Author: Collins Abia

One of the most highly regarded anime films ever made, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, holds a special place in the hearts of fans who cherish time travel and romantic narratives. It has been quite some time since this iconic filmmaker debuted a new project.

Anime fans can look forward to an exciting announcement that has just been made. On December 23, 2024, during a presentation by Studio Chizu, Hosoda revealed details about his upcoming film, including a teaser visual and a slated release for winter 2025.

The film, titled Scarlet, is both written and directed by Hosoda, who originally conceived the story. It will follow the journey of the protagonist, a “strong princess who transcends time and space.” The newly revealed artwork features Scarlet, showcasing her with a sword and her distinctive reddish-pink, braided hair.

The choice of a winter release for Scarlet is somewhat unconventional, as all of Hosoda’s films released since The Girl Who Leapt Through Time—including Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, Mirai, and the 2021 release Belle—have typically premiered in the summer months, usually in July.

In addition to Hosoda, producer Yuchiro Saito announced that the film will receive international distribution, with Toho handling releases in Japan and Sony Pictures managing the global distribution. It was also mentioned that Sony Pictures made a direct investment in Scarlet.

Describing the film, Hosoda stated that it will explore his most profound themes to date, aiming to “delve into life and death, expressing something universal that everyone experiences.”

The narrative of Scarlet is expected to combine elements of action and romance, presenting a visual style that is entirely original and separate from both traditional 2D and 3D animation. Reports suggest that Sony’s international distribution will introduce “a new form for Japanese animation.”

The latest character reveal in Solo Leveling: Arise features another poignant example of the devastating Eternal Slumber disease, particularly affecting the character of Sung Jinwoo’s mother.

Netmarble’s official forum announced the introduction of a new webtoon release, centering on Shimizu Akari, the original Hunter. This touching narrative elaborates on the strong connection between the Shimizu sisters, especially the younger sister, Himari, who suffers from the Eternal Slumber illness.

The story uncovers as Akari secretly takes Himari out of the hospital for a day of adventure, finally revealing the tragic circumstances surrounding Himari’s affliction. Readers can explore this story in detail below.

According to her Hunter Analysis File, Akari wields light-based healing powers and is an S-Rank Healer from the Japanese Blade Guild. She is voiced by Suzie Yeung, who is celebrated for her performances in roles such as Vladilena Milizé from 86, Makima in Chainsaw Man, Ranma in Ranma 1/2, and Sumi Sakurasawa from Rent-a-Girlfriend.

While Akari’s character is portrayed as excessively focused on money, charging her guild members for healing services, readers will likely grasp her motivations more deeply after experiencing her storyline in the webtoon.

Akari’s introduction is part of a broader series of original characters from Solo Leveling: Arise, which also includes well-established figures like Isla Wright and Thomas Andre, one of the strongest characters in the series.

Recently, the cinematic trailer for Solo Leveling: Arise highlighted the intense conflict between Beru and Jinwoo, depicting the brutal assault of ants on humans.

An epic battle sequence between these two characters also featured prominently. Solo Leveling: Arise adapts the original manhwa, with an anime series from A-1 Pictures also in the works, as its second season’s release date was confirmed this week.

Crunchyroll will stream the upcoming season as part of its Winter 2025 anime lineup, which features other titles such as the second cours of Shangri-La Frontier Season 2, Re:Zero Season 3, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, Dr. Stone: Science Future, and The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2.

The official synopsis for Solo Leveling states: “They say whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but that’s not the case for the world’s weakest hunter, Sung Jinwoo.

After being brutally slaughtered by monsters in a high-ranking dungeon, Jinwoo came back with the System, a program only he could see, that’s leveling him up in every way. Now, he’s inspired to discover the secrets behind his powers and the dungeon that spawned them.”

Toyotarou, the official artist for Dragon Ball Super, recently revealed a new piece in his “Toyotarou Tries to Draw” illustration series. This artwork pays homage to Akira Toriyama, highlighting his favorite self-created character as a heartfelt tribute to the late manga legend.

According to the Dragon Ball official website, Toyotarou’s latest drawing focuses on COWA, a 14-chapter manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump between 1997 and 1998. The story features Mako Maruyama, a former sumo wrestler with a striking appearance who leads the central group of characters.

Though not as globally recognized as Goku, Maruyama holds a special place as Toriyama’s favorite protagonist. The illustration also includes Paifu and Jose, Maruyama’s playful companions. Readers can view Toyotarou’s artwork below.

Toyotarou Revisits Toriyama’s Unique Picture Book-Style Manga

Unlike Toriyama’s earlier works, COWA adopted a “picture book” narrative style, as noted by the Dragon Ball website. Its debut chapter was fully colored, an unusual feature in serialized manga.

The story extend in a world inhabited by humans, ghosts, and monsters, centering on a mysterious illness called “Monster Flu.” Paifu, a mischievous half-vampire, half-werekoala boy, embarks on a quest to find a cure, which can only be created by a witch residing atop Horned-Owl Mountain.

Accompanying him are his friends, Jose and Arpon. Maruyama’s involvement begins when Paifu and his group enlist his help for their mission. Once a celebrated sumo wrestler, Maruyama became an outcast after an accidental death during a match.

Paifu deceives him by promising a fictitious one-million yen reward for his assistance. Although he later discovers the ruse, Maruyama remains committed to the group and helps them complete their journey.

Anticipation Grows for New Dragon Ball Super Content

Toyotarou has largely refrained from releasing new Dragon Ball manga since March 2024, apart from occasional teaser illustrations and spinoffs. However, fans won’t have to wait much longer.

Jump Festa 2025 confirmed the release of a new one-shot on Feb. 20, featuring Goten, Trunks, and a lesser-known character called the Clean God. While the announcement is promising for Dragon Ball Super’s future, V-Jump has not yet disclosed when the series will resume its regular monthly serialization.

Jun Maeda first captured anime fans in 2010 with Angel Beats, a heartfelt series exploring the struggles of a group of high school students rebelling against perceived injustices in the afterlife.

Now, over a decade later, Maeda brings elements of his beloved creation into a new venture with the video game Heaven Burns Red.

Maeda’s reputation as a master of emotional storytelling stems from works like Clannad and Air, created during his tenure as co-founder of the visual novel studio Key.

As reported by Comic Natalie, Heaven Burns Red is a mobile RPG co-developed by Key and Light Flyer Studio, featuring Maeda’s original concepts and narratives.

Since its debut in February 2022, the game has hosted several collaborations with Angel Beats, blending characters and themes from the series. In a recent interview, Maeda teased details about a third collaboration event, set to launch on Dec. 27, 2024.

Angel Beats Characters Return in New Heaven Burns Red Event

Unlike many of Maeda’s earlier projects, Angel Beats was initially designed as a television anime before being adapted into other formats. Despite his lack of personal attachment to previous works, the creative team at Light Flyer Studio’s enthusiasm inspired Maeda to revisit Angel Beats.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Maeda admitted, “I have no attachment to past works… The success of Angel Beats was largely due to the producer’s vision and the support of fans, not my involvement.”

In the game, players control Ruka Kayamori, who builds relationships and assembles battle teams to fight extraterrestrial threats called “Cancer.” Much like characters from Angel Beats, Kayamori has a strong musical background, having led the fictional band “She Is Legend.”

The upcoming event will center on Shiori Sekine, bassist of Angel Beats’ Girl’s Dead Monster, a band embodying key themes from the anime.

Maeda explained that developing Sekine’s scenario was challenging since her character lacked an established backstory. “Unlike Irie and Hisako, Sekine had no existing foundation, so her story was created entirely from scratch,” he revealed.

Maeda Reflects on Creativity and Comeback

The enduring popularity of Angel Beats, which now includes OVAs, spinoff manga, and a visual novel adaptation, has reinvigorated Maeda’s passion for storytelling.

“Recovering from being labeled as outdated and untalented has been a huge achievement,” he shared. Energized by this renewed confidence, Maeda is working on a fresh anime project titled Summer Pockets, with its first episode expected to air in April 2025.

Heaven Burns Red became available globally on Nov. 15, 2024, and can be downloaded on iOS and Android platforms. Meanwhile, Angel Beats remains accessible for streaming on Crunchyroll.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has faced challenges following its initial release. Once a highly anticipated anime film inspired by Warner Bros.

Discovery’s live-action adaptations of the Lord of the Rings saga, it will soon be available on various digital platforms due to its lackluster performance at the box office.

Deadline reports that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set to be released digitally across major platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, and Fandango at Home.

This release is scheduled just 14 days after its theatrical debut on December 13, 2024. Marking the first new entry in the Lord of the Rings franchise in a decade, The War of the Rohirrim opened to mainly negative reviews and a disappointing box office result.

Despite a reported budget of only $30 million, excluding marketing costs, The War of the Rohirrim struggled to attract audiences in North America. During its opening weekend, the film secured the #5 spot, garnering a mere $4.6 million from 2,602 theaters.

Even with the strong brand recognition associated with the Lord of the Rings, The War of the Rohirrim failed to surpass Kraven the Hunter for the top position at the box office, despite that film’s poor reviews and minimal marketing efforts, which contribute to its reputation as the final live-action Spider-Man spinoff from Sony.

While Kraven the Hunter holds a rotten score of 16%, The War of the Rohirrim received slightly better ratings from critics, though not by much. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama (known for Blood: The Last Vampire and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War), the anime film received a 47% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Some of the more critical reviews labeled it as “a rushed money grab” and “a corporate wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Conversely, CBR offered a more positive take, commending the animation and the portrayal of its female lead, while also acknowledging concerns regarding its lengthy runtime.

However, the film’s rapid production process—reportedly expedited by WBD to maintain their rights to the Lord of the Rings franchise—has fueled accusations of it being a cash grab.

Drawing from an underdeveloped idea in J.R.R. Tolkien’s works allows The War of the Rohirrim some creative freedom, yet it also offers WBD the flexibility to shelve the project while they contemplate future directions for their live-action adaptations, including The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, set to release in 2026. The anime film does not alter any existing lore established by Peter Jackson’s