Film | Wide Angle Sep 5, 2019
Giving anime strength overseas
by Matt Schley
The Crunchyroll Expo in California sees Japanese animation enthusiasts gather to meet their heroes and embrace all aspects of anime fandom.
National Aug 20, 2019
One month after arson attack, Kyoto Animation to remove altar for victims
Kyoto Animation Co. said Monday that later this month it would remove an altar set up near its studio for victims of the deadly arson attack in July. The company will accept flowers, messages and other tributes at the temporary stand until Sunday. It was ...
Lifestyle | CHILD'S PLAY Aug 18, 2019
Activities to keep the kids animated
by Danielle Demetriou
Have a young budding animation director on your hands? "The Science Behind Pixar" exhibition takes kids (and so-inclined adults) through the process from modeling and rigging to simulation and rendering.
Film Jul 31, 2019
'Into the Spider-Verse' director Peter Ramsey extols the virtues of a good bit of animation
by Kaori Shoji
Earlier this year, filmmaker Peter Ramsey's name flashed into the collective consciousness when "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" won the Academy Award for best animated feature, elbowing the Japan-made nominee, "Mirai," to the side. As co-director of a three-man directorial team, Ramsey also became the ...
Film Jul 27, 2019
Makoto Shinkai isn't afraid of a bit of rain in the pursuit of his art
by Matt Schley
It has been raining for weeks, but director Makoto Shinkai doesn't seem to mind a bit. The award-winning creator's latest film, "Weathering With You," couldn't have been accompanied by better meteorological conditions than in the weeks leading up to its July 19 release. According to the ...
National Jul 24, 2019
Survivor of deadly arson attack describes escaping by jumping from the building
A survivor has recounted his experience of jumping out of a Kyoto Animation Co. studio after a man set fire to the building last week, killing 34 people. The 52-year-old employee was drawing landscapes on the second floor of the three-story building on the morning ...
World Apr 29, 2019
Revamped Russian animation sector takes aim at global audience
In a slick Moscow loft, dozens of graphic designers peer at computers, compiling the latest scenes of "Fantasy Patrol," a cartoon produced by Russia's Parovoz animation studio. With its Netflix contracts, state-owned Parovoz — which means locomotive in Russian — is at the forefront of ...
Film May 29, 2018
by Oscar Boyd
When it comes to stop-motion animation, there are few who have as involved a history as Tristan Oliver. His list of work as a cinematographer and director of photography spans the genre's most successful endeavors: "Wallace and Gromit," "Chicken Run," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "ParaNorman" ...
National Apr 6, 2018
Japanese animation master and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata dies at 82
Isao Takahata, the animated film director who co-founded Studio Ghibli and is known for his award-winning "Grave of the Fireflies," died of lung cancer Thursday at a Tokyo hospital, Studio Ghibli announced Friday. He was 82. Takahata, who was born in Mie Prefecture, co-founded Ghibli ...
National | AT A GLANCE Nov 4, 2017
Gundam towers over a transforming Tokyo
by Yoshiaki Miura
Every day, the towering full-scale Unicorn Gundam statue in Tokyo's Odaiba waterfront district undergoes a transformation, eliciting shouts of joy from visitors young and old, many trying to snap good photos with their smartphones. The 19.7-meter, 49-ton statue of a mobile robot from the popular ...
Business / Corporate Oct 3, 2017
Mobile gaming firm Akatsuki to adapt Japanese content for U.S. TV and movie screens
by Alex Martin
Mobile gaming company Akatsuki Inc. announced Tuesday the launch of a U.S.-based entertainment production company aimed at developing feature films for a global audience based on popular Japanese content including manga, anime and novels. Tokyo-based Akatsuki, established in 2010, has set up a wholly owned ...
Entertainment News Feb 25, 2017
Legendary Japanese animator Miyazaki comes out of retirement for new film
Director Hayao Miyazaki surprises fans by coming out of retirement to work on a new film that one Studio Ghibli producer describes as “quite exciting.”