The 5 Best Anime From Summer 2016
The summer 2016 season was filled with promising shows, but these five stood out for their unique takes on genres, meaningful commentary, and plenty of goofy fun.
Though we love ongoing shows like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable, they are not eligible for this list. To qualify for this list, the anime must have completed its season.
While Re:Zero starts out with the all-too-familiar trope of an otaku magically finding himself in a fantasy world, it quickly sets itself apart by adding depth to the genre. Natsuki Subaru not only respawns after dying, he remembers the trauma of death, and he therefore acts less than ideally… or admirably. He’s not an especially likable character, but he’s believable, and his self-appointed hero’s journey through a new land is unpredictable and captivating. Through him and the rest of the excellent cast, Re:Zero points its lens squarely at the genre and at the viewer, examining tropes all while building to something highly emotional and memorable.
‘Fantastic’ Nintendo NX Will Offer ‘Different Experience’ to Other Consoles – Ubisoft CEO
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has furthered claims that Nintendo's next console, codenamed NX, will stand apart from Microsoft and Sony's home consoles.
Speaking to IGN at an Ubisoft event yesterday, Guillemot - who has previously expressed his admiration for the upcoming console - explained specifically why he was excited for NX:
"I think, once again, the interface is very attractive," he said. "It's a machine that will be easy to use for all gamers. They have built in something that will give us chance to really have a different experience from what exists today. That's what I like - that they come with something new that is adapted to what we actually want now."
ABC Developing Magnum P.I. Sequel Series
ABC is reportedly working on a new Magnum P.I. series that would focus on his daughter.
According to Deadline, Lily "Tommy" Magnum will head back to Hawaii and follow in her father's footsteps at his firm in the show, called Magnum. She will hit the beach and take on international crime while also trying to solve a mystery revolving around her former Navy Intelligence career.
Tom Selleck starred in the original 1980s series, Magnum P.I.
What’s Leaving Netflix in October
Heads up, binge-watchers. Here's your list of movies and TV shows that are set to expire from Netflix next month.
In October, the streaming giant says goodbye to the Back to the Future trilogy, Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man, The Exorcist, every episode of Psych and Heroes, and cult classic The Warriors. It's also the Netflix farewell for The Interview, the Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy that led to big controversy for Sony, after it possibly inspired the major hack the studio went through in 2014.
Plus, The Truman Show, Deep Impact, The Phantom, and more are exiting Netflix. Catch 'em before they vanish (for now).
New to Netflix in October
October is set to be a massive month for Netflix as it unleashes its usual barrage of original programming -- including new episodes of Black Mirror, The Fall, The Ranch, and many more -- along with blockbuster movies like Unforgiven and Titanic.
Plus, Netflix debuts almost all of the most recent seasons of the CW's shows they didn't already have up (though no word on The 100: Season 3 yet) just in time to cram them in before new episodes begin airing, including The Flash, Arrow, Supernatural, and more. Plus, there's Season 2 of Syfy's Dark Matter, American Horror Story: Hotel, and FOX's short-lived (but hilarious) The Grinder.
All that plus, Dazed and Confused, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ghost Town, Quiz Show, and more.
Taboo: New Teaser for Tom Hardy TV Series Released
FX Networks has released a new promo for Taboo that offers another sneak peek at its eight-part original drama series starring Tom Hardy.
Watch the Season 1 teaser, titled Mad, below.
Taboo takes place in 1814 and centers around a man named James Keziah Delaney (Hardy), who was believed to be dead after traveling to the ends of the earth. Delaney returns to his home in London to inherit his father's shipping business and start a new life, but gets a whole lot more than he bargained for after his homecoming.
Hardy is executive producing the series alongside both Ridley Scott and Steven Knight, the latter of whom created the show. Taboo's story is an original work by Hardy and his father, who's also a consulting producer on the project.
The Best and Worst TV Premieres of Fall 2016
Fall is upon us, which means a brand new wave of TV season and series premieres. From iconic superheroes, to adaptations of classic movies, to brand-new dramas, there’s a whole lot to choose from. Here are our takes on the best and worst premieres of the season.
- Sundays on HBO
How Dark Souls Made It Fun to Fail
Dark Souls is five years old today, and even in this short time its legacy and influence has been great enough to leave a lasting impression on gaming that will live on for decades. Building on a formula first presented in From Software’s Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls is a game known for challenging players in ways few other games do.
From this notorious difficulty, it’s given life to entire communities dedicated to helping one another or making it harder for one another. It’s fueled debates about difficulty vs. accessibility, dared the internet to complete it together via chat commands, spawned countless “Souls-like” indie games that aim to capture some of that legendary challenge for themselves, and is one of my personal favorite games of all time.
How Parks and Rec’s Creator Came Up With The Good Place
Mike Schur has been a big part of TV comedy in the past two decades, from his time writing on Saturday Night Live and The Office, to co-creating Parks and Recreation (where he served as showrunner) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Schur, who also is an executive producer on Master of None these days, just launched his newest series this week with The Good Place, which aired two preview episodes Monday night, before it debuts in its regular timeslot this Thursday. Kristen Bell and Ted Danson star in the high concept comedy about a woman (Bell’s Eleanor) who dies and goes to the heavenly “Good Place” by mistake, having lived a less than good life.
I spoke to Schur about how his idea for The Good Place came to be, delving into a more fantastical world -- and collaborating with Cabin in the Woods/Lost/Daredevil’s Drew Goddard on the pilot, which Goddard directed -- working with Bell and Danson and more.
41 Photos of Cool Japanese Dragon Ball Collectibles
Dragon Ball’s popularity since the '80s has made it a staple in anime culture, and it’s overwhelming presence in anime stores and resale shops are evidence of that. During IGN’s trip to Japan for Tokyo Game Show, we documented every cool collectible we saw in Akihabara and other areas in Tokyo.
In the gallery below you’ll see video games and figures from resale shops, doujinshi (fan, self-published manga), collectible cards, apparel, and a slightly creepy Goku mask.
Bandai Namco announced at TGS that it’s bringing Dragon Ball Fusions to the west. For more news and other galleries from Japan (including a photo tour of a One Piece restaurant), head over to IGN’s TGS 2016 hub.