Next Club Meeting: December 14, 2024, 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.

Monday, July 31, 2023

Carrie Fisher's Last Movie...

WONDERWELL
A coming-of-age fairy tale set between modern-day Italy and an imaginary realm just beyond, Wonderwell follows Violet, a naive and inquisitive 12 year-old-girl, on a thrilling journey that transforms her world forever.

Sunday, July 30, 2023

The Battlefield is Rouge's Stage...

METALLIC ROUGE
Metallic Rouge is an original action sci-fi TV anime commemorating the 25th anniversary of studio Bones.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

ColossalCon 2023

May 31 - June 4, 2023
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Sandusky, OH

Colossalcon is a five-day event in the Sandusky Ohio region that features a variety of entertainment in a diverse, multi-function environment from Live Acts and Performers to industry and media guests, DJs, artists, vendors, and attendees from all over the world.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

From the Director of Cowboy Bebop...

L A Z A R U S
Lazarus (ラザロ, Razaro) is an upcoming Japanese anime television series that is set to premiere in the United States on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block.
The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity prevails across the globe. The reason for this: mankind has been freed from sickness and pain. Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner has developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned – this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximately three years later. Death is coming for this sinful world – and coming soon. As a response to this threat, a special task force of 5 agents is gathered from across the world to save humanity from Skinner's plan. This group is called "Lazarus." Can they find Skinner and develop a vaccine before time runs out?

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Anime Viewing Schedule for July 29, 2023


 A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Fountaindale Public Library
VIEWING SCHEDULE
          11:15 - 12:05   Skip and Loafer ep 4-5
          12:05 - 12:55   Undead Girl Murder Farce ep 1-2
          12:55 - 1:20     Dark Gathering ep 1
          1:20 - 2:00       Club Meeting
          2:00 - 2:50       Heavenly Delusion ep 7-8
          2:50 - 4:50       Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Movie)
When in France, steal Lupin's car!
 
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: Skip and Loafer and Dark Gathering
* ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW *

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Rick & Morty Hasshin!

Rick and Morty: The Anime
The show revolves around the adventures of the members of the Smith household, in particular mad scientist and samurai Rick Sanchez, and his grandchildren, the 14-year-old Morty Smith, and the 17-year-old Summer Smith, whose parents, Jerry and Beth Smith (Rick's daughter), disapprove of their adventures. Different versions of the characters (including the bespectacled genocider, President Morty Smith) inhabit other dimensions throughout the show's multiverse, with their personal characteristics varying from one reality to another.

Monday, July 24, 2023

What is the Meaning of Life to Someone Immortal...

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about. Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her? Decades after their victory, the funeral of one her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…
Watch the Trailer
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is coming to Crunchyroll this September!

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Cosplay at San Diego Comic-Con 2023...

SDCC 2023 Cosplay
Fans dressed in their finest costumes to kick off Comic-Con.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Next Club Meeting is July 29, 2023

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K
 
That moment when Draco Malfoy wants to go to the
Anime Club Meeting with you...

  M O N T H L Y   M E E T I N G

Fountaindale Public Library
300 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL  60440
Peggy J. Danhof Board Room
 (2nd Floor)
Saturday, July 29, 2023
11:15 AM - 5:00 PM
 
We will be in the BOARD ROOM on the Second Floor.
 
Hope to see everyone there!

 
A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.
 
Hope to see you all there!

(Click below for maps)

Friday, July 21, 2023

Free Yourselves! Take to the Seas...

ONE PIECE
With his straw hat and ragtag crew, young pirate Monkey D. Luffy goes on an epic voyage for treasure in this live-action adaptation of the popular manga. The Journey to find the ONE PIECE begins August 31. Only on Netflix.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Before there was a Chocolate Factory, there was...

WONKA
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.
From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s The Witches”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.
Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”).
Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) & Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Roald Dahl. Michael Siegel, Cate Adams, Rosie Alison and Tim Wellspring are serving as executive producers. King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Chung-Hoon Chung (“Last Night in Soho,” “Ah-ga-ssi”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”); and composer Joby Talbot (the “Sing” films). Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Heyday Films Production, a Paul King Confection, “Wonka,” set to open in theaters and in IMAX internationally beginning in December 2023 and in North America on December 15, 2023; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Hollywood Strike Impacting Comic-Con...

Is San Diego Comic-Con the Next E3?
Both the Writers and Actors Guild are going on Strike. Can SDCC survive without major movie studios putting in an appearance this year? Could it just END like E3 apparently has? Will it go back to being a "comic book convention" or has that ship already sailed?

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Revenge is Bittersweet...

The Kingdoms of Ruin
Witches once blessed the human race with wisdom and peace. But the Redia Empire's "Gear Expansion" brought about a culture of science that far surpassed magic, and witches were viewed as enemies impeding the progress of civilization. Thus began the witch hunts. One human named Adonis, who was raised by a witch named Chloe, swears revenge against the human race that took his beloved mentor from him. What salvation can be found at the end of a bloodbath fueled by utter despair?

Monday, July 17, 2023

Will This Be Another Failed Disney Movie?

Disney's SNOW WHITE
WHAT THE F*@#!!!!
Disney’s upcoming live-action “Snow White” is under fire for being so “politically correct” that it’s replacing the seven dwarfs with “magical creatures” of all sizes, colors, and genders in order to reflect the diversity of the modern world.

The film, which is slated for release next year with Hispanic actress Rachel Zegler as the fairy tale princess, made waves this week after a Snow White stand-in was seen wandering around Bedfordshire, England, followed by a gaggle of brightly colored friends of various genders, races and sizes, modernizing the 1937 film.

Not everyone is bewitched by Disney’s modern take on the fairy tale, as critics began attacking the set photos, with some calling it “unbelievable.”

“#GoWokeGoBroke,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another said: “Looks like the Woke don’t care much for dwarves. And… they have a girl dwarf now.”


Sunday, July 16, 2023

From Zero to... "Minus"

GODZILLA: MINUS ONE
Check out the official teaser for Godzilla Minus One directed by Takashi Yamazaki! Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force. Major Japanese studio Toho Co. has announced “Godzilla Minus One” as the title of the latest instalment in its “Godzilla” film franchise.

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Better late, than never...

WOLVERINE IS FINALLY WEARING HIS COSTUME!
Better late than never? Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is going to be sporting a (mostly) comic book-accurate costume in Deadpool 3. Will the movie be any good, or will it be Disney-fied?

Friday, July 14, 2023

Worst place to be shipwrecked...

SKULL ISLAND
Get ready to explore Skull Island, the very last place on earth you want to be. Shipwrecked in the South Pacific, a group of explorers encounter a menagerie of fearsome creatures — including the giant ape who rules the island: Kong.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Once a Rebel, Always a Rebel...


AHSΦKA
Watch the brand-new trailer and experience the two-episode series premiere of Ahsoka, a STAR WARS Original series, streaming August 23 only on Disney+.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Suicide Squad in Another World!?

SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI
Harley Quinn and Joker rampage into Japanese anime in SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI (Isekai Sūsaido Sukuwaddo), an upcoming anime television series based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad. It will be produced by Warner Bros. Japan and animated by Wit Studio, with Eri Osada serving as director, Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara as the screenwriters, Naoto Hosoda as the character designer, and Kenichiro Suehiro as the composer. Manga artist Akira Amano will provide the original character drafts.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

What do you do during the Zombie Apocalypse?

ZOM 100:
 Bucket List of the Dead
A fresh and exciting zombie movie that brings laughter and thrills!
Bullied by his boss, worked around the clock, he's nothing more than a corporate drone. All it takes is a zombie outbreak for him to finally feel alive!
Akira Tendo (Eiji Akaso) works at an exploitative company where he suffers endless hours and harassment from his boss. Spending more days feeling dead than alive, he awakes to discover his town has been devastated and overtaken by zombies and suddenly feels excited at the prospect of not needing to go to the office anymore. Coming to the realization that he’d rather be eaten by zombies if he can’t do what he wants, Akira comes up with a bucket list of 100 things he wants to do before becoming a zombie. What will become of him as he joyfully lives his life amid a zombie apocalypse?! Get ready for this zombie comedy for anyone stressed out by modern society!
The Netflix Film “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” starts streaming worldwide from Thursday, August 3, 2023, only on Netflix!

Monday, July 10, 2023

Anime Midwest 2023 Day 1 - Walkthrough

ANIME MIDWEST 2023
July 7–9, 2023
Hyatt Regency O'Hare
Stephens Convention Center
Rosemont, Illinois
An annual three-day anime convention held during July at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare and Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

Guests:
Greg Ayres, Jillian Coglan, Samurai Dan Coglan, Cole Feuchter, Quinton Flynn, Lizzie Freeman, Diana Garnet, Kohei Hattori, Jay Hickman, Caleb Hyles, Mika Kobayashi, Jennie Kwan, Mason Lieberman, Mint, Shihori Nakane, V is for Villains, Kiba Walker, Gareth West, and YTCracker.

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Superman Transforms Like Sailor Moon Now...

Moon... Prism... Power!
My Adventures with Superman is coming to Adult Swim, and a clip of his transformation sequence was posted to the official DC Comics Twitter. And of course, it's just like Sailor Moon. Just like He-Man before it. And like She-Ra before it. Speaking of which, one of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power's writers is a producer on this show. So THAT tracks.

Saturday, July 8, 2023

A.I. is taking over Hollywood!

HARRY POTTER but in INDIA
Another Mid-Journey A.I. creation. Prepare for an immersive and whimsical cinematic experience unlike any other. Everyone looks and sounds amazing! Until next time!

Friday, July 7, 2023

Kathleen Kennedy STRIKES BACK!


Fireworks ERUPT at Disney Meeting
Over Box Office FAILURE of Indy 5!
After making a paltry $60 million at the box office domestically, Indy 5 appears to have dialed up a destiny of losing money, and Disney is extremely unhappy with the opening weekend grosses. My Hollywood spies, along with a walk-in source, claim that an emergency executive meeting was called, and that exchanges between Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger got very heated, with factions inside Disney and Lucasfilm trying to assign blame for this box office catastrophe. Here are details from a walk-in source, relaying to me the rumor that's spreading through the halls of Lucasfilm about what allegedly happened at that meeting, but of course as with all walk-in sources, take this with an extra teaspoonful of salt!
Bob Iger FURIOUS at KK Source Says!
KK deflects blame on EVERYONE else!

Thursday, July 6, 2023

There's a Murder in Paradise...


P L U T O

by Naoki Urasawa x Osamu Tezuka
 
A murder occurs in an orderly world where robots are unable to kill humans.
The robotic Europol investigator Gesicht takes the case, but the mystery deepens when he finds no trace of a human at the scene of the crime. As he pursues the truth, Gesicht uncovers the most evil manifestation of hate that history ever seen, one that is bent on bringing destruction to the world ...
"PLUTO" starts streaming Thursday, October 26, 2023, only on Netflix.

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Cosplay at Anime Expo 2023...

ANIME EXPO 2023 Cosplay Highlights
Los Angeles Convention Center! Cosplay Hall at Anime Expo! Here’s a full walk-through of the convention center in Los Angeles, California! Cosplay music video day 2 Sunday! Many from all over the world come together here to celebrate their love for anime!

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Anime Expo at L.A. Convention Center sells out!

ANIME EXPO 2023
Thousands of fans gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday to celebrate Japanese pop culture for the Anime expo, which runs through Tuesday. Photojournalist Phil Ige reports for KTLA 5 News at 5, July 2, 2023.

Monday, July 3, 2023

What the heck is going on at Lucasfilm?

(Click on the Video above)
Is the Failure of Indy 5 the Last Straw for Disney?
Can this Finally be the End of Kathleen Kennedy?
For years it has been wishful thinking that Kathleen Kennedy's tyrannical rule at Lucasfilm would finally come to an end, but time-after-time she has been able to evade the chopping block with her feminist head still intact. However, this time might be different. Kennedy's Indiana Jones 5 is bombing at the box office, and the financial repercussions might be her undoing. After a string of failed movies and intolerable TV shows, this may be the last straw for Disney. The following is a report by YouTuber, Overlord DVD:
A rumor erupted on Twitter that Kathleen Kennedy had been fired. This was news to me, I'd heard nothing about this, and yet people were contacting me about it asking questions, and yesterday Kathleen Kennedy was trending on Twitter, so I was intrigued, especially given the rumor I reported that in a private meeting Bob Iger had told Kennedy if Indy 5 didn't make $900 million there would be "consequences". It seems very clear to me that Indy 5 is NOT going to make a billion dollars, so I wondered: could this be Iger implementing those "consequences"? I was subsequently contacted by Kamran Pasha, and as it turns out, according to his source "Sparrow", bizarre things were happening at Lucasfilm yesterday, things that suggest there could be something to this rumor! Here is my conversation with Kamran Pasha as we examine the latest from the source code-named "Sparrow"! [Watch the Video]
 - Overlord DVD
"There is Chaos in the (Lucasfilm) Office!"
"Kathleen Kennedy's email is Suspended... User Not Found."
"Internal Calendar shows Kennedy on 2 weeks paid leave...
on the day of the Indy 5 Release."
"Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse sent to Investigate Lucasfilm."

All of these Coincidences may mean Nothing...
Only time will tell...

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Why Is the Star Wars Audience Shrinking?


Galactic Initiative offers four reasons for the declining prosperity of Star Wars.
And why is Disney moving away from George Lucas?

Saturday, July 1, 2023

The Prophecy Continues...

DUNE: PART TWO
The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on “Dune: Part Two,” the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning “Dune.”

The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka,” “Call Me by Your Name”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Malcolm & Marie,” “Euphoria”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Avengers: End Game,” “Milk”), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (“Elvis,” “Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood”), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (“Black Widow,” “Little Women”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter,” “Hairspray”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Léa Seydoux (the “James Bond” franchise and “Crimes of the Future”), with Stellan Skarsgård (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”).

“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Herbert’s novel. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.

Villeneuve is again collaborating with his “Dune” creatives: Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser; Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette; Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker; Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is again on hand to create the score.

“Dune: Part Two” was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film is slated for a November 3, 2023 worldwide release from Warner Bros. Pictures.