SciFi Japan

    Photo courtesy of Derek Marr. Godzilla and related characters TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

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    Photo courtesy of Derek Marr. Godzilla and related characters TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Author, Photographer and Videographer: Derek Marr (Sakura Central) Happy November 3rd, reader! You are no doubt aware of the significance of this date, the 70th anniversary of GODZILLA (1954). Across the globe in the Shinjuku prefecture of Japan, The Hotel Gracery is kicking off festivities to mark the event. However, in Los Angeles, in the Little Tokyo district, festivities began on November 2nd, for their “Godzilla Invades Little Tokyo” event., which included back-to-back showings of the classic GODZILLA and GODZILLA MINUS ONE at the Aratani Theater. Photo courtesy of Derek Marr.   Photo courtesy of Derek Marr. As someone who has never been to this theater previously, I was surprised to see a venue of this caliber. It reminded me of older style theaters; the chairs having wooden

    Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

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    Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Godzilla Invades Little Tokyo, November 2-17!Source: Entertainment Hobby Shop JUNGLE press release Special Thanks to Yoichi Kakuma and Tetsu Shiota   In cooperation with Toho, Entertainment Hobby Shop Jungle (aka Anime Jungle) is hosting a Godzilla 70th Anniversary celebration in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles starting tomorrow and running through November 17th. This celebration includes an official Godzilla 70th Anniversary Pop-Up Shop where fans can buy official ‘Godzilla Store’ merchandise and exclusive products, a double feature theatrical screenings of GODZILLA (1954) and GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023), a Godzilla-themed train station and Metro train, and more! For more details please see the previous article posted here. Jungle has now issued an update sure to interest Godzilla fans... Godzilla slashes down the price!! Entertainment Hobby shop Jungle is excited to announce that we will be

    Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing. ©2003 Virgin Records Ltd/EMI Music France

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    Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing. ©2003 Virgin Records Ltd/EMI Music France DISCOVERY: INTERSTELLA 5555 EDITION To Be Released The Next DaySource: Trafalgar Releasing press releaseOfficial Site: https://interstella5555film.com/ Photo courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing. ©2003 Virgin Records Ltd/EMI Music France After select fan and festival screenings this year, the 4K remastered version of Daft Punk & Leiji Matsumoto’s 2003 anime masterpiece INTERSTELLA 5555: THE 5TORY OF THE 5ECRET 5TAR 5YSTEM (インターステラ5555, Intāsutera Fō Faibu) will be screened in cinemas globally for one night only on December 12, 2024 in partnership with Trafalgar Releasing. Says Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, "We're excited to bring Daft Punk's iconic Interstella 5555, now fully remastered in stunning 4K, to cinemas for this one-night-only global event. This is a rare opportunity to experience the film on the big screen, along with accompanying Daft Punk music videos, and we can't wait to

    Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

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    Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Godzilla Invades Little Tokyo, November 2-17! Source: Entertainment Hobby Shop JUNGLE, Metro Los Angeles Special Thanks to Yoichi Kakuma, Tetsu Shiota, Jose Ubaldo and Melissa Colman   Godzilla Invades Little Tokyo! In cooperation with Toho, Jungle Entertainment Hobby Shop  (aka Anime Jungle) is hosting a Godzilla 70th Anniversary celebration in the Little Tokyo district* of Los Angeles starting this Saturday. The centerpiece of the event is the official Godzilla 70th Anniversary Pop-Up Shop which will operate from November 2nd to November 17th. The Pop-Up will be in the Japanese Village Plaza adjacent to Anime Jungle’s current retail stores (address below), and is the only retail location where fans can buy official ‘Godzilla store’ merchandise and exclusive products, including the limited edition Bandai Movie Monster Series: Godzilla (2023) silver figure. Customers can get a free

    Photo courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing. ©2024 Amuse Inc.

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    Photo courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing. ©2024 Amuse Inc. Source: Iconic Events Releasing press release Official Site: https://www.iconicreleasing.com/ax-cinema-nights/ Special Thanks to Erik Jansen (MediaLab Public Relations) Photo courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing. ©2024 Amuse Inc. Iconic Events Releasing, a company specializing in distributing limited engagement theatrical events to movie theatres, brings the metal rock power and Japanese pop culture inspired spectacle of BABYMETAL to theatregoers as it announces the December premiere of BABYMETAL LEGEND 43 – THE MOVIE for a series of special concert film screenings across North America. Tickets are on-sale now. More details at: https://www.iconicreleasing.com/events/babymetal/tickets/   BABYMETAL LEGEND 43 – THE MOVIE (Live Viewing Japan) Screens Dec. 11th & Dec. 15th BABYMETAL held their largest scale world tour "BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 - 2024" from 2023 to 2024. The headline tour, excluding festivals and guest acts,

    Photo by Richard Termine, courtesy of Keith Sherman and Associates. ©I・K/AMPC

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      Photo by Richard Termine, courtesy of Keith Sherman and Associates. ©I・K/AMPC Source: Keith Sherman and Associates press releaseOfficial Site: https://attackontitan-themusical.com/ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/shingekimusical Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attackontitan_themusical YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shingekimusical Special Thanks to Scott Klein Photo courtesy of Keith Sherman and Associates. ©I・K/AMPC ATTACK ON TITAN: THE MUSICAL, the live 2.5D Musical entertainment based on the wildly popular manga (comic book) by Hajime Isayama and published by Kodansha, has sold out its entire New York engagement at New York City Center, selling about 9000 tickets over its four- performance engagement this past weekend. Directed by breakdance world champion Go Ueki (HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rule the Stage), ATTACK ON TITAN: THE MUSICAL had its world premiere in Osaka and Tokyo in January, 2023 to great success. The New York City Center engagement marked the musical’s first international performance and the show will be returning to Japan in December

    Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Solo Leveling Animation Partners

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    Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment bring the momentous theatrical fan experience to North American theaters on December 6Source: Crunchyroll press release Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Solo Leveling Animation Partners Crunchyroll, the ultimate home for anime worldwide, has revealed the key art for the theatrical release of SOLO LEVELING -REAWAKENING- (俺だけレベルアップな件 -ReAwakening-, Ore Dake Level-Up na Ken -ReAwakening- ). Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will bring SOLO LEVELING -REAWAKENING- to theaters in the United States and Canada on December 6, 2024. The anime series SOLO LEVELING is adapted from the best-selling Korean web novel written by Chugong, which was later adapted into a webtoon and manhwa in 2018, with illustrations by DUBU. The first season of SOLO LEVELING debuted globally on Crunchyroll on January 6, 2024 with a second season coming in January 2025. SOLO LEVELING -REAWAKENING- is a cinematic fan experience that brings together a recap of

    Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Kugane Maruyama,PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION/OVERLORD4PARTNERS

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    Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Kugane Maruyama,PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION/OVERLORD4PARTNERS Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will bring the thrilling adventure to theaters in the United States and Canada starting November 8Source: Crunchyroll press releaseOfficial Site: https://www.overlord-movie.com/ Photo courtesy of Crunchyroll. ©Kugane Maruyama,PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION/OVERLORD4PARTNERS Crunchyroll, the ultimate home for anime worldwide, announced today that tickets for OVERLORD: THE SACRED KINGDOM (劇場版「オーバーロード」聖王国編, Gekijō-ban Ōbarōdō Sei Ōkoku-hen, 2024) are now on sale for audiences in the United States and Canada. The film, distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment, will be released starting November 8 and will be available in Japanese with English subtitles as well as dubbed in English. OVERLORD: THE SACRED KINGDOM, is the first theatrical film from the fan-favorite OVERLORD franchise based on the light novels by Kugane Maruyama, and continues the series picking up after the conclusion of Season 4. The story follows

    Photo courtesy of DNA of TOKUSATSU. © TOHO CO.,LTD.

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    Photo courtesy of DNA of TOKUSATSU. © TOHO CO.,LTD. Author and Photographer: Daisuke Ishizuka The "70 Years of Special Effects Movies - It All Started with Godzilla" (特撮映画の70年—それは『ゴジラ』から始まった, Tokusatsu Eiga no 70-nen — Soreha “Gojira” Kara Hajimatta) exhibition was held July 12, 2024 - September 8, 2024 at the Ueda City Museum of Art in the Ueda Santo Myuze. It was part of the DNA of TOKUSATSU series that feature displays of original suits, props and production materials used to make Godzilla and other special effects films. SciFi Japan correspondent Daisuke Ishizuka attended the event and shared some details and photos from his visit... The exhibition DNA of TOKUSATSU started in 2016 and it has held at the various museum or halls in Japan. It came to Ueda City, Nagano prefecture in this summer. The year of 2024 is 70th anniversary for Godzilla and the

    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll.

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    Image courtesy of Crunchyroll. Titles Highlighted Include ZENSHU, OKITSURA, Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE, and More!Source: Crunchyroll press release This Friday, Crunchyroll held its Industry Panel at New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Crunchyroll announced several titles coming soon to its streaming service around the world. Those titles included the following:   Image courtesy of Crunchyroll. Based on the manga The Dialect of the Girl I Fell in Love With in Okinawa is Too Difficult to Deal With created by Egumi Sora, the coming-of-age slice of romance anime, OKITSURA: FELL IN LOVE WITH AN OKINAWAN GIRL, BUT I JUST WISH I KNOW WHAT SHE'S SAYING, is set to stream on Crunchyroll this January 2025. The latest trailer for the upcoming anime series was shown at NYCC. The series is written and directed by Shin Itagaki (SO I'M A SPIDER, SO WHAT?) and Shingo Tanabe (I GOT A

    Poster for the GODZILLA MINUS ONE re-release. Photo courtesy of Toho International. © TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

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    Source: Toho International, Inc. press releaseOfficial Site: https://godzilla-movie2023.toho.co.jp/ (Japan), https://godzilla.com/ (US)Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/godzilla231103 (Japan), https://twitter.com/Godzilla_Toho (US) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/godzilla231103/ (Japan), https://www.instagram.com/godzilla_toho/ (US) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@godzilla.toho Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tohogodzillaofficial/ (US) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Godzilla_Toho (US) Special Thanks to Liberty Galindo and Jonah Keel   Poster for the GODZILLA MINUS ONE re-release. Photo courtesy of Toho International. © TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. GODZILLA MINUS ONE (ゴジラ-1.0/ゴジラマイナスワン, Gojira Mainasu Wan), the critically acclaimed Academy Award Winning film will be re-released in theaters nationwide starting November 1, 2024. Directed by Academy Award® Winner Takashi Yamazaki, the film’s re-release honors the King of the Monsters’ 70th Anniversary, timed to Godzilla Day, celebrated annually on November 3. Tickets are on sale now for both GODZILLA MINUS ONE and the film’s remastered black and white rendition, GODZILLA MINUS ONE/MINUS COLOR (ゴジラ-1.0/C,ゴジラマイナスワン/マイナスカラー, Gojira Mainasu Wan/Mainasu Karā). In celebration of the groundbreaking film’s return to theaters, each screening will

    The Godzilla Pop-Up Shop in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo will be selling retailer exclusive Godzilla collectibles. Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

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    The Godzilla Pop-Up Shop in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo will be selling retailer exclusive Godzilla collectibles. Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Source: Entertainment Hobby Shop JUNGLE Special Thanks to Yoichi Kakuma and Tetsu Shiota   The Godzilla Store Exclusive Bandai Kaiju-O Series Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color figure. Photo courtesy of JUNGLE. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Jungle Entertainment Hobby Shop in Los Angeles (aka Anime Jungle) will be carrying three exclusive Godzilla products at their Godzilla pop-up shop to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Godzilla, the King of Monsters. In addition to the limited edition Bandai Movie Monster Series: Godzilla (2023) figure already on sale, these limited figures will only be available for the duration of the Godzilla pop-up shop, while supplies last, from November 2nd to November 17th. The first figure is the Godzilla Store Exclusive Bandai Kaiju-O (King of

    Photo courtesy of Ultraman Connection. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

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    Source: Ultraman Connection press release Special Thanks to EJ Couloucoundis   Photo courtesy of Ultraman Connection. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS Ultraman Zero, one of the most popular superhero characters in all Japanese pop culture, will receive the Key to Industry City at an event celebrating the Tsuburaya Productions Ultraman franchise. Honoring the 15th anniversary of the debut of Ultraman Zero in the 2009 feature MEGA MONSTER BATTLE ULTRA GALAXY: THE MOVIE. On behalf of the Upper New York Bay waterfront complex in Brooklyn, New York, Anthony Marino will present the Key to Ultraman Zero who will appear live at the event. There are also rumors that Zero’s nemesis, Ultraman Belial, may crash the event as well! All are invited to join the crew of Ultraman Connection and a number of incredible guests on Saturday, October 19th, from 2:30 to 9 PM in Industry City, Building 5, as they celebrate

    Photo courtesy of Fathom Events. ©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION

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    In Theaters November 10, 11 & 12 and Now Available in Both the United States and CanadaSource: Toei Animation Inc. press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto Photo courtesy of Fathom Events. ©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION This November, Toei Animation and Fathom Events will present the world English dub premiere of the highly anticipated new series DRAGON BALL DAIMA as a three-day, limited release, which has now been expanded to include both the United States and Canada and will screen exclusively in more than 1,000 theaters locations during its November 10 - 12 run. Moviegoers will be treated to a special introduction by Japanese actor Masako Nozawa, the voice of Goku, that can only be experienced in theaters. Fans can now purchase tickets to the DRAGON BALL DAIMA World English Dub Premiere theatrical release, which will screen November 10, 11 & 12 and features the first three episodes

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

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    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.  Source: Well Go USA, LBHpr  Special Thanks to Leif Helland Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. Well Go USA Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Blu-ray of the British horror-thriller THE BEAST WITHIN. The narrative directorial debut by documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell (REFUGEE), and a cast including Kit Harington (GAME OF THRONES, ETERNALS), Ashleigh Cummings (THE GOLDFINCH, CITADEL), Caoilinn Springall (STOPMOTION, THE MIDNIGHT SKY), and James Cosmo (BRAVEHEART, GAME OF THRONES)​, bring a “timelessness” (Variety) to this atmospheric, supernatural tale--shot mostly around the historic Harewood Woods and Castle in West Yorkshire, UK. After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall) follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the

    My First Ultraman Exhibition poster, courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

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    Experience the charm of Ultraman through pop art, illustrations, and interactive photo spots! Source: Tsuburaya Productions press releaseOfficial Site: https://kusou-ultraman.m-78.jp/fue/  (Japan)Official X (Twitter): https://x.com/tsuburaya_event My First Ultraman Exhibition poster, courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Nagatake) will hold the "First Ultraman Exhibition"(はじめてのウルトラマン展, Hajimete no Urutoraman-ten) from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 17, 2024 at PARCO FACTORY on the 7th floor of Ikebukuro PARCO Main Building (1-28-2 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo). The "First Ultraman Exhibition" is being developed as one of the projects of the "Ultraman Fantasy Special Effects Series" (空想特撮シリーズ ウルトラマン, Kūsō Tokusatsu Shirīzu Urutoraman) project, which uses "fantasy" as a keyword to enjoy the charm of Ultraman. In the exhibition area, episodes and characters are introduced with pop art and cute illustrations so that attendees can enjoy the charm of Ultraman without any stress. There

    Photo courtesy of Toho. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

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    Photo courtesy of Toho. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Source: Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc., Toho This October 17-20 at New York Comic Con, Bandai will offer fans an exclusive Godzilla Monster Series Godzilla 2023 Special Gold Edition figure. Based on the 6" Godzilla Action Figure Set Series Godzilla (2023) figure, Bandai's NYCC 2024 exclusive gold version features the same articulation-packed sculpt, approximately 6.25" height and 3.5" length, and 18 points of articulation. Joining its lustrous new paint job is also a gold heat ray effect part fit for celebrating Godzilla's 70th anniversary. Fans can buy the Godzilla Monster Series Godzilla 2023 Special Gold Edition figure for $34.99 at Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc.'s Booth: 2621. New York Comic ConOctober 17-20, 2024Javits Center429 11th Avenue New York, NY 10001 Photo courtesy of Toho. TM & ©

    Ultra Heroes EXPO 2025 New Year Festival poster, courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS

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    The main cast of ULTRAMAN ARC will appear every day!Source: Tsuburaya Productions press releaseOfficial Site: https://www.ultra-expo.com/prism2025/Official X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/m78expo Ultra Heroes EXPO 2025 New Year Festival poster, courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Nagatakei) will host the "Ultra Heroes EXPO 2025 New Year Festival in Tokyo Dome City" (ウルトラヒーローズEXPO 2025 ニューイヤーフェスティバル IN 東京ドームシティ,  Urutora Hīrōzu EXPO 2025 Nyū Iyā Fesutibaru IN Tōkyō Dōmu Shiti) at Ikebukuro Sunshine City (3-1-4 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo) from Friday, December 27th, 2024 to Monday, January 6th, 2025 at Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall. "Ultra Heroes EXPO" is a popular year-end and New Year's holiday event for the Ultraman series, with the 2025 festival held under the theme of “Bringing the Power of Imagination to Heroes". The EXPO is also planned to be held in conjunction with other events in and around Tokyo

    Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. ©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, TOEI ANIMATION ©Akiyoshi Hongo, TOEI ANIMATION

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    Photo courtesy of Toei Animation. ©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, TOEI ANIMATION ©Akiyoshi Hongo, TOEI ANIMATION Programming Line-Up Includes Trio of Franchise Panels Featuring Celebrity Guests Together with One Piece: Mugiwara Store and Dim Mak Pop-Up Store Experiences Source: Toei Animation Inc. press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto (Publicity Partners) Legendary anime studio Toei Animation returns to New York Comic Con (“NYCC”) this year with a triple celebration of Dragon Ball, One Piece and Digimon. For NYCC 2024, Toei Animation will spotlight these three fan-favorite properties and global hit franchises with mix of celebrity guest panels and fan experiences. This year, Toei Animation’s exhibit booth (#2635) will feature two pop-up shops including the always popular Toei Animation X Dim Mak Pop-Up Shop with its curated selection of One Piece merchandise, including hoodies, t-shirts and shorts as wells as NYCC exclusive releases like a Straw Hats

    Photo courtesy of Toei Animation Inc. ©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION

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    Photo courtesy of Toei Animation Inc. ©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION Toei Animation Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Dragon Ball Created by Akira Toriyama with a Brand New Goku Character Balloon Debuting at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day ParadeSource: Toei Animation Inc. press release Special Thanks to Scott Barretto On Thanksgiving Day, Goku, one of anime’s most recognizable characters, returns to Big Apple, but in a brand new form.  Earth’s mightiest warrior from the global hit anime franchise Dragon Ball will fly in his iconic Saiyan form in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In a new pose sporting jet black hair and his signature orange martial arts uniform, Goku will debut as a brand-new featured character balloon on November 28, 2024 in the iconic holiday tradition. Goku will greet millions of excited Parade spectators with an expressive smile and salute—marking the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball. Measuring

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