Beginning in 1984 and expanding to include television series, toys and anime, Akira Toriyama’s all-conquering manga franchise (styled Dragon Ball) was loosely inspired by the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West. It followed the adventures of Son Goku, a monkey-tailed martial artist. When asked who he envisioned in the role in 2013, Toriyama … Read more
Shot on iPhone 15 Pro | Midnight | Apple As part of its long-running Shot on iPhone series, Apple recently handed acclaimed Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins, The Happiness of the Katakuris) an iPhone 15 Pro to shoot a short film. The 19-minute movie (top), called Midnight, brings to life a manga by … Read more
2/5 stars In the new animated fantasy Maboroshi, an environmental disaster traps a small-town community in a bizarre time freeze, which sends its adolescent residents into an angst-ridden tailspin. Written and directed by prolific manga artist Mari Okada, the film blends themes of loneliness, insecurity and jealousy into a potent cocktail of teenage disenchantment, but … Read more
A live event for its series premiere was the most-watched for Netflix Japan, with 14,000 viewers tuning in simultaneously and more than 4 million views as of December 19, the streamer said. A still “Yu Yu Hakusho”. Photo: Netflix Kaata Sakamoto, Netflix vice-president of content for Japan, says he grew up on and loves Yu … Read more
