Next Club Meeting:August 16, 2025,at the Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
The Animatrix Network is an anime & manga fan club located in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We usually meet on the third Saturday of each month (except when holidays or conventions coincide). The meetings are free and open to the public. Join us for a day filled with anime.
This site provides news, reviews, commentaries, and previews of the world of anime and everything it inspires, such as live-action films, comics, music, art, and other weird things to enjoy and contemplate.
"Secrets of the Silent Witch" is an anime series that follows Monica Everett, a shy mage who can cast spells without speaking, as she navigates her new role protecting a prince while dealing with her social anxieties.
The story centers around Monica Everett, known as the Silent Witch, who is the only mage capable of using unchanted magecraft. Despite her extraordinary abilities, Monica is extremely shy and prefers to avoid speaking in public. Her unique talent stems from her desire to escape social interactions. The plot thickens as she is tasked with infiltrating a prestigious academy and protecting the kingdom's second prince, leading to various challenges that test her abilities and confidence.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy follows the adventures of a new class of cadets in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself. Starring: Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané Network: Paramount+.
Making peace with yourself is harder than it looks.
The second season of the American superhero television series Peacemaker is based on the eponymous character from DC Comics. It is set in the DC Universe (DCU) and serves as a "soft reboot" of the series, which started as a spin-off from the 2021 DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Suicide Squad. The season continues the story of jingoistic mercenary Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. It is produced by DC Studios with James Gunn as showrunner.
Narnia Gender Bending Sends DELAYS to Production?!
In this version of Narnia, actress Meryl Streep is cast to play Aslan, who in the books, is a male lion and a symbol of Christianity. This gender-bending swap is typical in woke activism, and the way the public views wokeness nowadays negatively, will affect the box office outcome of any movie. The production is considering a change to their film, hopefully following the creator's original intent. But we shall see...
Watch the official lyric video for “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters.
When they aren't selling out stadiums, KPop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.
During a rainy day, a woman comes across a strange animal waiting by the side of the road. Pleading to be taken in, the creature offers the woman an umbrella in an attempt to show off its appeal. Intrigued by its clever nature, she brings the dog-like creature home and thus begins their life together.
See them in action in this Full Metal Schoolgirl announcement trailer for the upcoming action shooter from the developers behind Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. Full Metal Schoolgirl will be available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store) on October 23, 2025.
Set in the year 2089, Full Metal Schoolgirl throws players into a dystopian Japan where the nation’s economy is dominated by Meternal Jobz, a corrupt corporate superpower whose zombified cyborg labor force, the “Working Dead,” are capable of working nonstop. As a fully armed cyborg schoolgirl heroine, players must ascend Meternal Jobz’s ever-shifting 100-story skyscraper, dismantling waves of undead salarymen, the dastardly CEO, and twisted security systems on a mission of personal revenge before their evil plans come to fruition.
In a world where the Oni and Momotaro have been locked in conflict for generations, Shiki Ichinose is just a regular high school dropout. That changes when a mysterious man attacks him and his father, and Shiki discovers that he is an Oni. Now dragged into a dark and bloody secret war, Shiki must master his powers in order to exact his revenge.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was an American actor, musician and poet. He rose to prominence for his role as Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992), which earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards. He was also known for his roles as Malcolm McGee on the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000), Dr. Alex Reed in the sitcom Reed Between the Lines (2011, 2015), and Dr. AJ Austin in the medical drama The Resident.
In 2015, Warner received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song "Jesus Children" alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway.
Warner had a relationship with actress Michelle Thomas, who portrayed his girlfriend Justine Phillips on The Cosby Show, until 1994. He was at her bedside when she died in 1998. He was in a relationship with actress Karen Malina White for seven and a half years. Warner also dated actress Regina King from 2011 until March 2013. He later married and had a daughter. Warner chose not to disclose his wife's or their child's names publicly, citing privacy concerns.
On July 20, 2025, Warner died while vacationing in Costa Rica, at the age of 54. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limón Province, when he was caught in a high current and drowned. Local authorities confirmed the official cause of death as asphyxia due to drowning.
Japan Strikes Back Against VISA Censorship After Steam Removes 100's of Games for "Brand Protection"
Yamada Taro has been a huge advocate for Freedom of Expression and Anti-Censorship within Japan. He has been in communication with famous author Ken Akamatsu of "Love Hina" on fighting against VISA and Mastercard "Payment Processors" on forcing Japanese Culture to self censor itself. This good news comes after just days ago Steam had a policy change where hundreds of games were removed from their platform by the same people censoring anime and manga. However a group made themselves known as "Collective Shout" that seems to be the major spearhead of why fiction is getting censored.
This film is a story about mass media in a fantasy world. The boy who was thrown out of the team meets Shi, a reporter, and a television broadcasting crew. They work together and do a live broadcast of the dungeon. In addition, through competition and troubles with rivals, They will come face to face with the fun of making television programs and the ethical issues required of mass media.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. The film follows Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus' plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren't bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters July 25.
Mortal Kombat II is the sequel to the action combat movie based on the Mortal Kombat game IP distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Bask in the gore-filled trailer with plenty of blood, no mercy, and fatalities galore. Mortal Kombat II is in theaters and IMAX across North America on October 24, 2025, and internationally beginning 22 October 2025.
From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, Mortal Kombat II. This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion.
Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the follow up to his explosive 2021 cinematic adventure, from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The film is produced by Todd Garner, James Wan, Toby Emmerich, E. Bennett Walsh and McQuoid, and executive produced by Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Slater and Lawrence Kasanoff.
Joining McQuoid behind the camera are director of photography Stephen F. Windon, production designer Yohei Taneda, editor Stuart Levy and costume designer Cappi Ireland, with casting by Rich Delia and music by Benjamin Wallfisch.
KPop Demon Hunters is a MASSIVE success, and the soundtrack topped the charts here in the USA. Geeky Sparkles talks about the movie, and some of her other recent KDrama picks.
A N I M A T R I X N E T W O R K Saturday, July 19, 2025
Fountaindale Public Library
VIEWING SCHEDULE
11:15 - 12:05 Apothecary Diaries - Season 2 eps 5-6
12:05 - 12:55 M.S. Gundam GQuuuuuuX eps 7-8
12:55 - 1:30 Club Meeting
1:30 - 2:20 Lazarus eps 7-8
2:20 - 3:10 The Super Cube eps 7-8
3:10 - 4:50 KPop Demon Hunters [Movie]
This is our Fight Song!
Fountaindale Public Library 300 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Peggy J. Danhof Board Room
(Second Floor)
From 11:15 AM to 5:00 PM
All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.
Don't miss these exciting anime series: Ranma 1/2 and Solo Leveling
* ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW *
11:15 - 12:05 The Apothecary Diaries - Season 2 eps. 5-6
The Apothecary Diaries
Plot Summary:
Maomao visits the northern garden, where the madam at the Verdigris once performed for the former envoy. There, she encounters Shisui, who is collecting caterpillars that metamorphose into moths. These moths, when flying under the moonlight, create a sparkling effect, making the scene look otherworldly. Inspired by this, Maomao devises a plan with Shishui and Xiaolan's help. At the banquet, Maomao observes the two envoys, Ayla and Aylin. She suspects their intentions might involve a political marriage or a display of their peerless beauty, especially since their gift of mirrors to the concubines could be seen as a provocation. During the event, Ayla attempts to approach the emperor, shocking the court, but Aylin stops her. The banquet ends without them being impressed. However, as the envoys leave in their carriage, they witness a mesmerizing sight—a figure dancing under the moon, surrounded by glowing lights. When Ayla demands an explanation, Maomao names the figure "Diana", referencing a western moon goddess. As their carriage moves on, Maomao reveals the trick behind the illusion: the lights were actually male moths, drawn in using a scent trick originally meant to sabotage the madam's past performance. The true performer is Jinshi, whose identity was carefully concealed to complete the illusion. Later, Maomao contemplates on who might have conspired to introduce the scented oils that could have endangered Gyokuyou and Lihua's pregnancies. Jinshi considers the possibility that the special envoys were involved, as they had hoped to become concubines but were foiled when they were humiliated by the Moon Fairy act. Maomao believes Gyokuyou is the primary target and suspects Jin of attempting to poison her while pregnant with Lingli. She also theorizes that Suirei was the one who taught Jin about poisons, though her motives remain unclear—especially regarding why she targeted Jinshi. Maomao later discovers the clinic, separate from the doctor's office, where ladies-in-waiting would go to recuperate when ill, staffed only by older women, and is impressed with their professionalism and application of modern practices. When Maomao bumps into Jinshi just outside of the clinic, she suggests that the same should be applied at the doctor's office. However, it's not easy because only men are allowed to become doctors, and only doctors are allowed to perform certain functions such as the making of medicines, something Jinshi advises her to conceal. However, a supervisor at the clinic may have found out when Ailan, who has a cold, takes the medicine Maomao gave her.
12:05 - 12:55 Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX 7-8
Mobile Suit Gundam:GQuuuuuuX
Plot Summary:
Kycilia meets with Side 6 representatives to seek funding for the Yomagn'tho Solar Ray project and grows suspicious with the increased military police presence in Izuma. Meanwhile, Nyaan pilots the GQuuuuuuX and joins Shuji to fight Gates and Deux, the latter piloting a smuggled Psycho Gundam mobile armor, as the Cyber-Newtypes cause destruction in their mission to kill Kycilia. Amate tries to steal the Clan Battle prize money, but flees when Annqi calls her out on her recklessness and warns her dangerous predicament. Nyaan abandons the plan and asks Shuji to run away without Amate, as the Red Gundam unleashes another Zeknova and disappears, taking Shuji with it. Xavier defends Kycilia from Gates and Deux, and Challia kills the Cyber-Newtypes with his Kikeroga, proving his loyalty to Kycilia. Amate is branded as a fugitive by Side 6 and attempts to escape in the GQuuuuuuX, which starts responding to her frustrations, until she is subdued by Challia. He takes Amate and the GQuuuuuuX into his custody and begins planning to assassinate both Kycilia and Gihren to prevent a civil war, while Xavier finds Nyaan and invites her to serve under Kycilia. During the divert of Solomon, Char tries killing Kycilia when he is distracted by a Federation mobile suit piloted by his sister Artesia and becomes trapped in the collapsing asteroid base. Challia overhears Char talking to someone before Solomon is engulfed by the first Zeknova, while Kycilia is notified a test subject held by Granada codenamed the "Rose of Sharon" vanished. In the present, Nyaan is escorted around Granada by Xavier, who introduces her to classmate Miguel Serveto and the Gundam GFreD mobile suit. Nyaan learns its previous pilots were killed prior to testing and is informed by Xavier of the distrust between Kycilia and Gihren. They accuse Miguel of being a spy for Gihren behind the mysterious deaths. Miguel explains it is to prevent the GFreD from turning its pilots into "Diablos", when the GFreD's Psycommu responds to Nyaan's presence and kills him. Kycilia learns of the incident and strives to further train Nyaan in her goal to activate Yomagn'tho and replicate the Zeknova, as Xavier tells Nyaan about the GQuuuuuuX's escape to Earth. Meanwhile, an engineer named Shirouzu converses a researcher on Kycilia's projects and the search for the Rose of Sharon as they travel to Yomagn'tho.
12:55 - 1:30Club Announcements
Anime Midwest 2025
M3GAN 2.0
Elio
Jurassic World Rebirth
Superman
Trailers
Video Games
1:30- 2:20Lazarus (7-8)
LAZARUS
Plot Summary:
The last ice floe in the Arctic melts due to global warming. Lazarus remembers that Skinner predicted this event exactly three years before. Naga's memory bank analyzation is completed and outputs four oceanic coordinates in or near Manila Bay, the Maldives, the Sakishima Islands, and Tuvalu. Skinner purchased land from these coordinates shortly before they were submerged by rising sea levels a decade before. Doug goes to Manila, Axel goes to the Maldives, Leland goes to Sakishima, and Chris goes to Tuvalu. All four locations have something in common: most of the local residents suffered from a genetic form of analgesia; they cannot feel any pain. Skinner bought their islands to give them the money needed to relocate before they fully submerged. Eleina traces the money back to the defunct Hague Institute, where Hersch used to work under Skinner. Elsewhere, Hersch meets with Abel, who warns her that the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps is searching for Axel. Hersch believes that Skinner left a trail of clues because he wants to be found. Returning back to land in Fiji, Chris encounters a woman she recognizes who calls her out by her real name, Alexandra. Chris is taken prisoner by the Russian spy team she was once part of, led by agent Inga. At headquarters, the rest of Lazarus confronts Hersch about her past ties with Skinner. She admits to them. She also was recruited by the NSA. To rescue Chris, the team heads out to the oil rig in the Barents Sea that she is being held captive on. Axel infiltrates the rig and helps Eleina gain access to its systems, while Doug rams a remote-controlled tanker into the rig to provide a distraction, which also ignites a fire. Taking advantage of the chaos, Chris escapes her captors and reunites with Axel. As Axel departs to neutralize some of Inga's men, Inga confronts Chris. Chris admits that she faked her own death because it was the only way to escape Russia without having Inga also branded as a traitor and executed. Chris and Inga were lovers. Chris is willing to let Inga kill her. Inga, however, hesitates. One of Inga's men arrives and attempts to kill Chris, causing Inga to sacrifice herself by taking the bullet instead. Axel and Chris manage to escape the enflamed rig as it begins to collapse.
2:20- 3:10The Super Cube 7-8
THE SUPER CUBE
Plot Summary:
In an accident, an ordinary boy, Wang Xiaoxiu, obtains a space system called "Superpower Cube" from a high-latitude cosmic civilization and gains extraordinary powers. When the school belle, Shen Yao, Wang Xiaoxiu’s longtime crush, confesses her love to him, the delinquent Sun Jun, who also has a crush on her, is provoked. Wang Xiaoxiu resolves the crisis with his wit and extraordinary powers, but it also brings more disasters as a result. Shen Yao is taken to the world of extraordinary beings by a mysterious person, and Wang Xiaoxiu embarks on a journey to rescue her. Fighting in the bizarre universe, he finds the meaning of fairness and justice on the path to becoming a peerless powerhouse.
3:10- 4:50KPop Demon Hunters [Movie]
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
Plot Summary:
For generations, demons preyed upon humans, feeding their souls to their ruler Gwi-Ma. A group of three women rose as demon hunters and sealed the demons from the human world by creating a magic barrier known as the Honmoon. Their legacy continued across generations, with each new trio using their singing voices to maintain the Honmoon.
In the present, the K-pop girl group Huntr/x – comprising Rumi, Mira, and Zoey – are demon hunters under the guidance of Celine, a previous hunter who raised Rumi. After completing their world tour, Huntr/x prepare to release a new single, "Golden", until Rumi begins losing her voice due to secretly being part demon, which only Celine knows. As a child, Celine told Rumi the complete eradication of demons will turn the Honmoon gold, a final seal that could permanently banish them and possibly erase her demon patterns.
In the demon realm, Gwi-Ma grows enraged at his minions' failures. A demon named Jinu proposes a new strategy to form a K-pop boy group, the Saja Boys, to drain fans' energy and weaken the Honmoon, in exchange for Gwi-Ma erasing his human memories. Huntr/x encounter the Saja Boys and quickly uncover their true nature, but fail to stop them during a scuffle. Jinu discovers Rumi's demon nature as they fight, but helps hide it from her bandmates.
Meeting privately, Jinu tells Rumi that demons are enslaved by feelings of shame and sorrow through voices from Gwi-Ma. He reveals that 400 years earlier, Gwi-Ma granted him a beautiful voice that helped him and his family emerge from poverty but then condemned him to the demon realm; Jinu now lives with guilt over his family's subsequent downfall.
As the Idol Awards approach, Huntr/x rush to produce a new song, "Takedown", to expose the Saja Boys, while the boy group's popularity skyrockets. Mira grows suspicious of Rumi when she questions if "Takedown" is too hateful toward demons. Torn between her identities, Rumi proposes a plan to Jinu: If he helps Huntr/x win the Idol Awards and strengthen the Honmoon, he could freely stay in the human world.
As the Honmoon weakens and more people have their souls stolen by demons, Mira insists to Rumi they prioritize saving lives over rewriting "Takedown". Rumi confides in Jinu that her shame over her heritage weakened her voice, but talking with him has healed it. After singing together, Jinu in turn confides that he no longer hears voices, and resolves to sabotage the Saja Boys' plan. However, Gwi-Ma summons Jinu, reminding him of their deal and the truth he hides – that he willingly abandoned his family when he gained fame – before threatening to return the tormenting voices unless he does his bidding....
Kenji is a shy, part-time moderator for OZ, the virtual reality world that powers everyday life, until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend. While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki’s family, Kenji finds that a rogue A.I. program has stolen his online identity, and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real-world catastrophes. As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki’s family into disarray, Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse.
In theatres July 27-29
Against a backdrop of stunning countryside vistas and virtual spaces bursting with color, Summer Wars is a timeless epic that explores life in the digital age from Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda (BELLE).
A group of six friends is transported from a theme park ride into a magical realm filled with dragons, dark sorcery, and perilous quests. Gifted unique weapons by the mysterious Dungeon Master, the kids become heroes in this strange land, each with a role — Ranger, Magician, Acrobat, Cavalier, Thief, and Barbarian. Together, they seek a way home while facing the evil Venger, battling monsters, and uncovering the realm’s secrets. Along the way, they must rely on their wits, courage, and each other to survive this enchanted and dangerous world.
In Your Dreams is an upcoming American animated musicaladventurefantasy comedy film directed by Alex Woo, and co-directed by Erik Benson from a script by Woo and Benson and a story by Woo, Benson, and Stanley Moore. The film stars Simu Liu, Craig Robinson, Cristin Milioti, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Gia Carides, Omid Djalili, SungWon Cho, and Zachary Noah Piser. Produced by Netflix Animation and Kuku Studios, it is set for release on Netflix on November 14, 2025.
Stevie and her little brother Elliot journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family.
Enslaved by an evil tyrant who wishes to destroy her people, barbarian huntress Red Sonja must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against Dragan the Magnificent and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.
Red Sonja is an upcoming American sword and sorcery film directed by M. J. Bassett and written by Tasha Huo, based on the Marvel Comics/Dynamite character of the same name. The film stars Matilda Lutz as the title character, alongside Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan, Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Rhona Mitra, and Veronica Ferres.
"The Water Magician" is an anime series that follows the adventures of Ryo, a character reincarnated in a fantasy world where he wields powerful water magic.
The story centers around Ryo, a young man who dies and is reincarnated in a magical world known as Phi. He possesses the ability to use water magic, which he initially believes will allow him to live a peaceful life. However, Ryo quickly finds himself in a challenging environment filled with monsters and dangers. He must learn to harness his abilities to survive and thrive in this new world.
As Ryo navigates his new life, he trains for twenty years, developing his skills and encountering various characters, including adventurers and formidable foes. His journey is marked by battles, friendships, and the quest for knowledge about his powers and the world around him.
Freshly arrested, Chiharu and Makina are sentenced to scrub the Milky☆Subway.
It was supposed to be simple. Spoiler: it’s not.
Arrested for reckless space driving, super human Chiharu and cyborg Makina are sentenced to clean the Milky☆Subway—an old interplanetary train. Easy enough, right? Wrong. When the train suddenly takes off, they are thrown into a high-speed space-train spectacle packed with chaos, no plans, and zero strategy. Just pure momentum!
