Outline:
Feature Films
All You Need Is Kill
(Studio 4°C, in theaters Jan. 16 from GKIDS)
Inspired by Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel of the same name and separate from the Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt-starred American adaptation Edge of Tomorrow or Live.Die.Repeat (pick your poison), All You Need is Kill does its own interpretation with a punk-stylistic 2D edge. The film centralizes on Rita, a young woman who finds herself repeating the same day after an alien flower named "Darol" emerges in Japan and kills her and her Japan rebuilding volunteer crew. Across Rita’s endless time loop she meets Keiji, a man also experiencing the same loop every time she dies. Together they fight their way to free them from repeating the same day and hopefully find the meaning of the chaos surrounding them.
Cosmic Princess Kaguya!
(Studio Colorido/Studio Chromato, on Netflix Jan. 22)
In this near-future yarn, the titular Japanese moon goddess arrives on Earth as an infant and is found by a busy Tokyo-based teenager named Iroha Sakayori who stuck between studying and work and only finds solace in a VR world named Tsukuyomi. The baby quickly grows to become a teen herself, which compels Sakayori to ask – is she the real Princess Kaguya? The duo form a band and start streaming their tunes on Tsukuyomi, but alas dangerous forces plan to take Kaguya back to the moon.
Scarlet
(Studio Chizu, in theaters Feb. 6 from Sony Pictures Classics)
A contender for the 2026 Oscars, Mamoru Hosoda’s latest maximalist action fantasy finally gets a general release after its limited awards-qualifying run in December. Loosely based on Hamlet, the film follows the medieval-era Belgian princess Scarlet who vows vengeance on her uncle Claudius after he gets her father, the king, killed. Poisoned by his hand, she wakes up in a barren purgatory populated by people from different time periods. If you liked Hosoda joints like Belle and Mirai, get ready to pledge allegiance to Scarlet.
ChaO
(Studio 4°C, in theaters TBD 2026 from GKIDS)
Love makes a splash in Yasuhiro Aoki’s expressive and colorful romantic comedy set in a futuristic Shanghai where humans and mermaids coexist. A mild-mannered office worker’s life is disrupted when he’s proposed to by ChaO, a human sized-Koi princess from the mermaid kingdom. Driven by misunderstanding and chaos, he winds up living with the fish girl. Blending the likes of Ponyo and Splash, ChaO is destined to wash your heart as it did audiences across its 2025 festival appearances at Annecy, Fantasia Film Festival and BFI.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea
(Studio 8-Bit, in theaters TBD 2026 from Crunchyroll)
The second That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime feature follows Slime turned human reincarnate Rimuru Tempest and his friends as they are invited by Celestial Emperor Hermesia to visit her tropical private resort island. But what seems to be a destination vacation is disrupted as a mysterious woman named Yura appears and causes chaos against the backdrop of the boundless azure sea.
TV Series
JUJUTSU KAISEN The Culling Game Part 1
(MAPPA, Jan. 8 on Crunchyroll)
Expand your domain with the first part of Jujutsu Kaisen‘s third season. In The Culling Game saga, evil sorcerer Noritoshi Kamo orchestrates a death game between people he gives cursed techniques to as a barrier descends over Shibuya, trapping many of its citizens while putting the city on a cursed spell. Powerful teen sorcerer Yuji Itadori and his fellow classmates enter the veil and become participants in the deadly battle royale. Now they all must survive the deadly "culling game," especially Itadori as he’s being hunted by Special Grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu who is tasked to execute him.
Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
(David Production, March 19 on Netflix)
Giddy-ora ora ora ora ora- up for Part 7 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Set in 1890-era America, jockey prodigy Johnny Joestar is paralyzed but finds a renewed hope when he meets outlaw Gyro Zeppeli and his set of magical steel balls he uses as bullets. Once touched, the paraplegic Joestar stands again and finds the drive to ride again. He and Zeppeli befriend and participate in the Steel Ball Run Race, a cross-continental horse race with a $50 million grand prize along with other colorful cast of jockeys… and a guy who runs on foot.
BEASTARS Final Season Part 2
(David Production, March TBD on Netflix)
The epic and emotional conclusion of BEASTARS sees the peace between herbivores and carnivores in Zebuth City about to be shattered by the violent criminal Melon’s deadly schemes. As distrust reaches a boiling point, Melon’s fangs draw close to Haru whilst the kind-hearted Legoshi tries to fight against his instincts and injustice. Once Haru and Legoshi reunite, they try to face Melon and hope to change the social society for interspecies love within Zebuth once and for all.
One Piece: Elbaph Arc
(Toei Animation, April 5 on Crunchyroll)
1100+ episodes into its decades-spanning run, One Piece is still continuing its epic yarn with Luffy and the Straw Hat crew sailing to a new destination. But this particular neverending story is switching up its model for the first time since 1999 with Toei only producing 26 episodes per year as opposed to a weekly basis, and only covering the arcs of Eiichiro Oda’s ongoing manga without filler episodes.
Devil May Cry Season 2
(Studio Mir, May 12 on Netflix)
Jackpot! Dante returns with a whole new nu-metal soundtrack to play as he gets back into the demon slaying fray. Based on the Capcom hack-n-slash video game series of the same name, Season 2 sees the red-suited sword-and-gun-wielding half-demon demon slayer reuniting with his long-lost twin brother Vergil. But the family reunion has turned deadly as the two become rivals. New music will once again be provided by Evanescence.
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Final Part – The Calamity
(Studio Pierrot, July 2026 on Hulu/Disney)
The concluding arc of the entire Bleach anime series arrives with the fourth and final part of Blood War. Subtitled The Calamity, the 13-episode season sees Ichigo, Yasutora, Uryū, and Orihime go up against Yhwach and his Quincy forces once and for all.
Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai
(TMS Entertainment, TBD 2026 on Netflix)
The latest chapter of the action-packed Baki saga sees the legendary fighter take on his next foe. After defeating his father, Yujiro Hanma, Baki Hanma faces the resurrected and genetically enhanced Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s greatest swordsman. Bringing his two fists to a swordfight, Baki and his warrior friends take on Musashi in a battle between the past and present.
The Ghost in the Shell
(Science Saru, TBD)
Super policewoman Major Motoko Kusanagi, aka "The Major," is about to be rebooted in an updated series that has yet to secure U.S. distribution. Science Saru – the team behind Dandadan, Inu-Oh, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off – is behind this new show and seems like the right studio to reintroduce one of the best sci-fi tales of all time for a new audience.