Hey, everyone!

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

• Netflix Report: Three Anime Series Amass Nearly 500 Million Viewing Hours

• Sneak Peek of Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Unveiled as Movie Premieres Across North America

• Texas' AnimeFest to Host Final Large-Scale Event in July

• Netflix Now Streaming Hajime no Ippo Anime in the U.S.

• Ultraman: Rising Film to Receive Limited Theatrical Release in North America and U.K.

• Sega's Like A Dragon Games to Receive Live-Action Series on Amazon in October

Meme of the Week

Netflix Report: Three Anime Series Amass Nearly 500 Million Viewing Hours

A recent report on Netflix has unveiled the top 10 most-watched anime of 2023—and it might be fair to say that one or two surprises are mixed in among a few expected titles, too, according to What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report.

The most-watched anime of 2023 on the platform, Baki Hanma: Season 2, has amassed a staggering 160.7 Million hours of viewing time. This is a testament to its popularity, especially considering it launched midway through the year. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, a fan-favorite, secured the second spot with consistent viewership. And the beloved ONE PIECE: East Blue, the inaugural season of the One Piece anime, rounded out the top three. To see the complete top 10 list for 2023, click here.

Sneak Peek of Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Unveiled as Movie Premieres Across North America

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, the highly-anticipated film following the Haikyu!! anime series premiered in Japan earlier this year. Now, Crunchyroll is giving fans a special sneak peek as the movie begins its North American theatrical run.

In celebration of the film's debut, Crunchyroll has released an exclusive clip showcasing the players who will face off in the much-anticipated showdown between Karasuno High School and Nekoma High School. This scene also serves as an excellent introduction for newcomers to the series.

Produced by Production I.G. (known for Ghost in the Shell and Psycho-Pass), the Haikyu!! anime series is based on the manga by Haruichi Furudate. Combining slice-of-life and sports genres, Haikyu!! follows Shoyo Hinata, a talented yet undersized volleyball player. Inspired by the Karasuno High School volleyball team and his idol, the "Little Giant," Shoyo joins Karasuno after a crushing defeat in middle school to improve his skills and prepare for future competitions. In Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, Karasuno High School reaches the All Japan High School Volleyball Championships. Shoyo must team up with his middle school rival, Tobio Kageyama, to take on their common adversaries from Nekoma High School.

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle is now showing in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. All four seasons of the Haikyu!! anime are available for streaming on Crunchyroll and the original Haikyu!! manga is available in English from VIZ Media.

Texas' AnimeFest to Host Final Large-Scale Event in July

On Saturday, the AnimeFest convention's social media accounts announced that this year's event will be its final large-scale gathering. Scheduled from July 25th to July 28th, it will be held at the Loews Arlington & Convention Center in Arlington, Texas.

The event will feature a dealer room, a cosplay competition, an Art Show with anime fan art for sale, a GameFest offering video game demos, an arcade, tabletop games, and an IdolFest on July 26th. Evil Genius Games is sponsoring the event. The World Fandom organization, which has hosted the convention for 32 years, plans to focus on smaller events in the future. You can purchase tickets to the final convention here.

Netflix Streaming Hajime no Ippo Anime in the U.S.

Netflix has added the original anime adaptation of George Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo manga to its offerings in the United States. The streaming service now offers all 75 anime episodes of the boxing anime in Japanese with English subtitles and the original English dub. The extra 76th episode is also available in Japanese with English subtitles only.

The series description by Netflix reads: "Rescued from bullies by professional boxer Mamoru Takamura, young Ippo Makunouchi takes up boxing to pursue what it means to be strong."

Learn more about this Franchise here.

Ultraman: Rising Film to Receive Limited Theatrical Release in North America and U.K.

Shannon Tindle, the director of Ultraman: Rising —the upcoming C.G. animated feature film from Netflix and Tsuburaya Productions—announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the film will have a limited theatrical run in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The film will be screened in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Seattle, and Miami in the United States. It will be shown in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, Canada. In the United Kingdom, it will be screened at four locations in London, as well as in Oxford, Sheffield, and Knutsford.

Ultraman: Rising will premiere at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12th, ahead of its June 14th streaming debut. Additionally, a "Making Of" panel featuring director Shannon Tindle, co-director John Aoshima, art director Sunmin Inn, VFX supervisor Hayden Jones, and composer Scot Stafford will take place on June 13th. You can read more about the release here.

Sega's Like A Dragon Games to Receive Live-Action Series on Amazon in October

Amazon announced on Tuesday that it is producing a six-episode live-action series based on Sega's Like a Dragon (Ryū ga Gotoku) action game series, titled Like a Dragon: Yakuza (Ryū ga Gotoku: Yakuza). The series will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories, with episodes released in two batches on October 25th and November 1st.

The series is partially based on the first game in the series, initially titled Yakuza in the West. The narrative follows Kiryu and his friends starting in 1995 and transitioning to 2005 after Kiryu is released from a decade-long prison sentence.

The latest game in the series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryū ga Gotoku 8), launched on January 26th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and P.C. via Windows and Steam. For more on the series, click here.

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