More than a few hearts and minds were captured back in 2011 with the release of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day , and the creative team behind that series is back this year with Anthem of the Heart , an original film set …Read more »
As always, Anime Central in Chicago was full of people wearing fun and exciting cosplay. Otaku USA took a look at some of the cool costumes from this annual event, including what may be the youngest Pikachu ever. For Minecraft fans, the young-at-heart and people …Read more »
Ask us at Otaku USA HQ what our favorite anime studio is, and on days when we’re feeling arty and experimental, we’ll definitely answer “Studio 4°C.” The studio, founded by producer Eiko Tanaka and animator Koji Morimoto and named after the temperature at which water …Read more »
NIS America's The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura Complete Premium Edition set is coming to North America on August 4, giving us the perfect opportunity to gather up some reader questions and send them over to the anime's director, Masahiko Ohta. See what he had …Read more »
June 20 saw the Japanese premiere of the new Ghost in the Shell film ( Kokaku Kidotai: Shin Gekijou-ban ), but an all-night event in Shinjuku on June 19 hosted a (slightly) early look at the film, a Ghost in the Shell marathon, and reflections …Read more »
The mainstream success of Final Fantasy VII in 1997 introduced many gamers to the JRPG genre, and the gap leading up to Final Fantasy VIII left many scouring desperately for the next PS1 quest to devour. In this time of need, Star Ocean: Second Story …Read more »
Author and anime/manga expert Helen McCarthy has had a busy year. “I’m promoting my year of four books,” she told Otaku USA at Anime Central in Chicago. The first book is A Brief History of Manga , and it has interesting and condensed information for …Read more »
Tokyo-based band BACK-ON has been making high-energy music for anime openings and themselves for a little over a decade now. After breaking onto the scene with “Chain,” the opening song for 2006’s Air Gear , they’ve since gone on to create openings and endings for …Read more »
A secret workhorse of the Japanese animation industry, Kazuhiro Soeta has been involved in the creation of dozens of TV shows, movies and direct-to-video productions. Some of the more recognizable shows he's worked on include Black Lagoon (storyboarding, animation direction), the Record of Lodoss War …Read more »
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of Robotech in the U.S., and that makes Tony Oliver, who starred as Rick Hunter, very happy about what’s going on. Oliver spoke to Otaku USA while at Anime Central in Chicago, and he was able to give some …Read more »
The latest issue of Otaku USA magazine—available now in stores or via our online shop —brings with it another glorious bounty of articles on anime, manga, video games, and beyond. One of the new issue's features takes us on a starry-eyed, Sega-themed ride through the …Read more »
Many fans of anime and manga are interested in learning about Japanese culture as a whole, and they will find a great source of information in the writings of Roland Kelts. Kelts’ father is American and his mother is Japanese, giving him a unique perspective …Read more »
The acting bug bit Ai Nonaka from an early age, when Yu Yu Hakusho convinced her that being a voice actress was pretty much the coolest thing ever. From there, she dove into the world of acting, becoming head of her school’s acting club, striving …Read more »
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is such a strange thing, even by shonen battle series standards. We're currently approaching episode 44 of Part III: Stardust Crusaders , the second half of which is called Battle in Egypt , and, well, that's about as straightforward a title as …Read more »
Hi, everyone! First off, we here at Otaku USA would love to thank everyone for sticking with us over the years. It's been a blast, and we've got so much to look forward to both online and in future issues. While hitting the shops for …Read more »
Matt Schley
Danica Davidson
Joseph Luster
Julian Gnam
Jason Moses
Otaku USA Staff
