Hey, everyone!

Here’s what’s going in the world of Anime today:

• Sand Land releases on Disney+ this week.

• Reebok reveals exclusive Hunter x Hunter sneaker collection.

• Bandai releases a special 25th anniversary edition Digivice.

Akira Toriyama's Sand Land Releases this Week

Fans of the late Akira Toriyama will get a chance to enjoy some of his other work with the release of Sand Land this week. Based on the cult classic manga by the Dragonball creator, the series will premiere internationally on Disney+ on March 20, 2024, and include a simultaneous release on Hulu in the US. The series will have 13 episodes, with half of the episodes dropping at release and new episodes added weekly until the season ends.

If you're unfamiliar with this title, it was a 14-chapter manga Toriyama released in 2000. The story takes place in the far future, where war has destroyed the entire Earth, leaving only a barren wasteland where the greedy king controls the water supply. In search of a long-lost lake, Sheriff Rao asks the king of the demons for help...and gets the king's son, Beelzebub, and his assistant, Thief.

The manga was turned into a successful movie in Japan, but the film was not released internationally. However, to ensure that international audiences aren't negatively impacted by this, the first six chapters of this new series will cover the movie's events with expanded scenes. After that, the story will go beyond what has been previously seen in the manga or the film, with a script written by Akira Toriyama himself. One last present from the great one!

Reebok's Exclusive Hunter x Hunter Sneaker Collection

The iconic Hunter x Hunter anime series has joined other popular anime franchises with a sneaker collaboration. Reebok's new Hunter x Hunter line features five designs based on popular show characters.

Fan favorite Hisoka's design features playing cards, Bungee Gum, and his teardrop tattoo.

Gon's Reebok LX2200 takes after his green uniform.

Killua's Reebok Club C comes in white and purple.

Netero's design takes after Reebok's Beatnik sandals.

The Hunter Association sneakers are based on the Reebok Nano X3 Adventure.

The five styles, priced between $110 and $220, will begin releasing on Reebok's official site on March 22, 2024. Not all of them will be available now, with Killua’s and Netero’s shoes currently scheduled to release first.

Bandai Releasing Digivice 25th Color Evolution

Decades before Pokémon Go, the Digimon Digivice allowed players to walk around with their digital pets, helping to raise them and allowing them to evolve if they were taken care of or stall their evolution if they were not while encountering other Digimon along the way. You could say that Digimon sort of predicted the future of immersive gaming. In honor of the game's impact, Bandai is releasing a special edition Digivice, that will allow fans of the game to experience it in a new way.

The Digivice 25th Color Evolution has a full-color display and enhanced animation, giving fans a nostalgic look back while still feeling relevant as fans enter the Digi-World in the game. You have eight Digimon to choose from, and which Digimon selected will affect the graphics (the evolution effects of the Digimon come straight out of the original anime series). There are also a variety of battle modes, including one-on-one battles.

The Digivice has three options: a less expensive standard edition and a deluxe edition in orange and blue. The orange special edition is Taichi Yagami, and the blue is Ishida Yamato. Both come with a 25th-anniversary art book and a crest necklace with changeable centerpieces. For more information on the specifics, check out the Digimo forum, which broke each version down with details on their differences.

The Digivice Color Evolution will be released in September 2024, and the company began accepting pre-orders on its website last week. However, as of today, the pre-orders are sold out. So, if you're ready to spend between $95 and $120, you'll have to wait until the Fall.

Did you know? 

In the Hunter x Hunter series, Gon's Hunter License number is 109824803287. It is the only complete license number revealed in the manga.

An Otaku’s Commentary