Yowamushi Pedal is set to pedal its way into Japanese theaters August 14 via a new live-action adaptation. The film, entitled simply Yowamushi Pedal, stars Ren Nagase as Sakamichi Onoda, Kentaro Ito as Shunsuke Imaizumi and Kanna Hashimoto as Miki Kanzaki. It’s directed by Koichiro …Read more »
Kingdom, the large-scale live-action adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s manga from last year, is getting a sequel. Like the first film, the sequel will be directed by Shinsuke Sato and feature a screenplay written in part by Kingdom creator Hara. Stars Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa and …Read more »
Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell has inspired anime films and series, novels, stage plays and even beers. Now it’s set to fuse the ancient and the ultra-modern with a play that combines virtual reality with Japan’s Noh theater. The play will take place August …Read more »
Now that’s a double whammy. Both upcoming Rurouni Kenshin Final Chapter films, the long-awaited sequels to the lauded original trilogy, have been delayed due to you-know-what. Originally set for a July and August release in Japan, they’re now set to come out in April and May …Read more »
Every year, Japan Cuts, the NYC film festival dedicated to the freshest slices of new Japanese cinema, makes me sad I don’t live in New York. This year, like many events around the world, Japan Cuts won’t be able to take place in its usual …Read more »
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, the latest (and last) films in the live-action Kenshinverse are on the way. The two films are set to hit Japanese theaters on July 3 and August 7. Now we’ve got a new poster for the …Read more »
Earlier this month we posted about a Godzilla collaboration that’s coming to the Symphogear XD UNLIMITED smartphone game. Now more details have been revealed for the Godzilla vs. Symphogear collab, which will be a limited time event with special in-game quests, login rewards, and unique cards. Some of those …Read more »
Well, here’s one we didn’t see coming. The infamous NES game Takeshi no Chōsenjō, commonly known in English as Takeshi’s Challenge, is coming to the stage, of all things. The game, which has been driving Japanese players insane since 1986, will be adapted into a play called Takeshi …Read more »
And you thought the spiked Godzilla jacket was ridiculous. Turning the Godzilla merchandise madness up to 11 is this new limited-edition Godzilla guitar. It’s based on one owned by Toshihiko Takamizawa from THE ALFEE. And when we say limited, we mean limited. Only five of these babies …Read more »
The new anime-based Universal Studios Japan attractions are officially here, including Godzilla vs Evangelion The Real 4D, Attack on Titan: The Real, and the second chapter of the 4D Sailor Moon attraction, Sailor Moon the Miracle 4D: Moon Palace Chapter. To mark the occasion, press preview videos have surfaced to …Read more »
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is set to hit theaters worldwide this weekend, and Japan is celebrating its home-grown monster in a special way. Boss Coffee, purveyor of fine canned coffees and friend to Tommy Lee Jones, is giving away a Godzilla-themed jacket that comes complete with …Read more »
Shinsuke Sato has proved it again: live-action manga movies don’t have to suck. The director, who’s helmed adaptations of properties like I Am a Hero, Death Note and Bleach, is back with Kingdom, a live-action take on Yasuhisa Hara’s epic fictionalized account of China’s Warring States period. The story begins …Read more »
Matt Schley
Joseph Luster