Anime

After 25 years as an influential force in popular culture, the Japanese manga and anime Ghost in the Shell is headed to American theaters in the spring of 2017. Scarlett Johansson stars in the film and, if its first trailer is any indication, the movie is not shying away from its source material’s wild, imaginative visuals. But how does the Ghost in the Shell live-action film, directed by Snow White and the Huntsman’s Rupert Sanders, compare with the classic anime version, directed by Mamoru Oshii? To find out, check out the trailer above, which takes the audio from the new Ghost in the Shell trailer and pairs it with visuals from the old cartoon. In our opinion, it’s an impressive match. It’s no easy feat to translate wild animated imagery into live-action, but, at least so far, Ghost in the Shell seems to have done it.

The Boy And The Beast is the latest film from Mamoru Hosoda, Hayao Miyazaki's heir apparent. It's a poignant fable about growing up and parenthood, as well as a stunning, fun adventure film. Screen & Page looks at the appeal of the movie, and its adaptation as a manga by Renji Asai.

There have been a lot of action figures made for a lot of superheroes over the years, but I don't think there's ever been a figure made of a hero less suited for "action" than ThreeZero's brand-new 1/6 scale figure of Saitama from One Punch Man. I mean, at least the Man-Eating Cow from The Tick --- who actually did get an action figure --- ate a man once or twice.

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent. This week's best cosplay ever includes Elektra, Princess Tiana, Wonder Woman, and the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus!

When someone declares a certain figure to be the Michael Jordan of their field, that’s an understood cultural shorthand: the person in question dominated their profession, not just providing an exemplar of excellence but actively expanding the definition of what that excellence can mean. The Jumpman pulled off feats of strength, stamina and agility that experts believed to be impossible, and so the comparison is not bestowed lightly.

This past weekend, Paramount Pictures kicked off the publicity tour for its upcoming Ghost in the Shell adaptation with a global launch party in Tokyo. Cast and crew were on hand to talk about the film; exhibitions of the film’s art and costume designs were on display for those in attendance. For the rest of us, something even better was announce: the first theatrical trailer for Ghost in the Shell is here, and it is not exactly short on style.

Sailor Moon's busy schedule of fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight doesn't leave a whole lot of time for after-school activities --- especially when you consider how much is taken up with eating, sleeping, and taking the easy way out. Now, though, it seems that young Usagi Tsukino has finally found a job that fits into her busy schedule: She is the new spokesperson for the Ford Fusion.

Following yesterday’s premiere of the intriguing teaser for the full Ghost in the Shell trailer (debuting on November 13), a new video from the set of the live-action adaptation has arrived online. It doesn’t reveal much in the way of new footage, but it does feature a quick, charming interview with Scarlett Johansson, who offers a sneak peek at one of the film’s many action sequences.

I don’t know exactly what is happening in this teaser for the new Ghost in the Shell trailer, but it’s really, really, really rad. It looks like Scarlett Johansson is a Terminator exiting the Matrix — now there’s a movie idea we can all get behind. My weird film fantasies aside, this short sneak peek at the live-action Ghost in the Shell adaptation definitely accomplishes its mission: We can’t wait to see the full trailer.

Most anime is adapted from manga, often produced by the manga publisher to raise awareness and sell it overseas. But what about the anime shows or films that go the other way, adapted from the screen to the page? How do those works hold up, and what changes or stays the same? That’s what Screen & Page aims to explore. Today, we're looking at a video game adaptation that stands effectively as a horror tale in its own right, while retaining its originators' sense of mystery and unease: Higurashi: When They Cry!