The Quinta’s Ghost is an animated horror short that dramatizes the twilight years of Francisco Goya, as he paints his Black Paintings in his house, the Quinta del Sordo (House of the Deaf Man). In a novel twist, the story is narrated from the point of view of the Quinta itself, responding to what Goya paints on its walls. The short, done in computer animation, brings the demons and other nightmarish imagery of Goya’s work to life, incorporating state-of-the-art techniques such as VR painting. It’s a hellish depiction of an artist suffering through grief, madness, and issues of identity.

Chile has had some top-notch adult animation, especially in the horror genre, but Petra and the Sun is better filed under morbid humor, and it was an especially effective example of it too. In the Andes, 71-year-old Petra lives a lonely life until hotter-than-usual weather reveals the frozen body of a century-old mountaineer. Petra takes the body home, thaws it, and spends some uncomfortably in-depth quality time with his preserved corpse…the disappearance of which the police are aware of. Despite its premise, this was one of the funniest films they showed, though it’s definitely not for the squeamish. I felt that the ending could’ve been handled better, but overall, this one I really enjoyed. This short also won a Special Jury Mention.

How is River is Born was definitely one of the more mature shorts in the set. A woman has a sensual experience with what appears to be a nature goddess, but ultimately ends up being something less yet significantly more. This one’s pretty simple in terms of story, and is mostly carried by the beautiful animation.

Ovary-Acting is a comedy short about a 34-year-old woman who is pressured by her family and motherly friends to have children. As the stress gets to her, she unexpectedly gives birth her talking ovaries, leading to a musical argument about the pros and cons of motherhood. The animation style, which uses knit puppets with 2D-animated mouths, brings to mind something out of an R-rated version of KaBlam! This was definitely a fun one to watch, and it has a great sense of humor and heart to it.

Still Moving follows a divorced mother having a stressful car ride with her daughter as they head to their new home. The strength of this short is in the animation, which is probably one of the best depictions of anxiety I’ve seen in recent memory. It’s really experimental, though it definitely seems to be the main focus of the short over the story.

A Night at the Rest Area is an anime short in which a group of anthropomorphic animals on a bus stop at a rest area. There’s really not much to say about this one in terms of story. However, what it lacks in plot it makes up for with gentle yet effective comedy about everyday life. There’s a real appreciation of the mundane, where even the jingle playing as the nearby vending machine heats up your meal is given focus. Obviously, the use of animals adds to a lot of the humor, and the sketchy character designs are great. One of my favorite jokes in this involves a convenience store employee who is anything but convenient, and the punchline being obvious doesn’t make it any less funny (or relatable). This one doesn’t have much but in a way it also has a lot.

The Piano is a hand-drawn short in which a young girl discovers her father playing the piano late at night, creating a bond that lasts into adulthood. The animation is amazing, the music is beautiful, and the ending will warm your heart, if not open the tear ducts. It’s another short with a simple idea done extremely well.

As mentioned before, Best Animated Short went to Playing God, which I definitely feel could’ve fit into either of the shorts programs. This also qualifies it for the Oscars, and I guess I’ll find out if it gets nominated (though the short that won Sundance might be tough competition). Hopefully I’ll get to see it at some point, but overall, the 14 shorts I saw (if we’re only counting the competition) were for the most part highly enjoyable and I loved a lot of the styles used.

Hollywood’s biggest night is on Sunday, coming off of an absolute rollercoaster of an award season. We’re only now getting a clear frontrunner with Anora, Emilia Perez has gone from social media pariah to social media pariah that may actually lose now, and multiple nominee surprises have shaken up people’s predictions, including my own. The Substance may end up being the most deranged movie to gain major Oscar attention and/or wins since Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Walter Salles’ incredible drama I’m Still Here beat the odds to gain a Best Picture nomination that, in my opinion, it deserves to win. As always, though, you have likely already heard all this, which is why I like talking about the stuff that you probably haven’t, like the shorts. As is usually the case, there were a lot of good shorts this year, some great, some okay, and at least one where I’m questioning who’s even voting for these. At the very least, I’m highlighting the animated ones.

The animated shorts in particular included an especially disappointing snub with Don Hertzfeldt’s ME, which did make the shortlist but not the nominees, dashing my hopes that the Academy will give him at least one well-deserved Oscar. While I like to say that the animated Oscar shorts are where anything is possible, it was particularly more true this year than last year. Many of the films featured take full advantage of the medium, and even the shorts with the heaviest subject matter convey it in ways that live action simply can’t. Here are the nominees for Best Animated Short film.

Beautiful Men tells the story of three bald brothers who have traveled to Istanbul for a hair transplant. However, a misunderstanding results in only one of them actually getting the opportunity, and it isn’t long before insecurities and conflicts boil to the surface. I typically love watching the Oscar-nominated animated shorts for films like this, and to see them get wider exposure (even if the presence of animated drama for adult audiences still results in the Academy treating it like a disposable medium for kids). This short, however, is severely lacking. The stop-motion animation and puppet designs are great, and there are some amusing moments, but really, there’s not much here. In addition, the ending felt really rushed, as if the filmmakers didn’t know how to conclude the piece. I have heard people predict this short will win (mainly on GoldDerby). Last year, the Academy went for the weakest choice with War is Over!, but at least the politics at the time justified why they would pick it. Here, I really don’t see anything that leads me to believe that this has a chance, and while I support animation like this, I will be disappointed if it wins.

In the Shadow of the Cypress I already covered last year when it played at the Tribeca Film Festival, during which it won the award for Best Animated Short. That win qualified it for this year’s Oscars, where it’s currently nominated. A dialogue-free short from Iran, it’s about a former captain living in a house by the sea, whose PTSD strains his relationship with his daughter. My thoughts on this haven’t changed much since Tribeca. This short does a great job using animation to express difficult themes, and I loved how much surrealism was present. In terms of the five, I’d say that this is definitely one of the better nominees.

Daisuke Nishio has had a notable career in anime, directing a good amount of the Dragon Ball franchise among other things. His short film Magic Candies is an absolute delight and is, in my opinion, a strong frontrunner. The short is about Dong-Dong, a lonely boy who plays with marbles. He goes to buy some new ones, but what he thinks are marbles turn out to be candies. Not just any candies, either. After eating one, the sofa starts talking. Dong-Dong figures out how the candies work and soon gains a new perspective on life. Heartfelt and extremely funny, this was a joy to watch. It’s animated in CGI at a low-frame rate, essentially using 2D anime production techniques in a 3D environment, but what it lacks in fluidity it makes up for with extremely detailed art design. Honestly, I went into this thinking it was stop-motion because the CGI was so good. One of my favorite jokes it this is the use of onscreen text exclamations. While common in anime and manga, the use of it in a 3D setting I found incredibly humorous and inventive. I’d say of the five shorts, this was one of my favorites, and I’d put it as my pick for the winner. Of particular note is the fact that the film qualified for the Oscars for winning the Grand Jury Prize after premiering at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. The festival is one of the best places to watch international and independent animation in New York City, and I hope to cover this year’s festival soon.

I feel like dark takes on children’s’ television is a bit of an overused premise (Pib and Pog is one of my favorite examples), but Wander to Wonder takes it in a direction I genuinely did not expect. In the 1980’s, Wander to Wonder was a beloved kids’ TV staple, in which a friendly live-action host and three friendly stop-motion monsters teach children educational lessons. That is, until the creator and host died an untimely death (we don’t find out how, but whatever happened, nobody has removed his body). Now his three animated co-stars, amusingly revealed to be further stop-motion puppets wearing monster costumes, are alone, running out of food, and making increasingly desperate episodes for an audience that may or may not be there. This is honestly one of the darkest, bleakest animated shorts I’ve seen the Oscars nominate, and as a creative, it really hit me hard. As a mediation on how creations take on lives on their own (or if you just have an overactive imagination and think this) it’s absolutely devastating, even as I’d call some of it darkly comic. I can’t for certain say that this really deserves to win, but it definitely left an impact on me.

Childhood views on romance is the subject of Yuck!, a French short that I know ran quite a bit of the festival circuit. A group of kids view in disgust as they see adults kissing (some claim to have even seen them “doing it”), but it isn’t long before one boy finds himself attracted to a girl, and wanting to kiss himself. I’ve definitely seen this topic explored before, and this was a particularly cute example. I appreciated how the characters’ lips glow when they’re in love. Overall, though, I don’t see this as much of a contender as some of the other ones. It was definitely a fun watch, however.

As for the animated features, this was a particularly strong year. My pick is The Wild Robot, but overall I’d say they’re all worth watching. Even the weakest nominee, Inside Out 2, still had one of the best depictions of mental health issues I’ve seen in animation. There’s been talk that Flow could end up taking home the big prize which, if that were to happen, would be notable in that a low-budget dialogue-free film made in Blender would beat out several other productions with much higher production values. Anyway, we’ll see who ends up winning on Sunday. (Although if they make another crack about these movies being for children the year Memoir of a Snail is nominated, I swear to God…)

AnimeNYC History

The origins of AnimeNYC can be traced back to New York Anime Festival by the aforementioned ReedPop, who also run NYCC. NYAF’s first three years (2007 until 2009) were kept as a separate event from NYCC, and was decided (likely to capitalize on the latter’s growth) that both could be combined for 2010 as well as 2011 which would be it’s last year, ultimately being folded into NYCC and rebranded as “The Block,” which itself would be phased out after a few years. While the convention itself maintains an Anime aspect, it was certainly not the same as had been during the NYAF years.

By 2015, Tatara had parted ways with ReedPop, helping to embrace and celebrate Japanese culture and entertainment, which would ultimately lead him to partner with LeftField to create and launch the first AnimeNYC in 2017. The event itself, would go on to eclipse the original NYAFs, gathering upwards of 50,000+ attendees by 2023! It was at that point that Tatara would move on from his role at AnimeNYC and become the Director of Film at the Japan Society, maintaining his passion to celebrate and educate the Western world of the Eastern cultures in entertainment. Speaking of, AnimeNYC hosted the first-ever American Manga Awards in conjunction with Japan Society.

The Experience

History of the con itself out of the way, as I eluded to I’d heard from friends exactly what AnimeNYC has become in the last few years… not only as an alternative to NYCC, but something different. Friends had mentioned beforehand that the show utilizes Jacob Javits Center’s floor a bit more liberally than NYCC does, and it shows. Recent iterations of NYCC have used the newer floors in the upper sections of the complex – which make for even more of a trek to locate panels, etc. While not to the capacity of the former (yet!), AnimeNYC continues to use the main section for the exhibit hall and merchandise as well as artist alley, food, and other amenities, also maintaining the lower floor for access to panel rooms (including the main hall), rooms for Professionals, Cosplayers, etc. and also PlayNYC (a formerly separate event celebrating its first year as part of AnimeNYC) touted as “NYC’s premier gaming convention” showcasing indie gaming as well as arcade, console, and tabletop gaming.

AnimeNYC as a whole definitely had a classic NYCC feel. Crowds (especially Saturday) felt large, but not terribly overwhelming – not sure if that was due to volume (a record setting 101,000!) or me having better control over my anxiety. Exhibitors weren’t too over the top either, ranging from the standard anime (and main sponsors of the event) – Crunchyroll, Aniplex and Viz Media adorned both the main floor and panel rooms, plus an amazing setup by long-time entertainment company Bandai-Namco (which we’ll have a write up specifically about sooner than later this week). Hulu showcased a bit of anime as well as the big deal of the weekend, Netflix revealing the first two episodes of their upcoming Terminator Zero anime produced in a joint US-Japan venture, by Skydance and Production I.G. (will also have some articles soon). I didn’t even get to mention the awesome cosplays/section dedicated to cosplays on the top floor (which NYCC has emulated in recent years, or vice-versa).

In Conclusion

As a first-timer to the convention, I felt it was nothing short of excellent! Suffice to say, it brought me back to my college days watching Toonami (and later Adult Swim Action) and embracing Anime. If you’re looking for an event chock-full of Japanese animation, culture, gaming, merchandise, and all-around entertainment while not having to deal with too much hassle… this convention is for you. Here’s hoping AnimeNYC 2025 is an even bigger success… I hope to be there and experience even more!

Look for more AnimeNYC coverage this week and check out our pictorial of all kinds of cosplay and more!

-= Check out more of our AnimeNYC 2024 Coverage =-

That being said, here’s a bit of news in the Toonami sector. Ninja Kamui is slated to make its US premiere on Toonami, this Feburary 10th at Midnight (and next day on Max). Announced last Summer by AS, Ninja Kamui is directed by Sunghoo Park (The God of High School) and co-produced by E&H Productions and SOLA ENTERTAINMENT with a video game adaptation slated for release as well (details soon).

More info below:

NEW ANIME SERIES “NINJA KAMUI” PREMIERES SATURDAY, FEB 10 AT MIDNIGHT ON ADULT SWIM

BURBANK (January 17, 2024) – A former ninja clan member swears vengeance upon a mysterious shadow organization that killed his wife and son in the new series “Ninja Kamui,” premiering Saturday, February 10 at midnight ET/PT on Adult Swim’s famed action/anime programming block Toonami. The series comes from “God of High School” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” director Sunghoo Park, whose anime feature “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” is Japan’s 14th highest grossing Japanese-produced film in history. An explosive story of revenge, “Ninja Kamui” follows a former ninja clan member who is haunted by the brutal murders of his family. Meanwhile, an FBI agent and his rookie partner also work to investigate the murders and uncover a vast global conspiracy.” ‘Ninja Kamui’ is a gripping action series about a hero hell-bent on payback. The ninja of old Japan has been reimagined for the near future,” said Park. “I hope fans will enjoy the intense fight scenes and the human drama with unique characters. ”Ninja Kamui” features original character designs by Takashi Okazaki (“AFRO SAMURAI”) and a new song from Japanese band coldrain. It is produced by E&H production (“MONSTERS 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation”) and SOLA ENTERTAINMENT (“Lord of The Rings: War of The Rohirrim,” “Blade Runner: Black Lotus”). A videogame adaptation entitled “Ninja Kamui: Shinobi Origins” will also arrive in spring 2024. New episodes of “Ninja Kamui” will be available the next day on Max.

Recap: After the death of his father, Dio Brando sets out to gain a better life for himself through any means necessary. He uses the debt owed to his father by George Joestar to achieve this. Once within the Joestar family, he sets on ruining the life of the young heir, Jonathan aka Jojo. With much ease, Jojo’s friends, and even his father, seem to have turned on him and side with Dio. However, Jojo still finds happiness in his dog, Danny, and a love interest, Erina. This brought out just how far Dio is willing to go to see Jojo miserable. Having stealing Erina’s first kiss, Jojo really let Dio have it finally and rightfully so. Surprised by the sudden strength Jojo demonstrated, Dio sets things to the next level. Jojo’s dog, Danny, meets a cruel, fiery end. Learning his temper makes his vulnerable, Dio knows he has to correct himself. Seven years passes. We wait until the next episode to see what has become of these two. I almost forgot to mention the appearance of a mysterious mask that is present and even comes to life? No one mentions or brought it up during the episode so I don’t know what to make of it as of yet. Looks like it will definitely will make it’s presence known in the next episode.

Thoughts: Well, first thing first, no doubt Dio is a jerk! His father was too so I can see why he was the way he was. Unfortunately, from what I heard this is the least, yes LEAST, his actions are. And he already said he was going to achieve his goals through any means necessary. All possibilities are on the table now. Aw man, what am I getting myself into? And Jojo, I think he needed a Dio character. He was too pampered and his fighting skills weak. He had to be stripped away of those things before getting stronger and land a hit back. However it showed the potential being there. I want to see what this after seven years later Jojo looks like. I feel bad for Erina. That kissed traumatized her a lot where she looked dazed just walking about. That scene where she just the muddy water to wash her lips afterwards speaks volumes. It was clearly mentioned that clean water was near by but she chose the dirty one. That had to hurt way more than any punch Jojo got on Dio later on and he showed that. Overall, I liked the episode. The episode was nicely paced and we have our tone set for the rest of the series. One of the best parts of this episode was hearing “Roundabout” by YES. Damn, that’s a catchy song especially after the episode.

Catch new episodes of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures every Saturday at 12:30am (EST) on Toonami.

Fall Anime 2016

On Funimation – SimulDubs (These shows will be featured with an English Dub)

Drifters, 91 Days, Mob Psycho 100, Orange, ReLife, Joker Game, Alderamain on the Sky, Keijo!!!!!!, Yuri on Ice, All Out, Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru, Kiss Him Not Me, Trickster, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Puzzle and Dragons X, Show by Rock, Izetta: The Last Witch, NANBAKA.

On Crunchyroll – Simulcast

Izetta: The Last Witch, NANBAKA, KAIJU GIRLS, Occultic;Nine, March comes in like a lion, Bloodivores, Time Bokan 24, Tiger Mask W, WWW.Wagnaria, Aooni The Blue Monster, Magical Girl Raising Project, Brave Witches.

Toonami News

Coming to Toonami on [Adult Swim] is Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventures October 15, 2016. Jo Jo will be taking over the time slot of 12:30 after One Punch Man finishes it series run on the block.

Convention News

Anime NYC: We’re excited to let everyone know that Crunchyroll is partnering with LeftField Media to bring you a new conventionfocused on anime, manga, and Japanese pop-culture next year in New York City, called Anime NYC! LeftField Media has brought convention-goers such events as Awesome Con (Washington D.C.’s Comic-Con) and Five Points Festival (a designer toy and comic convention), so we are thrilled to work together for Anime NYC, where we are looking forward to bringing guests from Japan and publishers nationwide.

Anime NYC will take place November 17-19, 2017 in Midtown Manhattan’s Javits Center. More details will be released this November. If you want to learn more, sign up for the Anime NYC newsletter at animenyc.com and follow the event on Facebook and Twitter.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there! (Source: Crunchyroll)

The Japanese staff and cast that worked on the anime made the announcement at the One Punch Man Fall Festival along with announcing that a smartphone game app will be coming out next year. (source: animenewsnetwork)

So if you haven’t seen One Punch Man, the main character, Saitama, only became a hero for fun, but after three years of “special” training, he finds that he can beat even the mightiest opponents with a single punch. Though he faces new enemies every day, it turns out being devastatingly powerful is actually kind of a bore. Can a hero be too strong? (Source: Viz)

The last couple of episodes will air on Toonami on Saturdays at 12:30am EST. Hopefully Toonami will rerun the series if you haven’t seen the rest of the episodes up to this point.

本日9/25開催「ワンパン秋祭り」でTVアニメ「ワンパンマン」第2期制作が発表されました。今後の情報は公式サイト＆ツイッターで発信していきます。楽しみにお待ちください！ https://t.co/ZEx0x1ZFAM #onepunchman pic.twitter.com/f2nsdijGxY

— TVアニメ「ワンパンマン」公式 (@opm_anime) September 25, 2016

Just recently at C2E2, the English dub for the series was announced by anime company Viz Media. This dub will be first heard during its time on the Toonami.

About Hunter x Hunter:

Drawn to the mystique of the unknown, Hunters travel the world in search of terrifying creatures, incredible riches, and unexplored lands. Gon Freecss is a naive-yet-determined young boy who aspires to join the ranks of these individuals, in order to find his missing father Ging – a master of the profession himself. To reach his goal, he partakes in the formidable Hunter Exam, a series of tests that push the participants to their physical and mental limits, with a Hunter License as the prize. During the exam Gon befriends vengeful Kurapika, doctor-to-be Leorio, and skilled assassin Killua, who have entered for their own reasons. But with the sinister Hisoka standing in their way, will Gon and his friends be able to succeed in obtaining their reward, or even escaping with their lives? (via anime-planet.com)

This is a much requested show but viewers and fans of the show. I haven’t seen it personally but I look forward to this when it finally airs. Are you also excited for Hunter x Hunter premiering on US Television. Let us know in the comments below.

So I don’t get asked a million questions about it: this Sat, One Piece will air after the 8p DBZ ep on reg Adult Swim as an experiment.

— LICH KING DEMARCO (@Clarknova1) March 4, 2015

This addition will take place starting this Saturday right after the DBZ Kai repeat airings at 8:30pm (EST). New episodes of both DBZ Kai and One Piece will still air at their regular Toonami times at Midnight and 3:30am respectively.

DeMarco also made it clear in his following post that this doesn’t mean Toonami itself will be moving to a new, earlier, time slot. However, if this current lineup does do well it will be staying as it is for a while. No further information was provided beyond was was already given.

ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE ONE PIECE?

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