Related: 10 Underrated Spring 2023 Anime Fans Need To Watch

That said, not all experimental anime were appreciated by viewers. In fact, some were hated when they were being aired. In most cases, such anime had to wait years to get the respect they deserved. These anime may have been too ahead of their times, but their creative risks paid off because they’ve since become timeless works of art.

His & Her Circumstances

Unlike other anime listed here, His and Her Circumstances had no choice but to get experimental. Director Hideaki Anno and mangaka Masami Tsuda had such...

Noboru Iguchi is a director and screenwriter. He was born in 1969 and he began his career in the 1990s as a director of porno films. His “Kurushime-san” of 1997, which combined horror and black comedy, revealed his interest in extreme genre cinema. The titles of his next films confirmed this passion – his filmography contains “A Larva to Love”, “Cat-Eyed Boy”, the famous “The Machine Girl” about a girl with an arm replaced with a machine gun, “Zombie Ass” and “Karate-Robo Zaborgar”. Starting with “Flowers of Evil” his filmography started taking a more “serious” turn, although the extremity never abandoned a filmmaker that now counts more than 70 titles as a director.

On the occasion of the release of his two latest films, “Tales of Bliss and Heresy” and “Idol Never Dies”, we speak with him about his personal trauma, the messages he wanted to convey, idols, Bataille, and many other topics.

“Tales...

It is one of the biggest truths of international cinema, that the level (of extremity if you prefer) the highschool drama has reached in the Japanese movie industry, in actually unparalleled, with films that range from “Confessions” to “Flowers of Evil”, from “Crows Zero” to “Liverleaf” and from “Assassination Classroom” to “Lesson of the Evil, including everything between. Hideo Jojo, who has mainly worked in adult films, in an adaptation of the manga series “Joshikosei ni Korosaretai” by Usamaru Furuya, presents another testament to the fact.

“To Be Killed by a High School Girl” is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival

The absurdity here mostly revolves around the main protagonist, Haruto Higashiyama, a young, smart, and handsome history teacher, whose appearance in Niitaka High School has made him immediately popular with his students, and particularly the female ones. Higashiyama, however, harbors a rather dark secret, since his biggest dream is...

“Corporate wage slave Takahashi has never had a girlfriend — until he tries out a dating app and finds what seems to be the perfect match. Pretty, young, and successful, Nanase’s got it all…except for sanity! Nanase’s had her eyes on Takahashi for a long time and is willing to give him everything he wants, whether he likes it or not. A different kind of love comedy is about to unfold!” (Mangamo)

Nanase-san’s Crazy Love Obsession

Is Available on the Mangamo App

*This review covers the first five chapters of the release.

In the realm of mature psychological manga, there are not many tropes more terrifying than an individual with drive and means to control someone’s life (yandere in this case but not exclusive statement by gender). Certainly, creators like Oshimi Shuzo and series such as “Scum’s Wish” and “Love and Heart” have proven the formula...

This year has given us many reasons to celebrate being a manga fan whether it be; Yen Press moving into releasing notable titles in hardcover, digital releases from Star Fruit Books helping bring more recognition to independent mangakas’, or Hollows Press‘s continued commitment to releasing high quality limited runs of underground comics. It also marks Amp’s first full year of providing manga reviews to our readers. As such, we have decided to compile a list of our ten favorite manga titles published this year.

1. My Broken Mariko by Waka Hirako (Yen Press)

Tomoyo Shiino has stood by her friend Mariko through years of abuse, abandonment, and depression. However horrific her circumstances, their friendship has been the one reassuring constant in Mariko’s life-and Tomoyo’s too. That is, until Tomoyo is utterly blindsided by news of Mariko’s death. In life, Tomoyo felt powerless to help her best...

In order to control his sexual desires, a young troubled student named Zen gets his fix from taking up-skirt photos of schoolgirls. However, when he is caught in the act by the strong willed Ayame, she takes him to a rooftop and begins to humiliate him using rope bondage. This first encounter leads to continuous torment, pushing the girl’s vengeance into using any opportunity to tie up her subject and threaten him with public exposure.

Denpa books, although having limited titles currently available, have made some interesting acquisitions, including titles such as “Super-Dimensional Love Gun” and “Inside Mari”. For those unfamiliar with those works, both series are geared towards a mature audience, through explicit content and in approaching difficult subject matters. Furthermore, both of the editions feature artists who are known for being able to present stylized and detailed art. In comparison, “Pleasure and Corruption” from...

The Finnish film and music-video director is currently working on two features and a six-episode TV series commissioned by C More. Nurmijärvi-born film and music-video director Antti J Jokinen, best known for his previous films Flowers of Evil (2016), The Midwife (2015) and Purge (2012), is now developing two 90-minute features, entitled Omerta 6/12 and Omerta 7/12, alongside a six-part TV series set in the same universe, entirely based on Ilkka Remes’ 2006 novel 6/12. All of the projects, commissioned by Sweden's C More, will commence principal photography in autumn-winter 2020. The story has been adapted for the big and small screen by the director himself along with co-writer Mika Karttunen (the Vares saga). In detail, the series follows a top European special unit called “Omerta” and their operations taking place in Helsinki, Moscow, Brussels and Minsk. It kicks off as a hostage-thriller, when a Serbian terrorist group carries out...

Sf Studios has boarded Nordic distribution and worldwide sales rights to a pair of action-thriller films and a series based on Ilkka Remes’ bestselling novel “6/12,” which will be directed by Antti J. Jokinen (“Flowers of Evil”) and headlined by Jasper Pääkkönen.

Titled “Omerta,” the new Finnish franchise will be produced by the banner Cinematic and will revolve around a secret unit of European special forces. The two feature films will be titled “Omerta 6/12” and “Omerta 7/12,” and will be released in the fall of 2021 and 2022 by Sf Studios across Scandinavia. The TV series has been ordered by C More in Sweden.

“Omerta 6/12” begins as a hostage thriller, with a Serbian terrorist group executing a coordinated attack on the presidential reception ball on Dec. 6, Finland’s Independence Day. The storylines of “Omerta 6/12” and “Omerta 7/12” will take place in Helsinki, Moscow, Brussels and Minsk, and will be shot in several languages, including Finnish,...