Hey, everyone!

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

• Joe Tracz added as Showrunner for Season 2 of the Live-Action One Piece Series

• Ultraman: Rising Premieres at Annecy on June 12

• Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers Anime Released

• YOASOBI Musical Duo Adds New York City, Boston Stops to U.S. Summer Tour

• Chainsaw Man's Power Gets High-Fashion Luxury Jewelry Collab

• Malaysian Government Seeks Rights to Build Kento Nanami Memorial

Meme of the Day

Joe Tracz Added as Showrunner for Season 2 of the Live-Action One Piece Series

The One Piece live-action series on Netflix adds Joe Tracz as its new co-showrunner for Season 2. Tracz will helm the popular series alongside Season 1 co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer Matt Owens. Steven Maeda, who developed the series with Owens and was co-showrunner on Season 1, will step down but continue serving as an executive producer. "Joe has brought a wealth of enthusiasm and experience into our second season that will help take One Piece to new heights," Owens said. "We're incredibly lucky to have him as a co-captain of this ship. The best crew on the seas grows larger!"

You can read more about the announcement here.

Ultraman: Rising Premieres at Annecy on June 12

Netflix revealed that Ultraman: Rising, the highly anticipated Ultraman C.G. animated feature film produced in collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions, will premiere worldwide at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, preceding its streaming release on June 14. A special "Making Of" panel is scheduled for June 13, featuring director Shannon Tindle, co-director John Aoshima, art director Sunmin Inn, VFX supervisor Hayden Jones, and composer Scot Stafford.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, established in 1960, will run from June 9 to June 15 in the eponymous French town. It is the world's oldest and largest animation film festival.

Offering a glimpse into the storyline, Tsuburaya describes Ultraman: Rising as follows:

"Baseball superstar Ken Sato returns to his home country of Japan to pick up the mantle of Earth-defending superhero Ultraman but quickly finds more than he bargained for when he's forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe, a newborn Kaiju. Struggling to balance the roles of teammate and new father, Ken must confront his own ego, his estranged father, and the conniving Kaiju Defense Force to rise up and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman."

This announcement follows Netflix's prior success with the Ultraman franchise, including the debut of an Ultraman C.G. anime series in April 2019 based on Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi's "Ultraman" manga. Moreover, Studio Khara's Shin Ultraman film achieved significant acclaim upon its release in Japan in May 2022, later expanding to international screenings, demonstrating the enduring popularity of the iconic superhero.

Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers Anime Released

This week brings an exciting new fantasy adventure and the cutest couple as the English dub of Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers premiered on Monday!

Fantasy romance anime enthusiasts won't want to miss the debut of the English dub of this story that follows Flio, a regular merchant leading an ordinary life until he's abruptly whisked away to Klyrode. In this alternate world, he's hailed as a potential hero. Initially stuck at level one with no remarkable abilities, he finds himself exiled to a perilous forest where he faces off against a slime. Flio ascends to level two upon defeating the slime, unlocking boundless power. Flio's journey has him navigating this new world, teeming with unique creatures, demons, and upheaval in his pursuit of peace. Check out a trailer here.

YOASOBI Musical Duo Adds New York City, Boston Stops to U.S. Summer Tour

YOASOBI announced their U.S. tour's expansion on Monday, including stops in New York City and Boston. Dates:

• August 6: Radio City Music Hall, NYC

• August 8: MGM Musical Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA

Crunchyroll pre-sale starts April 25, and general sales on April 26. They'll also perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago from August 1-4.

If you don't know, the duo YOASOBI, composed by Ayase and singer-songwriter Ikura (Lilas Ikuta), is known for anime theme songs like Yūsha from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Idol from Oshi no Ko. They've garnered international acclaim for their anime contributions, recently performing at Coachella. You can purchase tickets here.

Chainsaw Man's Power Gets High-Fashion Luxury Jewelry Collab

Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man, teams up again with luxury jeweler TASAKI to bring iconic manga characters to life in jewelry form.

In the TASAKI x Fujimoto collaboration, the beloved Blood Fiend takes center stage with a necklace meticulously crafted in her likeness. The necklace features garnet embellishments, capturing the iconic bloody appearance of Power's horns. This statement piece is priced at $2,486.54 and will make a bold impression.

Fans can also adorn themselves with other Chainsaw Man-inspired accessories, including a Chainsaw Pendant and Ear Cuff, available in silver and gold variants. The pendant is priced at $1,420.88, while the ear cuff retails for $3,196.98. With these unique pieces, fans can showcase their love for the series in style. You can see the line here.

Malaysian Government Seeks Rights to Build Kento Nanami Memorial

The Malaysian government continues discussions with Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami, facilitated by the franchise's publisher, to build an official Kento Nanami memorial on Kuantan Beach.

Following Kento Nanami's fictional demise in Jujutsu Kaisen Episode 42, numerous fans sought solace by visiting Kuantan beaches in Malaysia, a place Nanami had aspired to reside in. Fans even established a memorial on Pantai Kempadang beach on Google Maps to pay tribute. This sudden influx of attention propelled Kuantan, already a popular Malaysian tourist spot albeit lesser known globally, into the limelight. The Pahang State Legislative Assembly addressed this situation in a December press briefing, announcing intentions to contact Gege Akutami to obtain approval for erecting an official Kento Nanami memorial on one of Kuantan's beaches.

Pahang's Unity, Tourism, and Culture Committee chair, Leong Yu Man, reportedly contacted Akutami through an intermediary in December and, as of an April 16 press conference, remains in negotiations with the author and possibly MAPPA to secure the rights for the construction of an official memorial shrine for Nanami. While construction has not commenced, Leong Yu Man hopes to resolve the issue soon. You can read more here.

Did you know?

Power can create different types of weapons.

Power from Chainsaw Man stands out, unlike many anime characters limited to one weapon or style. She creates various weapons with her blood, like a giant hammer for crushing foes or spears for close or ranged combat. She can even summon thousands of swords and spears in intense battles to overwhelm opponents.

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