Orange’s Trigun Stargaze, a sequel to Trigun Stampede, premiered on Saturday, March 28, at 7 am PT / 10 am ET. The English dubbed finale premieres Saturday, April 11, at 7 AM PT

Yasuhiro Nightow’s Message

Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow had a message for fans of the show:

“TRIGUN STARGAZE has been a grand challenge—to see just how brilliantly, how far, and how powerfully the new generation who embraced my manga would reflect its spirit—is now coming to a close.

From a new perspective, with surprising plot twists, and to depths yet seen before—being able to add a new face to the work known as Trigun has been a joy far beyond anything I could have hoped for.

To the creators, those who supported this, and everyone who walked alongside this journey, I offer my deepest and most heartfelt thanks.

Love & Peace.”

The team also released a hand-drawn visual on Saturday.

The English Voice Actors on Trigun Stampede and Stargaze

Johnny Yong Bosch, known for voicing Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach and Vash the Stampede in Trigun (1998), is back as Vash in Trigun Stampede and Trigun Stargaze.

“Each of the characters has their own unique perspective on the world and how they come together,” Bosch said. “Vash and his stubbornness of not wanting to kill anyone, and he wants to protect everyone – he won’t stop until they believe in him. I love that about him.”

Sarah Roach (One Piece, Fruits Basket), who voiced the English version of Meryl Strife, is a newcomer in the Trigun anime series. Meryl has been a protégé in Trigun Stampede, and in Stargaze, she is now the mentor.

“It touches on how there are different aspects to humanity,” Roach said. “Humanity is capable of these horrible things, but also we’re seeing all these people come together and try to right those wrongs. I think it really showcases the scope of humanity.”

Milly Thompson is Meryl’s new partner, and she is voiced by Alexis Tipton (My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan).

“There are so many things that are true gray areas, and there’s room for discussion and seeing both sides,” Tipton replied to a question about the series’ theme of environmentalism. “The show really creates opportunities for dialogue on a lot of different concepts.”

Nicholas D. Wolfwood is a traveling priest who carries a giant, cross-shaped weapon. He is voiced by David Matranga (My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Street Fighter 6).

“There are so many different messages, and they’re huge: family, connection, community, vulnerability, and even just resources and sustainability,” Matranga said. “The impact of one on the other is a very relevant thing.”

Trigun Stampede and Trigun Stargaze are reimagined adaptations of the manga by Yasuhiro Nightow.

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Adam McArthur, the English voice of Yuji, wanted to really ground the protagonist.

“If you boil that experience down, that usually adds to its simplest emotion,” McArthur tells Nerd Reactor. “It’s guilt. He’s feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders in that moment, and we’ve all felt like that, whether on a small scale or a bigger scale. We’ve all felt those kinds of feelings, and so it’s basically just walking into the room and having emotional availability to recall what it felt like for me to personally experience those emotions so that when I’m reading Yuji’s words, that’s coming from a place of honesty.”

The actor had a goal with the Shibuya Incident, and he wanted it to feel as real as possible.

“When you could hear my voice, I was being affected,” he explained. “I wanted all the trauma Yuji went through to sound like a teenager who was actually living through this, and not someone who was acting like they were crying or acting like they were sad. We hear the larger-than-life performances in some anime, and some genres of anime warrant that kind of performance, but for JJK, I think a grounded, very real-sounding performance is valid. That was my whole goal with it all. Yeah, it was tough, but a lot of fun.”

Yuta, who is voiced by Kayleigh McKee, is a special grade jujutsu sorcerer who appeared in Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the prequel film. He finally comes face-to-face with Yuji in season 3.

“It was only after the movie started to come out that I was catching up on the manga,” McKee said. “I was hearing from fans, and I was realizing everything that was going to go on and how wild that was going to get. It was a series of realizations to have, while at the same time, always unsure because the industry could shift at the drop of a hat. I think it seems like MAPPA really values having Jujutsu Kaisen, so it doesn’t seem like it’s in danger of changing studios, but we’ve seen really good anime change studios and then have struggles. So yeah, I try to take it day by day, but luckily Jujutsu Kaisen, no matter what, is going to be something that I care deeply about.”

About Jujutsu Kaisen

Synopsis: Although born with tremendous power, Itadori Yuji lives a completely ordinary life. One day, to save a classmate, he eats a cursed finger, and now Ryomen Sukuna lives in Itadori’s soul. Guided by the Jujutsu Sorcerers, he joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School, an organization that fights the curses. Now begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to end a curse.

Jujutsu Kaisen is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

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You and I Are Polar Opposites

You and I Are Polar Opposites is a cute and funny anime series based on the 2022 manga. The down-to-earth and relatable series follows Miyu Suzuki (English voice by Celeste Perez), an energetic and popular high school student who falls for Yusuke Tani (English voice by Brandon Acosta), a quiet, stoic classmate.

“The magic is how relatable it is,” Perez tells Nerd Reactor about the magic of the anime. “Every time that I record an episode, I think a lot about being in high school, being a teenager who’s just full of energy. All of the side characters are also so relatable because they’re just like our best friends that we used to have as kids.”

“I also want to say to our director and our script writer, too,” Acosta said. “They really helped us find that vibe, that tone with our voices and everything, our characterizations. And I love that all the characters feel like high schoolers. It reminds me of when I used to hang out with my friends back then.”

Hana-Kimi

Hana-Kimi, based on the manga from 1996, follows Mizuki Ashiya (English voice by Katelyn Barr), a girl who disguises herself as a boy at an all-boys school to be closer to her idol, Izumi Sano (English voice by Wyatt Baker), a star athlete. To add drama to the mix, another student, Shuichi Kakatsu (English voice by Dallas Reid), likes Mizuki, creating a good ‘ol love triangle drama.

“So, Mizuki, when she’s speaking aloud, she’s doing her boy voice, and she’s keeping her facade up that she’s a boy at this boy school,” Barr said of her character. “But inside her head, she’s still girly girl. So it’s been really fun to find moments. It’s not always a clear A voice, B voice. There are interesting moments in the middle where she’s in mixed company, or she doesn’t know if somebody knows she’s a boy or not.”

“To me, my favorite part is picking out what level of boy voice to do in what moment. It changes every episode, too, because different characters know the secret or don’t know the secret. It’s been a really fun little acting challenge. I think speaking outwardly in a boy’s voice is more fun for me.”

Hell’s Paradise

What is Hell’s Paradise doing here? Even though it’s an adventure set in Edo Japan about the search for the elixir of immortality, the main protagonist, Gabimaru (English voice by Alejandro Saab), just wants to live a peaceful life with his wife.

“Funny enough, for me with Hell’s Paradise, one of my favorite parts is the more subtle romance moments,” Saab said. “I know in this world of immortality and action and fire and all this stuff, that it’s just nice to get, for it to calm down and then realize that it’s like, ‘Oh, Gabimaru’s just trying to get back to his wife.’ And I love those moments where it’s very subtle. The most subtle one is where he just pins down Yuzuriha and is like, ‘I’m married.’

“And then the not-so-subtle moment where it’s that monologue in season two where he’s talking about his wife. But I mean, I do love the action. The Chobei fight looks awesome. But there’s just so much in the show that I really like. But I’m a sucker for rom-com stuff.”

Hana-Kimi, You and I Are Polar Opposites and Hell’s Paradise are now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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Spoiler alert: I enjoyed it. The movie was fun, musically catchy, comical, and animated beautifully. Definitely a new kind of movie night. I immediately thought of the “choose-your-own-adventure” books I loved as a kid, brought onto the big screen.

So if you’re interested in not just watching a movie, but participating in one, HYPNOSISMIC, Japan’s first fully interactive theatrical film, lets the audience vote in real time using their smartphones to guide the story. There are 48 paths, 7 different endings, and 25 songs. Tickets are now available, as the movie releases exclusively at select Regal locations on February 27.

For Both HYPNOSISMIC Fans and Newcomers

For fans already familiar with the franchise, you’ll be happy to see the returning rap groups battle it out, but the story is structured for newcomers to enjoy as well. Anime Expo attendees last year got the first taste of interactivity when a portion of the movie was screened at the largest anime convention in the U.S. and North America.

HYPNOSISMIC – Division Rap Battle takes place in a world where WORDS have replaced weapons, and the rise of the Hypnosis Mic has ended armed conflict, allowing disputes to be settled through rap battles rather than violence. Now in the third year of the H. Era, the nation’s top rap divisions from across Japan face off in the Final Division Rap Battle, where rival crews compete for power, pride, and the future itself in the ultimate lyrical showdown.

Rap Groups:

• IKEBUKURO’s Buster Bros!!!
• YOKOHAMA’s Mad Trigger Crew
• SHIBUYA’s Fling Posse
• SHINJUKU’s Matenro
• OSAKA’s Dotsuitare-Hompo
• NAGOYA’s Bad Ass Temple

With high-energy performances, team loyalty, smack talk, fun competition scenes, and audience participation, the moviegoer will immediately know whether their team advances to the next round.

How the Interactive System Works

With real-time audience voting, you’ll directly affect the rap battle outcomes and story progression, making every movie screening a unique experience. 

Voting is done through the CtrlMovie app, which you should download in advance. You’ll scan the QR code that appears on the screen before the movie starts, and you’ll be ready to vote! 

After each energetic rap battle, you’ll be prompted to vote, and you’ll have about 10 seconds to lock it in. The winner is announced after heartbeat sound effects, as you’re in suspense alongside the rap groups, anxious to know who won. Once the winner is announced, you’ll experience the adrenaline rush of live feedback from your theater group. 

This Letterboxd review from Starfrooot summed up my feelings about my particular showing, though: “I voted for my guys, and the whole theater let me down. #FlingPosse”

My favorite group FlingPosse, didn’t make it to the final stage

The Choose Your Own Adventure Film Designed for Repeat Viewings

With 48 paths and 7 different endings, the movie is built for and encourages viewers to come back again and again. Even the CtrlMovie app saves your progress and offers 60 achievements to unlock. My one viewing unlocked 6. 

There’s a lot going on screen that you can’t take in the first time, and I found my eyes darting between reading the speedy lyrics and absorbing in the crazy battles. Maybe I’ll watch another screening to redeem my group, FlingPosse. When the movie was released in Japan, more than 30% of moviegoers returned to theaters to experience different story lines. 

GKIDS Bringing Innovation to Select U.S. Regal Theaters

It’s no surprise that GKIDS, the producer and distributor of award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences, including The Secret of Kells, Mirai, Wolfwalkers, The Boy and the Heron, and much more, is responsible for bringing the first interactive film to U.S. audiences by teaming up with select Regal cinemas. 

This “gamified” theatrical format could shape how studios reimagine audience engagement and storytelling, giving everyone a chance to play an active, fun role in a unique experience.

Buy your HYPNOSISMIC – Division Rap Battle tickets online now for the limited one-day release on February 27 at participating Regal locations and “feel the beat!”

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The episode’s strength lies in how it escalates without abandoning the series’ grounded sensibility. Action scenes feel chaotic but contained, shaped by geography and circumstance rather than flashy choreography. Stakes feel immediate, not because the world is ending, but because innocent people are nearby and everything can go wrong very quickly.

Koichi continues to operate less like a superhero and more like a concerned bystander forced into action. He doesn’t command the scene; instead, he responds to it, often improvising under pressure. Also, Pop☆Step’s role underscores the season’s themes of displacement and vulnerability. Removed from her usual comfort zone, she’s thrust into circumstances she didn’t sign up for, highlighting how easily anyone can become collateral.

Episode 15 features more action and chaos than Episode 14. Thankfully, movement is readable, impact is felt, and the destruction is never too bombastic. Visually, the action feels dangerous because it’s close, loud, and unpredictable.

Overall, the second episode of My Hero Academia Season 2 shows that it doesn’t need city-level devastation to feel intense. It’s a follow-up that reinforces the series’ identity as a grounded counterpoint to My Hero Academia’s larger-than-life conflicts, and a reminder that some of the most dangerous situations don’t need to revolve around the destruction of a city.

Rating: 4/5 atoms

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes episodes premiere every Monday on Crunchyroll.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2 – Episode 15 Review appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

This opening works precisely because Koichi and Pop☆Step aren’t acting as heroes. Here, they’re off-duty, distracted, and out of their usual environment. Koichi’s perspective remains endearingly small-scale, rooted in everyday concerns rather than grand ideals. The episode even treats moments of personal discovery casually. That is to say, power isn’t framed as destiny in this series. Instead, it’s something stumbled into, often inconveniently.

For viewers coming directly from the finale of My Hero Academia, Episode 14 may feel subdued at first. But that restraint is the point. As I said at the beginning, Vigilantes have always functioned as a street-level companion piece. Think of it like Marvel’s street-level heroes. Instead of a world-saving storyline, this series thrives in the margins.

Overall, the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2 premiere sets a deceptively gentle tone that reinforces Vigilantes’ unique identity. By leaning into everyday chaos and quiet unease rather than immediate escalation, the season opens with a sense of fun and adventure. It trusts that viewers will recognize that calm doesn’t mean safety — it just means the trouble hasn’t announced itself yet.

Rating: 4/5 atoms

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes episodes premiere every Monday on Crunchyroll.

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These episodes thrive on aftermath. Shibuya’s destruction lingers and shapes how characters move through the world. The tone is heavier, quieter, and more uneasy. Even moments of action feel like interruptions rather than relief. The atmosphere alone communicates the stake, and it’s a sobering reminder of how much has already been lost.

Yuji Itadori stands at the center of this shift. No longer the reactive protagonist pulled from crisis to crisis. Instead, Yuji now moves with the weight of consequence on his shoulders. Guilt, responsibility, and purpose blur together, and it’s clear that he’s not the same person at the start of the Shibuya Incident.

Visually, MAPPA continues to refine JUJUTSU KAISEN’s identity. The animation leans into chaotic clarity: fights are fast and brutal, but always readable. Camera movement emphasizes momentum and impact, while quieter scenes use stillness and framing to amplify tension.

By the end of Episode 2, the Culling Game’s rules are finally laid bare, and the story pivots toward something far more dangerous than simple survival. These episodes hint at more challenging times ahead. Transitioning from The Shibuya Incident toThe Culling Game makes one thing clear: the rules have changed, and no one is safe.

Overall, JUJUTSU KAISEN The Culling Game Part 1 opens with confidence and restraint. The series uses its first two episodes to reset the board rather than overwhelm it. Thus, by leaning into atmosphere, consequences, and character-driven tension, the season makes its post-Shibuya world feel unstable and unforgiving without resorting to constant escalation. It’s an ominous start that trusts the audience to keep up and rewards that trust with emotional weight and narrative momentum — setting the stage for a story where survival is no longer the goal, but the cost of moving forward.

Rating: 4/5 atoms

JUJUTSU KAISEN The Culling Game Part 1 episodes premiere every Thursday on Crunchyroll.

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Midori Matcha Café is located at 123 Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka St #101-C, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The pop-up experience will have exclusive merchandise and limited-edition menu items.

Spy x Family is about a spy with a fake family, but as it turns out, his wife is an assassin and his daughter is a telepath. Fans will get to eat and drink with themed drinks and desserts based on the Forger family. Guests will receive one of six exclusive coasters when they make a Spy x Family purchase of over $10.

The themed menu includes:

• Loid Forger’s Agent Ritual – Golden Matcha: Covert matcha capped with brown-sugar “intel” for a flawlessly smooth mission
• Anya Forger’s Pink Sweet Bloom: Creamy vanilla and rose soft serve, bursting with sweet secrets only a telepath could taste
• Yor Forger’s Secret Sip: In-house made strawberry puree and effervescent sparkle deliver a lethal burst of refreshment
• Bond Forger’s Paw Harmony: A cozy blend of coconut and matcha over oat milk, calm and sweet just like Bond

Online fandom store GONKBONK and Japanese merchandise company Anique Inc. are bringing exclusive merchandise to the pop-up cafe. Merchandise will also be available on https://gonkbonk.com/curations/spy-x-family. This includes a full-size (12cm) and mini (7cm) Kinoko plush dolls of fan-favorite characters. Other items include exclusive acrylic key charms, acrylic blocks, enamel pins, and t-shirts.

For purchases over $30, guests will receive one of six exclusive Bromide cards.

The post Spy × Family Is Getting a Pop-Up Cafe in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

The premiere episode introduces us to Tanzaburo Tojima, a forty-year-old who has never shaken off his obsession with the Kamen Rider franchise. He’s the type of guy who collects the merchandise, quotes the catchphrases, and daydreams of transforming into his hero. However, his childhood dream of becoming a Rider may feel long gone. Just as he’s on the verge of giving up, a run-in with a robber jolts him into action — and sparks the beginning of a new chapter in his life. The premise is simple, but it’s delivered with just the right balance of humor, heart, and drama. At its core, it’s a love letter to Kamen Rider, tapping into decades of cultural history while framing it through the lens of an unlikely hero.

The first episode of Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider delivers a heartfelt mix of comedy, action, and nostalgia as Tojima chases his dream of heroism.

The best part of this episode is how it establishes Tojima as more than just a gag character. He’s relatable to anyone who has ever idolized a superhero or clung to a dream that seemed impossible. His arc mirrors characters like Kafka in Kaiju No. 8 — an everyman who finds his calling later in life. That’s what makes him compelling: he’s not perfect, he’s not young, but he’s earnest. And that sincerity makes it easy to root for him.

Stylistically, Episode 1 functions as both a homage and a parody. Some moments wink at longtime Kamen Rider fans, but it never feels exclusionary. Instead, the episode draws viewers in with comedy — some of it slapstick, some situational — then grounds it in real emotional weight. Sprinkle in a dash of action, and you’ve got a recipe for an entertaining episode.

Overall, the first episode of Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is a promising start for an anime that has the potential to become a cult favorite. While this episode only offers a glimpse of the bigger story, it’s a strong enough tease to keep me curious about where Tojima’s journey goes next.

Rating: 3/5 atoms

New Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider episodes premiere every Saturday at 10 AM PST.

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Kunagi is the macho protagonist who has a soft spot for cats. He worked at a cat café and has an encyclopedic knowledge of cats. His world turns upside down when cats are turning humans into cats. The cats aren’t zombie cats, so they still look adorable, and if they jump on you and touch your skin, you’ll turn. As the show progresses, audiences will learn more about the process.

“I think that one of the great things about the show is that you don’t have to be a cat lover or a dog lover to watch and enjoy it,” Douglas tells Nerd Reactor at the CatCafe Lounge in Los Angeles. “But it certainly is there for you if you are, and I think for cat lovers for sure. But if you’re a horror fan, I think this show breaks out of, at least in North America, the expectations about what an anime is. This is a show that I think potentially could find a lot of fans outside of the anime fanbase.”

Since the cats still act like normal cats, this makes things tough for Kunagi, who absolutely loves cats.

“Yeah, it’s exciting,” Delilah said of the anime. “It’s adorable because you just want to hug them. You don’t want to run. I would not survive five seconds because I would just hug them all and touch them and then I’d be a cat.”

There are a few burly guys who love cats in Nyaight of the Living Cat, and that includes Tanishi.

“What’s great about it is it speaks to [Tanishi’s] affection for cats, which I love,” Temple said of his character. “We have this burly macho alpha male, 12 pack anime abs, clearly spends time at the gym, cool faux hawk, but just cannot deny his passion for the feline. It becomes his demise and then we flash back and he’s part of the moving world.”

About Nyaight of the Living Cat

Synopsis: Run! The adorable cats are here. In 20XX, the world is dominated by cats. A virus which turns anyone who touches a cat into a cat has spread into a worldwide nyandemic. Cats rub against people, turning them into cats. Can humanity fight their urge to pet cats to survive in this cat-ridden world?

Nyaight of the Living Cat debuted on July 6, with the English dub debuting on July 20. It is streaming only on Crunchyroll. New episodes, subbed and dubbed, premiere on Sundays.

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