Next Club Meeting:September 5, 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.
Lara, a mermaid princess who is beloved by her father, the Sea King, and her sisters, enters into a forbidden love with a human prince and aspires to live with him on land. She drinks a potion created by Grace to become a human and lives with the prince, while being warned the potion expires if she fails to experience true love. However, the prince rejects Lara after learning she is a mermaid, and she vanishes into foam due to the potion's effects and discovers her kingdom has collapsed. Lara is resurrected in Lake Biwa two hundred years later under a trial set by Grace, and she sets out to find true love again and rescue her kingdom.
This is Ghibli’s first major project after The Boy and the Heron, which was released in 2023. The short film titled Majyo no Tani no Yoru, which translates to Night in the Valley of Witches, was displayed at the Orion Theater in the park’s Ghibli Grand Warehouse starting July 8. This 14-minute-long film is directed by two renowned animators of the studio, Goro Miyazaki and Akihiko Yamashita.
Following the film’s announcement, the official website of Ghibli Park shared further details on the film, along with the first look featuring the main characters. The story takes place in the Ghibli Park’s Valley of Witches, centering around a new employee at the park who gets entangled in mysterious events, where ordinary requests such as repairing buildings and fireplaces turn into a major disaster by some unseen force.
The film showcases real buildings from the park, including the Guchoki Bakery, Howl’s Castle, Hatter’s Hat Shop, The Witch’s House, and more. The promotional film will be shown in the theatre, accompanied by a stage greeting where Goro Miyazaki and Akihiko Yamashita will be present. The theater hall has a 150-person capacity, and it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
When Mamoru Oshii was offered the opportunity to adapt Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell". At first, the assignment held little appeal. A cyberpunk police thriller seemed an unlikely vehicle for his interests. But as Oshii immersed himself in Shirow's premise, he recognized something more compelling beneath its genre framework: an opportunity to examine how the rapid expansion of digital networks and information technologies was beginning to reshape the boundaries of human consciousness and identity.
As Oshii and screenwriter Kazunori Itō developed the adaptation, they quickly concluded that Shirow's irreverent sensibility was fundamentally at odds with the film they envisioned. The original 1989 manga balanced its philosophical ideas with manic comedy, punctuating tense action with slapstick, fourth-wall jokes, exaggerated chibi caricatures, and the playful antics of the Fuchikoma spider tanks. Nearly all of these elements were removed.
The most profound transformation was reserved for Major Motoko Kusanagi herself. Shirow's heroine is impulsive, outspoken, and often disarmingly playful; Oshii and Itō reconceived her as a figure defined by stillness, introspection, and profound existential isolation. Her emotional reserve became an extension of the film's central inquiry into the uneasy relationship between body, mind, and machine. Oshii reinforced this conception through the animation itself, instructing his artists to minimize Kusanagi's blinking, lending her an almost uncanny stillness that subtly underscores her distance from ordinary biological life. Oshii transforms what might have remained a conventional science-fiction thriller into something far more reflective: a meditation on memory, mortality, and the increasingly fragile distinction between the human soul and the digital systems that surround and ultimately redefine it.
Ever since his mother died in a fire, Terrence has secluded himself in an emotionless world.
He goes through his daily teenager life apathetically… with one exception! The simple sight of a flame plunges him into a world of fear, an awakened version of his nightmares – for, every time he falls asleep, he helplessly relives the tragic event, thus rekindling his pyrophobia. Until that one night he can’t bear it any more and stops running away from the devilish flames. Little does he know that, by doing so, he overcame his greatest fear and became a Traveler: a very special kind of Dreamer, able to explore Dreamland, the dimension born from mankind’s dreams… and nightmares!
Based on the original novel "MAJO TO RYOKEN" by Rainy Kamitsuki, published by Shogakukan Inc. Original character designs by LAM
The dark fantasy novel "MAJO TO RYOKEN" by Rainy Kamitsuki, originally published under Shogakukan’s Gagaga Bunko imprint, is officially getting an anime adaptation. The series is directed by Takanori Tsujimoto, whose works span both live-action and animation, including the live-action Ultraman series and the animated feature film HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle-. Character designs are by Kengo Saito, who has contributed to numerous acclaimed productions at Yostar Pictures.
Produced by the rising animation studio TriF Studio, the series promises stunning visuals and intense action.
DC, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment present Batman: Knightfall, a three-part movie event bringing to life one of the most iconic and beloved sagas in the rich history of Batman comics.
Part One of the trilogy, Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall premiered at the 2026 edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival with an official release planned for later this year. When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point. Based on characters from DC and the DC Comic Book Event, Batman: Knightfall by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, Peter David, Jo Duffy, Jim Aparo, Graham Nolan, Norm Breyfogle, and Jim Balent.
Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall is directed by Jeff Wamester and written by Jeremy Adams. Rick Morales serves as Supervising Producer alongside Producers Jim Krieg and Kimberly S. Moreau. Sam Register and Michael Uslan are Executive Producers.
The voice cast stars Anson Mount as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Mando as Bane, Pablo Schreiber as Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael.
In Japan, Battle of the Planets is known as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, written in Japanese as 科学忍者隊ガッチャマン (Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman). G-Force, a five-member superhero team, fights to defend Earth and its space colonies from the threat of the planet Spectra.
The fantasy world of Esluna is ruled by descendants of a sacred bloodline, and technologically powered by the advanced relics of their ancients. MAEVE is a relic hunter, aided by her robot sidekick and a reformed sky pirate. When her mentor and surrogate mother CAZ is kidnapped by the rogue monk SPARROWWOOD, Maeve has no choice but find a powerful relic known as the CROWN OF BABYLON, rumored to have the power to bring back the dead. She teams up with BATAAR, an old friend with telekinetic powers and an agenda of his own, and together they try to find the crown, save Caz, and stop Sparrowwood from endangering the lives of everyone they know.
Watch on Prime or AppleTV
About Cloudrise Pictures: Cloudrise Pictures is an indie Canadian animation studio founded in 2017 by animator and director Denver Jackson. The studio is currently still young and growing as we produce more passion projects. Current films include shorts: Cloudrise, The Wishing Jar, SOS, a webseries: Esluna: The First Monolith, and our first feature film: Esluna: The Crown of Babylon.
A long-awaited anime adaptation of the globally popular manga "Fool Night," the first collaboration between Sunrise and Shaft, will stream worldwide in 2026, exclusively on Netflix.
"Living... there isn’t a single thing fun about it."
In a dark world full of despair, he chooses the path of transforming into a Spirit Flower — a plant into which humans transform.
Should he continue living as a person, or discard his pain and start a new life as a plant? Which path would you choose in his situation?
In order to return to the past, Guan Chao searches for the energy source known as "Blazing Stone" (灼石), which is needed to activate the Time Gun. However, he unexpectedly falls into the Memory Bureau, where he joins memory administrators such as Fang Tang and Bai Chong. Together, they battle through bizarre and mysterious layers of memories.
Premieres on August 2 at 12:00 PM!
The first release includes 3 episodes, streaming exclusively on Bilibili.
Note: The title 《记忆管理局》 literally means "Memory Bureau" or "Memory Administration Bureau." Since it's a new donghua, the official English title may differ when it is released internationally.
In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung- min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village. In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters, including Sung- ki (Zo In-Sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.
In this video, I turned Chapter 1 of Hitoner into a short AI-powered “anime” using manga panels as the base.The goal: test how far current AI animation tools can push static manga pages into something that feels more like an opening episode, with motion, camera moves, and effects.
A beautiful and vivid battle action like no one has ever seen is born──
The latest work of animation director Norihiro Naganuma, known for his overwhelming visual beauty and delicate direction that closely follows characters’ emotions, 'Ryukeshou no Shinobi' is an original anime that combines classic motifs loved by all generations and countries—"dinosaurs" and "ninjas"—with a modern element: "makeup."
Supporting Director Naganuma in his first attempt at action is character designer Yukiko Nakatani and color designer Misato Aida, who previously teamed up on 'Kusuriya no Hitorigoto.' The team reunites to create a dazzling and stylish battle action that’s classic yet unlike anything anyone has ever seen.
Tokyo, 2029.
Dinosaurs, once believed to have gone extinct due to a meteor, secretly preserved their DNA through breeding with humans, blending into human society while feeding on people... Meanwhile, there are those who secretly fight these dinosaurs—a group of ninjas who use special pigments called "Ryukeshou," carrying ancient memories, to draw out the abilities of dinosaurs in battle.
The predators—'dinosaurs'—launch attacks to wipe out humanity, and the 'ninjas' fight to stop them in a struggle for the survival of each species──
Dead. Resurrected. Forgotten. Iarumas has no memory of who he was, only a deadly dungeon to explore. With a lone survivor named Garbage at his side, he dives deeper in search of the truth.
From Kumo Kagyu (Goblin Slayer) and so-bin (Overlord), comes a brand-new dark fantasy set in the legendary world of Wizardry. Coming in 2027.
Join us for the best moments from Comic-Con 2026, where the floor was packed with incredible cosplay, collectible displays, exclusive reveals, and unforgettable fan energy. From detailed costumes that brought characters to life to standout booths, exhibits, and hidden gems throughout the convention center, this video captures the excitement that makes Comic-Con one of the biggest pop culture events of the year.
We also step outside the main hall to explore the surrounding events, including offsite activations, surprise moments, and the exciting energy around the Gaslamp District. Whether you’re here for the costumes, the collectibles, or the overall convention experience, this recap brings you right into the heart of the action.
Fifty years after the events of Blade Runner 2049, Los Angeles has been reborn, just not by humanity. Cora, a fugitive in a final bid to stop running, takes on one last identity: a Blade Runner. Forced to partner with Olwen, a Replicant days from dying, she hunts down a runaway hiding a truth that could collapse their fragile city,
Check out the reveal teaser trailer for the new anime,
Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, from San Diego Comic Con 2026!
The RG Project is a new vision for Gundam: A multi-media universe crafted by acclaimed science-fiction filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Star Wars: Visions Volume 3), in which entries share a narrative spanning generations within one continuous world. The initiative brings together the anime Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO and the upcoming, high-mobility action game, GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT, each depicting the shared universe from a different perspective.
Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO opens this new saga, set roughly 100 years before the events of GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT, telling the beginning of the story and how this world came to be. GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT, picks up generations later in a future shaped by accumulated events depicted in the anime. The anime and game come together for an experience that invites Gundam fans to immerse themselves into this new world and make new choices of their own.
Avatar: Seven Havens is an all-new series from creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Set in a world shattered by a devastating cataclysm, a young Earthbender discovers she's the new Avatar after Korra. In this dangerous era, that title marks her as humanity's destroyer, not its savior. Hunted by both human and spirit enemies, she and her long-lost twin must uncover their mysterious origins and save the Seven Havens before civilization’s last strongholds collapse.
Hottle, who came from a multigenerational Deaf family, captured audiences with her heartfelt portrayal of Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Her performances brought warmth and authenticity to the MonsterVerse, making Jia one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. According to her family, she died following a car accident in Maryland.
