https://www.scmp.com/rss/502203/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 3/5 stars A feature-length prequel to the hugely successful Jujutsu Kaisen anime series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 follows a young bullied teenager who transfers to a special school that will train him to master a monstrous curse that has hold of him. Series writer Hiroshi Seko and director Park Sung-hoo take the reins once again for a story that incorporates elements of dark fantasy and horror alongside themes of grief, self-doubt and everyday adolescent angst. Gege Akutami’s original manga series was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3178367/jujutsu-kaisen-0-movie-review-japanese-animated-blockbuster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3178367/jujutsu-kaisen-0-movie-review-japanese-animated-blockbuster?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 May 2022 10:45:15 +0000 2/5 stars Even the most casual anime fan should recognise Tetsuro Araki’s latest offering, Bubble, for the shamelessly derivative enterprise that it is. Set in a generically dystopian future, ravaged by a non-specific apocalyptic event that has left a gang of indistinguishable orphans to fend for themselves, this cyberpunk retelling of The Little Mermaid boasts as much substance and narrative depth as the celestial bubbles that litter the dilapidated cityscape. Araki has worked on some of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3174348/netflix-movie-review-bubble-cyberpunk-little-mermaid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3174348/netflix-movie-review-bubble-cyberpunk-little-mermaid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Apr 2022 03:15:08 +0000 A Japanese anime based on the Hindu epic Ramayana released almost 30 years ago recently received a new lease of life in a 4K digitally remastered version. “We remastered the anime for Indian fans who have been wanting to see a better quality version, making it available for the next 2,000 years,” Kenji Yoshii says of the groundbreaking project. Yoshii, along with Atsushi Matsuo, a director at TEM Co. (which owns the rights to the production) says Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was made by a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3170979/miracle-japanese-anime-based-hindu-epic-ramayana-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3170979/miracle-japanese-anime-based-hindu-epic-ramayana-now?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:45:24 +0000 3.5/5 stars Kanna is a troubled 12-year-old who has lost her passion for running since the death of her mother. But upon learning that her mum was in fact an “Idaten”, or god of running, Kanna discovers that those duties have now fallen to her. Blending the mundane with the mythological, modern life with ancient tradition, Takana Shirai’s animated feature Child of Kamiari Month is a surprisingly dark and sombre examination of grief and its lingering impact, especially on the young. Throughout... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3166341/netflix-movie-review-child-kamiari-month-japanese-anime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3166341/netflix-movie-review-child-kamiari-month-japanese-anime?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Feb 2022 11:45:21 +0000 2/5 stars An asteroid collision with an orbiting space station leaves a handful of children stranded in space in Mitsuo Iso’s new animated work, The Orbital Children. While it is scheduled for a cinema release in Japan in two feature-length instalments, Netflix has staged a simultaneous streaming release, dividing the saga into six half-hour episodes, all of which are now available on its platform. Set in the year 2045, The Orbital Children follows a trio of youngsters as they arrive at Anshin,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3165575/netflix-drama-review-orbital-children-japanese-anime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3165575/netflix-drama-review-orbital-children-japanese-anime?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Feb 2022 08:45:22 +0000 This article contains mild spoilers. 4/5 stars A pair of estranged sisters find themselves on opposing sides of a violent feud between rival kingdoms in Arcane, Netflix’s new animated series which serves as a prequel to the hugely popular online battle arena video game League of Legends. The title reportedly attracts 180 million online gamers every month, and the show, produced by Riot Games and French animation studio Fortiche, explores the origins of a number of its champions, including fan... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156924/netflix-drama-review-arcane-animated-series-set-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156924/netflix-drama-review-arcane-animated-series-set-league?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Nov 2021 07:15:22 +0000 This article contains spoilers. Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is a huge departure from the original anime series. Despite original director Shinichiro Watanabe serving as creative consultant and composer Yoko Kanno providing the eclectic score, almost everything else about the show feels off-key. Memorable villains and bounty heads like eco-terrorist Maria Murdoch, indestructible assassin Mad Pierrot, the Teddy Bomber, and cult leader Dr. Londes feature, but their storylines... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156605/seven-changes-netflixs-live-action-cowboy-bebop-will-enrage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156605/seven-changes-netflixs-live-action-cowboy-bebop-will-enrage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Nov 2021 20:15:12 +0000 1/5 stars An interstellar roller-coaster ride packed with bounty hunters, space travel, violent criminals and existential ennui, Sunrise’s 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop is a genre-bending cult classic that has been delighting fans and inspiring science fiction creators for more than 20 years. So why is Netflix’s new live-action adaptation so lifeless? Like a lousy wedding cover band half-heartedly butchering your favourite power ballads, André Nemec and Christopher Yost’s inaugural 10-episode... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156071/netflix-drama-review-cowboy-bebop-live-action-adaptation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156071/netflix-drama-review-cowboy-bebop-live-action-adaptation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Nov 2021 08:00:21 +0000 Cowboy Bebop remains one of the most imaginative and influential anime series ever to grace the small screen, featuring genre-bending storylines, an oddball cast of characters and a wildly eclectic soundtrack. The 1998 anime, written by Keiko Nobumoto and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe under the collective pseudonym Hajime Watate, comprises just 26 episodes, although it also spawned a feature-length movie, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, which was released in 2001. That was the year the show debuted... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3155836/cowboy-bebop-all-you-need-know-about-influential-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3155836/cowboy-bebop-all-you-need-know-about-influential-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:30:16 +0000 If you want proof that machismo is turning into something you might come across only on old VHS tapes, sample some male domestic bliss in The Way of the Househusband (Netflix). When even the most liberally tattooed ex-yakuza can throw on an apron, feed the cat, make dinner for his wife, operate the vacuum cleaner, volunteer for a spot of neighbourhood babysitting, bake cookies and then sort out the recycling, you know times they are a-changin’. Agreed: this eccentric Japanese production is an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3131420/way-househusband-netflix-anime-comedy-our?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3131420/way-househusband-netflix-anime-comedy-our?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 May 2021 01:45:18 +0000 Dropping on Netflix today, Yasuke is the streaming platform’s latest “original net animation” – or ONA – following the likes of popular Japanese anime series Aggretsuko and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. The show takes place in an alternate reality version of feudal Japan that’s full of magic and futuristic technology. Here, after the death of Oda Nobunaga – one of the Japanese lords whose conquests spurred the eventual unification of Japan in 1591 – a boatman named Yasuke decides to move on from... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3131583/who-was-yasuke-real-black-samurai-who-inspired-netflixs-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3131583/who-was-yasuke-real-black-samurai-who-inspired-netflixs-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Apr 2021 06:56:45 +0000 Popular cartoon series such as Barbie, Peppa Pig and My Little Pony are under fire in China after parents complained to a consumer rights watchdog that they contained “inappropriate behaviour”. The Jiangsu Consumer Council in eastern China has released a list of 21 cartoon series which it said contained behaviour and language it claimed were inappropriate for children after watching the shows and interviewing parents. Eight of the series are from overseas including Britain’s Peppa Pig, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3129212/barbie-dreamhouse-adventures-peppa-pig-and-my?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3129212/barbie-dreamhouse-adventures-peppa-pig-and-my?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Apr 2021 10:15:06 +0000 Bilibili, the Shanghai-based online entertainment company, debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange on March 26. It marks the company’s second listing after it went public on the Nasdaq in 2018.  One of the few companies to count both Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of the South China Morning Post, as backers, Bilibili has often been described as China’s answer to YouTube.  What is Bilibili?  Bilibili, which markets itself as the online home for fans of anime, comics and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128347/what-bilibili-how-it-makes-money-and-whats-next-chinas-youtube?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128347/what-bilibili-how-it-makes-money-and-whats-next-chinas-youtube?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:00:11 +0000 There can be few handier means of evading the violence-in-creative-endeavours police than dreaming up a Japanese anime series. Take any flavour of depraved killer you like – katana wielder; callous, cigarette-puffing sniper; axe-inspired slayer; base­ball player pitching high-speed cannonballs; psycho sledgehammer boy – and use them to populate the nightmare narrative of a schoolgirl who turns vigilante to rub out zombie-like villains. Translation: create High-Rise Invasion (Netflix). Stuck in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3126955/netflix-show-high-rise-invasion-schoolgirl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3126955/netflix-show-high-rise-invasion-schoolgirl?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Mar 2021 01:45:10 +0000 A South Korean cartoon series was taken off Chinese online video platforms last week after people complained that it misled children about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and used wrong maps that shrank Chinese territory. Super Wings, a preschool educational series co-produced by FunnyFlux Entertainment in South Korea and Alpha Group in China, can no longer be found on major sites including Youku.com and Bilibili.com, although short clips from the show are still available. The show was... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3125045/chinese-social-media-users-declare-war-cute-south-korean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3125045/chinese-social-media-users-declare-war-cute-south-korean?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:15:06 +0000 State-broadcaster CCTV has aired its first Japanese anime series in a decade, prompting speculation that it could be a small signal of improved relations between Japan and China.  Called Cells at Work!, the animation series takes place inside the human body and is being used in China to get people interested in human biology during the coronavirus pandemic. A post promoting the show by CCTV-6, the channel airing the program, read: “Whether you are an adult or a child, we hope you can know... https://www.scmp.com/society/cells-work-becomes-first-japanese-anime-hit-chinese-airwaves-more-decade/article/3124690?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/cells-work-becomes-first-japanese-anime-hit-chinese-airwaves-more-decade/article/3124690?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Mar 2021 10:08:21 +0000 A popular science anime that makes heroes and villains of human body cells has become the first Japanese series on China’s state broadcaster since a ban on foreign cartoons more than a decade ago. Cells at Work!, which shares the daily lives of human blood cells as they work to maintain the body’s health, became an instant hit among Japanese animation fans after its release in 2018. The cartoon’s sudden appearance on CCTV-6, which has not aired foreign animation since 2007, has prompted... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3123875/chinas-state-media-praised-return-japanese-anime-cells-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3123875/chinas-state-media-praised-return-japanese-anime-cells-work?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Mar 2021 23:45:09 +0000 Japanese animation is in fast motion. International media companies hungry for intellectual property could set off a gluttonous feeding frenzy like the famous one depicted in Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning anime Spirited Away, one of the highest-grossing films in Japanese history.  Anime, Japan’s most popular cultural export, stretches back a century but is gaining fresh appeal amid a cutthroat quest for content. Overseas anime markets are poised to overtake the domestic market for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3121528/anime-streaming-wars-japanese-films-gain-fans-worldwide-sony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3121528/anime-streaming-wars-japanese-films-gain-fans-worldwide-sony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Feb 2021 10:15:15 +0000 Tencent Holdings Ltd., spurned in years past by Japan’s guarded entertainment industry, is rekindling its courtship of the country’s fabled anime and manga houses. The Chinese social media giant has in recent months scooped up slices of two prominent local studios, the brains behind smash hit Nier: Automata and Marvelous Inc. Those outlays are just the start of a spending spree designed to extend Tencent’s foothold in a key creative hub while imbibing Japan’s expertise in console game making and... https://www.scmp.com/culture/tencent-looks-marvel-multimedia-franchises-courting-anime-studios/article/3088454?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/tencent-looks-marvel-multimedia-franchises-courting-anime-studios/article/3088454?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2020 13:03:55 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oppo released a unique version of one of its newest high-end phones in China. There are only 10,000 units of the Oppo Ace2 Evangelion Limited Edition available, and I was able to pick one up and spend some quality hands-on time with it. While themed smartphones can sometimes seem gimmicky, I’m blown away by the amount of detail on the packaging and the phone itself. The phone’s... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3087798/oppos-wild-anime-phone-will-excite-any-evangelion-fan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3087798/oppos-wild-anime-phone-will-excite-any-evangelion-fan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2020 12:59:56 +0000 In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oppo released a unique version of one of its newest high-end phones in China. There are only 10,000 units of the Oppo Ace2 Evangelion Limited Edition available, and I was able to pick one up and spend some quality hands-on time with it. While themed smartphones can sometimes seem gimmicky, I’m blown away by the amount of detail on the packaging and the phone itself. The phone’s release also comes before the release of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/oppos-wild-anime-phone-will-excite-any-evangelion-fan/article/3087761?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/oppos-wild-anime-phone-will-excite-any-evangelion-fan/article/3087761?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2020 12:59:53 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Selling products through live streaming has become big business in China, with celebrities, tech founders and news anchors all trying their hand at it. And now live streamers are enlisting the help of anime idols to talk and sing beside them as they try to hawk their wares. On May 1, Alibaba ecommerce platform Tmall introduced two of China’s most popular virtual idols to a live-streaming event and reportedly attracted 2.7 million viewers. During the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3082730/virtual-anime-idols-join-chinas-live-streaming-ecommerce-craze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3082730/virtual-anime-idols-join-chinas-live-streaming-ecommerce-craze?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 06:58:07 +0000 Selling products through live streaming has become big business in China, with celebrities, tech founders and news anchors all trying their hand at it. And now live streamers are enlisting the help of anime idols to talk and sing beside them as they try to hawk their wares. On May 1, Alibaba ecommerce platform Tmall introduced two of China’s most popular virtual idols to a live-streaming event and reportedly attracted 2.7 million viewers. During the session that lasted roughly an hour, idols Luo... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/virtual-anime-idols-join-chinas-live-streaming-ecommerce-craze/article/3082685?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/virtual-anime-idols-join-chinas-live-streaming-ecommerce-craze/article/3082685?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 06:58:04 +0000 The days of Chinese manga and anime fans enjoying free online content have largely come to an end as publishers explore ways to monetize their Chinese fan base. Japanese manga giant Shueisha has asked its Chinese partners – Tencent, Bilibili and iQiyi – to put six blockbuster franchises, including One Piece and Yu-Gi-Oh!, behind paywalls starting next month, according to social media posts by the three Chinese companies.   According to a 2018 report by consultancy firm iResearch, revenue... https://www.scmp.com/culture/manga-companies-want-chinese-fans-start-paying/article/3082094?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/manga-companies-want-chinese-fans-start-paying/article/3082094?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2020 07:46:26 +0000 Japanese conglomerate Sony Corp is investing US$400 million in cash for a minority stake in online entertainment platform Bilibili, accelerating the Shanghai-based company’s expansion in the world’s second largest economy.   Subsidiary Sony Corporation of America (SCA) agreed to subscribe to 17.3 million newly issued Class Z ordinary shares of Bilibili, which said on Thursday that the two companies will also enter into a business collaboration pact. The transaction, which values Bilibili at US$8... https://www.scmp.com/tech/sony-invests-400-million-chinas-largest-anime-streaming-platform/article/3079447?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/sony-invests-400-million-chinas-largest-anime-streaming-platform/article/3079447?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2020 00:00:18 +0000 Chinese internet giant NetEase has landed the domestic digital distribution rights for the music catalog of Studio Ghibli, home of widely acclaimed Japanese animated feature films directed by co-founder Hayao Miyazaki.   NetEase Cloud Music, the Nasdaq-traded company’s on-demand streaming service, will make the catalog – including albums and soundtracks from films such as My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea – available to subscribers in the... https://www.scmp.com/culture/netease-stream-studio-ghibli-soundtracks-hit-anime-films-spirited-away-and-my-neighbour-totoro/article/3075152?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/netease-stream-studio-ghibli-soundtracks-hit-anime-films-spirited-away-and-my-neighbour-totoro/article/3075152?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2020 00:00:21 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS In a bid to get students to pay attention in online classes, a college professor in Shanghai has been transforming himself into different digital avatars for live-streamed and recorded lessons, according to Chinese news site The Paper. Jiang Fei, a digital art professor at Shanghai University’s Fine Arts College, told The Paper that he noticed some students missed his online classes. So Jiang created a piece of software that transforms himself into... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3074961/professors-online-students-prefer-when-he-teaches-classes-anime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3074961/professors-online-students-prefer-when-he-teaches-classes-anime?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2020 12:23:01 +0000 In a bid to get students to pay attention in online classes, a college professor in Shanghai has been transforming himself into different digital avatars for live-streamed and recorded lessons, according to Chinese news site The Paper. Jiang Fei, a digital art professor at Shanghai University’s Fine Arts College, told The Paper that he noticed some students missed his online classes. So Jiang created a piece of software that transforms himself into anime avatars in virtual classrooms, hoping it... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/professors-online-students-prefer-when-he-teaches-classes-anime-girl/article/3074919?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/professors-online-students-prefer-when-he-teaches-classes-anime-girl/article/3074919?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2020 12:23:00 +0000 On Monday afternoon, the youth wing of China’s Communist Party was urging the 12 million followers of its Twitter-like Weibo account to show their support for two new animated cartoon characters.   “Let’s meet two new friends, the league’s virtual idols Hongqiman and Jiangshanjiao,” the Communist Youth League said, encouraging followers to turn the duo into a top trending topic. Within a few hours, the messages and all sign of the characters in stylized traditional Chinese dress were gone. The... https://www.scmp.com/culture/anime-idols-communist-youth-league-taken-down-after-backlash/article/3051569?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/anime-idols-communist-youth-league-taken-down-after-backlash/article/3051569?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2020 11:07:03 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS China loves Blizzard. But some fans think the developer behind beloved games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch may soon find its true calling: Becoming an animation studio. Blizzard fans in China are excited about news that Blizzard is adapting Overwatch and Diablo into animated series, with Diablo reportedly being turned into an anime series for Netflix. The excitement comes shortly after fans were widely disappointed with the game Warcraft III:... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3051037/chinese-fans-say-blizzard-found-true-calling-diablo-anime-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3051037/chinese-fans-say-blizzard-found-true-calling-diablo-anime-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:40:39 +0000 China loves Blizzard. But some fans think the developer behind beloved games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch may soon find its true calling: Becoming an animation studio. Blizzard fans in China are excited about news that Blizzard is adapting Overwatch and Diablo into animated series, with Diablo reportedly being turned into an anime series for Netflix. The excitement comes shortly after fans were widely disappointed with the game Warcraft III: Reforged, prompting jokes about the developer... https://www.scmp.com/games/chinese-fans-say-blizzard-found-true-calling-diablo-anime-and-overwatch-cartoon/article/3050968?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/chinese-fans-say-blizzard-found-true-calling-diablo-anime-and-overwatch-cartoon/article/3050968?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:40:38 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Tencent and Bilibili removed the hit show My Hero Academia after previously pulling the manga. Controversy over the manga started when a new villain’s name was revealed to be an apparent reference to human experimentation conducted by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Tencent Video censored all videos related to the anime by disabling related searches. The controversy has angered people in both China and South Korea, because of an apparent... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3049409/my-hero-academia-anime-removed-tencent-and-bilibili-after-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3049409/my-hero-academia-anime-removed-tencent-and-bilibili-after-war-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:15:06 +0000 Tencent and Bilibili removed the hit show My Hero Academia after previously pulling the manga. Controversy over the manga started when a new villain’s name was revealed to be an apparent reference to human experimentation conducted by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Tencent Video censored all videos related to the anime by disabling related searches.   The controversy has angered people in both China and South Korea, because of an apparent reference to Japan’s covert Unit 731,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/my-hero-academia-anime-removed-tencent-and-bilibili-after-war-crimes-reference/article/3049372?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/my-hero-academia-anime-removed-tencent-and-bilibili-after-war-crimes-reference/article/3049372?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:15:05 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Japanese anime series My Hero Academia has been immensely popular in China. The country is home to countless fans of the manga and anime, which are available on Tencent’s and Bilibili’s platforms. But now the show’s popularity is in jeopardy because of a secret villain whose name references a World War II biowarfare black operation. In the latest chapter published in the weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine, My Hero Academia reveals the name of a major... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3048990/hit-manga-my-hero-academia-removed-china-over-war-crimes-reference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3048990/hit-manga-my-hero-academia-removed-china-over-war-crimes-reference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:35:47 +0000 Japanese anime series My Hero Academia has been immensely popular in China. The country is home to countless fans of the manga and anime, which are available on Tencent’s and Bilibili’s platforms. But now the show’s popularity is in jeopardy because of a secret villain whose name references a World War II biowarfare black operation. In the latest chapter published in the weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine, My Hero Academia reveals the name of a major villain to be Maruta Shiga. Maruta was a... https://www.scmp.com/culture/hit-manga-my-hero-academia-removed-china-over-war-crimes-reference/article/3048874?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/hit-manga-my-hero-academia-removed-china-over-war-crimes-reference/article/3048874?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:35:46 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS They recite Tang dynasty poetry, practice calligraphy and martial arts, and dress up in traditional Chinese clothes. They also get millions of views on popular video platforms in China and are leading one of the country’s most intriguing youth trends. These are the fans of Guo Feng, which roughly means National Style. It’s a broad online trend among a new generation of influencers that’s meant to be about taking pride in traditional Chinese culture. A... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3046931/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3046931/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:00:13 +0000 They recite Tang dynasty poetry, practice calligraphy and martial arts, and dress up in traditional Chinese clothes. They also get millions of views on popular video platforms in China and are leading one of the country’s most intriguing youth trends. These are the fans of Guo Feng, which roughly means National Style. It’s a broad online trend among a new generation of influencers that’s meant to be about taking pride in traditional Chinese culture. A prominent part of this trend is hanfu, a... https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay/article/3046835?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay/article/3046835?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:00:11 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Honkai Impact 3rd looks like a Japanese game. It sounds like one, too -- all of the characters speak Japanese. Which is why it’s surprising that it’s actually a Chinese game, developed by Shanghai-based miHoYo. It’s slick and fast, with a really distinct style that makes it possibly one of the best anime games I’ve ever played on mobile. But before I praise the game, I have to acknowledge its darker history. It used to have a pretty disturbing feature... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3029024/hit-anime-schoolgirl-game-looks-japanese-its-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3029024/hit-anime-schoolgirl-game-looks-japanese-its-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Dec 2018 12:01:08 +0000 Honkai Impact 3rd looks like a Japanese game. It sounds like one, too -- all of the characters speak Japanese. Which is why it’s surprising that it’s actually a Chinese game, developed by Shanghai-based miHoYo. It’s slick and fast, with a really distinct style that makes it possibly one of the best anime games I’ve ever played on mobile. But before I praise the game, I have to acknowledge its darker history. It used to have a pretty disturbing feature that’s now defunct: At one point, the game... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/hit-anime-schoolgirl-game-looks-japanese-its-china/article/2176547?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/hit-anime-schoolgirl-game-looks-japanese-its-china/article/2176547?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Dec 2018 12:01:08 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS China’s FAW Group is best known as the state-owned carmaker that builds Red Flag sedans for top Communist officials. But this Chinese icon’s new car has a Japanese twist. FAW subsidiary Bestune (formerly called Besturn) is teasing a new SUV with a “Japanese anime” girl virtual assistant. She comes with several outfit options, including what looks like a police uniform. What’s more, she lives inside a pop-up holographic display that sits right above the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3028859/virtual-assistant-suv-holographic-anime-girl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3028859/virtual-assistant-suv-holographic-anime-girl?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Oct 2018 11:15:00 +0000 China’s FAW Group is best known as the state-owned carmaker that builds Red Flag sedans for top Communist officials. But this Chinese icon’s new car has a Japanese twist. FAW subsidiary Bestune (formerly called Besturn) is teasing a new SUV with a “Japanese anime” girl virtual assistant. She comes with several outfit options, including what looks like a police uniform. What’s more, she lives inside a pop-up holographic display that sits right above the dashboard. Here’s a gif showing her in... https://www.scmp.com/future-tech/virtual-assistant-suv-holographic-anime-girl/article/2166490?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/future-tech/virtual-assistant-suv-holographic-anime-girl/article/2166490?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Oct 2018 11:15:00 +0000 Bilibili, China’s biggest site for anime videos and content, is releasing two games on Steam -- the first time it will publish games outside China. The Con Simulator lets you play as an organizer of a comic con -- while INVAXION is a music-themed game where players “head into an interstellar journey [...] while fighting back with the Artificial Intelligence to save the day”. Both will be officially released in the last quarter of this year. Bilibili, which has 85 million monthly active users,... https://www.scmp.com/big-guns/chinas-biggest-anime-video-site-bilibili-previews-two-games-steam/article/2163547?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/big-guns/chinas-biggest-anime-video-site-bilibili-previews-two-games-steam/article/2163547?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Sep 2018 10:24:35 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Bilibili, China’s biggest site for anime videos and content, is releasing two games on Steam -- the first time it will publish games outside China. The Con Simulator lets you play as an organizer of a comic con -- while INVAXION is a music-themed game where players “head into an interstellar journey [...] while fighting back with the Artificial Intelligence to save the day”. Both will be officially released in the last quarter of this year. Bilibili,... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3028804/chinas-biggest-anime-video-site-bilibili-previews-two-games-steam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3028804/chinas-biggest-anime-video-site-bilibili-previews-two-games-steam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Sep 2018 10:24:35 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS I cried watching Disney’s Inside Out. It put the inner workings of human emotions into perspective. The new Japanese anime Cells at Work! follows a similar formula. But rather than breaking down your emotional turmoil, it puts your physical condition under the microscope. Cells at Work! tells a story of... blood cells. It's about a group of white blood cells that come to the rescue of a group of red cells when a band of pneumonia-inducing bacteria... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3028748/just-half-season-anime-hit-cells-work-snatches-56-million-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3028748/just-half-season-anime-hit-cells-work-snatches-56-million-views?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Aug 2018 13:10:36 +0000 I cried watching Disney’s Inside Out. It put the inner workings of human emotions into perspective. The new Japanese anime Cells at Work! follows a similar formula. But rather than breaking down your emotional turmoil, it puts your physical condition under the microscope. Cells at Work! tells a story of... blood cells. It's about a group of white blood cells that come to the rescue of a group of red cells when a band of pneumonia-inducing bacteria invade a human body. Sounds dull and nerdy at... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/just-half-season-anime-hit-cells-work-snatches-56-million-views-china/article/2160231?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/just-half-season-anime-hit-cells-work-snatches-56-million-views-china/article/2160231?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Aug 2018 13:10:36 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS It feels like Dwayne Johnson is in every film nowadays. But there’s one movie The Rock can’t star in. The makers of Mobile Suit Gundam, Sunrise, came out to reassure concerned fans that the upcoming live-action movie wouldn’t be led by some “typical Hollywood muscle guy” or bastardized to serve an American audience. Hooray! Let’s take a step back here. Earlier this month, Legendary -- the studio that made Pacific Rim -- dropped a bomb by saying that a... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3028649/makers-gundam-say-their-hero-wont-be-typical-hollywood-muscle-guy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3028649/makers-gundam-say-their-hero-wont-be-typical-hollywood-muscle-guy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jul 2018 10:30:15 +0000 It feels like Dwayne Johnson is in every film nowadays. But there’s one movie The Rock can’t star in. The makers of Mobile Suit Gundam, Sunrise, came out to reassure concerned fans that the upcoming live-action movie wouldn’t be led by some “typical Hollywood muscle guy” or bastardized to serve an American audience. Hooray! Let’s take a step back here. Earlier this month, Legendary -- the studio that made Pacific Rim -- dropped a bomb by saying that a live-action Gundam movie is in the works.... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/makers-gundam-say-their-hero-wont-be-typical-hollywood-muscle-guy-rock/article/2155924?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/makers-gundam-say-their-hero-wont-be-typical-hollywood-muscle-guy-rock/article/2155924?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jul 2018 10:30:15 +0000