Next Club Meeting:October 17, 2026,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 in today's pop culture, such as live-action films, comics, music, art, and other weird things to enjoy and contemplate.
The Pokémon Fossil Museum officially opened yesterday in Chicago at the Field Museum!
The one-of-a-kind experience combines the worlds of Pokémon and paleontology, allowing visitors to compare Fossil Pokémon like Tyrantrum and Archeops with real fossils, including SUE the T. Rex.
You can explore models of fan-favorite Pokémon, real fossil excavation and preparation tools, exhibition soundscapes, and illustrations of actual Field Museum scientists featured throughout the experience.
This is the exhibition’s North American debut right here in Chicago. It will run through April 11, 2027. A special exhibition ticket is required that needs to be purchased in advance as demand is high.
Palworld is a spin on a Pokemon Survival Game where instead of being E for Everybody - it took a realistic approach. Guns, violence, forced labor, shady markets and so much more that actually make this a really fun game.
As Palworld continues to burn up the Steam charts, Nintendo is already burning down any attempts to mod the game with official Pokémon characters like Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock. Then we talk about accusations that the game actually LIFTED the 3D models from Nintendo's games. Say what?!
"Palworld" is generating quite the buzz as it climbs the Steam charts, captivating gamers with its unique blend of creature collection and survival gameplay. However, it seems Nintendo is not thrilled with some of the fan enthusiasm surrounding the game, particularly when it comes to modding "Palworld" with official Pokémon characters such as Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock.
Nintendo is notorious for being fiercely protective of its intellectual property, and this situation is no exception. The company is known for taking legal action against unauthorized use of its characters and assets, which includes mods that incorporate Nintendo's characters into non-Nintendo games. In the case of "Palworld," any attempts by fans to mod the game with official Pokémon characters are likely being met with swift opposition from Nintendo, as such modifications infringe upon Nintendo's copyrights and trademarks.
Furthermore, accusations are swirling around that "Palworld" may have lifted 3D models directly from Nintendo's Pokémon games. If true, this would be a significant legal and ethical issue, as it would mean that "Palworld" developers are using Nintendo's assets without permission. Such actions would not only violate copyright law but also raise questions about the originality and integrity of "Palworld's" development.
These developments highlight the complex relationship between fan creations, modding communities, and the proprietary rights of original game developers and publishers. While fans often mod games as a form of homage or to enhance their gaming experience, they must navigate the legal boundaries set by the original creators. In the case of "Palworld" and Nintendo, it's a classic example of how a popular game can become entangled in legal and ethical dilemmas when it intersects with a well-established and fiercely protected franchise like Pokémon.
Believe it or not, one of the best anime of 2020 was not a series or a movie, but a Music Video! The special was called “GOTCHA!” and is now available with subtitles in nine languages!
“GOTCHA!” Music Video
Music: “Acacia” by BUMP OF CHICKEN (TOY’S FACTORY) Director: Rie Matsumoto Character Design: Yuki Hayashi Animation: BONES INC. Planning and Produced by Genki Kawamura, Masami Hatanaka
Based off of the portable Nintendo Game of the same name, DETECTIVE PIKACHU sends us another trailer.
Starring Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu! Pikachu finds the single person in the world who can understand him, and together they embark on an adventure to solve the mystery of a disappearance of a great detective. Also starring Justice Smith.
The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to work together, as Tim is the only human who can talk with Pikachu, they join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.
The world of Pokémon comes to life! The first-ever live-action Pokémon movie, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character in the first-ever live-action movie based on the iconic face of the global Pokémon brand—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and most successful media franchises of all time.
Fans everywhere can now experience Pikachu on the big screen as never before, as a talking detective Pikachu, a Pokémon like no other. The film also showcases a wide array of beloved Pokémon characters, each with its own unique abilities and personality.
The story begins when ace private eye Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.
WTF! It talks!!!!
“POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” also stars Justice Smith (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”) as Tim; Kathryn Newton (“Lady Bird,” TV’s “Big Little Lies”) as Lucy, a junior reporter following her first big story; and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (“Godzilla,” “The Last Samurai”) as Lt. Yoshida.
Directed by Rob Letterman (“Goosebumps,” “Monsters Vs. Aliens”), the “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” creative filmmaking team includes two-time Oscar nominated director of photography John Mathieson (“The Phantom of the Opera,” “Gladiator”), production designer Nigel Phelps (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Lies”) and Oscar-winning editor Mark Sanger (“Gravity”). Visual effects are by Moving Picture Company (“Wonder Woman”) and Framestore (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”).
Why does Pikachu sound like Deadpool?
Launched in 1996 to overwhelming response, the Pokémon brand is a global sensation that now encompasses a robust video gaming fandom with over 300 million units sold worldwide; the Pokémon Trading Card Game available in 11 languages with more than 23.6 billion cards shipped; an animated television series in its 21st season that is available in more than 160 countries; and over 20 animated films; as well as books, manga comics, music, toys, merchandise, and apps, including the wildly popular Pokémon GO, that has been downloaded over 850 million times and is enjoyed across the globe by fans of all ages.
“POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” is set for release on Friday, May 10, 2019.
[Source: BusinessInsider] It's every Pokémon fan's fantasy. What if your Pokémon weren't restricted to the glowing rectangle in your palm or on your television screen, but were out roaming through the world?
Nintendo just announced "Pokémon Go," an augmented reality game for Android and iOS to be released in 2016. Players will be able to catch, battle, and trade Pokémon in the real world. Location-based technology will ensure that specific Pokémon are only found in certain places, just like the other games in the franchise.
"Pokémon Go" will be free to start but may have in-app purchases.
Nintendo also made a Bluetooth gadget called Pokémon Go Plus. The gadget offers features that will make playing the game smoother and will let you play without having to look at your phone. Pokémon Go Plus will "glow and vibrate when you walk somewhere in the real world that corresponds with somewhere in Pokémon Go's virtual world," according to The Verge.
To develop the game, Nintendo partnered with Niantic Labs, the Alphabet-owned company behind the location-based augmented reality game "Ingress." Last week, Nintendo also released "Pokémon Shuffle," another Pokémon game for Android and iOS.
Nintendo made a video demonstrating what playing "Pokémon Go" could look like. Check it out:
