Tag Archives: Cartoons & Comics

Hulu debuts hub for adult animation and anime

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Animation is big business for Hulu, as the streamer’s roster of cartoons regularly rank in the top ten for hours watched on the platform, thanks to shows like Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, King of the Hill and many more. Seeking to capitalize on the popularity of adult animation, Hulu’s launching a sub-brand to house all of its animated and anime-based content, as originally reported by Variety. Animayhem is now the home for legacy content like the above titles and original content like Solar Opposites and Koala Man.

All told, the hub/sub-brand allows access to 2,600 episodes of traditional animated programming, spread across 46 series, and a whopping 18,400 episodes of anime, spread across 435 series. That’s over 20,000 episodes of cartoon goodness, for those keeping count. As such, Hulu is advertising the platform as the streamer’s “Animation Destination.”

The surprise-launch of Animayhem comes just two weeks before the latest Futurama reboot, and that’s just the start of the streamer’s plans for animation domination. Hulu’s ordered new episodes of Mike Judge’s King of the Hill and it plans on having a heavy presence at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, promising an immersive experience called “Hulu Animayhem: Into the Second Dimension.”

In the meantime, the hub’s already available as part of the standard Hulu subscription, so go ahead and binge Archer, Family Guy and all the hundreds upon hundreds of available anime series like One Piece and Naruto.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hulu-debuts-hub-for-adult-animation-and-anime-182929897.html?src=rss

‘Dead Cells’ is getting an animated series in 2024

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Developer Motion Twin just announced an animated series based on the game Dead Cells that releases in 2024. The series is being produced by French studio Bobbypills, who also handled the animated trailers for the game and its many DLC releases. The cartoon series seems to follow the game’s narrative, as it’s set on a “cursed island” with a population of “monstrous creatures” and “prophecies depicting a flame-headed hero.”

The series is being co-produced by French anime distribution service the Animation Digital Network. The first season of the Dead Cells cartoon will consist of ten episodes, each around seven to ten minutes long. It will also be exclusive to France, at first, before getting a global release at some point after the initial premiere. There’s a short teaser trailer that doesn’t reveal too much but does give a sense of the animation style.

Developer Motion Twin promises that the forthcoming animated series will not sway its commitment from providing constant updates and new content for the original game. Dead Cells is available on just about every platform in existence, including PC, consoles and mobile devices, having sold an astounding 10 million copies during its lifespan. For the uninitiated, the critically-acclaimed game is a roguelike/metroidvania hybrid that casts you as—surprise—a flame-headed hero trying to escape a cursed island.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dead-cells-is-getting-an-animated-series-in-2024-163048135.html?src=rss

VIZ Manga subscription service releases English chapters the same time Japan gets them

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VIZ Media has launched a new service that will make English versions of the latest chapters of select manga titles available to subscribers as soon as they're released in Japan. The service, called VIZ Manga, features manga published by Shogakugan and Shueisha and costs $2 a month. Its current "simulpub" or simultaneous publication catalogue has 15 titles that include Inuyasha sequel Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon and Mao by Rumiko Takahashi. Fans can even read their three most recent chapters for free. The subscription service also gives fans access to a library with over 10,000 chapters, including Junji Ito's GYO and Uzumaki, Yuu Watase's Fushigi Yuugi, Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 and Ai Yazawa's Nana. 

"Due to the explosive success of the Shonen Jump digital service, this new development will exponentially expand VIZ Media’s digital offering," the company said in its announcement. The Shonen Jump subscription service came out in 2018 and offered fans the chance to read its latest releases as soon as they come out in Japan. VIZ Media said this is the first time English-speaking fans can get titles from the publishers — legally, that is — at the same time Japan does. The hope is likely to steer fans away from unauthorized translations, which could come out as soon as a few hours after a chapter is published in Japan, and to ultimately address the industry's piracy problem. 

According to the Tokyo-based Content Overseas Distribution Association, the Japanese manga industry lost 395.2 billion (US$2.9 billion) to 831.1 billion Yen (US$6.2 billion) in 2021 due to online piracy. Korean webtoons have also been steadily rising in popularity over the past few years while the Japanese manga industry has been shrinking. Webtoons are digital comics optimized for smartphones, and their publishing format makes them much easier to consume in this day and age. Manga has always been a print-first industry, but publishers have been looking for ways to expand their digital presence. 

At the moment, VIZ Manga is only available in the US and Canada, accessible through the company's Android or iOS app and its website. (Subscriptions, however, can only be purchased through the app.) VIZ Media plans to expand the service's availability to other regions, though, so fans outside those two countries may want to keep an eye out for future announcements. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/viz-manga-subscription-service-releases-english-chapters-the-same-time-japan-gets-them-045723571.html?src=rss

Comixology’s Marvel Comics app is shutting down in June

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Marvel announced today that its Comixology-operated Marvel Comics app is shutting down this June. Fortunately, comic fans who bought issues in the app can access them in the company’s self-operated Marvel Unlimited app. The shutdown comes several months after layoffs at Amazon (Comixology’s owner since 2014) reportedly hit the comic storefront especially hard.

The Marvel Comics app will shut down on June 2nd. Exactly one month before that — May 2nd — is the cutoff date for new purchases in the old app. Any purchases made up to that date will transfer to Marvel Unlimited.

Android users who bought digital comics through the Comixology Marvel Comics app have an effortless transition: do nothing, and your comics should appear in Marvel Unlimited. (That’s because the Android app already required a Marvel account.) But iOS users have a few extra steps. First, you’ll need to open the Comixology Marvel Comics app on your iPhone or iPad. Then, follow Marvel’s instructions to link a Marvel account to the old app. After that, your old purchases should appear in Marvel Unlimited.

You won’t need a Marvel Unlimited subscription to access your purchases from the old app. But to entice you to buy into its service, Marvel is offering a discounted price of $5 per month for the first year with coupon code UNLIMITED. (It’s usually $10 / month or $70 if you pay for an entire year.) Marvel Unlimited is like Netflix for Marvel comics, offering access to over 30,000 issues from the Marvel universe. Like the Comixology-run app, there’s usually a delay of around three months between an issue’s initial release and its availability on the subscription platform.

Although Marvel has apparently gone out of its way to make this transition relatively smooth, it still illustrates the potential for chaos when digital content shifts platforms. We don’t own any of this stuff, so when parent companies mismanage apps, lay off workers and shuffle priorities, we’re left to hope mega-corporations want to do right by their customers — a trust factor worth bearing in mind any time you buy a comic, game or any other digital media.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/comixologys-marvel-comics-app-is-shutting-down-in-june-185006909.html?src=rss

Comixology’s Marvel Comics app is shutting down in June

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Marvel announced today that its Comixology-operated Marvel Comics app is shutting down this June. Fortunately, comic fans who bought issues in the app can access them in the company’s self-operated Marvel Unlimited app. The shutdown comes several months after layoffs at Amazon (Comixology’s owner since 2014) reportedly hit the comic storefront especially hard.

The Marvel Comics app will shut down on June 2nd. Exactly one month before that — May 2nd — is the cutoff date for new purchases in the old app. Any purchases made up to that date will transfer to Marvel Unlimited.

Android users who bought digital comics through the Comixology Marvel Comics app have an effortless transition: do nothing, and your comics should appear in Marvel Unlimited. (That’s because the Android app already required a Marvel account.) But iOS users have a few extra steps. First, you’ll need to open the Comixology Marvel Comics app on your iPhone or iPad. Then, follow Marvel’s instructions to link a Marvel account to the old app. After that, your old purchases should appear in Marvel Unlimited.

You won’t need a Marvel Unlimited subscription to access your purchases from the old app. But to entice you to buy into its service, Marvel is offering a discounted price of $5 per month for the first year with coupon code UNLIMITED. (It’s usually $10 / month or $70 if you pay for an entire year.) Marvel Unlimited is like Netflix for Marvel comics, offering access to over 30,000 issues from the Marvel universe. Like the Comixology-run app, there’s usually a delay of around three months between an issue’s initial release and its availability on the subscription platform.

Although Marvel has apparently gone out of its way to make this transition relatively smooth, it still illustrates the potential for chaos when digital content shifts platforms. We don’t own any of this stuff, so when parent companies mismanage apps, lay off workers and shuffle priorities, we’re left to hope mega-corporations want to do right by their customers — a trust factor worth bearing in mind any time you buy a comic, game or any other digital media.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/comixologys-marvel-comics-app-is-shutting-down-in-june-185006909.html?src=rss

Amazon scoops up ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ after HBO Max cancellation

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Amazon has reportedly picked up Batman: Caped Crusader, the animated series Warner Bros. developed for HBO Max but scrapped last August to cut costs. Despite also drawing interest from Netflix, Apple and Hulu, the upcoming show will have a home on Amazon Prime.

First announced in May 2021, Batman: Caped Crusader sounds like a spiritual successor to Batman: The Animated Series, the beloved 1990s weekday afternoon staple. The upcoming show was created by executive producers JJ Abrams, Matt Reeves and Batman: The Animated Series developer Bruce Timm. In addition, celebrated comic-book writer Ed Brubaker is on the creative team for the 10-episode first season.

The Amazon sale was part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans to monetize content by selling it to third parties. The studio will now focus on the Batman IP as part of a 10-year DC Comics meta-story spanning film, TV, gaming and animated series. In addition, a sequel to Reeves’s 2022 film The Batman and spin-off series The Penguin on HBO Max are in the works.

“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City,” Abrams and Reeves said when Batman: Caped Crusader was announced. “The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-scoops-up-batman-caped-crusader-after-hbo-max-cancellation-215511679.html?src=rss

Amazon scoops up ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ after HBO Max cancellation

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Amazon has reportedly picked up Batman: Caped Crusader, the animated series Warner Bros. developed for HBO Max but scrapped last August to cut costs. Despite also drawing interest from Netflix, Apple and Hulu, the upcoming show will have a home on Amazon Prime.

First announced in May 2021, Batman: Caped Crusader sounds like a spiritual successor to Batman: The Animated Series, the beloved 1990s weekday afternoon staple. The upcoming show was created by executive producers JJ Abrams, Matt Reeves and Batman: The Animated Series developer Bruce Timm. In addition, celebrated comic-book writer Ed Brubaker is on the creative team for the 10-episode first season.

The Amazon sale was part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans to monetize content by selling it to third parties. The studio will now focus on the Batman IP as part of a 10-year DC Comics meta-story spanning film, TV, gaming and animated series. In addition, a sequel to Reeves’s 2022 film The Batman and spin-off series The Penguin on HBO Max are in the works.

“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City,” Abrams and Reeves said when Batman: Caped Crusader was announced. “The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-scoops-up-batman-caped-crusader-after-hbo-max-cancellation-215511679.html?src=rss

Netflix is producing a live action ‘My Hero Academia’ movie

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Netflix's penchant for live-action manga remakes isn't going away any time soon. The streaming service has revealed that it's partnering with Legendary Entertainment on a live action My Hero Academia movie. Anime and manga adaptation veteran Shinsuke Sato (Alice in Borderland, Bleach) will both direct and executive produce, while Obi-Wan Kenobi's Joby Harold is writing the screenplay.

The manga and the anime it fostered both revolve around Deku, a boy who aches to join the UA High School and become a superhero despite missing the natural powers that most humans have by that point. Both the manga and the still-running anime offshoot have been successful, with the manga racking up over 65 million sales so far.

There's no mention of casting or a release window for the Netflix project. Toho, which handles the anime, will distribute the movie to Japanese theatres. As IndieWireexplains, this comes four years after Legendary said a movie was in the works.

As with earlier adaptations, Netflix has multiple incentives to create a My Hero Academia title. It's tapping into a large fanbase, sometimes for anime productions it already offers. This also gives it a way to reel in customers who would otherwise stick to anime-centric rivals like Crunchyroll, which recently lowered prices in some countries.

Whether or not it'll be worth watching is another matter. Netflix doesn't have the best track record for live action takes on manga and anime. The Cowboy Bebop series misunderstood its source material and generally struggled despite a top-tier cast and intriguing premise. There's also the question of the format. A movie doesn't allow as much room for story development as an episodic show, so My Hero Academia may have to rush through the narrative.

The original 1997 ‘Berserk’ anime is coming to Netflix on December 1st

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Berserk, the long-running manga that married fantasy and, well, violence, is coming back to the small screen. The original 25-episode 1997 anime series based on the manga and directed by Naohito Takahashi is coming to Netflix on December 1st, according to ComicBook.com.

As is clear from the trailer below, Berserk is a pitch black and fairly brutal anime that came some eight years after the manga first appeared in Young Animal magazine. The series covers the so-called Golden Age Arc, covering the period when Guts joined the Band Of the Hawk and met the other primary characters, Griffith and Casca. It's considered by some fans to be the best take on the manga, and is said to have inspired or influenced major anime hits like Fullmetal Alchemist and Attack on Titan.

The release of Berserk material from Netflix seemed a fait accompli when it was announced that the streaming service had secured the rights to that franchise, along with Parasyte, Monster and other classic anime. In addition, new material could be coming soon as well, according to a countdown clock that appeared recently on Berserk's official website, pointing to a date in mid-December. Nothing is official yet, but it looks like promising times for fans of the franchise. 

NieR: Automata’s spinoff anime arrives this January

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NieR: Automata’s anime spinoff will arrive early next year. The adaptation, now titled NieR: Automata Version 1.1a, will debut in January 2023. NieR creator Yoko Taro shared the release window during Aniplex Online Fest over the weekend (via Gizmodo), revealing at the same time that the story of the anime would differ from its source material. The two will at least share the same premise. NieR: Automata opens with a ruined Earth and a proxy war involving human-made androids. "Nier: Automata was a story we created to be a game, so copying it as-is wouldn’t make an interesting story for an anime," Taro said during the panel.

A-1 Pictures, best known for its work on series like Erased, From the New World and Your Lie in April, is producing the project, with Ryouji Masuyama co-writing the script alongside Taro. Masuyama’s previous credits include Gurren Lagann and Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. "I'm the one going around and breaking things for [A-1 Pictures], so if anyone is dissatisfied [with the anime's story], it's likely to be my fault," Taro warned fans. Given that NieR: Automata features multiple endings, it’s probably for the best the anime won’t hew too closely to the game.

The panel didn’t mention details about distribution outside of Japan. However, since Sony owns both Aniplex and Crunchyroll, there’s a good chance simulcast rights will go to the streaming service. It will be interesting to see if the anime brings renewed interest to NieR: Automata, much like the recent release of Edgerunners on Netflix did for Cyberpunk 2077. Commercially, Automata performed better than publisher Square Enix expected, but the company has yet to announce a proper sequel – though we did get a mobile spinoff and remaster of the original NieR last year.