Hands down the best animated film of the year. Watching this at Animation is Film Festival was truly magical - a good majority of us were tearing up at its sheer beauty and nuanced storytelling. Your show host, Jonathan Joestar Beltran, goes into what makes this film exceptional as well as an interview snippet of directors Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han discussing about the creative process for this film!

Little Amelie or the Character of Rain is in theaters November 7. Tickets and information

Many thanks to:

• 42 West LLC and Animation is Film Festival for the press opportunity
• Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han for their work and presence at the film festival

Your backdoor anime hangout got invited to cover the Animation is Film Festival this past weekend and wanted to share with you some of the best films from the lineup!

• Little Amelie - (Feature Length Film)
• Nobody - (Feature Length Film)
• Playing God - (Short)
• Retirement Plan - (Short)

Many thanks to:

• 42 West LLC and Animation is Film Festival for the press media opportunity
• All the creators, directors, scriptwriters, and talent that came in support of their films
• Winnie for ticket assistance

Your backdoor anime hangout had the opportunity to watch the upcoming Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc. It is ballistic in its presentation and retains the violent nihilistic charm of its source material. May this episode whet your appetite for what's to come and perhaps leave you thinking on its deeper themes of connection.

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc is out in theaters 24 October 2025. Please check your local listings at your nearest theater.

Many thanks to 42 West LLC and Animation is Film for the press media opportunity.

You are thrown into battle and for the next 2.5 hours you will be a witness to what is arguably the flashiest and most-cutting edge action shounen of the modern era. Your backdoor anime hangout had the opportunity to see Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle; the first part of a trilogy. Our talk consists of:

• A discussion on animation (2D and 3D hybrid style)
• Glazing studio ufotable, Director Haruki Sotozaki, and Mangaka Koyoharu Gotouge

• How the show host, once a hater, became a fan
• The problem with flashbacks
• SPOILER TALK on 28:24 (talking about plot and critiques)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle is in theaters 12 September 2025. Tickets and Information Here.

On The Show:

• Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran
• Jon S.
• Bao C.

Many thanks to:

• Hannah Kim of 42West LLC for the invitation.
• Sarah and Madison of Crunchyroll for the press opportunity.
• Carolyn for the hospitality.
• Jon S. for providing a structure for the discussion.
• Bao C. for chilling at your backdoor anime hangout.

Are second chances possible? When is it too late? The latest film by the creators of Odd Taxi explore these questions through a new film about a dying mid-level yakuza member serving a life sentence in solitary confinement and engaging with a talking balsam flower about whether or not he turn his life around now.

Your backdoor anime hangout had the privilege and honor to be invited by PONY CANYON to attend the panel featuring Director Baku Kinoshita, Producer/CEO of Studio CLAP Ryoichiro Matsuo, and Producer Hirofumi Ito learn more about the film and even get to see the first eight minutes. We hope you enjoy!

Many thanks to:

• Wenbo Jiang of PONY CANYON for the press opportunity.
• Ravrath for providing extra help on coverage.

Amuse Creative Studio hosted a panel at Anime Expo about the ins-and-outs of creating anime and manga featuring:

• Shinobu Seguchi - mangaka (Prisoner Riku; Oedo Fire Slayer)

• Rei Hebiguchi - manga editor (Weekly Shonen Champion)
• Kazuhiro Nishikawa - CEO of DandeLion Animation Studios (The First Slam Dunk; Magic Candies)

Your backdoor anime hangout brings you the insights we have learned and experienced from:

• how technology has aided in the process of creating and submitting manga
• the question about AI and manga
• implementing motion capture, CGI, and hand drawn animation in an impacted market.
• upcoming anime adaptations

Read Prisoner Riku & Oedo Fire Slayer on emaqi manga.

Read ELECEED on Webtoon / Soon to be published under Penguin Random House's adult comics imprint Inklore

More Information about Amuse Creative Studio

Many thanks to:

• Amuse Creative Studios for the panel.
• Nardeep Khurmi and Grace Kawahara of AIM Entertainment for the media invite.
• Jon Sloan Jr. for his coverage.

Anime Expo 2025 has been a surprisingly great year with efficient lines, entrances, and spaces that it all feel seamless...yet the vibe felt different from previous years. Your backdoor anime hangout answers two questions:

• what are our highlights?
• how has Anime Expo changed over the years?

From calling a concert "when peak happened" to even asking ourselves "when was the last time someone asked you your favorite anime?" are what you'll be looking forward to in our coverage of Anime Expo.

Crew:

• Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran
• Jon
• Matt "imagEn"
• Sh(i)rocast
• Ravrath

Many thanks to:

• Sydney Davis of forty seven communications for the Anime Expo Press Badge
• Christian Wiseman for press equipment
• Otaku Hourly Press crew for their time and availability

Lighthearted shows are not easy to find these days, and your backdoor anime hangout had a ball in the movie theaters watching the first three episodes of the upcoming romcom series - Witch Watch. Two childhood friends reunite - one an ogre named Morihito who wants to live a peaceful life, and the other a witch named Nico who strives to both help people and woo Morihito's heart - and live together amidst an unforeseen impending disaster brewing.

We give our first impressions from our favorite scenes to our hype for LilyPichu's voice over role announcement as the titular Nico.

Witch Watch will begin streaming 06 April 2025 via:

• Netflix
• Crunchyroll
• Hulu

More information on Witch Watch via GKids.

Crew:

• Jonathan "Joestar" Beltran
• Jon
• imagEn
• Shreddy

Many thanks to Christian Wiseman for equipment.

Shinichiro Watanabe is a legend amongst anime fans and an auteur who pushes the boundaries of what the anime medium has to offer. Titles such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy are Adult Swim staples that have defined a generation. Now he’s back with an upcoming action series debuting on Cartoon Network midnight 05 April 2025 called Lazarus. A story about a world wracked in chaos due to a “cure-all” opioid becoming lethal and the reluctant rag-tag group of criminals tasked to find the neuroscientist responsible in the hopes of creating a vaccine. It is a race against time on a global stage.

Your backdoor anime hangout had the privilege and honor to interview Watanabe-san for his latest title: his inspiration for the title, musical collaborations, and involvement with the John Wick director, Chad Stahelski.

Many Thanks To:

Interpreter: Takayuki Karahashi of Green Room International

Interview Coordination:

• Jo Ann Faustino of Green Room International

• Raymond Shipman of Anime Los Angeles

Otaku Hourly Crew:

Interviewer: Jonathan Beltran

Video: Jonathan Charles Garcia

Audio: Matthew Aquino

Editor: Christian Wiseman

Research: Clifford Sutton

“TM & © 2025 Cartoon Network. ADULT SWIM, LAZARUS, the logos and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and copyright by Cartoon Network. All Rights Reserved.”

From seeing Shinichiro Watanabe (director of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) and ribbon collecting we have a lot of stories to share at your backdoor anime hangout! We talk about our ALA 20 highlights, fun con stories, and the potential growth of this personally beloved convention!

Topics include (and not limited to):

Many thanks to:

Anime Los Angeles will be coming back 8-11 January 2026 at the Long Beach Convention Center!