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MangaDex, the popular online repository for fan-translated manga, has been subjected to a sweeping wave of DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown notices throughout May, leading to the removal of thousands of chapters across an estimated 700 manga titles.

The actions, initiated by a consortium of Japanese and Korean publishers, have been described by a site moderator to MangaAlerts as the first time a takedown happened on this scale.

While an official comprehensive list is not yet available, titles compiled by fans and reported to be affected include well-known works such as 20th Century Boys, Akira, Azumanga Daioh, Claymore, Dragon Ball (and related content), Frieren, Golden Kamuy, Hajime No Ippo, JoJolion, Jujutsu Kaisen, Kaiji, Kuroko no Basket, Mushishi, Nana, One Piece, Oyasumi Punpun, Solo Leveling, Spy x Family, The Apothecary Diaries (both series), and Vinland Saga, among hundreds of others.

The chapters have now been replaced with links to the official...

If you look at the seasonal anime chart, you’ll notice a completely obvious trend: isekai is everywhere. Earlier, it was this great genre with awesome ‘what if’ concepts at first, but now it’s become this monotonous, cookie-cutter machine that just cranks out the same thing with a few adjustments.

The isekai genre, once fresh and filled with possibility, has become the fast food of anime storytelling: cheap, easy to consume, and ultimately forgettable. And while some gems still shine, much of what passes itself off as isekai nowadays is bland uninspired half-cooked.

A still from the anime Re: Zero. | Credit: White Fox Studio

And worse yet, isekai is not just taking over fantasy; it’s actively smothering the genres that once thrived in its place. Remember the crazy post-apocalyptic vibes of Evangelion, the savage stuff in Claymore, or that super grim ride that was Akame ga Kill? What...

In addition to bringing you the most important Marvel and DC-related news, we are also committed to bring you weekly updates of the all the major anime industry news you may have missed every week.

This week begins with a piece of anime news that will probably be of particular interest in DC Comics fans.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League confirms release date and English dub

The anime film's official website has confirmed that Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will initially release digitally on March 18, with the physical home media releases following for 4K Uhd and Blu-ray coming on April 15. This announcement follows a previous reveal of the movie's release in Japan, including a special debut on the Japanese version of Cartoon Network on March 20.

Coinciding with the announcement of the international release is the release of the movie's first English-language trailer (posted above). The trailer includes the following summary of Batman Ninja vs.

Kodansha has some big releases coming later this year. The publisher announced omnibus editions for Yuki Urushibara's Mushishi ; Minetaro Mochizuki's Dragon Head ; and Koma Warita, Riku Tsuchida, Zag and Toei Animation's Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir . The Mushishi manga will be collected in new hardcover omnibuses with an original translation and new cover art. Dragon Head will also have a new translation and will be spread across four 2.5-in-1 omnibus books. The Miraculous omnibus will collect all three volumes in a single large-size edition. All three are due out in Fall 2025. Dragon Head by Minetaro Mochizuki Synopsis: Teru and his high school class are on the train ride home from a school field trip when a catastrophic something derails their train and leaves them buried beneath tons of rubble. When Teru comes to, all his friends and teachers are lying lifeless in a hellish heap of bloody carnage.

In August 1998, horror manga creator Junji Ito published Uzumaki, a bizarrely creepy tale that would go on to become one of the artist's most iconic creations. Now, Toonami's Adult Swim is teaming up with Production I.G. (USA) to produce a new Uzumaki anime, which is set to premiere later this month.

Adult Swim recently highlighted the upcoming series on its official X (formerly Twitter) page, inviting viewers to "enter the spiral" for the show's broadcast premiere on Sept. 28, 2024, at 12:30 a.m. Max, the streaming destination for Adult Swim's original programming, will begin hosting Episode 1 the following day, on Sept. 29. Adult Swim also unveiled the anime's first official trailer, which showcases the series' disturbing premise and unique manga-esque art style. Cbr readers can check it out below.

Related Japanese Master of Horror Junji Ito Recommends a New Shonen Comedy Series

Uzumaki creator Junji Ito urges his readers to check...

Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away is a magical coming-of-age movie that focuses on the journey of self-discovery. As one of the most popular Studio Ghibli movies, Spirited Away is also frequently ranked as one of the best animated movies ever made. The film follows Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who becomes part of the spirit world after her parents are transformed into pigs by a witch.

To escape the magical world in which she's been trapped, Chihiro must face many challenges. Fortunately, she courageously overcomes them with the help of her friends. For fans who can't get enough of Spirited Away, there are several movies about self-discovery, the true value of friendship, and the power of love that are perfect for them to enjoy.

Updated on February 4th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: One of Studio Ghibli's most acclaimed films, Spirited Away is a beloved classic that many fans consider a favorite. For...

Despite anime's recent shift toward quick-hitting, fast-paced narratives, there are still plenty of fantastic anime series that rely on long-term storytelling. Anime like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vinland Saga, and Mushishi are all great examples of how to utilize character development to slow down the pace of their narratives, allowing for deeper exploration of their themes. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is hopefully a sign that the anime medium will continue to evolve and change over the upcoming years.

The following contains light spoilers for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vinland Saga, and Mushishi, all available for streaming via Crunchyroll.

In recent years, there has been a notable trend in anime toward quick-paced series that jump right into the thick of their plot. Series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer avoid filler material as well as drawn-out exposition, which older anime fans have grown tired of. Despite the argument that these faster...

Anime is filled with tons of terrifying titles, from gripping horror stories to psychological thrillers. These series are often not for the faint of heart and leave fans at the edge of their seats. But while these scary anime purposely shake up their audiences, plenty of other series do so without even trying.

The horror genre isn’t the only place anime fans can find a good scare. Many series from other genres and categories can be equally hair-raising, such as classic films like Spirited Away or even kids’ series like Digimon. Though these anime are hardly considered scary in most cases, they shock and disturb with surprisingly dark storylines, frightening characters, and spooky settings.

Related: The Best Psychological Thriller Anime

Mushishi

With its melancholic yet calming tone and lush, natural settings, Mushishi is far from the average horror story. The series is a thought-provoking and captivating tale of one...

One might notice little odd camera tricks and visual continuity errors throughout all the "Star Wars" movies if one looks closely enough. For instance, there is a scene in George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" wherein Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is about to fight the evil robotic lizard General Grievous (Matthew Wood). Grievous first tries to send a few attack droids after Obi-Wan, but the Jedi uses his mental powers to pull a large object from the ceiling and send it crashing onto their heads. Grievous and Obi-Wan proceed to have a proper lightsaber fight. One might notice, though, that the crushed droids and the large chunk of ceiling are nowhere to be seen. Clearly, the filmmakers didn't bother to invent a reason why those things were gone.

In the same film, before Obi-Wan is about to face Anakin (Hayden Christensen) on the volcano planet Mustafar,...

Adult Swim recently released a spine-tingling trailer for the upcoming Uzumaki anime, showcasing Junji Ito's iconic spiral horror manga art, which has cemented his place in Japanese art.

After a long wait of two decades, the Japanese horror manga series, penned and illustrated by Ito, is finally brought to life as an anime. The new trailer uploaded on Adult Swim's YouTube channel offers a glimpse into the terrifying world of 'Kurouzu-cho' crafted by the original artist. The trailer begins with Shuichi Saito telling his girlfriend Kirie Goshima about the strange events happening in the town and asking her to leave Kurouzu-cho with him. "Don't you feel any of it? The stream has been full of whirlpools lately. It's even the wind. Whirlwinds have been popping up nonstop lately. I think it's because of this town that my dad's been getting strange," says Shuichi. He also shares his worries about his father's odd actions,...

Naturally, audiences go into horror anime expecting to be scared, so of course those shows pull out all the stops to terrify. But what about anime that present themselves differently? Sometimes it's the shows that rarely focus on horror at all that hit the hardest when they decide to scare viewers silly.

Related: 10 Best Snow White With The Red Hair Characters, Ranked By Likability

Spooky surprises can be found in shounen anime such as Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist, or even more obscure and unassuming anime such as Mushishi. ...

I'm not sure if you've heard or not, but Stan Lee has a new anime series coming out soon called The Reflection.  The series "follows the fight between superhero Xon and villain I-Guy, who are among those found to have gained special powers following a global disaster called the Reflection."

A promo teaser has been released for the anime series narrated by Lee that provides some additional insight on the story and introduces us to some of the characters. It was also revealed that the 12-episode series would premiere on July 22nd on Japanese public broadcaster Nhk. 

The series was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama (Mushishi, The Flowers of Evil, Detroit Metal City) and Yoshihiko Umakoshi of the animated TV series Heartcatch Precure! is the character designer on the show. Studio Deen is taking on the animation production.

It looks like an interesting series that could be fun. We'll just have to wait and see.