The Straw Hat crew will only continue to grow as Netflix sets sail on One Piece‘s second season, and now we’ve finally got our first glimpse at one of the most important additions of all: the arrival of the diminutive crew doctor, Tony Tony Chopper. During today’s Tudum livestream event, One Piece stars Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, […]
Animation Studio Toei Wants to Use AI for Future Productions
If you watch anime, particularly of the shonen variety, you likely know Toei Animation. The studio is best known for adapting popular manga like Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, and it’s got plenty of work coming out. When those series and films release, some may have been made with artificial intelligence. In Toei’s recently published financial […]
Universal’s One Piece Meet and Greet Is Secretly the Best Part of Fan Fest Nights
One Piece hero Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew have docked their ship for an appearance exclusively at Universal Studios Hollywood. And if the grand line almost out of the theme park gates is any indication, Universal Fan Fest Nights tickets might become as sought-after as the One Piece itself. In collaboration with […]
Universal Studios Fan Fest Nights Unleashes an Incredible, Massive Dungeons & Dragons Puppet
Beginning this Friday, Dungeons & Dragons fans can experience the realms of the tabletop RPG in a new way with Universal Studios Hollywood Fan Fest Nights. The fandom celebration will showcase new participatory entertainment at an after-dark theme park event that will give guests the opportunity to experience their own D&D adventure. Think Halloween Horror […]
Netflix’s Live-Action One Piece Loses Its Co-Showrunner
Matt Owens, co-showrunner and executive producer for seasons one and two of Netflix’s One Piece, has revealed he’s stepping away from the show. On Instagram, Owens explained “the last six years working on the live-action One Piece have been a life-changing journey, and a dream come true. It’s also been a LOT. So I’m stepping off the […]
Netflix Shows Off More Anime It Hopes You’ll Like This Year
Hope you’ve been watching anime on Netflix, because there’s plenty more coming this year. Since this weekend is AnimeJapan, the streamer pulled back the curtain on what it’s offering for spring and summer, which includes some returning favorites and fresh new works. Let’s dive in, shall we? Devil May Cry Studio Mir’s adaptation of the […]
If The English Dub Can Catch Up to One Piece, So Can You
After a monthslong hiatus, the One Piece anime will be returning in April. Before that point, its English dub will make its own return and hit an impressive milestone. When the dub episodes start airing the first part of the “Egghead” arc on March 18, it’ll have caught up to its Japanese counterpart. For plenty of anime, […]
Pop Culture Gear Is Getting More Luxurious, But Maybe It Shouldn’t
Pop culture goods have come a long way from basic black tees with movie titles screen-printed on them—you know the ones, you’d find them tucked away in a corner of a video store by the posters and collectibles. As millennial culture expanded the demand into mall mainstays like Hot Topic, which went on to grow […]
Why Harassment Comes with the Territory of Translating Popular Manga
While lettering often goes unnoticed by the general manga-reading audience, translations for series—especially popular shonen manga—are heavily scrutinized. And with good reason: how else will one know a spiky-haired protagonist’s convictions, a joke’s punchline, or the mechanics of a complex power system if the words are as opaque as apple cider? In step with io9’s […]
Star Trek Wins for Weirdest Food at Universal Studios Fan Fest Nights
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Star Trek food leads the pack of uniquely bizarre (but on brand) drinks and munchies inspired by different fandom universes for Fan Fest Nights 2025. The after-hours FFN (like Halloween Horror Nights) will invite fans to experience their favorite franchises on every level: experiences, sights, in-universe merch, and tasty treats. This year’s […]