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Column: Do You Know Your Anime?

Celebrating an Animation Great ANIMATIONWorld

A New Exhibition Celebrates Legendary Director Isao Takahata

Anime columnist Andrew Osmond shares a pictorial overview of a new installation in Tokyo – soon heading to Paris – honoring the feted helmer of ‘The Tale of Princess Kaguya’ and ‘Grave of the Fireflies.’

What Did You Do to My Friend? ANIMATIONWorld

Anime’s Hot New Horror: ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’

Columnist Andrew Osmond gives his first impressions on the new series about 2 inseparable best friends… until one returns from the mountains and is no longer himself, now streaming on Netflix.

We Return to Is It Anime? ANIMATIONWorld

‘Leviathan,’ Studio Orange and Anime Steampunk

Columnist Andrew Osmond assesses the newly released Netflix series, its CG production studio, and the proud tradition of anime steampunk.

Possible Shades of ‘American Pie’? ANIMATIONWorld

Cosplay Comedy! ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Returns

Season 2 of the series hit Crunchyroll this week, and anime columnist Andrew Osmond looks at how this teen comedy-drama manages to be both sweet and sexy.

Why No Sequels in Anime? ANIMATIONWorld

‘Elio,’ Anime and Original Animated Films

Amid alarm over the latest Pixar film’s weak box-office opening this week, and fears about films with ‘original’ stories vs. sequels, Andrew Osmond looks at how IPs co-exist with originality in anime movies.

Not All Singers are Pop Stars ANIMATIONWorld

‘Sing a Bit of Harmony’ and the Anime Musical

Columnist Andrew Osmond enthuses about the musical comedy, now on Crunchyroll, and how not all anime musicals feature pop idols.

Of Course There’s an Anime Version ANIMATIONWorld

Lilo, Toothless and Totoro Too

With the box-office currently dominated by ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘How To Train Your Dragon,’ Andrew Osmond discusses Lilo’s links to Totoro, Stitch’s Japanese adventures, and the vexing questions of live-action adaptations.

Who Doesn’t Love Summer Sun and Sea? ANIMATIONWorld

‘Children of the Sea’ and ‘Summer Time Rendering’: 2 Summers with Ayumu Watanabe

Anime columnist Andrew Osmond looks at 2 anime from the noted director – a film and a TV series – that are both set against summer sun, are easy to overlook, and are very good.

The Word Curmudgeon Comes to Mind ANIMATIONWorld

Separated at Birth: Hayao Miyazaki and Alan Moore

What can the creator of ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ have in common with the author of ‘Watchmen’ and ‘From Hell?’ A great deal, argues Andrew Osmond.

What’s Considered ‘Proper’ Fantasy? ANIMATIONWorld

‘Spirited Away’: Literature Versus Fanfic

Andrew Osmond looks at anime about people transported to fantasy worlds, and argues they come from very different traditions – some very old, and some very new.

Mixing Moe with Drama ANIMATIONWorld

‘A Place Further Than the Universe’: One of the Best Anime Ever

Andrew Osmond celebrates Atsuko Ishizuka’s wonderful adventure series about 4 girls going to Antarctica, how it follows classic story traditions, and how it mixes ‘moe’ with drama.

More Than Simple Tales ANIMATIONWorld

‘Haibane Renmei’ and ‘Aria: The Animation’: A Look at Mellow Anime

Andrew Osmond discusses 2 vintage series, one made when the premise of being reborn into a new world wasn’t yet a hackneyed trope, the other about ordinary, everyday lives that’s far from just a ‘slice of life’ tale.

There is Anime Life After 18 ANIMATIONWorld

The Young Ones or Why Can’t Anime Heroes Grow Up?

Andrew Osmond wonders why so many anime characters are teenagers or younger, and whether that’s holding back the medium.

Is It Really For Kids? ANIMATIONWorld

Beware the Cute Anime, or I Thought This Was for Kids!

Some series like ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica,’ ‘Made in Abyss’ and ‘Promised Neverland’ bafflingly blur the lines between family and adult anime. Andrew Osmond asks why.

Animation From Japan is in Full Bloom ANIMATIONWorld

The Spring Anime Season: From Superheroes to Green Gables

Anime columnist Andrew Osmond has been looking at some of the new shows that started streaming this month.

A Pervasive Sense of Cool! ANIMATIONWorld

Before ‘Lazarus’: Swordplay and Hip-Hop in ‘Samurai Champloo’

With ‘Cowboy Bebop’ director Shinichiro Watanabe’s newest anime launching this Sunday, AWN columnist Andrew Osmond reviews a classic series the legendary filmmaker made in 2004… set in samurai Japan and boasting a strikingly different soundtrack.

Theaters Filled with TV Anime ANIMATIONWorld

‘Witch Watch,’ or Watching TV Anime on the Big Screen

AWN columnist Andrew Osmond reviews this week’s cinema preview of the series, coming to both Crunchyroll and Netflix in April, reflecting on the rise of TV anime in American theaters and elsewhere.

The Power of the Spoken Word ANIMATIONWorld

The Power of the Voice: ‘Flower and Asura’ and ‘Wave, Listen to Me’

AWN’s anime columnist Andrew Osmond looks at 2 series about the spoken word, though he doesn’t necessarily subscribe to the notion that the idea of animation celebrating what Chuck Jones referred to as ‘animated radio’ shows the medium’s decline.

Striving for Pop Stardom ANIMATIONWorld

‘Trapezium,’ or How To Subvert an Idol Singer

AWN’s anime columnist Andrew Osmond looks at a new film streaming on Crunchyroll about a plucky group of female singers that tells a familiar enough story… with an intriguing twist.

2 Tales of Haunted Investigators ANIMATIONWorld

The Dark Mysteries of Naoki Urasawa

AWN’s anime columnist Andrew Osmond looks at 2 intricate mystery-thriller anime serials on Netflix: the real-world drama ‘Monster,’ inspired by ‘The Fugitive,’ and the sci-fi ‘Pluto,’ about the humanity of robots.

Kids and Their Smart Glasses ANIMATIONWorld

When Totoro Meets Old-School Cyberpunk: The Boggling 'Den-Noh Coil'

AWN’s anime columnist Andrew Osmond enthusiastically recommends an older anime title, set in a world with smart glasses, originally broadcast in 2007, currently streaming on Netflix.

Dare for Greatness ANIMATIONWorld

‘Medalist’: A Look at the World of Sports Anime

AWN’s anime columnist Andrew Osmond discusses the show – currently streaming on Hulu - about an 11-year-old girl determined to become a champion figure skater, and how it fits into the universe of sports anime.

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