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While everyone loves a good fantasy film series or franchise, there's no question that Hollywood movies have become more and more reliant on the idea of sequels in recent years. Massive franchises like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean dominate box offices to the point that out of the 10 highest-grossing fantasy films of all time, every single one is either part of a film series or a remake of an older movie.

That isn't to say that sequels are bad, but there is a certain power to a movie that doesn't need a sequel. Fantasy films that stand alone and tell complete stories can be far more satisfying to watch than ones that are clearly putting far more energy into establishing franchise potential than into crafting a compelling narrative. And, of course, there are fads like Disney's avalanche of 90s direct-to-video sequels, with their shoestring budgets and disappointingly outsourced animation.

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Secret Level is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Prime Video series consists of fifteen stories set in the worlds of fifteen different video games, including Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, Pac-Man, Sifu, Spelunky, PlayStation, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. So, if you loved the video game elements, the blend of genres, and compelling characters in Secret Level, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Love, Death & Robots (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Love, Death & Robots is an adult animated anthology series created by Tim Miller. The Netflix series consists of animated short stories in different genres ranging from sci-fi to fantasy and thriller drama to dark comedy. Love, Death & Robots stars Fred Tatasciore, John Dimaggio,...

Following up on the September 6, 2024 opening of the first film, the second part of the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club anime film trilogy now has a release window. Part two is set to hit theaters in Japan in winter 2025, and a new visual arrived along with the news.  You can see the visual in the video and full image below. Related: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Releases New Trailer Featuring Fresh Dance Scenes The new movies feature an all new story set in Okinawa focused on an event called "School Idol Gpx," taking place after the original series and  Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club  Ova . Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Kurako Kiminosa, Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the  Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club  films at animation studio Sunrise. Jin Tanaka provides the script for the films, Takumi Yokota provides the character designs,...

"Batman: The Animated Series" was created at Warner Bros. Animation by and for an American audience. As is common practice in American cartoons, though, the animation work was outsourced to studios in southeast Asia.

One of those subcontractors was Japan's Sunrise, the home of the "Gundam" franchise and the studio that would go on to make "Cowboy Bebop." One of the most famous and well-regarded studios in Japan, Sunrise (officially known as Bandai Namco Filmworks these days) is where several animators (such as the founders of Studio Bones) first built their careers.

Sunrise handled seven episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series" — "Pretty Poison," "The Cat and the Claw, Part I," "Heart of Steel," "I Am the Night," "The Clock King," "Off Balance," and "The Man Who Killed Batman." Sunrise itself is divided up into several smaller studios; "Batman" was handled by Studio 6. The experience apparently left an impact, though,...

The Gundam.info official YouTube channel has started streaming a pre-show video for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. The movie's story is set in 0096 U.C. (Universal Century), around the same time as Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn . The video explains the history of the Universal Century world from the One Year War (0079-0080) to the Second Neo Zeon War (0093), as well as the introduction of the prorogue of the Silver Phantom story. And a 30-minute special program for the movie was streamed on September 29. The program features Shoko Nakagawa , who performs the theme song "Across The World." Additionally, exclusive interview footage with key staff members, such as director Kenichi Suzuki , scriptwriter Ryoji Sekinishi , and composer Yoshiya Ikeda , are included. Additionally, the movie's original soundtrack album., composed by Yoshiya Ikeda ( Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger ) will be available digitally first on...

The official website for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, today announced Japanese dub voice cast members for the eight main characters. Protagonist (male) voiced by Yuuki Shin (Iharu Furuhashi in Kaiju No.8 ) Protagonist (female) voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya Forger in Spy x Faimily ) Babia Lena voiced by Mariya Ise (Killua Zoldyck in Hunter × Hunter ) Fixzi Fix voiced by Yuki Kaji (Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan ) Haro voiced by Ryo Hirohashi (Alice Carroll in Aria The Animation ) Azami Meggineh voiced by Kikuko Inoue (Mirellia Q. Melromarc in The Rising of the Shield Hero ) Joff Idiy voiced by Hiroya Egashira (Carter in A Sign of Affection ) Mabel Lena voiced by Yukari Oribe (Ayano Watanabe in Squid Girl ) Japanese Trailer Comments from Yuuki Shin (protagonist - male): I am very happy to have had the opportunity...

Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror , a 2023 TV anime that serves as a fantasy re-imagining of Love Live! Sunshine!! , is being adapted into a theatrical compilation film that will have a limited, three week run in Japanese theaters beginning on November 29, 2024, and now a new piece of key art (below) and a new trailer have been published for the film. Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Sakurako Kimino, Asami Nakatani directs the Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror film at animation studio Sunrise. Toshiya Ohno provides the series composition, Yumiko Yamamoto provides the character designs, and Tatsuya Kato provides the music. Related: Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror Anime Announces Film Adaptation Crunchyroll describes Yohane The Parhelion -Sunshine in the Mirror : This young fortune teller is desperate to escape her dreary small-town life. With dreams of making it big as a singer in Tokyo,...

With the upcoming release of the first part of a three-part film series from Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club , a new trailer was released today previewing performances from Ayumu, Kanata, Emma and Lanzhu. The first in the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club movies will release in Japanese theaters on September 9, 2024. Related: Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Anime Film Trailer Previews Part 1 The new movies will feature an all new story set in Okinawa focused on an event called "School Idol Gpx," and takes place after the original series and Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club Ova . Based on original work by Hajime Yatate and Kurako Kiminosa, Tomoyuki Kawamura directs the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club films at animation studio Sunrise. Jin Tanaka provides the script for the films, Takumi Yokota provides the character designs, and Naoki Endou provides the music. Crunchyroll currently streams Love Live!

The official website for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, announced today that the movie is set to release simultaneously worldwide on October 4 at 2:00 Pm (Jst), October 3 at 10:00 Am (Pdt). The price for the release is 2,800 yen (17.99 Usd). Those who pre-order the movie at Meta Quest Store can purchase it for 2,500 yen (15.99 Usd). Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest 3 is required to play. The Gundam.info's official YouTube channel is now streaming a new trailer announcing the worldwide release date. Related: Virtual Reality Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Movie Reveals Main Trailer, Visual Main visual Related: Shoko Nakagawa Sings Virtual Reality Movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Theme Song The main staff members include: Planning: Sunrise Distribution: Astrea 'Mobile Suit Gundam' original concept Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino Director Kenichi Suzuki ( Cells at Work! ) Scriptwriter: Ryoji Sekinishi...

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's official portal site Gundam.info released a main trailer and key visual today for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Japanese Trailer Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom English Trailer Key visual The main staff members were additionally announced, and include: Planning: Sunrise Distribution: Astrea 'Mobile Suit Gundam' original concept Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino Director Kenichi Suzuki ( Cells at Work! ) Scriptwriter: Ryoji Sekinishi ( Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury mechanical coordinator) Character Designer: Tsukasa Kotobuki ( Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin ) Mechanical Designer: Mika Akitaka ( Mobile Suit Gundam Zz ) Music Composer: Yoshiya Ikeda Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino Interactive Designer: Ferdinand Dervieux Technical Artist Director: Gaël Chaize CG Animation Director: Naoki Yamamoto An Atlas Ⅴ & Bandai Namco Filmworks production Related: Shoko Nakagawa Sings Virtual Reality Movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom Theme Song...

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's official portal site Gundam.info announced on June 27 that singer/otaku idol Shoko Nakagawa sings "Across The World," the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the franchise. This is the first time that Nakagawa has sung a song for the Gundam franchise. She says, "An unprecedented cutting-edge immersion into the Gundam world! I never thought a future like this would come! I hope that the theme song 'Across The World,' which is linked to the movie, will become a memory of your new Gundam experience." "Across The World" will be available on digital services worldwide on July 3, 2024. At Anime Expo 2024, which will be held in Los Angeles from July 4 to 6, Nakagawa will take the stage at the Gundam Special Panel to present the latest information on Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom. The movie's official X...

Get ready, Gundam fans! Seed Freedom hits US theaters on May 7-8, 2024, with Japanese language and English dubbed versions. Seed Freedom is the long-awaited third installment of the Seed storyline, a culmination of years of work by Fukuda and Morosawa. Set after Seed Destiny, Seed Freedom delves into the conflicts between naturals and coordinators in a futuristic era of advanced mobile suits.

May is the month for Mobile Suit Gundam and mecha fans as the long-awaited release of the latest installment of the Gundam Seed series hits U.S. theaters this week for a limited time. Taking place in a time when humanity has successfully conquered space and our own human biology, the new release will explore the conflicts between humans native to Earth and those born and bred in outer space.

Mitsuo Fukuda, Chiaki Morosawa, and Riu Goto's Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom, which adapts Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate...

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's official portal site Gundam.info released a teaser trailer and key visual today for Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom , a new interactive virtual reality movie based on the franchise. It was also confirmed that the movie's story is set in 0096 U.C. (Universal Century), around the same time as Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn . Related: Virtual Reality Interactive Film Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom in The Works The main staff members were additionally announced, and include: Planning: Sunrise Distribution: Astrea 'Mobile Suit Gundam' original concept Hajime Yatate & Yoshiyuki Tomino Director Kenichi Suzuki ( Cells at Work! ) Scriptwriter: Ryoji Sekinishi ( Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury mechanical coordinator) Character Designer: Tsukasa Kotobuki ( Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin ) Mechanical Designer: Mika Akitaka ( Mobile Suit Gundam Zz ) Music Composer: Yoshiya Ikeda Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino Interactive Designer: Ferdinand Dervieux Technical Artist Director: Gaël Chaize CG Animation Director: Naoki Yamamoto...

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie will be shown in over 300 theaters in the U.S. for three days only, from January 21 to January 23, as part of Anime Expoìs Cinema Night series. The movie takes place during the timeline of the anime series and focuses on a high-stakes bounty case that the crew of the Bebop must solve. Fans appreciate the movie's cool vibe and how it enhances the anime experience with better animation, storytelling, and mesmerizing music.

As part of its Cinema Night series, Anime Expo (Ax) is bringing back Cowboy Bebop: The Movie later this month for a limited time in select theaters across the United States. This will be only the fourth time the jazz-noir, cult classic film has been made available to watch in American theaters, with the most recent showing having come way back in 2018.

As revealed in a recent post on the X account of @ICONICEventsNow,...

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" was a bittersweet movie. It will be the last time we'll see all these characters united, but not to fret. If you're in the mood for a story about misfits flying around from adventure to adventure in a starship, you're blessed with possibilities.

"Firefly," the cult classic space western by "The Avengers" director Joss Whedon, is an obvious one -- its influence hangs over the "Guardians" films. "Firefly," though, owed its own debts to past science fiction. There's a persistent rumor that the image of the naked River Tam (Summer Glau) in a box was taken from a nearly identical shot in a 1998 anime. The anime in question? "Outlaw Star."

Set in the far future when mankind has colonized the stars, our lead is Gene Starwind, who dreams of traveling space yet has been grounded since his father died in a pirate attack years prior.

How long will you stick with a new TV show before dropping it? According to acclaimed Japanese anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, the answer for most people is five episodes. He was sure to keep this in mind when heading the production team for "Cowboy Bebop" at animation studio Sunrise.

In "Cowboy Bebop," episodes are called "sessions," a reflection of Yoko Kanno's jazz-flavored score and how important music is to the show's identity. The first session, "Asteroid Blues," has some vague flashes of protagonist Spike Spiegel's past. However, for the most part, the first four sessions are standalone vehicles for introducing the show's primary characters. Session 5, "Ballad of Fallen Angels," is when things start to heat up and Spike's past comes to the forefront.

Watanabe bet a lot on session #5 by pulling back the curtain. In what might be an inside joke about these high stakes, Faye Valentine discovers...

Hajime Yatate/Sunrise's animated "Cowboy Bebop" series' first episode aired in America on September 2, 2001, on Cartoon Network, where it introduced a new crop of western viewers to anime in the early aughts. The neo-noir space Western concerns itself with the exploits of the exiled hitman Spike Spiegel, former cop Jet Black, and con woman Faye Valentine. The trio work as bounty hunters across the galaxy in 2071, in a show exploring themes of boredom and apathy, loneliness, and the demons of the past through dynamic visuals and sci-fi/action pastiches. "Cowboy Bebop" stands as one of the most influential animes of all...

The post The Cowboy Bebop Episode That Was Pulled From American TV After 9/11 appeared first on /Film.

1. “Cowboy Bebop” (available November 19)

Why Should I Watch? Calling the original anime “Cowboy Bebop” a cult classic doesn’t quite do justice to its impact on animation, television, and culture at large. Hajime Yatate’s neo-noir space western originally ran in the late ’90s, hopping across two Japanese TV networks to air its 26 episodes before becoming the first anime title to premiere on Adult Swim here in the States (circa 2001). Often referred to as a bridge for animation fans to invest in anime, as well as Western audiences to appreciate a medium originated in the East, “Cowboy Bebop” is also just a flat-out wild time. Bounty hunters are called cowboys, the Earth is practically uninhabitable, and space is the de facto travel frontier. Aboard the spaceship Bebop, a group of “cowboys” hunt down dangerous convicts for the right price, led by Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and...

November 19 can’t come quickly enough for fans of the legendary anime series “Cowboy Bebop.” That’s the date Netflix has set for its live-action reimagining, starring John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda. And to get fans extra-hyped, the streamer has just dropped a new teaser that’s also a “Lost Session” from the series.

That it’s a “Lost Session” means that this is indeed a standalone episode, even if running just a cool two minutes, 40 seconds. Directed by Greg Jardin, this is not, in fact, footage from forthcoming episodes set to be released November 19, but its own little story that gives you a tease of the style and tone and humor of the series to come.

Cho plays Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter of the late 21st century who tracks down riffraff all around the solar system from his spaceship, The Bebop. Along with his colleagues — competitors?...