I wrote about how even though anime is more popular than ever, the studios that actually create these shows continue to earn an alarmingly small percentage of the profits, leaving animators underpaid and overworked.

I wrote about how even though anime is more popular than ever, the studios that actually create these shows continue to earn an alarmingly small percentage of the profits, leaving animators underpaid and overworked.

I put together The A.V. Club's best anime of 2025 list; this year was rounded out by moving historical epics, queer body horror, and plenty of wonderful weirdos. Also, if you've been hoping for general pop culture sites to pay more attention to anime, AVC will do so going forward, spread the word!

I put together The A.V. Club's best anime of 2025 list; this year was rounded out by moving historical epics, queer body horror, and plenty of wonderful weirdos. Also, if you've been hoping for general pop culture sites to pay more attention to anime, AVC will do so going forward, spread the word!

Many good video games did in fact come out this year, and we got help from some excellent writers to compile the A.V. Club's list of our favorites!

good games www.avclub.com/best-games-2...

Unbeatable is rough around the edges, but it eventually finds its sound through powerful visuals and punchy rhythm gaming. www.avclub.com/unbeatable-r...

For its 40th anniversary and 4K re-release, I took a crack at unraveling the enigmatic all-timer Angel's Egg, while also acknowledging that fully "figuring out" the movie is impossible and kind of missing the point.

I had the privilege of interviewing Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, etc.) for The A.V. Club and asked him about what initially drew him to American pop culture, who he wants to work with next, and what defines enduring art.

I had the privilege of interviewing Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, etc.) for The A.V. Club and asked him about what initially drew him to American pop culture, who he wants to work with next, and what defines enduring art.

PSA: We're over at the A.V. Club now.

yeah so here’s the news

I reviewed Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, a frantic animated anthology that elevates the chaos, strangeness, and pathos of its source material. Another excellent adaptation of Fujimoto's work, this dude signed his soul away or something.

I've really been enjoying May I Ask For One Final Thing? mostly because it's about monstrous rich people getting their shit rocked by a heroine nicknamed "The Bloodstained Lady."

why are there missing children posters coded into Mini Golf and other Bally Sente arcade cabinets? for @endlessmode.bsky.social, I tried to get to the bottom of it.

Sanda (aka the buff Santa Claus anime) continues to be one of the most interesting shows of the season, and its latest episode offered a suprisingly robust critique of anti-queer politics in Japan and Class S Tropes. Never judge a book by its cover etc.

I got blindsided by the Egg game in a way that was very enjoyable.

I reviewed Star Wars Visions Volume 3: overall, a bit of a step down from the previous two volumes, but it features a weirdo experimental short (Ep 9, “Black”) that everyone needs to see.

Just in time for the big day, we updated our best horror games of all time list to include one of last year's standouts.

It's hard to play many old games, and that's even more true when it comes to horror. @elijahgonzalez.bsky.social looks at five horror games that deserve a re-release on current hardware. www.endlessmode.com/video-games/...

Capcom, please let me play Haunting Ground and/or Sweet Home.

I wrote about the very good Chainsaw Man movie and how it further solidifies the series as a preeminent tragedy of the moment.

I wrote about the very good Chainsaw Man movie and how it further solidifies the series as a preeminent tragedy of the moment.

Anime openings can serve dramatically different purposes, from setting a show's tone to pulling the rug out from under us. We've come up with six categories to classify them. www.endlessmode.com/article/the-...

I reviewed 100 Meters, a movie about trying to outrun the absurdity of human existence; it's very good!

Silent Hill f pays off something that was established in Silent Hill 2, but then forgotten: the promise of this series as an anthology. @elijahgonzalez.bsky.social on how the latest game frees itself of lore and plot-specific baggage to tell its own very good, but still very Silent Hill story.

Silent Hill f is a perfect example of what happens when a game isn't weighed down by established lore and canon; it can actually tell a new story. It's the anthology Silent Hill was meant to be before the series became increasingly obsessed with its past (and that damn cult) after Silent Hill 2.

in my section alone, we're running monthly pieces about women-fronted action movies, Blaxploitation soundtracks, new Criterion releases, and frequent actor-director collaborations. Plus, reviewing all the new stuff. No AI, no herbs, no glorified PR

Silent Hill f is a perfect example of what happens when a game isn't weighed down by established lore and canon; it can actually tell a new story. It's the anthology Silent Hill was meant to be before the series became increasingly obsessed with its past (and that damn cult) after Silent Hill 2.

"are games art?" is out "here's how Mario Galaxy is like the Sistine Chapel" is in my latest @endlessmode.bsky.social:

Belt Looks Weird On Child

Even as a complete Lumines newbie, 90 minutes with Lumines Arise completely converted me: maybe it won't be quite as impactful as Tetris Effect, but man, it's just as entrancing.

I wrote up our list of the best anime premieres of the fall: Spy x Family is back, May I Ask For One Final Thing? is the best kind of wish-fulfilmment (evil rich men getting punched in the nose), and dear god, the horse girl show is an alarmingly well-constructed sports drama.

It is very funny to me that this is getting another adaptation which looks like its doing its own thing, but I honestly don't know how you look at that key visual and think anything besides "that looks sick as hell."

I played a bunch of Steam Next Fest demos and came up with a list of five you definitely want to check out. We've got some long-awaited Devolver releases, a PSX flavored real time/turn based hybrid that I haven't seen anyone talk about, and a game about a psychic baby. Something for everyone, etc.

I played a bunch of Steam Next Fest demos and came up with a list of five you definitely want to check out. We've got some long-awaited Devolver releases, a PSX flavored real time/turn based hybrid that I haven't seen anyone talk about, and a game about a psychic baby. Something for everyone, etc.

for @endlessmode.bsky.social - I wrote about yuri manga 'Black & White' and how it depicts the way women get pitted against each other under capitalism.

I tried out the Crunchyroll Manga app and it seemed solid until I realized that of the 200+ series on the service, very few seemed to have all the chapters, which seems... bad? For me the main use case would be to pick up a manga from where an anime left off but you can't do that for the most part.

Dorohedoro is so good, man. I can't wait to be reunited with my little freaks.

when you love and can’t get enough of peace

really funny seeing posts from people whose only barometer for politics is being mad at trump posting about the nobel prize winner like she’s actually a hero of peace

I reviewed Absolum, which has some of the best beat 'em up brawling I've played thanks to a freeform combo system, but is held back a bit by so-so roguelite elements. That said, I kept returning after rolling credits to hit guys with the cool elf woman's Guts Berserk Sword, so that's a good sign.

Y'all, they're trying to make me pay 100 dollars so I can play as the blorbos from Arcane, that is not ok. In all seriousness, the last few weeks have been a nightmare for the FGC: the PIF co-purchasing EVO, Capcom Cup going pay-per-view, and now Riot opening a portal into microtransaction hell.

One of the most interesting anime of the Fall stars a protagonist who can magically transform into a buff Santa Claus, and that's pretty neat. www.endlessmode.com/article/sand...

Between its Y2K aesthetic and buttery smooth bunny hop-adjacent movement, Don't Stop, Girlypop! seems like one to look out for. www.endlessmode.com/article/dont...

I wrote about Toshio Saeki, ero guro art, and some of the real-world history behind Silent Hill F for @endlessmode.bsky.social

GLAAD's new Queer Emerging Developers mentorship program aims to help "early to mid-career" LGBTQ game developers with their careers. www.endlessmode.com/article/glaa...

Sleep Awake is a promising upcoming horror collab between the director of Spec Ops: The Line, Robin Finck from Nine Inch Nails, and Blumhouse. www.endlessmode.com/article/upco...

I’ve been playing that seemingly bad Fire Emblem mobile game and have thoughts on how players have already pushed past its limited mechanics to find something worthwhile. It also lead me down a rabbit hole about advanced movement techniques in Shrek SuperSlam for the GameCube (ie, crumpet dashing).

thanks to outgoing interns @exalclaw.bsky.social and @beewertheimer.com, who interviewed for a Paste internship and wound up launching a whole damn site with us. go hire them.