Yōji Kuri, Pioneering Japanese Indie Animator, Dies At 96
In 1963, Kuri was the first Japanese filmmaker to be honored with an award at the Annecy animation festival.
Japan
“Sometimes We Can’t See Ourselves As What We Are”: Director Naoko Yamada On Why She Made ‘The Colors Within’
“It’s wonderful to find somebody who can show us this positive side of ourselves,” Yamada says of the idea behind her new film.
Tomoyuki Niho Animated ‘Taxi To The Moon’ Music Video In His Distinctively Minimal Style
His style complements the whimsical narrative of a woman taking an unconventional cab ride to the moon.
Toho Acquires North American Animation Distributor GKIDS
GKIDS has been nominated 13 times for the Best Animated Feature Oscar and won earlier this year for Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron.’
Japanese Student Film ‘Yapolaponky’ Is Playful, Thought-Provoking, And Emotionally Resonant
Watch our Short Pick of the Day.
Short Pick Of The Day: ‘Hai Yorokonde’ by Kazuya Kanehisa
In just under three months the retro-style music video ‘Hai Yorokonde’ has amassed over 67 million views.
Titmouse And Polygon Pictures Are Partnering To Produce CG Series
The partnership aspires to combine the “distinctive styles and specialized expertise” of each studio.
From Light Novel To Anime Sensation: ‘Solo Leveling’ Producer And Action Director Discuss The Breakout Hit
Ahead of the second season launch, key figures on ‘Solo Leveling’ are talking about the production of the ambitious series.
How Studio Ponoc Pushed Innovation In 2D Animation With Its Latest Feature ‘The Imaginary’
Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura says that ‘The Imaginary’ gave the studio a chance to move outside of its storytelling comfort zone, as well as push the look of their animation.
‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ Studio Gainax Files For Bankruptcy
After years of mismanagement, the 40-year-old Japanese studio has ceased operation.
Annecy Festival Responds To Criticism Of Selecting Film Made In Part With AI Technology
The Japanese feature ‘Who Said Death is Beautiful?’ used Stable Diffusion among other software in its production.
Studio Ghibli To Be Honored By Cannes Film Festival With Honorary Palme D’Or
It marks the first time that the festival has given its honorary prize to a group of people rather than an individual artist.
Box Office Report: ‘Detective Conan’ #2 All-Time Opening In Japan, ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Huge In Korea, ‘Shrek 2’ In U.S. Top 10
Animation is heating up the box office all over the globe.
New Survey Shows Japan’s Animation Workers Are Overworked, Underpaid, And Regularly Face Harassment
The study warns, “If things continue like this, the technology in the anime industry will eventually stagnate, and the industry itself may collapse.”
Warner Bros. Japan Will Increase Its Anime Output To More Than 10 Productions Per Year
Upcoming titles include ‘Suicide Squad ISEKAI’ and ‘Fist of the North Star: Hokuto no Ken.’
A 2.44 Million-Ton Food Waste Kaiju Terrorizes Tokyo In New Ad From Oscar-Winning ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Director/VFX Artist Takashi Yamazaki
The ad demonstrates the scale of edible food thrown out by Japanese households every day.
Two Long-Lost ‘Astro Boy’ Episodes Have Been Restored And Are Airing In Japan
Thought to be lost for decades, ‘Astro Boy’ episodes 125 and 127 have been restored by Japanese media group Rakuten.
Life After The Oscars: ‘The Boy And The Heron’ Will Head To Max After U.S., Japan Theatrical Re-Releases
GKIDS will bring the film back to U.S. theaters for a “celebratory re-release,” while Toho will distribute the English-language dub in Japan.
Akira Toriyama, ‘Dragon Ball’ And ‘Dr. Slump’ Creator, Dies At 68
Toriyama was a prolific manga and anime creator who also worked on early jrpg video games including ‘Chrono Trigger’ and ‘Dragon Quest.’
‘Suzume,’ ‘Your Name’ Producer Koichiro Ito Arrested For Soliciting Child Pornography
Ito is accused of asking a 15-year-old girl he met online to send him naked selfies.
