Whisper of the Heart review – Studio Ghibli deep cut is pep talk on how to live the artistic life
Hayao Miyazaki-scripted 90s teen romance sees an aspiring writer drawn to a potential soulmate thanks to library books and a curmudgeonly cat
August 2026
Clowns, archangels and fake heads: Nairobi’s anime convention – in pictures
The Ribbon Hero review – do-gooder princess battles giant flying earwigs in update of classic yarn
June 2026
Deja viewing: the return of the cheapo compilation film
Angel’s Egg review – Mamoru Oshii’s dazzling 1985 anime is an eerie philosophical adventure
Japanese manga fans urge Trump to stop using characters in his online posts
Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway review – motorbike whodunnit cranked up to top speed
April 2026
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea review – hectic anime lives again
There is less daffy humour in this sequel than in the 2023 original, but some sublime animation
March 2026
The Last Blossom review – a yakuza faces his final reckoning in affecting anime
A talking balsam flower asks an elderley yakuza to weigh up a life of violence and kindness in Baku Kinoshita’s quietly contemplative tale
Scarlet review – Mamoru Hosoda turns Hamlet into tale of prowling knights and deep ‘nothingness’
The normally great director misses the mark with a wonderfully animated but narratively clunky retelling of the Shakespearean staple
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved review – sword, sorcery and smartphones
Those not up to speed on the Miss Kobayashi manga may struggle with the full nuance of this dimension hopping anime, but the visuals are stunningly to look at
February 2026
All You Need Is Kill review – time loop anime offers giant alien flower for Groundhog Day with mechs
New version of the sci-fi day-on-repeat sees a perplexed duo repeatedly battle monstrous plants but leaves you feeling as bored as the protagonist appears
Stream team
Pluto: the spinoff that reshapes Astro Boy into a provocative political drama
Far from the cheery innocence of the beloved manga series it’s based on, this anime adaptation is a futuristic murder mystery railing against the atrocities of war
Lupin the IIIrd the Movie: The Immortal Bloodline review – eye-popping fan-service in latest in anime franchise
Takeshi Koike’s latest take on Monkey Punch’s vintage manga thief is beautifully animated, but the gossamer-thin plot and characterisation mean it’s one for superfans only
January 2026
Another World review – kaleidoscopic afterlife fairytale with the dark fury of a Greek tragedy
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! review – trippy anime adapted from Japanese folk dives into virtual reality popworld
December 2025
Demon Slayer economics: how the anime juggernaut became a saviour
Today in Focus
Labubus, TikTok and KPop Demon Hunters: how childhood went east Asian – podcast
November 2025
Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution review – spectacular if baffling anime is out to thrill and bewilder
100 Meters review – mesmerising anime of young athletes in search of physical and spiritual high
