A Foodie's Guide to Anime: What Are Onigiri, Ramen, and Taiyaki?   Food in anime is often animated with a level of detail that makes it look more delicious than real food. From characters meticulously preparing bento boxes to scenes of them devouring bowls of noodles, food is a pillar of the narrative. For new viewers, three foods appear constantly, acting as key cultural items: Onigiri...

5 Amazing Stand-Alone Anime Movies Perfect for a Friday Night (No Prequel Knowledge Needed)   You've had a long week. It's Friday night, and you want to watch an incredible movie. Anime has some of the most critically acclaimed films in the world, but it can be hard to know where to start. This list is designed for one thing: to give you a fantastic anime film that works as a 100%...

Definitive Guide: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Watch Order (Complete Timeline)   JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of the most influential franchises in the history of manga and anime. Written by Hirohiko Araki, the series is distinguished by an unusual narrative structure: instead of following a single protagonist, the story is divided into "Parts." Each Part features a new protagonist...

How 'Sailor Moon' Created the Modern "Magical Girl" Template   The "Magical Girl" (Mahou Shoujo) genre is one of the oldest and most recognizable in anime. When most people think of it today, they imagine a group of teenage girls in colorful outfits, elaborate transformation sequences ("henshin"), and special attacks to defeat a monster. That image, however, was not always the standard....

Loved 'Spy x Family'? 5 Other "Found Family" Anime You Need to Watch   Spy x Family is a global success for many reasons: it has action, comedy, and memorable characters. But the true center of the series is the "found family" theme. The plot follows Loid, Yor, and Anya—three individuals unrelated by blood (a spy, an assassin, and a telepath) who pretend to be a family for their own...