Matt Schley
@mattschley.com
Wait, 40th anniversary? But the first Castlevania came out the same year I was born, and I'm only...
February 13, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Wait, 40th anniversary? But the first Castlevania came out the same year I was born, and I'm only...
Mubi is advertising Kokuho as “the highest-grossing Japanese movie of all time.” Messrs. Miyazaki, Shinkai et al. would like a word.
February 7, 2026 at 1:59 AM
Mubi is advertising Kokuho as “the highest-grossing Japanese movie of all time.” Messrs. Miyazaki, Shinkai et al. would like a word.
Macross Plus on le big screen.
「マクロスプラス4K」上映劇場は15館、劇場でBlu-rayを先行販売
https://natalie.mu/comic/news/659050?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
#マクロスプラス #マクロスプラス4K
https://natalie.mu/comic/news/659050?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
#マクロスプラス #マクロスプラス4K
February 6, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Macross Plus on le big screen.
The second Hathaway film is convoluted, confusing—and really good.
‘Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway’ follow-up is a treat for fans who know their lore
Packed with politics, callbacks and deep-cut franchise history, the latest “Gundam” film trusts its audience to keep up.
www.japantimes.co.jp
February 5, 2026 at 2:37 AM
The second Hathaway film is convoluted, confusing—and really good.
The Ghost in the Shell anime exhibition on at Tokyo Node is worth visiting for the huge number of production materials alone, though it feels like it's more interested in visual impact than probing the meaning of the franchise.
'Ghost and the Shell' exhibit aims for maximum visual impact
A new, sprawling exhibition about the seminal cyberpunk franchise “Ghost in the Shell” celebrates 30 years of cultural influence.
www.japantimes.co.jp
February 4, 2026 at 11:44 PM
The Ghost in the Shell anime exhibition on at Tokyo Node is worth visiting for the huge number of production materials alone, though it feels like it's more interested in visual impact than probing the meaning of the franchise.
Was just on the radio in that there UK talking about the Japanese box office (and hopefully sounding vaguely coherent?). About 48 minutes in:
Monocle radio - listen now
monocle.com
February 4, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Was just on the radio in that there UK talking about the Japanese box office (and hopefully sounding vaguely coherent?). About 48 minutes in:
Heading to Niigata for NIAFF later this month. Not looking forward to the cold, but should be a good time.
新潟国際アニメーション映画祭
niigata-iaff.net
February 4, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Heading to Niigata for NIAFF later this month. Not looking forward to the cold, but should be a good time.
Oh, wait, the guy writing the new Ghost in the Shell show wrote Godzilla Singular Point? We're doomed.
February 3, 2026 at 3:53 AM
Oh, wait, the guy writing the new Ghost in the Shell show wrote Godzilla Singular Point? We're doomed.
I have little choice but to sample your beans.
February 2, 2026 at 12:07 PM
I have little choice but to sample your beans.
Japan BO for 1/30-2/1:
1. Hathaway (new)
2. Zootopia 2 (week 9)
3. Keeper of the Camphor Tree (new)
4. Running Man (new)
5. Kokuho (week THIRTY-FIVE)
1. Hathaway (new)
2. Zootopia 2 (week 9)
3. Keeper of the Camphor Tree (new)
4. Running Man (new)
5. Kokuho (week THIRTY-FIVE)
February 2, 2026 at 5:40 AM
Japan BO for 1/30-2/1:
1. Hathaway (new)
2. Zootopia 2 (week 9)
3. Keeper of the Camphor Tree (new)
4. Running Man (new)
5. Kokuho (week THIRTY-FIVE)
1. Hathaway (new)
2. Zootopia 2 (week 9)
3. Keeper of the Camphor Tree (new)
4. Running Man (new)
5. Kokuho (week THIRTY-FIVE)
Best new/new for me January:
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
Night of the Juggler (1980)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway II (2026)
Aim for the Ace! (1979)
The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993)
Bugonia (2025)
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
Night of the Juggler (1980)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway II (2026)
Aim for the Ace! (1979)
The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993)
Bugonia (2025)
best first watches of January:
Drifters (1929)
Jenin, Jenin (2003)
Love Meetings (1964)
Though I'm His Daughter (2025)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)😬
Walking From Munich to Berlin (1927)
Secret Chronicle: She Beast Market (1974)
In Their Traces (2025)
Black Ox (2024)
M (1951)
Ecstasy (1933)
Drifters (1929)
Jenin, Jenin (2003)
Love Meetings (1964)
Though I'm His Daughter (2025)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)😬
Walking From Munich to Berlin (1927)
Secret Chronicle: She Beast Market (1974)
In Their Traces (2025)
Black Ox (2024)
M (1951)
Ecstasy (1933)
February 1, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Best new/new for me January:
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
Night of the Juggler (1980)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway II (2026)
Aim for the Ace! (1979)
The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993)
Bugonia (2025)
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
Night of the Juggler (1980)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway II (2026)
Aim for the Ace! (1979)
The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993)
Bugonia (2025)
My latest review for the JT.
A young man living on the edge of society is taken in by his newfound aunt in the supernatural coming-of-age tale “The Keeper of the Camphor Tree.”
‘The Keeper of the Camphor Tree’: Healing takes root one wish at a time
In Tomohiko Ito’s visually dynamic coming-of-age tale, sometimes the greatest wish isn’t for success or escape but for somewhere to belong.
ebx.sh
February 1, 2026 at 5:26 AM
My latest review for the JT.
Today is the deadline to voice your opinion to decision makers in Suginami Ward regarding the proposed road through north Koenji (助線第227号線).
The road would destroy the walkable, human-scale shopping streets that make Koenji a vibrant and unique part of Tokyo.
The road would destroy the walkable, human-scale shopping streets that make Koenji a vibrant and unique part of Tokyo.
LoGoフォーム
logoform.jp
January 30, 2026 at 4:12 AM
Today is the deadline to voice your opinion to decision makers in Suginami Ward regarding the proposed road through north Koenji (助線第227号線).
The road would destroy the walkable, human-scale shopping streets that make Koenji a vibrant and unique part of Tokyo.
The road would destroy the walkable, human-scale shopping streets that make Koenji a vibrant and unique part of Tokyo.
Gundam Hathaway 2 and Mars Express both open in Japan today. Fans of adult sci-fi animation spoiled for choice.
‘Mars Express’ shows anime’s influence has no borders
Inspired by Japanese classics such as “Ghost in the Shell” and “Akira,” Jeremie Perin’s French animated film blends noir, humor and sci-fi into a thrilling cyberpunk ride.
www.japantimes.co.jp
January 30, 2026 at 2:07 AM
Gundam Hathaway 2 and Mars Express both open in Japan today. Fans of adult sci-fi animation spoiled for choice.
Gundam Hathaway 2 has one of the best needle drops in modern anime history.
January 30, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Gundam Hathaway 2 has one of the best needle drops in modern anime history.
Here in Japan, we already have a movie called Odyssey starring Matt Damon.
January 29, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Here in Japan, we already have a movie called Odyssey starring Matt Damon.
2025 was the best year EVER at the Japanese box office*, says Eiren. Topline number ¥274.45 billion, which is about $1.8 billion. Previous record was ¥261bn in 2019.
*Not inflation-adjusted, natch.
Tickets are also the most expensive they've ever been. :/
*Not inflation-adjusted, natch.
Tickets are also the most expensive they've ever been. :/
January 28, 2026 at 7:58 AM
2025 was the best year EVER at the Japanese box office*, says Eiren. Topline number ¥274.45 billion, which is about $1.8 billion. Previous record was ¥261bn in 2019.
*Not inflation-adjusted, natch.
Tickets are also the most expensive they've ever been. :/
*Not inflation-adjusted, natch.
Tickets are also the most expensive they've ever been. :/
Japan box office top 10, 2006:
1.Tales from Earthsea (Gorō Miyazaki)
2. Limit of Love: Umizaru (Eiichirō Hasumi)
3. The Uchōten Hotel (Kōki Mitani)
4. Japan Sinks (Shinji Higuchi)
5. Death Note 2: The Last Name (Shūsuke Kaneko)
6. Yamato (Junya Satō)
1.Tales from Earthsea (Gorō Miyazaki)
2. Limit of Love: Umizaru (Eiichirō Hasumi)
3. The Uchōten Hotel (Kōki Mitani)
4. Japan Sinks (Shinji Higuchi)
5. Death Note 2: The Last Name (Shūsuke Kaneko)
6. Yamato (Junya Satō)
January 27, 2026 at 1:56 AM
Japan box office top 10, 2006:
1.Tales from Earthsea (Gorō Miyazaki)
2. Limit of Love: Umizaru (Eiichirō Hasumi)
3. The Uchōten Hotel (Kōki Mitani)
4. Japan Sinks (Shinji Higuchi)
5. Death Note 2: The Last Name (Shūsuke Kaneko)
6. Yamato (Junya Satō)
1.Tales from Earthsea (Gorō Miyazaki)
2. Limit of Love: Umizaru (Eiichirō Hasumi)
3. The Uchōten Hotel (Kōki Mitani)
4. Japan Sinks (Shinji Higuchi)
5. Death Note 2: The Last Name (Shūsuke Kaneko)
6. Yamato (Junya Satō)
Not shocked at the lack of anime Oscar noms. Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man too inaccessible. Scarlet would’ve been the only possibility, but no buzz.
Little Amelie is a very nice film, and very anime influenced.
Little Amelie is a very nice film, and very anime influenced.
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Not shocked at the lack of anime Oscar noms. Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man too inaccessible. Scarlet would’ve been the only possibility, but no buzz.
Little Amelie is a very nice film, and very anime influenced.
Little Amelie is a very nice film, and very anime influenced.
“The trend in Japan in recent years is toward anime that adapts hit manga to the letter. From a business perspective, it makes sense if the source material is a huge hit, but is it good for culture?"
Mamoru Hosoda on using an innovative new animation style for his Hamlet-inspired ‘Scarlet’
'Scarlet' is the first film in four years from the anime director, who was Oscar-nominated in 2019 for 'Mirai'
www.screendaily.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:10 AM
“The trend in Japan in recent years is toward anime that adapts hit manga to the letter. From a business perspective, it makes sense if the source material is a huge hit, but is it good for culture?"
Big ol' piece about anime and anime-adjacent films of 2025 and how they might fare during awards season, with commentary from the folks behind Little Amélie, Demon Slayer and Scarlet.
Beyond Studio Ghibli: the impact of anime on this year’s awards race
Anime is no longer just big in Japan, it's now a truly global sensation
www.screendaily.com
January 18, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Big ol' piece about anime and anime-adjacent films of 2025 and how they might fare during awards season, with commentary from the folks behind Little Amélie, Demon Slayer and Scarlet.
My chat with the director of Mars Express, which is (finally) coming out in Japan later this month.
French animated film “Mars Express” draws inspiration from Japanese classics such as “Ghost in the Shell” and “Akira” for a sharp, cyberpunk ride that feels familiar yet entirely its own.
‘Mars Express’ shows anime’s influence has no borders
Inspired by Japanese classics such as “Ghost in the Shell” and “Akira,” Jeremie Perin’s French animated film blends noir, humor and sci-fi into a thrilling cyberpunk ride.
ebx.sh
January 16, 2026 at 5:17 AM
My chat with the director of Mars Express, which is (finally) coming out in Japan later this month.
Reposted by Matt Schley
Oshii Mamoru to direct an animated version of Armored Trooper VOTOMS for I.G Production and Sunrise in 2026:
youtu.be/hPgSVYu4C6c?...
youtu.be/hPgSVYu4C6c?...
『装甲騎兵ボトムズ 灰色の魔女』初弾映像
YouTube video by バンダイナムコフィルムワークス チャンネル
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Oshii Mamoru to direct an animated version of Armored Trooper VOTOMS for I.G Production and Sunrise in 2026:
youtu.be/hPgSVYu4C6c?...
youtu.be/hPgSVYu4C6c?...
Looking forward to visiting THE BONE TEMPLE.
January 15, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Looking forward to visiting THE BONE TEMPLE.
Press screening for the second Gundam Hathaway film today. Hyped.
When the first one came out five years ago (!) I was working for Netflix. I did some promo work for the film, including writing and narrating this primer.
My apartment was near the train tracks so I had to record it in a closet.
When the first one came out five years ago (!) I was working for Netflix. I did some promo work for the film, including writing and narrating this primer.
My apartment was near the train tracks so I had to record it in a closet.
What to Know Before Watching Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway | Primer | Netflix Anime
YouTube video by Netflix Anime
youtu.be
January 14, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Press screening for the second Gundam Hathaway film today. Hyped.
When the first one came out five years ago (!) I was working for Netflix. I did some promo work for the film, including writing and narrating this primer.
My apartment was near the train tracks so I had to record it in a closet.
When the first one came out five years ago (!) I was working for Netflix. I did some promo work for the film, including writing and narrating this primer.
My apartment was near the train tracks so I had to record it in a closet.