Uncategorized
https://blacknerdproblems.com/bnps-most-anticipated-anime-in-2025/
Oh, I am counting the days left in the year. This train with 2024 on it is quickly approaching the station for us to jump off, unload, and ride into 2025 on a newer, proverbial train. I’ve been watching a ton of anime on my downtime while at home between work for the site and wanted to make sure I briefly chatted up what anime is upon us that I will not miss. Outside of hotly anticipated second seasons of faves like Solo Leveling, The Apothecary Diaries, and My Happy Marriage, here are the newer titles that I’m marking down as must-see watches! From an animated film I failed to catch last year to some adaptations of some manga series I adore, lets get into it!
The Colors Within
Premiere Date: In Theaters, January 24, 2025
Premise: Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the ‘colors’ of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn’t play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections. Will they discover their true ‘colors’?
What to Expect: I attempted and FAILED to get tickets to watch this at the Animation is Film festival earlier this year, sadly. Brought to us by Science SARU, the same studio who brought hits like DandaDan, Night is Short, Walk On Girl and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off– I’m not expecting this to disappoint.
What to Expect: I’m looking forward to watching a new coming-of-age tale about the importance of music and friendship. Teenagers concerned about their futures and also connecting with others in perhaps one of their most influential years sounds like a winner to me.
Recommended for lovers of: Complicated teenagers figuring out life, gorgeous animation from Science Saru, and cinematic tales via Japan
Lazarus
Premiere Date: 2025 (Date TBA) on Adult Swim, then MAX
Premise: “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. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
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?”
What to Expect: Off jump, we know that Lazarus is being directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. One of our favorite heavy hitting animation studios MAPPA (Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen) is responsible on that front with the series being produced by Sola Entertainment. Another name attached to the program that pulled all the eyeballs is Chad Stahelski, perhaps best known as the director behind the amazing John Wick films.
Recommended for lovers of: Early 2000’s anime vibes (in a good, not BAD way), the hella jazzy (electronic, house and perhaps all the genre mashing) soundtrack and a new, unique animation collabs
ZENSHU
Premiere Date: January 5, 2025 on Crunchyroll
Premise: After high school, Natsuko Hirose starts her career as an animator and quickly rises to director. Her first anime is a huge hit, earning her recognition as an up-and-coming genius director. But her next project isn’t going as well. It’s a romantic comedy, but she’s never been in love before! Struggling to grasp the concept, Natsuko can’t create the storyboard, bringing production to a standstill.
What to Expect: ZENSHU looks marvelous: this trailer showing glimpses of a fully realized world in a fantasy setting with Natsuko being familiar with the heroes, baddies, and the kingdom that is set to fall. She’s thrust into a world that captivated her as a child and is destined for doom and death, yet she wonders if she can make a difference and change the storyline for good. We MAY be getting the hero story for another perceptive with a fresh coat of paint with incredible visuals we only know to expect from such a studio.
Recommended for lovers of: MAPPA, unique stories about unique heroes in unique times, and fantasy settings
Medalist
Premiere Date: January 2025? (Date TBA)
Premise: Tsukasa, whose dreams were crushed. Inori, left to fend for herself. These two share a dream…and their tenacity may be the only thing that sees them through. Their destination? The ice…on the world’s stage!
What to Expect: Medalist is a manga series that I fell off reading yet wouldn’t dare say it fell off. I mean that this charming and ever so inspiring story about how two souls: little Inori and the man who becomes her coach–Tsukasa, is worth watching for sure. This is a series about dreams: those whose dreams were crushed and aged out before they could become their best and those just starting out. I’m hoping the anime picks up of the real competitive nature of the professional figure skating world and just how daring and full of pressure that world is for the children that enter it.
Recommended for lovers of: The drama, sports, and seinen genres, wholesome, inspiring stories with child athletes, and the found family trope
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
Premiere Date: Friday, January 10, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST (16:00 UTC) on HIDIVE
Premise: It’s 2050 Riyadh and in his previous life in modern-day Japan, Kenzaburou Tondabayashi was a 52-year-old civil servant—and now he’s the villainess! Reborn as Grace Auvergne, the drill-haired villainess of an otome game his daughter used to play, Kenzaburou is quite confused. From the little information he possesses, Kenzaburou knows he should be a haughty noble girl, but the disciplined older man is simply unable to act in such a manner.
His calm and kind aura leads him to befriend the heroine and further endear him to the student body as the pinnacle of elegance. As he tries to keep the story on track, Kenzaburou will have to draw on his years of experience in the workforce, his perfect Japanese manners, and his family-oriented morals to fit in with the fellow kids.
What to Expect: Another reincarnated/villianess anime adaptation where we are reminded that Truck-kun does discriminate. An aging father sacrifices himself to wake up as a teenage noble girl who is known as the villianess and has to figure out his new life. Lemme watch this now, this is too hilariously silly and out of the box to ignore.
Recommended for lovers of: Otome games and otome culture, unlikely heroes and heroines, and more of animated villianess genre
Can You Keep a Secret?
Premiere Date: Winter 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: Yui Mitsuya and Masugu Tateishi aren’t just any coworkers—they totally have the hots for each other. His helpful yet humble attitude makes her giddy, and her cuteness leaves him grinning like a fool. Problem is, they’re trying to keep their new relationship under wraps to avoid making things awkward at work. But seeing how they can’t keep their hands off each other, they run the risk of spilling their little secret with each passing day at the office.
What to Expect: Oh, Oh, Oh. I stumbled upon this manga and LOVED the first volume. Workplace romance can be a hit or miss for me in manga and anime, and this one has not only depth but a lot of humor and a fun supporting casts starting to blossom. I’m missing Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku so I’m checking this one out for sure!
Recommended for lovers of: Messy workplace romances, adult romances, and seinen based humor
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time
Premiere Date: January 10, on Crunchyroll
Premise: Alina thought she had found the perfect job as a guild receptionist. It’s stable, safe, and has a super cute uniform. But this dream gig turns into an overtime nightmare whenever adventurers get stuck clearing a dungeon. Tired of the long nights, Alina starts taking down the bosses herself! She even earns the name Executioner for her impressive skills. Can she keep her identity a secret?
What to Expect: Another Isekai with a protagonist who is instantly relatable abut also so very unserious!!! The 9-5 is severely overrated, and Alina here grinds it out until she breaks—this is my jam. I’m going to be watching this for sure.
Recommended for lovers of: Anyone tired of the grind
, anime adapted from the light novels, Isekai goodness, and hilarity
Übel Blatt
Premiere Date: January 10, 2025 on Prime Video
Premise: Rumors stir throughout the land: when the wielder of the black sword draws his dark blade, all who stand in its path are torn asunder…! Köinzell, the mysterious young boy who carries the black sword, undeniably wields it with exceptional skill, but can he truly be responsible for the bloody rumors? Pursued by the Traitorous Lances, four powerful warriors who were thought to have been defeated by the Seven Heroes, the strength of the young swordsman will be tested to its limit. At battle’s end, only the shocking truth of Köinzell’s quest will stand above the corpses of his enemies…
What to Expect: I’m not familiar with the anime yet my favorite comment by user @wangfoo2693 on the Youtube trailer for mentioned: “This was like the OG of the trope “the heroes are actually the bad guys. Betrayed person gets revenge”. Oh, say less. I’m on it.
Recommended for lovers of: Misunderstood heroes, complex narratives about revenge and redemption, and elves, dragons and fantasy worlds
Witch Hat Atelier
Premiere Date: January 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem.
What to Expect: Witch Hat Atelier has been one of my favorite ongoing manga series in recent years–so much that I even included it in my ‘Manga You Should Be Reading‘ series on the site. Witch Hat Atelier is a charming, layered manga series on the cost of magic in our lives and how the joy of discovering and living out your dreams comes with responsibilities and obligations. It is loved by youth and adults alike and continues to be an engaging story, championing those who want inclusion and clarity in the institutions that they belong to. At first glance from the teaser and trailer, the anime adaptation looks vibrant and amazing.
Recommended for lovers of: Any stories that lean toward the magical, fantasy set anime series. Read the Manga Chapters 1-17, for Free via Kodansha
The Summer Hikaru Died
Premiere Date: 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: Yoshiki and Hikaru are two teenage boys living in a small town in rural Japan. Despite having opposite personalities and different hobbies, the two maintain a close friendship. However, on one winter day, Hikaru is fatally injured while hiking in the mountains alone. Before dying, a mysterious eldritch being comes across him and consumes him, becoming him physically in the process. This “Hikaru” has all the feelings and memories of the original, yet remains a separate being, something Yoshiki realizes rather quickly.
What to Expect: Get me a tissue box. I finally picked up the first few volumes of this series–after so many recommendations….and it emotionally devastated me, truly. You wanna watch some Horror BL? BABY–HAVE AT THIS!
Recommended for lovers of: Psychological tales about growing up, stories about first loves and friendships, small towns with horrifying secrets, and also the school life genre
Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!
Premiere Date: January 2025 (Date TBA) on Crunchyroll
Premise: Nakamura is a shy boy who falls in love at first sight with one of his classmates–his dreamy high school classmate, Hirose. But there’s a problem: they haven’t met yet. And Nakamura is a total klutz who might bungle things before they even begin!
What to Expect: From scary BL above in The Summer Hikaru Died to super comedic BL in Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! I loved the single, self-contained volume of this manga and counted it as one of my one volume manga faves UNTIL the mangaka announced the sequel, Go For It Again, Nakamura! What do you need to know: this is a hilarious Boys’ Love manga about one young man’s attempts to keep it together in front of his crush. If you’re tuning in to watch, you’ll be tuning in for a good time watching the adaptation of a “hit ROM-COM BL”.
Recommended for lovers of: Hilarious love stories, BL of course, and jokes upon jokes upon jokes
Kowloon Generic Romance
Premiere Date: 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: In the distant future, individuals who adore the old way of life live in Kowloon Walled City—a slum city that serves as a refuge for those who long for the Hong Kong of the past. Realtor Reiko Kujirai, however, craves for the new and exciting places in the area. In contrast, her only coworker, Hajime Kudou, enjoys the nostalgia the city invokes and is put off by anything modern that seeps past its walls. But despite their differing views and constant bickering on the most mundane of things, the two often find themselves enjoying each other’s company. One day, a prank gone wrong leads Hajime to make an unexpected advance toward Reiko, after which he swiftly apologizes. Baffled by his actions, Reiko starts investigating for possible explanations, only to discover a past that she has no memory of.
What to Expect: I read and fell in love with Jun Mayuzuki’s English language debut, After The Rain. I found it to be an incredible story about two different people figuring out their paths in life. When I heard about the mangaka’s newest translated work, I knew that I wanted to read it. Kowloon Generic Romance is a manga series that is hard to describe as it is a genre blurring work. It is a romance within a dystopian story with a sort of slice-of-life approach with mystery and intrigue. Wait, let me try this again based on the real life setting of the Kowloon Walled City, is a story about real estate agent Reiko Kujirai and her daily adventures.
Recommended for lovers of: Folks who like of slice-of-life in their manga, readers of science fiction and dystopian vibes, and fans of genre-blurring manga
Also, I’m making this list as a subscriber of these streaming apps based in the United States. Please check the availability of all the streaming apps in your country or territory as access isn’t guaranteed, sadly!
What are you most looking forward to via anime in 2025?
Love anime? So do we! See what else we have to offer on the site via anime here!
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you?
Sign up here! Follow us on BlueSky , Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram!
The post BNP’s Most Anticipated Anime in 2025 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Oh, I am counting the days left in the year. This train with 2024 on it is quickly approaching the station for us to jump off, unload, and ride into 2025 on a newer, proverbial train. I’ve been watching a ton of anime on my downtime while at home between work for the site and wanted to make sure I briefly chatted up what anime is upon us that I will not miss. Outside of hotly anticipated second seasons of faves like Solo Leveling, The Apothecary Diaries, and My Happy Marriage, here are the newer titles that I’m marking down as must-see watches! From an animated film I failed to catch last year to some adaptations of some manga series I adore, lets get into it!
The Colors Within
Premiere Date: In Theaters, January 24, 2025
Premise: Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the ‘colors’ of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn’t play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections. Will they discover their true ‘colors’?
What to Expect: I attempted and FAILED to get tickets to watch this at the Animation is Film festival earlier this year, sadly. Brought to us by Science SARU, the same studio who brought hits like DandaDan, Night is Short, Walk On Girl and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off– I’m not expecting this to disappoint.
What to Expect: I’m looking forward to watching a new coming-of-age tale about the importance of music and friendship. Teenagers concerned about their futures and also connecting with others in perhaps one of their most influential years sounds like a winner to me.
Recommended for lovers of: Complicated teenagers figuring out life, gorgeous animation from Science Saru, and cinematic tales via Japan
Lazarus
Premiere Date: 2025 (Date TBA) on Adult Swim, then MAX
Premise: “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. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
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?”
What to Expect: Off jump, we know that Lazarus is being directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. One of our favorite heavy hitting animation studios MAPPA (Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen) is responsible on that front with the series being produced by Sola Entertainment. Another name attached to the program that pulled all the eyeballs is Chad Stahelski, perhaps best known as the director behind the amazing John Wick films.
Recommended for lovers of: Early 2000’s anime vibes (in a good, not BAD way), the hella jazzy (electronic, house and perhaps all the genre mashing) soundtrack and a new, unique animation collabs
ZENSHU
Premiere Date: January 5, 2025 on Crunchyroll
Premise: After high school, Natsuko Hirose starts her career as an animator and quickly rises to director. Her first anime is a huge hit, earning her recognition as an up-and-coming genius director. But her next project isn’t going as well. It’s a romantic comedy, but she’s never been in love before! Struggling to grasp the concept, Natsuko can’t create the storyboard, bringing production to a standstill.
What to Expect: ZENSHU looks marvelous: this trailer showing glimpses of a fully realized world in a fantasy setting with Natsuko being familiar with the heroes, baddies, and the kingdom that is set to fall. She’s thrust into a world that captivated her as a child and is destined for doom and death, yet she wonders if she can make a difference and change the storyline for good. We MAY be getting the hero story for another perceptive with a fresh coat of paint with incredible visuals we only know to expect from such a studio.
Recommended for lovers of: MAPPA, unique stories about unique heroes in unique times, and fantasy settings
Medalist
Premiere Date: January 2025? (Date TBA)
Premise: Tsukasa, whose dreams were crushed. Inori, left to fend for herself. These two share a dream…and their tenacity may be the only thing that sees them through. Their destination? The ice…on the world’s stage!
What to Expect: Medalist is a manga series that I fell off reading yet wouldn’t dare say it fell off. I mean that this charming and ever so inspiring story about how two souls: little Inori and the man who becomes her coach–Tsukasa, is worth watching for sure. This is a series about dreams: those whose dreams were crushed and aged out before they could become their best and those just starting out. I’m hoping the anime picks up of the real competitive nature of the professional figure skating world and just how daring and full of pressure that world is for the children that enter it.
Recommended for lovers of: The drama, sports, and seinen genres, wholesome, inspiring stories with child athletes, and the found family trope
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
Premiere Date: Friday, January 10, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST (16:00 UTC) on HIDIVE
Premise: It’s 2050 Riyadh and in his previous life in modern-day Japan, Kenzaburou Tondabayashi was a 52-year-old civil servant—and now he’s the villainess! Reborn as Grace Auvergne, the drill-haired villainess of an otome game his daughter used to play, Kenzaburou is quite confused. From the little information he possesses, Kenzaburou knows he should be a haughty noble girl, but the disciplined older man is simply unable to act in such a manner.
His calm and kind aura leads him to befriend the heroine and further endear him to the student body as the pinnacle of elegance. As he tries to keep the story on track, Kenzaburou will have to draw on his years of experience in the workforce, his perfect Japanese manners, and his family-oriented morals to fit in with the fellow kids.
What to Expect: Another reincarnated/villianess anime adaptation where we are reminded that Truck-kun does discriminate. An aging father sacrifices himself to wake up as a teenage noble girl who is known as the villianess and has to figure out his new life. Lemme watch this now, this is too hilariously silly and out of the box to ignore.
Recommended for lovers of: Otome games and otome culture, unlikely heroes and heroines, and more of animated villianess genre
Can You Keep a Secret?
Premiere Date: Winter 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: Yui Mitsuya and Masugu Tateishi aren’t just any coworkers—they totally have the hots for each other. His helpful yet humble attitude makes her giddy, and her cuteness leaves him grinning like a fool. Problem is, they’re trying to keep their new relationship under wraps to avoid making things awkward at work. But seeing how they can’t keep their hands off each other, they run the risk of spilling their little secret with each passing day at the office.
What to Expect: Oh, Oh, Oh. I stumbled upon this manga and LOVED the first volume. Workplace romance can be a hit or miss for me in manga and anime, and this one has not only depth but a lot of humor and a fun supporting casts starting to blossom. I’m missing Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku so I’m checking this one out for sure!
Recommended for lovers of: Messy workplace romances, adult romances, and seinen based humor
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time
Premiere Date: January 10, on Crunchyroll
Premise: Alina thought she had found the perfect job as a guild receptionist. It’s stable, safe, and has a super cute uniform. But this dream gig turns into an overtime nightmare whenever adventurers get stuck clearing a dungeon. Tired of the long nights, Alina starts taking down the bosses herself! She even earns the name Executioner for her impressive skills. Can she keep her identity a secret?
What to Expect: Another Isekai with a protagonist who is instantly relatable abut also so very unserious!!! The 9-5 is severely overrated, and Alina here grinds it out until she breaks—this is my jam. I’m going to be watching this for sure.
Recommended for lovers of: Anyone tired of the grind, anime adapted from the light novels, Isekai goodness, and hilarity
Übel Blatt
Premiere Date: January 10, 2025 on Prime Video
Premise: Rumors stir throughout the land: when the wielder of the black sword draws his dark blade, all who stand in its path are torn asunder…! Köinzell, the mysterious young boy who carries the black sword, undeniably wields it with exceptional skill, but can he truly be responsible for the bloody rumors? Pursued by the Traitorous Lances, four powerful warriors who were thought to have been defeated by the Seven Heroes, the strength of the young swordsman will be tested to its limit. At battle’s end, only the shocking truth of Köinzell’s quest will stand above the corpses of his enemies…
What to Expect: I’m not familiar with the anime yet my favorite comment by user @wangfoo2693 on the Youtube trailer for mentioned: “This was like the OG of the trope “the heroes are actually the bad guys. Betrayed person gets revenge”. Oh, say less. I’m on it.
Recommended for lovers of: Misunderstood heroes, complex narratives about revenge and redemption, and elves, dragons and fantasy worlds
Witch Hat Atelier
Premiere Date: January 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem.
What to Expect: Witch Hat Atelier has been one of my favorite ongoing manga series in recent years–so much that I even included it in my ‘Manga You Should Be Reading‘ series on the site. Witch Hat Atelier is a charming, layered manga series on the cost of magic in our lives and how the joy of discovering and living out your dreams comes with responsibilities and obligations. It is loved by youth and adults alike and continues to be an engaging story, championing those who want inclusion and clarity in the institutions that they belong to. At first glance from the teaser and trailer, the anime adaptation looks vibrant and amazing.
Recommended for lovers of: Any stories that lean toward the magical, fantasy set anime series. Read the Manga Chapters 1-17, for Free via Kodansha
The Summer Hikaru Died
Premiere Date: 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: Yoshiki and Hikaru are two teenage boys living in a small town in rural Japan. Despite having opposite personalities and different hobbies, the two maintain a close friendship. However, on one winter day, Hikaru is fatally injured while hiking in the mountains alone. Before dying, a mysterious eldritch being comes across him and consumes him, becoming him physically in the process. This “Hikaru” has all the feelings and memories of the original, yet remains a separate being, something Yoshiki realizes rather quickly.
What to Expect: Get me a tissue box. I finally picked up the first few volumes of this series–after so many recommendations….and it emotionally devastated me, truly. You wanna watch some Horror BL? BABY–HAVE AT THIS!
Recommended for lovers of: Psychological tales about growing up, stories about first loves and friendships, small towns with horrifying secrets, and also the school life genre
Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!
Premiere Date: January 2025 (Date TBA) on Crunchyroll
Premise: Nakamura is a shy boy who falls in love at first sight with one of his classmates–his dreamy high school classmate, Hirose. But there’s a problem: they haven’t met yet. And Nakamura is a total klutz who might bungle things before they even begin!
What to Expect: From scary BL above in The Summer Hikaru Died to super comedic BL in Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! I loved the single, self-contained volume of this manga and counted it as one of my one volume manga faves UNTIL the mangaka announced the sequel, Go For It Again, Nakamura! What do you need to know: this is a hilarious Boys’ Love manga about one young man’s attempts to keep it together in front of his crush. If you’re tuning in to watch, you’ll be tuning in for a good time watching the adaptation of a “hit ROM-COM BL”.
Recommended for lovers of: Hilarious love stories, BL of course, and jokes upon jokes upon jokes
Kowloon Generic Romance
Premiere Date: 2025 (Date TBA)
Premise: In the distant future, individuals who adore the old way of life live in Kowloon Walled City—a slum city that serves as a refuge for those who long for the Hong Kong of the past. Realtor Reiko Kujirai, however, craves for the new and exciting places in the area. In contrast, her only coworker, Hajime Kudou, enjoys the nostalgia the city invokes and is put off by anything modern that seeps past its walls. But despite their differing views and constant bickering on the most mundane of things, the two often find themselves enjoying each other’s company. One day, a prank gone wrong leads Hajime to make an unexpected advance toward Reiko, after which he swiftly apologizes. Baffled by his actions, Reiko starts investigating for possible explanations, only to discover a past that she has no memory of.
What to Expect: I read and fell in love with Jun Mayuzuki’s English language debut, After The Rain. I found it to be an incredible story about two different people figuring out their paths in life. When I heard about the mangaka’s newest translated work, I knew that I wanted to read it. Kowloon Generic Romance is a manga series that is hard to describe as it is a genre blurring work. It is a romance within a dystopian story with a sort of slice-of-life approach with mystery and intrigue. Wait, let me try this again based on the real life setting of the Kowloon Walled City, is a story about real estate agent Reiko Kujirai and her daily adventures.
Recommended for lovers of: Folks who like of slice-of-life in their manga, readers of science fiction and dystopian vibes, and fans of genre-blurring manga
Also, I’m making this list as a subscriber of these streaming apps based in the United States. Please check the availability of all the streaming apps in your country or territory as access isn’t guaranteed, sadly!
What are you most looking forward to via anime in 2025?
Love anime? So do we! See what else we have to offer on the site via anime here!
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you?
Sign up here! Follow us on BlueSky , Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram!
The post BNP’s Most Anticipated Anime in 2025 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
No Interruptions Day is observed on December 27 every year. We all know that the holidays can leave us overwhelmed and stressed, with all the socializing and traveling. Not to mention, we still face the uncertainty of a global pandemic. That’s why No Interruptions Day exists — to encourage people to take time for themselves and get organized for the new year.
On this day, you can disconnect from the world and dedicate time to whatever tasks are at hand. The tasks could be as simple as catching up on lost sleep or taking time to strengthen relationships with family and friends.
Everyone’s to-do list is different and attempts to achieve various things. The very nature of our lives dictates what we consider an organized and cleared workspace and what we prioritize in our personal lives. Your career may be facing major changes while trying to achieve a healthy work-life balance may be challenging. A day without interruption allows us to focus on the big and the small things.
Alternatively, some people use this day to focus on those end-of-year tasks that always seem to slip through the cracks, like answering unopened emails, organizing files, and updating calendars and content planners. Oftentimes, these things get pushed off until the last minute.
I worked in corporate America for over 10 years, and I can relate to the interruptions that take place all day long. I played the cubicle game, and it’s so easy for coworkers to just walk right up uninvited. I heard others’ phone conversations and visitors, and let’s not forget the ones that came into the office when they were sick. A steady stream of coughs and nose-blowing can make anyone put the earbuds in.
Having a private office was a little better. When my door was closed, it was implied that I didn’t want to be disturbed. But rest assured there were those who didn’t make that assumption. Even now that I work from home, there is another set of interruptions that creep in daily.
Our minds have to be focused in order to accomplish something. Truth is, we are human beings and get easily distracted. It’s a constant battle between priorities and distractions. Staying away from interruptions is a challenge in our culture.
Facts about No Interruptions Day:
- According to a study conducted by University of California Irvine, on average people get interrupted every 11 minutes while working on a project.
- The distracted person needs at least 25 minutes to get back to what they were focusing on before getting distracted.
- Employees in cubicles had a 29 percent increased rate at being interrupted than the ones having private offices.
These facts make it seem impossible for anyone to focus on anything without being interrupted. There is nothing more frustrating than being continuously interrupted by your phone or by people when you are involved in your work.
No Interruptions Day is needed for the fast-paced world we live in. Our productivity is being affected like never before. For all of us wanting to get things right for the new year and for those who want to finish that project or learn a new skill, No Interruptions Day is what we need to get balanced and on the right track.
How can you observe No Interruptions Day?
Mute your email and text notifications
You can celebrate No Interruptions Day by muting your phone and computer notifications. It is so tempting when you hear that “ding” to see what’s going on. However, you will be surprised by how much replying to these messages distracts and eats up your time. Instead, set aside time at the end of the day to reply.
Turn off/silence your phone
Quieting your phone is probably the most efficient way to have no interruptions. Set a time when you want to use your phone during your working hours or family time to avoid interruptions for the important things.
Don’t log in to social media
Social media is a time-stealer! You tell yourself that you’re just going to “see what’s going on,” and before you know it, you’ve spent two hours. It can become an avalanche of interruptions and distractions. There will be plenty of notifications, games, etc., that can easily distract you and rob you of time without you even realizing it. Here again, you can set aside time for social media so that you’re not wasting hours.
Spend quality time with family and friends
Celebrate uninterrupted time with family and friends. There are so many things to do, especially this time of year. Have fun with this, and get everyone involved. Get a basket for everyone’s cell phone and place it on the shelf. No phones! Schedule a movie, a game, or even just a family dinner where everyone actually engages with one another. When no one is distracted by their phone, you’ll probably find out some new things about each other.
Once you have accomplished your tasks for the day without any interruptions, share your experience on social media using #NoInterruptionsDay and incorporate these things into your daily life.
The post No Interruptions Day: December 27th appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Ahoy, maties! We absolutely adored Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two. It was really one of our favorite live-action adaptations ever. And that’s why we were extra thrilled to see it get renewed for season two. Yes, Luffy and the gang will be back for more adventures as the huge manga/anime series gets translated into a new form. We have no doubt Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two will continue to deliver on all the wonder of season one.
So join us as we sail into the high seas. Here’s everything we know about Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two.
Live-Action One Piece Season 2’s Plot
We don’t know too much about live-action One Piece season two’s plot. As mentioned, there is a lot of story to choose from. What we do know is that the Baroque Works crime syndicate will feature in some capacity in live-action One Piece‘s second chapter, and that includes the villainous Crocodile. Additionally, last season of the show teased Smoker on the horizon. Dr. Kureha, Dr. Hiriluk, Chopper, Crocus, Brogy, Dorry, Tashigi, Wapol, Dalton, and Nefertari Cobra have also been cast.
Behind the Scenes
Joe Tracz joins Matt Owens and together they act as showrunners on Netflix’s live-action One Piece season two.
Live-Action One Piece Season 2’s Cast
The Straw Hat pirates we’ve come to know and love will all be back in action in One Piece season two. Inaki Godoy stars as Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Additionally, we’ll see like see the following returning One Piece cast in season two: Morgan Davies as Koby, Aidan Scott as Helmeppo, Vincent Regan as Vice Admiral Garp, Langley Kirkwood as Captain “Axe Hand” Morgan, Craig Fairbrass as Zeff, Peter Gadiot as Shanks, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Alvida, Jeff Ward as Buggy the Clown, and more.
Of course, as mentioned above there is a ton of new characters and cast joining One Piece in season two. Here is a list of everyone coming on board, and you can read more about each new character, here.
- Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton) as Miss Wednesday
- Sendhil Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever, Do Aur Do Pyaar) as Nefertari Cobra
- Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy, The Conners) as Dr. Kureha
- Mark Harelik (Presumed Innocent, Preacher) as Dr. Hiriluk
- Daniel Lasker (Raised by Wolves) as Mr. 9
- Camrus Johnson (Batwoman) as Mr. 5
- Jazzara Jaslyn (Warrior) as Miss Valentine
- David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) as Mr. 3
- Werner Coetser (Getroud met rugby) as Dorry
- Brendan Murray (Raised by Wolves) as Brogy
- Clive Russell (Game of Thrones) as Crocus
- Callum Kerr (Monarch) as Smoker
- Julia Rehwald (Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures) as Tashigi
- Rob Colletti (The Many Saints of Newark) as Wapol
- Ty Keogh (24 Hours To Live) as Dalton
- Joe Manganiello as Mr. 0
- Lera Abova as Miss All-Sunday
Live-Action One Piece Season 2’s Release Date
We don’t yet know when season two of Netflix’s live-action One Piece will release. However, filming for season two has officially wrapped.
The post Everything We Know About Live-Action ONE PIECE Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.
A couple of years now since his directorial/screenwriting debut When You Finish Saving the World, Jesse Eisenberg comes out with his second directed and written film: A Real Pain.
The film tells the story about two Jewish cousins, David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who travel to Poland together after the passing of their Grandma Dory, a Holocaust survivor. They decide to attend a facilitated tour by a British man named James (Will Sharpe) along with four other individuals before visiting the home Grandma Dory grew up in.
Out of the four companions on the tour, the person who stands out to me is Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan). He is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide who converted to Judaism after his escape. It frustrates me when he says, “I’m a convert, obviously,” when he introduces himself, because there are plenty of people of many racial backgrounds who aren’t only converting but are actually born into the faith too. It’s not “obvious.” However, it makes sense that he would introduce himself that way amongst a white non-Jewish tour guide and the rest of the group being white Jews.
The film then becomes a gateway into a conversation about Black-Jew solidarity.
When Eloge tells the group about he and his family’s experience with the genocide, Benji reacts wholeheartedly with his voice and body to let Eloge know that he feels his pain. It then makes sense when the two men and an older woman on the tour, Marsha (Jennifer Grey) talk about the importance of really reckoning with the past and presence of pain in the world after witnessing sites of war in Poland. In both scenes, David is visibly uncomfortable, and even names his discomfort with these conversations. Not because the pain doesn’t matter but more so because of how insignificant pain may be on a larger scale because of how everyone endures it in similar ways.
We especially see this discomfort come into play when the whole group has dinner together to share about the struggles of immigrants shifting from generation to generation. When Benji takes offense to David quoting their grandmother about how third generation immigrants live in their mother’s basement and storms off, David talks about how much he loves and hates his cousin simultaneously. How can he be part of the lineage of someone who survived through what their Grandma Dory calls “a thousand miracles” and still want to attempt to take your own life?
This is a similar instance we see in Black immigrant communities and Black communities that were born in the United States. How can you be depressed when your ancestors escaped genocide? How can you be depressed when your ancestors went through so much worse in regards to enslavement and Jim Crow?
The scene that stands out the most to me, however, is when the group visits the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague. James and Eloge engage in a conversation about their fascination with the headstones’ architecture and history, and it makes Benji upset. Benji wants this sacred space to be treated with more respect than an average tourist site. Benji asks Eloge to consider his own family history in regards to what it’s like to be in a space with real dead bodies and calls out James for not facilitating the tour in a way that allows them to interact with fellow Polish Jews in the area. Although Kieran Culkin himself isn’t Jewish — and Jesse Eisenberg is — what his character talks about resonates.
In response to Benji’s feedback, James offers a moment of silence and allows group members to pick up stones to place on one of the headstones as a reminder that they were there to remember, a common Jewish practice when visiting gravesites. This inspires David to convince Benji to allow the two of them to place a stone at Grandma Dory’s house in the climax of the film. Even though her body isn’t buried there, it’s to let her spirit know that they remember her.
In most cemeteries of enslaved Black people or Black people who served in the Civil War or any historical site of Black people who have died, there isn’t enough signage or attentive tour guides to remind visitors to treat those sites with respect and reverence. It’s also important to note how often Black and Jewish cemeteries get destroyed or vandalized by racists and antisemites. A film such as A Real Pain can encourage conversations amongst Black folks and Jewish folks about honoring our cultural death sites and how to facilitate intentional pilgrimages to those cultural death sites.
Clearly, although the film mostly centers Benji and David’s relationship as cousins, the film does a great job in addressing the external and internal ways pain affects all of us. I also appreciate Eisenberg being intentional and realistic enough in including a character such as Eloge so that the conversations about Black-Jew solidarity doesn’t stop. Black people are capable of antisemitism, Jews are capable of Black racism, both groups need to do a better job in recognizing how Blackness and Jewishness are not mutually exclusive to a great deal of people. A Real Pain is a great first step in those contemporary conversations.
The post How Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain’ Can Present a Conversation about Black-Jew Solidarity appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.