The first volume of Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc is a delightful success; from the lovely art and the characters to the new story’s beginnings – all of it feels like a genuine continuation that CLAMP wanted and felt creatively compelled to do. If you’re a CLAMP fan, do not hesitate to pick up this volume.

Manga

Demelza:

Looking back on 2017 I realise that I haven’t been buying many new manga series, but despite that, the few I have picked up have proven well worthwhile. This year saw the release…

Fate/Apocrypha is 12 episodes complete with grand battles, great animation and glorious Fate-fanservice magic in a new overblown but fun-filled story. If you have Netflix, then don’t hesitate to check it out.

We’ve had a lot of amazing releases this year, and they all would make wonderful surprises under the tree for that special someone. But to help with the Christmas shopping blues, here's Anime UK News Gift Guide 2017!

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter is not the brightest spark in Studio Ghibli's repertoire. Despite some good ideas and lovely animation, this is primarily aimed at very young kids and therefore anyone outside that demographic would most likely find this 26-episode venture hard to get through.

Arakawa Under the Bridge is a quirky comedy with vastly strange but likable characters. You may feel sorry for poor Kou being stuck with them but can’t help but wonder what he’s going to find next.

Despite the silly name and lack of fanfare around this title, In/Spectre starts off very well with likable characters, sincere chemistry between the two leads and interesting spin on Japanese folklore.

Fireworks is a visually stunning film with an interesting twist on the ‘Groundhog Day’ concept without going too deeply into it. A fun movie that makes another worthy addition to the UK’s most fruitful year of anime cinema releases so far.

Perfect Blue is an effective psychological thriller that brilliantly plays with expectations and directly addresses uncomfortable, heavy themes for a mind-trip of a movie. Whilst the ending may not as stellar as the work leading up to it, this is definitely a film that any anime fan should treat themselves to this Halloween.

In This Corner of the World is a heart-felt journey that may not be as lauded compared to other animated war films or big anime film releases of this year, but is still a film worthy of being discovered and added to your collection.

The Night is Short, Walk on Girl is very, very, very weird. There’s a simple premise hiding underneath the explosion of random events that occur with gorgeous animation to embellish the strange experience.

For Nadesico fans, this is a delightfully put-together box set that can provide a fun ride, but for everyone else it’s a risky investment of money and time that is not guaranteed to be worthwhile in the end.

The Boy and The Beast is as visually splendid as Summer Wars and as heart-warming as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. It’s a highly recommended film for the whole family, full of laughs, tears and smiles.

If your favourite part of the original story is the L vs. Light mind battles and the creative ways they try to ‘one up’ each other, then you’ll most likely hate this version. If, however, you enjoyed more of the world building, seeing how the Death Note could be used in creative ways and don’t mind encountering fresh (if controversial) takes on the characters, this film could satisfy your next popcorn movie Netflix night binge.

Tokyo Ghoul fans who have loved the world building and characters will have little reason not to pick this up; the stories are short but fun distractions that complement the series nicely.