Plus: Video production bankruptcies hit 15-year high; Isekai light novels outsold by manga versions; ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ arrives in Indian theaters; and more
Apr 9, 2025 • Subscribe
More like this
Anime merch targets U.S. 'kidult' market
Plus: IG Port targets profit growth with merchandising; Redefining anime production quality; Gov't sets generative AI guidelines in making anime; and more
The Smile Trade
What our fascination with weird tales from Japan says about us
Advocacy group proposes fair trade anime label
Plus: Manga sales contract in North America but remain strong; A lesson in copyright law on moral rights; Manga publishers develop extended reality content; and more
Tools of the Trade
Today I want to discuss the way I get ready to review an anime.
Arte – 06 [Trade Guild]
Hello and welcome to the review of another episode of Arte, the Soccer Ace. The halfway point in the story of Arte has finally arrived and this…
Tamako Market
There’s an optimism and a powerful love in Tamako Market that shows things not entirely as they are, but how we want them to be. For such a…
Anime dependence on int'l market grows
Plus: Bones anime studio spins off animation department; Mandarake stays the course amid inbound tourism boom; Japan gets otaku prime minister; and more
Is an Anime Market Correction Inevitable?
Anime has become a global powerhouse. Currently, franchises like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen dominate pop culture. However, experienced analysts know that rapid expansion often... The post Is an…
Toho tests U.S. anime film release strategy
Plus: Kadokawa develops AI translation system; 'One Piece' goes to Universal Studios Hollywood; AI startup converts voice actor speech into other languages; and more
Movie Review: Skin Trade (2014)
As a law school student, Sundays have become a day to unwind and escape the relentless grind of legal studies. It’s a time I eagerly anticipate a cinematic…
Ponte Milvio Market
Week 3 of Murakami Fest 2025. Check out the previous entries here. The next chapter is a very short essay titled ポンテ・ミルヴィオの市場 (Ponte Milvio Market). It’s December 22,…
How Kadokawa is Redefining the Anime Market
Japanese publishing giant Kadokawa has its hands all over the manga, light novel, and anime industries. ANN sat down with the heads of Kadokawa's Anime Business Division to…
Anime retailers upbeat on Hong Kong market
Plus: CyberAgent seeks to replicate 'Uma Musume' success; Piccoma retreats from French webtoon market; Japan's no. 2 streamer bets on anime; and more
Toho stays dominant in anime film market
Plus: Kyoto Station surroundings develop anime retail hub; Limits in anime's technical development; Doga Kobo's sale price to Kadokawa; and more
U.S. film tariff proposal poses risk to anime
Plus: Webtoon adds new discovery features to platform; Southern France theme park builds 'Naruto' roller coaster; Anime, manga companies invest in AI unicorn; and more
2021 Anime / Japanese Films Coming to U.S. Theaters
Here are the upcoming 2021 Anime movies / Japanese films coming to the United States! As new films are announced, we will be updating this list, so be…
2022 Anime / Japanese Films Coming to U.S. Theaters
Here are the upcoming 2022 Anime movies / Japanese films coming to the United States! As new films are announced, we will be updating this list, so be…
Tariff threats loom over U.S. anime merch imports
Plus: Blackstone closes webtoon platform acquired in Mecha Comic purchase; 'Oshi no Ko' anime sales surge; Changing attendance behavior at anime events; and more
What Would Be Offered On Anime Rental Market?
90s style houses I love them This is definitley a post that is going to peek all the curoisty, have no idea how I come up with this…
Anime market outside Japan grew 11% in 2022
Plus: Binding fees surge among anime workers; Golden Globes nominate anime films; Early anime mecca towns chart future after tourism boom; and more
Anime market outside Japan up 18% in 2023
Plus: Anime industry group criticizes Netflix payment model; 2.5D musicals set record attendance in Japan; Light anime named a top consumer trend; and more
Anime market outside Japan up 26% in 2024
Plus: Toei Animation looks abroad to form new studios; Kodansha forms Hollywood studio; Disney bets on 'Twisted-Wonderland' to draw anime fans; and more
Tamako Market: A review
Tamako Market is a fairly cute slice-of-life that lacks the direction to deliver its themes compellingly
r#138 – tamako market
Like many anime fans, I am no stranger to Kyoto Animation’s lovable works throughout the years. From the fun everyday shenanigans showed in anime like K-On and Kobayashi-san…
2024 Anime / Japanese Films Coming to U.S. Theaters & Online
Here are the upcoming 2024 Anime movies / Japanese films coming to the United States theaters & legally streaming online for a limited time! As new films are…
2025 Anime / Japanese Films Coming to U.S. Theaters & Online
Here are the upcoming 2025 Anime movies / Japanese films coming to the United States theaters & legally streaming online for a limited time! As new films are…
2023 Anime / Japanese Films Coming to U.S. Theaters & Online
Here are the upcoming 2023 Anime movies / Japanese films coming to the United States theaters & legally streaming online for a limited time! As new films are…
Summertime Render – 07 – Tools of the Trade
Deciding to tentatively trust Shinpe, Hizuru and Nezu fill him in on some details about the Shadows. For one thing, if you destroy a Shadow, like Hizuru just…
United Publications to Exit Anime and Manga Retail Market
The goods folks from retailers United Publications have sent us news that they're to retire from the anime and manga retail market. The U...
5 Awesome Anime Songs Available in the U.S. iTunes Store
In case it wasn’t obvious, I love anime music. But getting it legally can be difficult…unless it happens to be in the U.S. iTunes store! Here are four…
Gleipnir #06 — Key Party
It's nice that the protagonist showed up this week and then lay on their backs for twenty straight minutes. Impressions: A very dull episode that is all…
Spawn Universe: Bloodletter Trade Paperback Arrives May 2026
Preorder the Bloodletter trade paperback! Todd McFarlane’s supernatural espionage thriller from the Spawn Universe arrives May 6, 2026, from Image Comics. The post Spawn Universe: Bloodletter Trade Paperback Arrives…
Forza Horizon 5 Season Trade: Useless Like Me
Forza Horizon 5’s month-long celebration of the spooky season rolls into its second week, as Series 26 — “Dia de Muertos” — continues.
Toho acquires U.S. Ghibli film distributor
Plus: German manga translators demand fair pay; Manga artists face chronic assistant shortage; Japanese webtoon studio invests in Indonesia; and more
Cross-border e-commerce fills gap in overseas anime market
Japan's top proxy purchasing service provider helps small and medium anime merchandise sellers reach overseas customers
Witch on the Holy Night Anime Reveals Key Visual
The upcoming Witch on the Holy Night anime adaptation revealed a new key visual. Ufotable is animating the movie, which is slated to premiere in 2026.
Library War — Anime Review
Yet despite having so much going for it right from the outset, Library War falls flat on its face and never recovers.
Practical Understanding of U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy:Analysis of USINDOPACOM and Implications for U.S. Allies and Partners
The post Practical Understanding of U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy:Analysis of USINDOPACOM and Implications for U.S. Allies and Partners appeared first on The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus.
#76 - Tamako Market & Tamako Love Story
Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice, Liz & the Blue Bird) is one of the youngest and most critically acclaimed anime directors in the business today. Austin, Tori, and…
REVIEW: Yamiichi Meshi (Black Market Diner)
Post-war healing comes from an unexpected source of food in this simple but powerful series of stories on hope and rebirth. Yamiichi Meshi 闇市めし (Black Market Diner) is the latest series in Manga Goraku from Uonome Santa 魚乃目三太,…
Key and In-between: Animeta
Key and In-between: Animeta Every time I find a reason to write about animation in anime – it’s been so long I feel obliged to remind everyone that…
The Cult of Key Animation?
On things and people overlooked.
This Week in Anime - Key, The Landmark Visual Novel Studio
The visual novel studio Key created some of the most heartwrenching stories adapted to anime. Christopher and Steve look back on CLANNAD, Kanon, Planetarian, and more to see…
Manga outperform other graphic novels in U.S.
Plus: A new manga app for the international market; Considering generative AI for manga creation; France honors a celebrated manga author; and more
Which Summer 2024 Anime are Popular in the U.S. Compared to Japan?
We have a new deep-dive from Miles Atherton to find out which anime captured the most fans last season!
Anime Like Akiba Maid War
Nagomi Wahira has always admired the cute girls who work in maid cafes, and as such, she has decided to move to Akihabara to become a maid!
Princess Principal, Akiba Maid War, BLEND-S, The Gokusen, Kamen no Maid Guy
Akiba Maid War — Anime Review
Akiba Maid War is a dark comedy whose premise is "what if maid cafes were run like a yakuza, but everyone stays in character at all times."
Comiket, at Long Last: Comic Market 103
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been to Japan, but every stay has been memorable in the best ways. However, there’s was always…