YES. It should be released in theaters, and soon. But Paramount won't do any of that because if there’s one thing media corporations will always do, it’s severely misunderstand the animation market.
If you send out an email today containing the phrase "Happy Tax Day," I simply do not want to hear from you ever again.
My MA students are hosting a fandom/fan studies conference and these are the posters 💖
Someone on Letterboxd dubbed ChaO (Yasuhiro Aoki, 2025) the "Incel Ponyo" and they are extremely correct but the animation is exhilarating and fantabulous and I had the absolute best time finally seeing it in the theater.
I never got another physical copy, but I did download the open-access digital version. Congratulations - it looks fantastic and I'm excited to read it!
Here is the full announcement, should you want to hurt yourself further: ai.sfsu.edu/student-ai-a...
Fucking Hell
I just wrote "I have no horse in this steel ball run" in my feedback to a paper and was once again reminded that I am severely underpaid and underappreciated for what I bring to these students' education.
Right? Who approved this. I just wanna talk over some drinks and snacks.
A very strong contender for most utterly tasteless April Fools' email, courtesy of the California Faculty Association.
I did not take any photos at #SCMS26 because of generalized awkwardness but it was lovely to catch up with academic friends and meet *their* friends! If I missed any of you, please know that it was due to unfortunate spatiotemporal configurations and not a calculated choice to avoid you. Probably.
Yes! Loved your paper! I see a YouTube rabbit hole in my future.
Reporting from O'Hare Terminal 3: cleared TSA in ten minutes. #SCMS26
Hey #SCMS26, if you are the absolute clown who took my reserved, clearly labeled copy of Zen and Slow Games from the MIT press table, I hope your pillow is always warm and your sheets forever scratchy.
Thank you! And thanks for coming!
I got the dreaded 9 AM Thursday slot at #SCMS26, and my panel is programmed against an awesome stop motion roundtable l I wish I could attend instead 🫠 Still, I'll be around for the whole conference, so I'd love to catch up with folks!
Remember when sci-fi was FUN, full of heart, and backed by proper movie star power? Phil Lord and Christopher Miller sure do.
Thank you! I hope it's useful.
Hey video game folk, have any of you been to GDC? My MA student got a donated pass and wants to know where and who they should try networking with.
I don't have any GDC experience, so I have no clue what to tell them. This is a Media Studies person with an interest in TTRPGs and horror/queer games.
My student chose this particular JJK screenshot for her anime tropes assignment, demonstrating A skills in media literacy and A+ skills in knowing her professor.
Yes, there is room for so much more! I do want the Criterion Collection to have a more consistent strategy re: animation acquisitions but complaining when they *do* release a successful, well-crafted feature like this isn't the way.
People are saying "[insert animation classic] deserves it more." Yes, BUT: The Criterion almost never platforms animation. Netflix is notorious for not releasing its films on physical media *and* for shelving successful animation for no good reason. So this is a win, and I'm excited to own a copy.
Personally, I prefer saturnine relationships. Perhaps even mercurial ones, if you're nasty.
Had a fantastic time recording an episode of the excellent Fantasy/Animation podcast with hosts Christopher Holliday and Alexander Sergeant. We cover generative AI and animation, my current main research area. Give it a listen at the link below!
My pleasure! What a cool idea and a stellar line-up of colleagues!
Back in November, I got an unusual request in my inbox: would I be down with recording a Ghibli podcast on The Cat Returns, one of my least favorite Ghibli movies?
Turned out to be a really fun conversation, thanks to host @ettletodd.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/6Cip...
Happy Circle Back Day to all who celebrate 🫠🫠
2025 anime recap.
Favorite shows:
- The Summer Hikaru Died
- Zenshu
- The Apothecary Diaries
- Dandadan
- Gachiakuta
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
- May I Ask for One Final Thing?
- Kaiju No.8
- MHA
- Sanda
- Spy x Family
- Wind Breaker
- Orb
- Yakuza Fiance
This year's Xmas Eve pick is SANDA, an absolutely delightful anime (by Science Saru!) about a middle schooler who turns into a buff Santa. It's set in future Japan, where seasons no longer exist, Xmas is just a myth, and declining birth rates give children higher social status than adults.