Hey, everyone!

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

• Sand Land releases on Disney+ this week. 

• DANDADAN anime is scheduled for later this year. 

• A new trailer for 'SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI' has been released. 

Kaiju No. 8 Makes History as 1st Anime to be Streamed on X 

The manga Kaiju No. 8 gained popularity because of its innovative take on many Shonen concepts. Now, the anime adaptation of the popular Shonen Jump manga will make history as the first anime to stream worldwide in its entirety on X (formerly known as Twitter). The unprecedented announcement was made at this year's Jump Festa 2024, revealing that Kaiju No. 8 would stream for free on the social media platform. 

For those unfamiliar with this manga, the story follows: 

Kaiju begin appearing around and to combat them, an elite military unit known as the Defense Force is formed. As creatures are killed, "sweepers"—working under the Professional Kaiju Cleaner Corporation Monster Sweeper Inc. — dispose of the remains. 

Our protagonist, Kafka Hibino, is a 32-year-old man unsatisfied with his job as a sweeper. From a young age, he aspired to join the Defense Force and kill kaiju for a living, but after a few failed attempts, he abandoned his dream and resigned himself to the mediocrity that provided a decent paycheck. When an ambitious 18-year-old recruit named Leno Ichikawa joins his cleaning team, Kafka is reminded of his desire to join the military. 

Following a chain of unfortunate events, Kafka encounters an unknown flying kaiju that forces its way in through his mouth, turning him into a humanoid monster, Kaiju No. 8. With his newfound powers, Kafka aims to give his lifelong dream a final try. There is currently no set release date but if you’re planning on attending EVO Japan 2024 there will be a playable demo from April 27th-29th, 2024.

The anime is scheduled for release in Japan on April 13, 2024, and will air simultaneously on Crunchy Roll and X. I'm interested to see if other popular adaptations follow suit, as the move allows a new series to reach a much broader audience faster than traditional outlets. Plus, who doesn't love watching a good anime for free? You can watch the trailer here to get your first glimpse of the anime (which should definitely have Chainsaw Man-level fights and energy). 

DANDADAN Anime Set to Release in 2024 

Fans of the popular "paranormal mystery battle & romantic comedy" manga Dandadan won't have to wait too much longer to see the story on the small screen. The anime is now scheduled to be released in October of this year and will be streamed on both Netflix and Crunchy Roll at release under the title DAN DA DAN. 

Don't know anything about this manga? Don't worry—I got you! The overall story follows Ken "Okurun" Takakura, a nerd who must fight powerful spirits and aliens, all vying for the secret power of his "family jewel." So he enlists his high school crush (and spirit granny), Momo Ayase, to help him. 

Momo Ayase has an unusual friendship with her school's UFO fanatic, whom she nicknames Okarun. Momo believes in spirits, and she thinks aliens are just imaginary. Okarun, meanwhile, feels the exact opposite. To settle matters, the two set out to prove each other wrong, with Momo going to a UFO hotspot and Okarun to a haunted tunnel! What unfolds next is a beautiful story of young love…and oddly horny aliens and spirits? Yup, horny aliens and spirits are all abound! 

The first teaser for the series shows that the show will likely be as racy as the manga, so it may not be a good choice for anime fans with young children. Still, the manga is super entertaining and I expect the anime to be the same, so I will post an update once the official date is announced. 

A New SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI Trailer Released 

While I'm unsure who asked for it, we are getting an anime version of DC Comics Suicide Squad, and a third trailer for the show was released last week. The project, which has been in development for about four years, will have the squad voluntarily entering the isekai world (for reasons the show will reveal). This will be a big difference to what fans of the genre are used to since a character typically dies and is then transported into the world. 

If you've followed the Suicide Squad comics, movies, or shows (like Peacemaker or Harley Quinn on Max), you're probably aware that the team's core members change from time to time. I don't believe that the anime will be different, but according to DC Comics, the primary team for the anime will consist of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. 

While we don't have the official release date, the anime is expected to stream sometime in July 2024. Watch the latest trailer here. 

Celebrity Trivia 

In the last couple of years, many unexpected celebrities have publicly acknowledged their love of anime. So, let's see how knowledgeable you are about some of the famous fans of your favorite series: 

Q: What is Keanu Reeves' favorite anime? 

In a 2019 interview promoting the release of John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum, Reeves claimed that he initially became interested in anime when he was a little boy and saw Akira on VHS. The animation and plot drew him in immediately, providing an avenue to escape reality. The star has even said that he thinks anime has much to offer adults and children alike because it can be a strong medium for self-expression and narrative. He's also expressed the desire to someday create his own anime production. So, what is his favorite? 

Answer

Reeves has said that he enjoys various anime series in addition to Akira, including Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion. But Cowboy Bebop is his favorite, and he even considered going out for the role of Spike Spiegel in the live-action version. Based on how it was received, I'm glad he didn't lol. 

An Otaku’s Commentary