Anime

Episode 4 – Thunder 3

Published

20 hours ago

July 30, 2026

qasimgillani

How would you rate episode 4 of
Thunder 3 ?

Community score: 3.4

thunder-3-4.1.png — © 池田祐輝・講談社／「サンダー３」製作委員会

For a show that began with a major genre side-swerve in its first episode, perhaps it’s not too surprising that it does it again in its fourth. Unfortunately, this time, the results are far less interesting. Turns out that almost entirely side-lining the main characters in their own show is a big mistake, especially when that means all we’re left with is a terminally dull “normal” human being whose single personality trait is that he wants a girlfriend, and his sole facial expression is “mildly perturbed.” Socially awkward student Segami has all the charisma of a wet piece of cardboard, and I already felt the manga chapters that focused on him were by far the weakest. Animating them with such poor, half-finished CG sadly only makes everything worse.

What previously mitigated the effect of this show’s accursed ugly presentation was the presence of the funny little cartoon people from another world. Shifting the viewpoint to one of these stiff, unemotive, mannequin-like dolls with dead eyes and creepy mouths is a grave mistake, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many viewers dropped the show after this complete narrative and visual misfire. Although the mech designs remain cool, they’re animated at such a low frame rate and with such minimal motion that the whole thing looks embarrassing.

Even the plot and setting itself is questionable. A more slickly produced show might have been able to distract the viewers’ questions about this subjugated human society. Why does every single human being wander the streets, zombie-like, with their eyes captured by glowing cellphone screens while an alien invasion occurs around them? Perhaps this is meant to be a searing indictment of human distractability in the digital age, but it just doesn’t ring true. The only events that shake people out of their unwittingly suicidal self-absorption are the sudden and shocking application of violence against innocents.

The aliens normally pay even less attention to the humans than the humans do to them, but if humans get in the aliens’ way, now they’re unafraid to haul out the vaporization cannons. I mean, if even TV reports that now the Earth has been unified under an alien “Galactic Emperor” isn’t enough to perturb the average person surgically attached to their phone screen, then maybe vaporization is all they deserve.

Segami isn’t much different. Although he despairs about the state of the world, he’s not actually motivated to do anything about it. He only blunders into a meeting of the hilariously-monikered “Rebellion” (couldn’t they have thought of a slightly more creative organizational name? It’s so pathetically on-the-nose) because their flyer promises babes “with F-cups.” I know that sex sells and all, and in a better produced show this would probably be funny, but the utterly garbage presentation and impossibly flat character animation sucks all fun from the premise.

If the rest of the season digs in to focus only on Segami and his boring new friends, even if they’re packing rocket launchers and uzis, the show could end up as a crushing disappointment. I’m a big fan of the manga, mainly because of its excellent art and fast pace. So far, this adaptation has ruined the visuals, and looks likely to fail in every other regard too. I want more funny cartoon people smashing aliens to pieces. I couldn’t give a crap about these boring and ugly “normal” people.

Rating:

Thunder 3 is currently streaming on
Netflix.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of Anime News Network, its employees, owners, or sponsors.

Anime

Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki. TV Anime Reveals More Cast, Visual, October 4 Debut – News

Published

1 hour ago

July 31, 2026

qasimgillani

The official website for the television anime of Tsutomu‘s Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki. (Older Men Like Cute Things) manga revealed the anime’s October 4 debut, key visual, and more cast on Friday.

Image via Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki. anime’s website

Additional cast members include:

The anime will debut on Tokyo MX on October 4 at 10:00 p.m., and will air later that evening on BS Asahi and on YTV on October 5.

The anime stars:

Tomoe Makino (The Moon on a Rainy Night; Kotaro Lives Alone; Please Put Them On, Takamine-san!) is directing the anime at LIDEN FILMS. Yū Satō (Kotaro Lives Alone; Sorairo Utility; Please Put Them On, Takamine-san!) is in charge of series compositions. Tomomi Kimura (Kotaro Lives Alone) is designing the characters. Takamasa Nakakuki is the art director, while Akira Hashigami is the color key artist. Tomoya Hosaka is the director of photography, while Kiyomi Yamada is the editor. Fumihiko Ōtera is the sound director, and Magic Capsule is credited for sound production. Arisa Okehazama is composing the music. YTE is credited for music production, and Futokoro Gatana is credited for music production assistance.

The manga centers on Mitsutaka Oji, a 40-year-old man who by all appearances is attractive and cool and is excellent at his job. However, he has a secret: he absolutely loves small and cute things. The comedy manga follows his everyday life.

Tsutomu launched the manga on Flex Comics‘ Comic Polis service in July 2017. Flex Comics released the 11th compiled volume on February 14. The 12th volume will ship on August 7. The 13th volume, listed as the final volume, will ship on October 15.

The manga previously inspired a live-action television adaptation in 2020.

Source: Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki. anime’s website via Ota-Suke

Anime

Magical Explorer TV Anime Reveals October Debut in 1st Promo Video – News

Published

2 hours ago

July 31, 2026

qasimgillani

Key visual also revealed

The official website for the television anime of Iris and Noboru Kannatsuki‘s Magical Explorer light novel series revealed on Friday the anime will debut in October. The site also revealed the anime’s first key visual and first promotional video.

Magical Explorer first key visual — Image via Magical Explorer anime’s X/Twitter account

Magical Explorer visual — Image via Magical Explorer anime’s website

The anime will star:

Kazuki Ohashi (Shadows House) is directing the anime at WHITE FOX. Satoko Sekine (TsukiPro the Animation) is handling series composition. Ryosuke Kimiya (Grimoire of Zero) is designing the characters. Kenichiro Suehiro (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-) is composing the music.

Yen Press is publishing the light novel series and Yukari Higa‘s manga adaptation, and it describes the story:

Living in the world of Magical★Explorer, the legendary erotic game, sounds like a dream. Problem is, I reincarnated not as the lady-killer protagonist with his overpowered cheat skills, but as his unlucky comic-relief best friend!

The novel series debuted in February 2018 on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website. Kadokawa began publishing the light novel series in November 2019. The 13th volume shipped on April 1.

The manga adaptation launched in Young Ace Up in August 2020. Kadokawa published the manga’s third compiled book volume on January 8.

Sources: Magical Explorer anime’s website, Comic Natalie

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.

Anime

Rafal Jaki, Machine Gamu Launch Brain Alive Manga With Planned English Release This Fall – News

Published

2 hours ago

July 31, 2026

qasimgillani

Manga from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners creator centers on father who enters son’s dreams to fight Slavic beasts, Japanese yokai to save him

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners executive producer Rafał Jaki announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday he and artist MACHINE GAMU have launched the Brain Alive manga on Kadokawa‘s KadoComi website.

Jaki additionally posted a Google Drive link where the pilot chapter is available to read for free in English.

The manga’s digital English serialization will debut this fall, but Jaki stated “we got permission to publish the English pilot now with the Japanese serialization starting today.”

Jaki describes the manga:

“Brain Alive” tells a story about a father trying to save his comatose son after an accident. Daniel magically enters his son’s dreams and has to fight Slavic beasts and Japanese yokai to wake him up before it’s too late.

It’s my love letter to Inception and Soulsborne games.

Kadokawa posted a trailer for the manga on Friday, and Jaki posted an English version of the trailer on X/Twitter.

Pilot chapter for my and @machinegamu new manga is now available!

Link: https://t.co/YBdwGSR0fo

“Brain Alive” tells a story about a father trying to save his comatose son after an accident. Daniel magically enters his son’s dreams and has to fight Slavic beasts and Japanese… pic.twitter.com/nkv0Iitz8D

— Rafal Jaki (@GwentBro) July 31, 2026

Jaki launched the No\Name manga with art by MACHINE GAMU in July 2024, after debuting a one-shot manga for “No\Name” on Shonen Jump+ and MANGA Plus in January 2024. The manga ended in February 2025. Shueisha published the second and final volume in Japan in April 2025. MANGA Plus also published the serialized manga in English.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime series by Studio Trigger based on CD PROJEKT RED‘s Cyberpunk 2077 game, debuted on Netflix in September 2022. The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 anime will debut this fall.

Source: E-mail correspondence