Netflix has more Resident Evil programming in the works than its live-action show. The streaming giant has revealed Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, a “CG anime” series due to premiere sometime in 2021. While the foes of the show (apart from zombies) are still mysterious, the production will revolve around iconic characters Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy. The teaser has Claire investigating what looks to be a chemical-obsessed horror, while Leon is rescuing an unknown man.

Capcom’s Hiroyuki Kobayashi will produce and supervise the series. Veteran anime studio TMS Entertainment (the company that released Akira and Lupin the 3rd) will also produce. Quebico, whose leader Kei Miyamoto produced the Resident Evil: Vendetta movie, will handle the animation production.

Two of the biggest anime distributors in the US are teaming up. On Wednesday, Funimation announced that it’s working with VIZ Media to bring the publisher’s catalog of anime titles to its streaming service. Some of the more notable shows making their way to Funimation with the deal include 2018 sci-fi boxing anime Megalo Box and Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet. The latter was penned by Psycho-Pass and Madoka Magica creator Gen Urobuchi. They’ll join existing titles from the VIZ Media catalog, such as Hunter x Hunter, on September 22nd, with more to come at a later date.  

The move is likely to affect Crunchyroll, Funimation’s main competitor in the anime streaming space. One of the things to come out of Sony acquiring a majority stake in Funimation back in 2017 was Crunchyroll losing access to Funimation’s back catalog.

After years of waiting, Shenmue fans crowdfunded a new game last year, and now the story of Ryo Hazuki will be told through a new anime series. Announced during the Virtual Crunchyroll Expo, the show will be a co-production between Crunchyroll and Adult Swim, with Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki executive producing.

They’re promising more info on the show tomorrow during an industry panel session at noon ET (perhaps including a teaser trailer?), but for viewers in the US, you’ll be able to see the show when it airs on Adult Swim. It will also stream everywhere outside of Japan and mainland China via Crunchyroll.

Ni No Kuni games have a history of being heartbreakingly beautiful, and in that regard, the upcoming massively-multiplayer online (MMO) version for mobile won’t disappoint. A trailer for the new Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds MMO shows gorgeous anime-inspired scenes, expressive characters and breathtaking landscapes.

Like previous Ni No Kuni games, this explores the idea of travel between two connected worlds, Eurogamer explains. But this time, players assume the role of a VR game beta tester and discover the world of the VR game is real.

Today, Crunchyroll is introducing new membership tiers, two of which allow offline viewing. Crunchyroll already had free and $8 (Fan) subscriptions. Now, the anime streaming service is offering two additional tiers: Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan. The new premium tiers include the offline viewing feature.

In addition to offline viewing, Mega Fan, which costs $10 per month, allows up to four concurrent streams and $15 off a $100 purchase through the Crunchyroll store every three months. The Ultimate Fan subscription costs $15 per month and includes offline viewing, six concurrent streams, a swag bag, exclusive access to merchandise and $25 off a $100 Crunchyroll Store purchase every three months.

Just in time for its 25th anniversary, Ghost in the Shell is getting a 4K Ultra HD rerelease. On September 8th, you’ll be able to buy Mamoru Oshii’s landmark film in a beautiful collection that will let you watch the 1995 feature across multiple formats.

Lionsgate has remastered both the original Japanese and English audio tracks for Dolby Atmos. There’s also support for Dolby Vision HDR. Included in the release is a digital copy of the movie. For good measure, you also get the film on Blu-ray. Special features include new audio commentaries from English scriptwriter Mary Claypool and Richard Epcar, who voices Batou in the dub. Best Buy will sell an exclusive steelbook version of the release that features the art of artist Orlando Arocena.

You won’t have to visit Japan to see a life-size Gundam statue in the months ahead, although you may still have to book a lengthy trip. Our Engadget Chinese colleagues report that Bandai Namco will debut an 18-meter (about 59ft) Freedom Gundam statue at the LaLaport Mall in Jinqiao, Shanghai, China sometime in 2021. It’s the first large Gundam robot statue to be built outside of Japan, Bandai Namco said.

It’s unclear if this robot will have any movement like the recent Yokohama statue, but it won’t be surprising if that’s the case. These statues have been cultural draws for years in Japan, and movement (however limited) might draw more people. The pandemic complicates matters — it’s unclear how many people will want to venture outside to see a robot statue in 2021. Still, this shows that the desire to see large robots extends beyond Japan’s shores.

The next movie from the world renowned Studio Ghibli will be a departure from its previous efforts. The studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki is well-known for its expertise in traditional, hand-drawn animation, and only occasionally uses CGI in its films. The upcoming Aya and the Witch, however, will be animated entirely in 3D. It will premiere on Japanese television, rather than in theaters, when it’s released this winter.

Save for the digitally created (albeit 2D) movie, My Neighbors the Yamadas, CGI has only accounted for about 10 percent of the runtime in previous Ghibli films. The studio usually only uses computer animation as a fallback for scenes that would be particularly difficult or labor intensive to achieve through hand-drawn methods. (All Ghibli films before 1997’s Princess Mononoke are completely animated by hand.) However, after temporarily retiring in 2013, Miyazaki developed an interest in 3D CGI. While the studio’s co-founder isn’t directing this film — his son, Goro, is taking the helm — he is credited as a planner, so his dabbling may have played a part in the decision to forego cel animation. Studio Ghibli has also voiced concerns about its return on investments — traditional animation is slow and costly compared to 3D CGI, so this change could also be a cost-saving measure.

Oppo put in just as much effort in the accessories department. First of all, we have to talk about the SIM ejection tool — it’s basically a miniaturized Spear of Longinus, but with a shorter handle. Then you have the Unit-01-styled protection case, along with a pair of NERV-branded earbuds and a charger with design details from the mecha’s launch pad.

Oppo

As you’d expect, the phone’s software interface received a similar design treatment, with my favorite being the animated A.T. Field overlay which shows up when the phone is being charged via SuperVOOC or AirVOOC. Speaking of, the bundled 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 adapter charges the 4,000mAh battery in just 30 minutes, whereas the optional EVA-themed 40W AirVOOC wireless charger takes 56 minutes.

Appearance differences aside, this 5G phone is identical to the regular Reno Ace 2, featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC but with RAM and storage options limited to just 8GB and 256GB, respectively. There’s a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification, followed by Dolby Atmos stereo speakers to complete the multimedia experience. As for cameras, there’s a 16-megapixel punch-hole camera on the front, along with four on the back: a 48-megapixel f/1.7 main camera (Sony IMX586 sensor), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two 2-megapixel special effects cameras.

Oppo

According to Engadget Chinese, the Reno Ace 2 EVA Limited Edition will be joined by an Asuka Langley Soryu-themed Oppo Watch as well as Rei Ayanami-themed Enco W31 true wireless earbuds. These will all go on sale in China on June 1st, with the phone asking for 4,399 yuan (about $616), the watch for 2,199 yuan ($308) and the earbuds for 399 yuan ($56). Sadly, these will all be limited to 10,000 units each, and if you really want the 299-yuan ($42) EVA-themed wireless charging pad, good luck, as there will only be 5,000 of those.

When HBO Max launches on May 27th, it will offer 17 anime titles from Crunchyroll, a streaming service that’s also owned by WarnerMedia. In the media giant’s announcement, it said the platforms are “teaming up to bring more dubbed and subtitled anime to fans across the US” and that it won’t be a one-time deal — HBO Max is bringing more of Crunchyroll’s offerings onto its service in the future.

The 17 initial titles include fan favorites and classics such as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Rurouni Kenshin and ERASED. They also include some lesser-known shows and supernatural Crunchyroll Original series In/Spectre. That list is bound to expand in time, since Crunchyroll is giving HBO Max subscribers access to more curated titles every quarter. It doesn’t have a full list of what you can expect yet, but Hunter x Hunter and Death Note will be among the shows arriving on the platform within its first year.