A drawing I did to celebrate the start of Crunchyroll Expo 2020.

Crunchyroll Expo 2020 - Crunchyroll Originals Presents: Making of Onyx Equinox - Notes!

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (PDT) |  Friday 4 September 2020 - 2 pm to 3 pm central

Panel Description: Join the creative staff behind the Crunchyroll Original series Onyx Equinox for a deep dive into the making of the show. Learn more about the production, mythology, and more as you journey through Mesoamerica in preparation for the premiere. Featuring: Sofia Alexander - Executive Producer & Show Creator, “Onyx Equinox,” Kuni Tomita - Supervising Director, “Onyx Equinox,” Marisa Balkus - Producer “Onyx Equinox” Hosted by Kyle Cardine, Editor at Crunchyroll | Room: CRUNCHYROLL STAGE

Credit: Casea Mhtar | @madamekrow

What was the challenge of telling the story across cultures? 

• It wasn’t much of a challenge as they let the characters carry them through their own culture and experience it with them.

What specific cultures will be included in this show and what should we look out for?

• Developing and producing this show was interesting because they go beyond Aztec and Mayan cultures within Mesoamerica. Lots of the places they explore have been lost to history. A goal of theirs was to explore historical sites to encourage viewers to want to visit those places or learn about them in books. They are well aware of some tropes that they lovingly added when it comes to actions or relationships.

What are the themes tackled in the show?

• They had to deal with the death of people and animals, and in animation it isn’t something readily dealt with. Because of people’s misconceptions of these cultures, when you mention “Aztec” they imagine people tearing out hearts and violence. Though that did occur, it wasn’t born out of violence and bloodlust. There was so much more to the culture especially in regards to sacrifice. So there is nuance in these serious themes that is explored in this show.

What was the general thought behind creating a show for a global audience?

• The challenge was creating characters the audience could see themselves in without having to over explain that character’s world and culture. They decided not to explain everything in order to make it all feel more natural. They want their audience to be curious and look into these cultures for themselves instead. They hope that this show inspires people to continue telling stories about Mesoamerican culture.

Is there anything fans should know going into the first episode?

• The attention to detail that the entire crew put into it has purpose. Everything means something, it may even be a pictogram or glyph, something to be translated. Mexican culture is very colorful and vibrant, all of the colors are very symbolic with each one having a completely different meaning.

Why do you think anime fans will like this show in particular?

• Most of the crew grew up watching anime or working on anime for their careers. It has challenged them in life and this show is allowing them to take inspiration from it and give back to it. They use the structure of shonen anime but subvert it and give it a fresh take to make the hero feel more modern and new.

Crunchyroll Expo 2020 - Archiving Anime Fandom - How to Save the Past - Notes!

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM (PDT) |  Friday 4 September 2020 - 3:30 pm to 4:15 pm central

Panel Description: This panel will talk about the people who are currently archiving anime fandom history as well as offer you resources so you can contribute. Let's preserve as much as we can! Featuring: Lance Heiskell | Room: YUZU STAGE

By: Jenna Morgan | @jkmorgan-media​

The grind is real with this guy! Imagine playing an MMO like Runescape and chopping up the same oak tree to level up, believing that one day you’ll earn money doing this. You chop the same Runescape oak tree every day for years before you actually do. It doesn’t get any harder, it’s a thankless job that no one seems to understand. But eventually you DO earn money and your passion for chopping these easy tedious trees becomes profitable. Idk, you open a shop or something and there becomes some tree shortage or something. The metaphor kinda ends there. The point? THE GRIND.

I’m sure many people found his work for archiving older anime media (such as comics, magazines, videos, interviews, conventions, and more) unimportant, or even a waste of his time, not understanding the importance of his work... Obviously *he* saw the importance of preserving these pieces of work; it’s art and history. Museums preserve items and devices, maybe even a reconstructed figure to represent what once was, so what would the digital version of this be?

Answer: Media archeology. That is both a broad and narrow subject. Most probably wouldn’t be interested in obsolete communication devices or old metal cylinders that were one of the first to record sound on, but this idea proceeds old, outdated physical items. Online this idea has branched out into different subcategories and different websites with similar information but differently mapped out for different uses.

Anyone who has looked up royalty free music for independent work or anyone who needs copyright safe videos on the Internet Media Archive knows the importance of this. Those who don’t, think of school and doing research projects. Did you ever research something and think that they didn’t really focus on your selected project subject when choosing books for the library, or wonder if the teacher hates you for giving you such an impossible assignment? Well, it may be lack of funding from the school, or the teacher is making a point about research and history. You have to deep dive half the time to find older media that isn’t mainstream. I’m sure Robotech is somewhere to stream but it’s not exactly on Netflix on the homepage, is it? Production studios have a research department that would be the paper form of what he does but it’s not available to anyone that isn’t willing to pay and be there in person. This way, anyone who is interested in the subject or needs/wants the archived media can do so with free range and have the freedom to use it for their own personal work (as long as they follow other guidelines of course). Working within the same system (the internet) for years, he has become familiar with many sites that post archived anime media that he not only benefits from but supports on his website!

He may have made it seem like a very simple system and not that impressive while talking about it on the panel (it honestly was hard to listen to him not being very enthusiastic about his work for awhile), but his work speaks for itself on exactly how passionate he is. If you have a chance to check out his website (https://www.animenostalgiabomb.com), it’s coo-coo-crazy-bananas, so enjoy! Maybe find your new obsession.

Crunchyroll Expo 2020 - [The Importance of] Worldbuilding in Anime - Notes!

By: Jenna Morgan | @jkmorgan-media

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM (PDT) |  Saturday 5 September 2020 - 4 pm to 4:45 pm central

Panel Description: Have you ever had an anime just whisk you away to another world? Somewhere that not only felt real, but somehow, more than that? Anime has the power to craft a reality beyond what’s possible in our own, but how do they do it? Is it the gorgeous painted landscapes? The rich lore and culture? Let’s explore these incredible worlds together by observing the anime that excel at building them and what makes them tick. Featuring: Robert Schiele | Room: YUZU STAGE

This panel, titled “Worldbuilding in Anime,” is more of a defense for the importance of thinking about and including world building in stories than an examination of world building elements in animes you’ve seen before or will see. 

--

Why World Building?

Every setting in a show, even if it is supposed to be based in real-life, is technically its own world. What constitutes these worlds aren’t necessarily rules of combat, social rules or the like. They may play apart of it, but real world building is how the lives and how it works within the world. It’s essentially what lies beyond the show/story and what dictates how the story can or cannot work. 

For example, you see a high school gym in your favorite sports anime. Where is the gym on the high school’s directory? What exists does it have and why are they placed there? What is the settings purpose? Is the gym just a random place for the characters to meet? Or is there some extreme rules that dictate their necessity to only practice here every day, making the setting more of an obstacle.

By viewing the setting as it’s own character, one that requires details and will create assumptions/implications of the world and how it works, you can create a statement/commentary about ours and the world of the characters. 

It’s important that you don’t break the realm of disbelief and then lose the audience, because when you make a world with rules, they must be followed or the story becomes more of the focus and loses the power the initial world that drew the audience in initially.

Anime gives the freedom to make up any world that would be too impossible to create in a production studio, which allows so much more in terms of making the most impossible world possible. 

Even a world that doesn’t seem to have rules, has rules (like, Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland). 

Scale of the world doesn’t need to be larger than life to do so either--you can start small like a cave, and get so much out of it. Think about movies like Oculus or The Room. The setting is a limited space, and yet we see a world. 

You want to capture the FEEL of a place, not just what it looks like. You can do this by playing with lighting, color composition and more. 

Time period placement would also help with the arc of the characters and aid in building the world and its rules. If there was a story set in our world’s England during the Victorian period, that gives us a good amount of information to begin imagining what kind of world this would be, what the story would likely be about, and its limits regarding clothing, laws, social expectations, etc. You wouldn’t expect people staring at their cell phones and missing a train to be a problem for the characters of that world. The physics of the world would still be similar to ours, probably, but with a detailed timeline we can draw on. 

Remember that the setting is, itself, a character. One that you can use as a reflection of the plot, major characters, or to set a tone. If the main character wasn’t there, would the world still exist? How? What would happen to it without that character (think, It's a Wonderful Life)? What is the dynamic between our main character and this world and what difference does it make? Do the characters make the world better? Worse? What brought the world to what it is now and how did time in this world affect everything else? Everyone else? What type of people live there? Are they in categories or careers, both? Who really fits in this world and how does one accomplish that?

There are reasons and nuances for characters’ drive or purpose in the story, as well as their own story. The same applies to the world you are creating in your work.

Crunchyroll Expo 2020 - Crunchyroll Games Industry Panel - Notes!

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (PDT) |  Friday 4 September 2020 - 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm central

Panel Description: Crunchyroll presents its current and upcoming game library. Hear from game developers and creative staff, plus enjoy exclusive gameplay, announcements, reveals, and more! Featuring: Masayuki Yamagishi, Erik, Rian Tachibana, Kensuke Mita, David Cai, Tim Lyu | Room: CRUNCHYROLL STAGE

Credit: Casea Mhtar | @madamekrow​

Naruto x Baruto: Ninja Tribes

• There will be a browser based version on the Crunchyroll site itself as well as mobile app versions on Apple and Android. A free-to-play game where you assemble your own tribe and fight other players in PvP or raids. You can also build alliances (guilds) with your friends! There will be an upcoming half-anniversary update.

Mass For The Dead

• A turn-based RPG on mobile based on the anime Overlord.

Grand Alliance

• Will be released on mobile soon.

Grand Summoners

• An anime RPG that has many different crossover characters such as One Punch Man, Crunchyroll’s mascot Hime, etc.

The Summer of Online Anime Cons - Review!

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial​

OKAY. This review has been way overdue, but in my defense, I wanted to wait until Summer was officially over, and for me, that meant the Crunchyroll Expo needed to happen before making this post. So let's get into it:

This summer, in addition to the Big Three Anime Weekend (where people could attend Anime Expo Lite, Funimation Con 2020, and Aniplex Online Fest all at once), we also had Comic-Con, the Virtual Crunchyroll Expo, and several other small conferences happening online like the Toonami special. 

The events I "attended" happened to all be free (woohoo!), and to be perfectly honest: I LOVED it. I hope that they have more virtual conventions like these in the future.  It's not because I don't love in-person and live conventions. I mean, anyone that knows me personally knows that I love conventions, traveling, dressing up, and more. I am a massive nerd for literary/professional/writing conferences and actively seek them out to attend throughout the year (if not present at them). I love anime conventions just as much and see them as a way to geek out with people from all over the world who share the same interests I do (and often know the niche anime/manga/webcomic/etc. that so few of my regular friends know about or have any interest in seeing!). 

However, I think that Anime Expo has seriously fallen apart in recent years. It's something I've been more than vocal about in the past, like last year. Last year, as much as I did have fun, the convention space was overly crowded. AX is one of the largest anime conventions in the US, and overcrowding isn't unexpected given the size of it; however, since 2017, the convention has gone from simply full/crowded to claustrophobia-inducing. Enough so that someone like me, who had never felt claustrophobia before in their life, became overwhelmed and physically ill due to the number of people touching me on all sides as we attempted to shimmy down packed hallways. As a reference, I usually love enclosed and or crowded spaces--like, my mom and I frequented packed swap-meets as a child that I loved navigating. I also grew up with six older siblings, in a home next to Disneyland... so, like, crowds are not an issue for me, which is why I never expected to feel the level of anxiety I did in that horrible 2017 crowd, which repeated in AX 2019.

Add on to that panel experience: whereas before people could and would regularly slip in and out of panels with lines sometimes being outside the door for smaller rooms with more popular content, now the lines for most programs are often placed outside, in the heat, with attendees asked to line up sometimes hours in advance to have even a chance of attending. To my knowledge, Sakura-Con and several other conventions I've gone to in the last few years don't have that problem, and it's a fair guess as to why but let's leave that topic for another day.

By comparison, the virtual convention was a breeze! Yes, sometimes I had to sacrifice going to one panel over another, but who hasn't had to do that at conventions before? Ultimately, I could enjoy the panels from the comfort of my own home in PJs. I didn't need to worry about food, overheating in the sun, or finding the bathroom while at my house. I didn't get to meet new people (😥), but I did get to "attend" with friends of mine that can't go to conventions regularly for health reasons.

My major criticism of the virtual conventions can be summed up pretty easily. One issue I found was that the scheduling of three digital-conventions in one weekend was far too tight, but that was quickly mediated by the Funimation and Aniplex groups banding-together and merging the events so that Day 2 of FC2020 was a split with AOF2020. Another criticism I had is the lack of shopping--but I'm sure my wallet and bank account were relieved to find that I was much too entranced in panels to care about putting my cards through a ringer. I thought I would be upset by panel cancellations, but since virtual conventions are new and since panel cancellations happen at live conventions too, I can't say I'm all that upset by them. Not to mention how easy it was to handle such cancellations online when you have many more panels to attend freely.

What was probably most upsetting was, at times, the layout. Of all the conventions, I think AX and Comic-Con did the best job with panel layout. AX used Twitch live streams, YouTube, and a handful of unique call-in panels that were easy to navigate. More frustrating was the ever-changing schedule times at AX, but that happens (mainly when you are one of the first conferences navigating the online-field and thereby making all the first mistakes). Ultimately, it was EASY to get to the right "room" for the right panel. It helped too that their schedule was frequently updated, so it was rarely a question of "which room?" and "when does this thing start?" Comic-Con, which featured all their panels on pre-scheduled youtube posts, was similarly easy to navigate and enjoy. Frankly, I preferred the use of YouTube as Comic Con's primary platform for distribution more, but that's just because I enjoy being able to go back and rewatch things later.

Funimation and Aniplex suffered a bit by not updating their schedules consistently. For example, Funimation kept listing panels for Day 2 in the room merged with the Aniplex Online Fest live-stream, leaving me (and I'm sure a few others) to wonder what in the world happened to all those disappearing panels. Though, I'm sad to say that Crunchyroll Expo had it way worse. Their different "rooms" attempted to allow for many panels and multiple languages, and it suffered due to the way they handled this, among other complications. The way things were labeled for different languages meant you either had to search through the individual tabs to make sure you wouldn't miss anything, or sift through all of it at once. There was no in-between. You also wouldn't know which panel was whereafter it aired, meaning things got lost easily. Sometimes I wouldn't even know what panel was canceled, rescheduled, or entirely overlooked by me! This issue is difficult for me to find acceptable, as the Crunchyroll Expo happened months after other conventions and had arguably more time to review platform options and layouts for their digital conference. It almost felt like they were aiming for a "different just to be different" feel ultimately at the cost of user experience, which is crazy since Crunchyroll is one of the largest online anime streaming platforms in the US abroad. It would have been better for them to publish their pre-recorded panels similar to episodes of a show that people could scroll through than the disorganized mess that their expo "stages" tried to do.

With that said, let’s focus on content. 

Panels were the main focus of these conventions (obviously), and content-wise, they did NOT disappoint. AX hit HUGE on the industry panels from major licensing and publishing companies in the US and Japan. They also had the most in terms of interesting focuses. There was a healthy mix of fan panels, culture panels, industry panels, and such, meaning someone could find something of interest in nearly every hour. In fact, at the time, Casea (@madamekrow) and I were in a real panic about how to watch everything we wanted to watch. You could tell that a lot of thought had gone into making this thing work given how quickly they had to switch from live to digital, and I appreciate that. FC2020 and AOF2020, by comparison, were not as reliable in terms of those profession-based and fan-based panels, and given that they are mainly licensers of anime rather than convention planners, it makes sense. They were also up against a convention with a long history (BTW, AX celebrates 30 years in 2021). That's not to say they didn't come to the table without the cards. 

FC2020 brought it home with premiere screenings of animes to come. My favorite of their premiere list is By The Grace of The gods, set to come out in October of 2020. Meanwhile, AOF2020 lacked premieres, professional and fan-based panels but made up for it with entertainment of a different kind. They hosted all-night marathons of popular works they license, held a digital concert, and unintentionally perhaps, generally gave a place to "chill" between the stressful jumping from panel to panel. In conclusion of the Big Three Weekend, they gave the summer a phenomenal start!

Next up is Comic-Con. In my opinion, their panels were heavily movie-based as opposed to print-media comics, manga, or anime. Yes, of course, there were plenty of comic panels too, but they weren't the same as what we saw during AX, FC2020, or AOF2020. The feel was different--maybe because of content. Regardless, it was interesting. I enjoyed much of the industry-related panels, like "Manga Publishing Industry Roundtable" and "How to Thrive as an Indie Comics Creator Now!" (I mentioned before I'm a publishing nerd, right?) Perhaps most preferable to me is that the Comic-Con panels are still available on their YouTube channel, which means that unlike many other conventions, I can share the panels with friends interested in a particular series, subject, or person. I LOVE that. Share-ability is huge, and I think Comic-Con was smart to make their content available moving forward. It has certainly been great for my film-loving friends and our team members here at The Anime View (like Jenna @jkmorgan-media​).  

Lastly, Crunchyroll Expo. What can I say about this one? The panels were huge variables. I know that everyone on our team found them to be a mixed bag, myself included, as Crunchyroll opened up to fans hosting panels. This was great, in my opinion, but with that comes a bit of criticism. Some fan panels were polished, exciting, and engaging. I loved many of the mecha panels. I also loved some that were engaging discussions of a topic between people that were close friends. HOWEVER, with that came just as many who were new to public speaking, hadn't prepared much of anything and just recorded an awkward Zoom call, or worse (it's hard to describe how).

As for the smaller conferences like the mini-Toonami Con during Adult Swim’s digital conference, I don’t really have anythings specific to say so I’ll be leaving them out of this review. 

I don't want to shoot down any of the fans that hosted panels despite this negative review. It's HARD to present at conferences, and for some, it's even harder when they know they are being recorded. I remember my first conference where I stared at my paper the whole time and had to be asked to raise my voice twice for people to hear, while my friend aimed my phone at me to record the mortifying presentation for my mother. I don't blame the people that had a hard time doing this, and I fully support Crunchyroll for giving fans, particularly young ones, the platform and experience to do this. Some of those panels were very interesting, despite the presenter's awkwardness. Controversially, the handful that made no effort (and you could tell which), I don't extend that empathy.

For me, panels quality has nothing to do with camera work, lighting, or even sound in some cases (for the most part, as long as you can hear the words--awesome). I didn't need to see spot-on PowerPoint slides, anime clips to fit the conversation or hyperactivity. To me, it was all about what was being said or not said. One panel that comes to mind that I aimed to attend was about picking the right anime for you or a friend. I ended up ditching half-way through. It was, sorry to say, terrible. The hosts definitely had the energy and passion to discuss anime and interesting subjects beyond their approach to the idea of recommendations. 

For example, they spent a reasonable amount of time comparing how they grew up experiencing anime to how many people now entering the fandom have come to know it. They started by describing how they watching anime on a handful of VHS rentals from BlockBusters, while many people in my (Peggy's) "anime generation" grew up in the age of fansubs and illegal uploads; meanwhile, my (Peggy's again) niece grew up experiencing all of her anime through legal online licensing services like Netflix, Funimation, Crunchyroll, etc. After discussing that difference, they mentioned briefly (as in one time in a single sentence) that the popularity of a particular genre in anime when you entered may affect what you find most interesting before completely undercutting themselves to say that you can't recommend anything to anyone because people always think about what they like first. (I hate to break it to them, but I find it pretty easy to recommend things based on my friends' stated interests in past series. Maybe that's because I watch almost everything of every genre in anime, but also--it's not rocket science. If your friend likes thrilling action movies, you can probably name a few thrilling action animes to satisfy their interest.) It felt as though the panel's title was misleading when the answer to recommending anime is "you can't." (when, in fact, you can with little to no complications!)

Overall, for me, AX takes the crown in terms of content. They had a fantastic mix of everything you hope to see at a comic convention in addition to making it fun. Comic-Con takes the crown for best platform use and layout (AX takes a close second and Aniplex/Funimation sharing third)... Crunchyroll doesn't rank in this category. Aniplex/Funimation shares the title of Best Entertainment. Crunchyroll takes the crown for fan inclusion into the presentation spotlight. They're all winners, but if I really had to rank them, it'd be this:

Anime Expo - Title: Content is King  👑

Comic-Con - Best Platform/Layout

Aniplex/Funimation (Sharing is caring) - Best Entertainment

Crunchyroll - Best Fan Inclusion

With that, I conclude my long drafted review. Thank you for your patience, and I'll see you all next week in another post!

Crunchyroll Expo 2020 - History of Mecha: The 60s & 70s - Recommended Watch!

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM(PDT) |  Friday 4 September 2020 - 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm central

Panel Description: Mecha anime has a storied history that deserves to be told. Join NoS Anime on a journey that highlights the major milestones throughout the years. In this first installment, discover the origins and early development of mecha anime from Tetsujin 28 to Mobile Suit Gundam Featuring: Andrew Magee, Andrew Murphy | Room: YUZU STAGE

By: Peggy Wood | @peggyseditorial​

OKAY. I walked into this panel (not physically, but virtually), expecting to be completely like Ernesti. I was going to take ALL the notes and post them here like a not and just feel myself surrounded in anime glitter as I enjoy the beauty of giant robots!!

HOWEVER, I feel like I cannot deprive you all of the joy in watching this panel for yourselves. So, I searched online and found a copy of the panel since it was pre-recorded. 

If you love learning about the mecha genre or are as obsessed as I, and Ernesti from Knight’s & Magic, are with giant fighting robots--I HIGHLY recommend watching this panel for yourself. You can find a recorded copy uploaded to youtube here. 

It is completely worth it! <3 Now, please excuse me as I go back to fangirling over this beautiful history lesson in mecha. 

Crunchyroll Expo 2020 - GKIDS INDUSTRY PANEL - Notes!

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM (PDT) |  Friday 4 September 2020 - 5:30 pm to 6 pm central

Panel Description: GKIDS, New York-based producer and distributor of award-winning, international animation, including Makoto Shinkai’s WEATHERING WITH YOU and Studio TRIGGER’S PROMARE, discusses their upcoming titles and shares insights on film distribution for feature animation in a changing world. Featuring: Dave Jesteadt, Erica Chon, Chance Huskey | Room: SUDACHI STAGE

Credit: Casea Mhtar | @madamekrow​

--

• Lupin III The First is coming soon in English Dub! The Japanese Sub version was initially released in 2019 to much praise and excitement for the film. GKIDS are doing their best to have a theatrical release with the highly anticipated film; however, they want to be as safe as possible when doing it. A video release date has been set, and it was also announced that the original voice cast will be returning for Lupin's first CGI adventure. If you haven't seen Lupin III or have any prior knowledge, no need to fear! This film is a good entry point into the "Lupin Universe" since it's light-hearted and easy to enjoy without needing to know what came before it.

• Children of the Sea (2019), a beautiful film based on the five part manga by Daisuke Igarashi. The story is full of lore that the film will trust the viewer to know or understand. The story-telling goes off the beaten path and gives a very unique and profound experience. It doesn't try to adapt the source material into something more palatable by Hollywood's standards. The film's purpose is to bring this cult-hit to life authentically. In the future, they are open to a theatrical release as the bright and detailed visuals and depth of the music demand it. But will look into doing so when it is deemed safe. With that in mind, they do have a video release date set for the Dubbed version.

• ON-GAKU: Our Sound (2019) is an indie animated film based on the manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi. The director of the movie and close friend of Ohashi's, Kenji Iwaisawa, spent seven years working on this film as a passion project. The story follows three high school delinquents as they pursue their goal of having a rock band. The art is simple with humorous little details, and it pairs perfectly with the bone-dry humor. The film has gained quite a lot of traction in Japan, especially showing how it can acquire a following based on word-of-mouth alone. GKIDS informs that it should be released no later than early next year.

• Earlier this year, GKIDS released Weathering With You, a film directed by Makoto Shinkai. Famously known for his other works such as The Garden of Words (2013) and Your Name (2016), it has amassed great success for this recent film. Weathering With You has achieved the title of the third top-grossing animated film of the year thus far! It is available for download, and on September 15th, there will be a SteelBook released in limited quantities. A Limited Collector's Edition is also set to drop in mid-November.

• Promare (2019) is a colorful and energetic film from Studio Trigger. It was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by Kazuki Nakashima, having previously worked together on Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill. There was a Collector's Edition released in early August, and GKIDS has pledged to bring it to theatres in 2021!

• The most recent film from Masaaki Yuasa, Ride Your Wave, is GKIDS' first dub to be done remotely after Covid-19 hit. On the GKIDS website, there is an interesting blog post detailing the process of dubbing the film and adapting the theme song in such conditions.

• GKIDS is currently creating an English dub for The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, by Masaaki Yuasa, for a release early next year.

• GKIDS will also be dubbing another film by Yuasa, Inu-Oh, that is currently in production.

• Hayao Miyazaki's most recent film, The Wind Rises, will finally be coming to Blu-Ray and DVD on September 22nd! This will allow you to complete your GKIDS collection of Miyazaki films. It will also include a documentary episode of Miyakai entering the creation process of The Wind Rises in addition to other bonus features that are not on previous editions. GKIDS will also continue to regularly drop SteelBook editions of the Studio Ghibli films, Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind and KiKi's Delivery Service being the most recent to be released. (Here's a link to that very blog post: https://gkids.com/2020/08/06/ride-your-wave-behind-the-dub/)