Hey, everybody!

Here’s what’s going on in the world of anime today:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender drops to mixed reviews.

• Why was Megan thee Stallion at the Anime Awards?

• The Tokyo Revengers video game has been delayed.

Live Action Avatar: The Last Airbender

After the disaster of Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, fans of the animated series anxiously awaited the arrival of the new Netflix series, which dropped last month. And while critics and fans alike can agree that the show is an improvement over the movie, let's face it - the bar it needed to exceed wasn't that high.

The show has solved some of our critical issues with the movie, the most apparent being casting. But it has added others. Without giving spoilers, essential characters that do not appear until late in the series appear in the live-action version, which is only supposed to cover the first Book One: Water of the original show. The pacing is off, and mastery of specific bending skills appears now when they happen much later (lightning already?). Issues with the CGI also trickle through the eight-episode first season. It's painfully evident that the original showrunners were uninvolved, and the other production issues reported before the premiere affected the final product.

Still, the show has received better reviews than some other adaptations (we're looking at you, Cowboy Bebop). With an audience score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.4 on IMDB, some fans are enjoying it. But are enough fans enjoying it? That question remains unanswered, as Netflix has yet to officially announce a second season.

Why was Megan thee Stallion at the Anime Awards?

While the "Hotties," Megan thee Stallion's fanbase, were not surprised to see the hip-hop star presenting at the 2024 Anime Awards in Tokyo over the weekend, many anime fans were confused. The provocative rapper is known for her racy lyrics, curvy physique, and outgoing personality. But, as her fans know, Megan is a huge anime fan and was delighted to be invited to present the Anime of the Year award at the show.

Throughout her career, Megan has openly shared, in both interviews and her social media presence, that she has been an anime fan since adolescence. In an interview with GQ last year, she was asked to rank her favorites from today's most popular anime - My Hero Academia, Hunter x Hunter, Black Clover, Attack on Titan, and Jujutsu Kaisen. Without hesitation, Megan shared that MHA is her current favorite but admitted the decision was tough, stating, "They're all good; they're all my favorites."

Known for seamlessly incorporating anime references into her music, Megan has taken her love of anime to a whole new level. Megan has undoubtedly solidified her place as an anime fan, from sly shoutouts to beloved series like Naruto and Pokemon to donning anime cosplays. She even caught the attention of manga artist Shōta Noguchi, who assists My Hero Academia creator Kōhei Horikoshi. He's published several renditions of the MHA character Rumi Usagiyama using Instagram photos of Megan Thee Stallion as reference. In turn, Megan posted photos of her 2022 Halloween costume of Usagiyama. She's previously cosplayed as MHA characters Shoto Todoroki and Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon as well.

Tokyo Revengers Video Game Delayed

JVC Kenwood and Victor Entertainment announced late last week that the Tokyo Revengers Last Mission game is delayed to an unspecified date later this year. The game was initially slated to launch in winter 2023 but later postponed to February 2024. Now, the date is entirely up in the air, with neither company explaining the delays. The game will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and PC. Pre-registration is open for the iOS, Android, and DMM Games versions.

The game will be free-to-play with in-game item purchases and will tackle the main time loop story of Ken Wakui's original manga.

An Otaku’s Commentary

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