WDarling in the Franxx , abbreviated as DarliFra , is a 2018 Japanese science fiction romance anime television series co-produced by A-1 Pictures and Trigger and animated by Trigger and CloverWorks that premiered in January 2018. The series was announced at Trigger's Anime Expo 2017 panel in July 2017. A manga adaptation by Kentaro Yabuki and another four-panel comic strip manga began serialization in January 2018.
WDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. It follows teenage Tanjiro Kamado, who strives to become a demon slayer after his family was slaughtered and his younger sister Nezuko turned into a demon. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020, with its chapters collected in twenty-three tankōbon volumes. It has been published in English by Viz Media and simulpublished by Shueisha on their Manga Plus platform.
WDevilman Crybaby is a 2018 Japanese original net animation (ONA) anime series based on Go Nagai's manga series Devilman. The series is directed by Masaaki Yuasa, produced by Aniplex and Dynamic Planning, animated by Science SARU, and released by Netflix. Yuasa was offered the opportunity to create a Devilman project by Aniplex, and envisioned Crybaby by incorporating what he believed Nagai would explore in terms of graphic content had the author not been restrained by the shōnen demographic of the original series. Announced in 2017 to mark Nagai's 50th anniversary as a creator, Crybaby was made available for worldwide streaming on January 5, 2018 as a Netflix original series.
WDragon Ball Super is a Japanese manga series written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. A sequel to Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga, it follows the adventures of Goku and friends during the ten-year timeskip after the defeat of Majin Buu. It began serialization in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine V Jump in June 2015. The manga is published in English by Viz Media and simulpublished by Shueisha on their Manga Plus platform.
WErased, known in Japan as Boku dake ga Inai Machi, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe. It was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine from June 2012 to March 2016, and is licensed in English by Yen Press. An anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from January to March 2016, and a live action film was released in March 2016. A live-action drama series was released by Netflix in December 2017. A spin-off manga was published from June to November 2016 and the spin-off novel series by Hajime Ninomae was released in Kadokawa's Bungei Kadokawa magazine from November 2015 to March 2016.
WGirls' Last Tour is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukumizu. It was serialized monthly through Shinchosha's Kurage Bunch manga website between February 2014 and January 2018 and collected in six tankōbon volumes. An English release of the manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press. A 12-episode anime television adaptation produced by White Fox, mainly covering the manga's first 4 volumes, aired in Japan between October and December 2017.
WHideto Takarai , known by his stage name Hyde, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel since 1991, he is also the lead vocalist of Vamps and has a solo career.
WJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind is the fourth season of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime television series by David Production, adapting Golden Wind, the fifth part of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. Set in Italy during 2001, two years after the events of Diamond is Unbreakable, the series follows the adventures of Giorno Giovanna, the son of Dio Brando but conceived with Jonathan Joestar's body, who joins the criminal organization Passione in the hopes of becoming a gangster and taking control of the organization in the name of reform.
WJujutsu Kaisen (呪術廻戦) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami, serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump since March 2018. The Jujutsu Kaisen chapters are collected and published by Shueisha, with seventeen tankōbon volumes released as of October 2021. The story follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he joins a secret organization of Jujutsu Sorcerers in order to kill a powerful Curse named Ryomen Sukuna, of whom Yuji becomes the host. Jujutsu Kaisen is a sequel to Akutami's Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School, serialized in Shueisha's Jump GIGA from April to July 2017, later collected in a tankōbon volume, as Jujutsu Kaisen 0, in December 2018.
WKaguya-sama: Love Is War is a Japanese romantic comedy manga series by Aka Akasaka. It began serialization in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Miracle Jump in May 2015 and was transferred to Weekly Young Jump in March 2016. In North America, the manga is licensed in English by Viz Media.
W"Kiss of Death" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Mika Nakashima, released as a single by Sony Music Associated Records on March 7, 2018. It was written and produced by L'Arc-en-Ciel's Hyde. The song marks the first collaboration between Nakashima and Hyde in thirteen years, since "Glamorous Sky". "Kiss of Death" is the opening theme to the Tokyo MX anime series Darling in the Franxx. The title track was released digitally in advance after premiering on the series' second episode, on January 20, 2018.
WLand of the Lustrous is a 2017 anime television series based on Haruko Ichikawa's manga of the same name, produced by the computer graphics (CG) animation studio Orange and directed and written by Takahiko Kyōgoku and Toshiya Ono, respectively. It follows the Lustrous – immortal humanoid life forms who are the embodiments of gemstones – who defend themselves against the Lunarians, who seek to harvest their bodies for decorations. Phos is the youngest of the Lustrous, and is given the task to assemble a natural history since they are too brittle to fight.
WMade in Abyss is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akihito Tsukushi. It has been serialized online in Takeshobo's digital publication Web Comic Gamma since 2012 and has been collected into nine tankōbon volumes.
WMasahiko Minami is a Japanese anime producer and president of Bones.
WMamoru Miyano is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer. He is best known for his roles on Steins;Gate, Durarara!!, Death Note, Soul Eater, Wolf's Rain, Ouran High School Host Club, Ajin: Demi-Human, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Free!, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Hunter x Hunter, Chihayafuru, Bungo Stray Dogs, Uta no Prince-sama and Zombieland Saga. He was nominated for the award for Death Note at the 1st Seiyu Awards and won the "Best Voice Actor" award at the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair. At the 2nd Seiyu Awards, he won "Best Lead Actor Award" for his role as Setsuna F. Seiei in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and as Hakugen Rikuson in Kōtetsu Sangokushi. His debut single, "Kuon" , was released at King Records. In March 2009, his debut album Break was released.
WMob Psycho 100 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by ONE. It was serialized on Shogakukan's Ura Sunday website from April 2012 to December 2017. It has been also available online on Shogakukan's mobile app MangaONE since December 2014. Shogakukan compiled its chapters into sixteen tankōbon volumes.
WMocky is a Canadian singer, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer.
WMy Hero Academia is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where they have become commonplace, but who still dreams of becoming a superhero himself. He is scouted by All Might, Japan's greatest hero, who chooses Midoriya as his successor and shares his Quirk with him after recognizing his potential, and later helps to enroll him in a prestigious high school for heroes in training.
WMy Hero Academia: Two Heroes is a 2018 Japanese animated superhero film based on My Hero Academia manga series by Kōhei Horikoshi. Produced by Bones, the film was directed by Kenji Nagasaki from a screenplay written by Yōsuke Kuroda and features an ensemble cast that includes Daiki Yamashita, Kenta Miyake, Mirai Shida, Katsuhisa Namase, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Kaito Ishikawa, Yuki Kaji, Marina Inoue, Toshiki Masuda, Ryō Hirohashi, Tasuku Hatanaka, Kei Shindō, and Rikiya Koyama. In the film, taking place between the Final Exams and the Forest Training Camp story arcs of the manga, Izuku Midoriya / Deku accompanies Toshinori Yagi / All Might in visiting his old friend at I-Island when Villains attack the artificial moving island.
WMy Lesbian Experience With Loneliness or The Private Report on My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness is an autobiographical josei manga by Kabi Nagata. It was originally published by Nagata on the art website Pixiv; it was later published in a single print volume by East Press in June 2016 in Japanese, and by Seven Seas Entertainment in June 2017 in English, with this version winning the Harvey Award for Best Manga of 2018. It was well received by critics, one of whom called it a counterpoint to the "yuri fantasies" common to the genre, and was included on several lists of the best comics of the year, including the annual Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list. A sequel, My Solo Exchange Diary, was released in Japan in December 2016, and in English in June 2018. A third installment, My Solo Exchange Diary Volume 2, was released in English in February 2019. Another sequel, My Alcoholic Escape from Reality, was released in Japan in November 2019, and in English in May 2021.
WYuichi Nakamura is a Japanese voice actor, narrator and YouTuber. He is affiliated with the agency INTENTION as of October 1, 2020. He is characterized by his calm and clear voice, and mainly plays roles ranging from teenage boys to men in their 30s. He has a wealth of experience in narration, but has also been active in animation and dubbing in many productions, such as Gray Fullbuster in Fairy Tail, Mumen Rider in One Punch Man, Gai Tsutsugami in Guilty Crown, Tatsuya Shiba in The Irregular at Magic High School, Karamatsu in Osomatsu-san, Graham Aker in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Alto Saotome in Macross Frontier, Tomoya Okazaki in Clannad, Kyōsuke Kōsaka in Oreimo, Yoshiki Kishinuma in Corpse Party, Hotaro Oreki in Hyouka, Bruno Bucciarati in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Tetsurō Kuroo in Haikyuu!!, Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen, Tsukasa Shishio in Dr. Stone, Hawks in My Hero Academia, and Shigure Sohma in Fruits Basket (2019). On video games, he voiced Hazama and Yūki Terumi in BlazBlue, Sakon Shima in Sengoku Basara 4, Ryoma in Fire Emblem, Cid Raines in Final Fantasy XIII, Flamebringer in Arknights, and Fei Long in Street Fighter IV. He is also the famous dubbing roles for Chris Evans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well for Liam Hemsworth in Hunger Games film series.
WThe Promised Neverland is a Japanese manga series written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from August 2016 to June 2020, with its chapters collected in twenty tankōbon volumes. In North America, Viz Media licensed the manga for English release and serialized it on their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The series follows a group of orphaned children in their plan to escape from their orphanage, after learning the dark truth behind their existence and the purpose of the orphanage.
WRascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, known in Japan as Seishun Buta Yarō , is a Japanese light novel series written by Hajime Kamoshida and illustrated by Keiji Mizoguchi. ASCII Media Works have published eleven volumes since April 2014 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Tsugumi Nanamiya has been serialized in ASCII Media Works' seinen manga magazine Dengeki G's Comic since December 2015. An anime television series adaptation of the first five volumes by CloverWorks aired from October to December 2018. An anime film adaptation emphasizing series volumes six and seven titled Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl premiered in June 2019.
WRe:Zero − Starting Life in Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shin'ichirō Ōtsuka. The story centres on Subaru Natsuki, a hikikomori who suddenly finds himself transported to another world on his way home from the convenience store. The series was initially serialized on the website Shōsetsuka ni Narō from 2012 onwards. Twenty-seven light novels, as well as five side story volumes and six short story collections have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J imprint.
WChristopher Robin Sabat is an American voice actor, voice director, ADR engineer, and line producer working for Funimation and OkraTron 5000.
WSound Horizon is a Japanese musical group with composer Revo as the leader and only permanent member. They describe themselves as a "fantasy band" and have released works that closely resemble classical suites. Their songs often revolve around historical events and classic fairytales. When creating music based on other people's stories, the band uses the name Linked Horizon.
WThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime also known as TenSura (転スラ) or Slime Isekai is a Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Fuse, and illustrated by Mitz Vah. The story is about a salaryman who is murdered and reincarnates in a sword and sorcery world as a slime with unique powers and gathers allies to build his own nation of monsters.
WVinland Saga is a Japanese historical manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. The series is published by Kodansha, and was first serialized in the youth-targeted Weekly Shōnen Magazine before moving to the monthly manga magazine Monthly Afternoon, aimed at young adult men. As of July 2021, the series has been compiled into twenty-five bound volumes. Vinland Saga has also been licensed for English-language publication by Kodansha USA.
WViolet Evergarden is a Japanese light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase. It won the grand prize in the fifth Kyoto Animation Award's novel category in 2014, the first ever work to win a grand prize in any of the three categories. Kyoto Animation published the first light novel on December 25, 2015, under their KA Esuma Bunko imprint.
WYour Name is a 2016 Japanese animated romantic fantasy film produced by CoMix Wave Films and released by Toho. It depicts a high school boy in Tokyo and a high school girl in the Japanese countryside who suddenly and inexplicably begin to swap bodies.
WMasaaki Yuasa is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Yuasa previously served as president of Science SARU, but stepped down from this role in 2020. Recognized for his idiosyncratic art style and directorial voice, Yuasa began his career as an animator on the landmark television series Chibi Maruko-chan (1990-92) and Crayon Shin-chan (1992-present), before moving into directing with the feature film Mind Game (2004) and developing a cult appeal following.
WYuri on Ice is a Japanese sports anime television series about figure skating. The series was produced by MAPPA, directed and written by Sayo Yamamoto with original scripts by Mitsurō Kubo under the chief direction of Jun Shishido. Character designs were handled by Tadashi Hiramatsu, and its music was composed by Taro Umebayashi and Taku Matsushiba. The figure skating was choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto, who also performed routines himself which were recorded and used as skating sound effects. The series premiered on October 6, 2016 and ended on December 22, with a total of 12 episodes. A Yuri on Ice feature film, Ice Adolescence, was originally planned for release in 2019, but has been delayed to a later date. The series revolves around the relationships between Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki; his idol, Russian figure-skating champion Victor Nikiforov, and up-and-coming Russian skater Yuri Plisetsky; as Yuri K. and Yuri P. take part in the Figure Skating Grand Prix, with Victor acting as coach to Yuri K.
WZombie Land Saga is an anime television series produced by MAPPA, Avex Pictures and Cygames. The series aired in Japan between October and December 2018. A second season titled Zombie Land Saga Revenge aired between April and June 2021. An anime film project has been announced. A manga adaptation that loosely follows the events of the anime, began serialization on Cygames' Cycomi website in October 2018; a spinoff series, titled Zombie Land Saga Sidestory: The First Zombie, started running in Ultra Jump magazine in May 2021.