Our man on the ground, T.R. Racki, watched the world premiere of To You in the Beyond at Anime Expo 2026. The film releases in Japan later this year. A sixteen-year-old girl washes ashore on a remote Japanese island. Her first word in the year 2026 is “1974.” Kazuki, a fifteen-year old boy, takes refuge… Read More Review: To You in the Beyond
This is the day Ito has long looked forward to. Her mom has remarried, and Ito no longer has to do all the chores and give so much of her support for the single-parent household; she can now be a “normal” high school girl. Well, think again, Ito. What her mother failed to mention is… Read More First Impression: Please Excuse My Younger Brothers
Luck and his comrades in the hero’s party have finally defeated the king. Entering a dimensional drift, they’ve ended the threat to their kingdom—or have they? Rumblings deep inside the drift suggest thousands, perhaps millions of demons remain, and Luck realizes this too: The demon king will resurrect. Separating the hero and warrior from himself,… Read More First Impression: I Became a Legend After My 10 Year-Long Last Stand
Umapyoi! Umapyoi! (Horse joy! Horse joy!) Time to lace up the track shoes. It’s Fourth of July weekend, which means three things: backyard barbecues, fireworks, and Anime Expo. And while the peak of summer uma racing bursts from the gate on July 3 at Saratoga, the starting bell rings one day earlier in downtown Los… Read More Uma AX 2026: Pretty Busy (Daily Dispatches from Anime Expo 2026)
Violence and poverty are part of everyday life for villagers during the Nanboku-chō period, during which a decades-long civil war has broken out between the Kyoto Northern and Southern Courts. Desperate for distraction, people turn to the theater, including the form called sarugaku. Kan’ami is a master of this medium—which combines acting, music, singing, and… Read More First Impression: The World Is Dancing
A wise cat of the magical Cait Sith race has just birthed her kittens, but she’s about to discover another infant to add to her brood—a baby dragon who had been orphaned, but hatches because of the magic that spills over from the kitten births. Defenseless and not having the smell of a threat, he… Read More First Impression: The Cat and the Dragon
For the fourth episode of season two, I had the pleasure of speaking with singer-songwriter Hana Hope. Anime fans may know Hana from her work singing themes* on Spice and Wolf, Fate/Grand Order, and most recently, my favorite anime of spring 2026, A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA. But while her music first drew me to… Read More Something Genuine Season 2, Ep. 4: Hana Hope on Music, Identity, and Finding Her Voice
Interested in watching thoughtful, human-centered conversations with people connected to anime?
Watch Something Genuine, our interview series that cuts through the noise and focuses on the people behind the costumes, in front of the mics, and watching anime, just like you and me. Season two premieres on May 27th.