Gundam Anime Corner-Fall 2026 Update

Greetings.  Been a minute since I’ve done one of these but this summer has been a tumultuous slough to get through (and honestly Fall isnt looking to get any easier).  Still, when I have some free time and I’m not gaming or sleeping, I’m chugging away at new ideas and plans for the remainder of 2026 and 2027 for the Anime Corner.  The rest of this year is pretty much locked in save for maybe Halloween but I’ve still got a month to clear that hurdle with anything special.  Speaking of which, here’s what we’ve got coming up for October and November 2026 over at the Gundam Anime Corner.

 

T5W#581-Top 5 Legendary Moments from Akira

It is a legend of Anime, a title without boundaries.  You know it’s name…and you know…what it’s capable of.  Ok, that dramatic reenactment of one of my favorite trailer bits from Rambo 4 not withstanding: AKIRA.  The name, the myth, the legend.  What can be said about it that hasn’t been said thousands of times over in the last 38 years…holy s*** I just realized Akira turns 40 in two years.  It’s the title that is still one of the most synonymous with Anime as a whole: a film that broke boundaries at the right time and shouted to the world that Animation isn’t just a Disney kids game.  And like so many other films in 2026, it got a 4K restoration that had a brief theatrical release.  I didn’t get a chance to see it personally, though I did sneak in a teeny bit after seeing Transformers: The Movie in the neighboring theater, and man did it look as gorgeous as you’d expect cause it’s one of the most incredible looking pieces of Animation in the history of the medium.  So what the hey, for todays Top 5 Wednesday I’m citing the scenes that make this movie stand the test of time and keep us long time Anime fans coming back for more, equally eager to introduce it to a new age of Anime newcomers.  There are the Top 5 Legendary Moments from Akira.

KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Part 4 Episodes 10-12

The town of Axel: the hub city for beginning adventurers of all types and classes.  Megumin has fought tooth and nail to get here and start her legendary career…except no one wants her on their party because she only knows one attack.  She’s also happened to arrive at a time when a powerful demon presence has begun to stalk the outskirts of the city, a Demon Megumin and Yunyun might be familiar with.  If Megumin can take this monster down, perhaps she’ll get the recognition she deserves and find the party she longs to join…unaware that some future miscreants just like her are lurking around town trying to start their own party as well. 

The Megumin origin story reaches the conclusion it was always aiming but does it do so in spectacular Crimson Demon fashion?  The short answer is: not really.  While there are a few good moments here and there, most of the Series Finale dances around what we all know is coming but the show doesn’t want to just let happen already.  The result are three episodes that could have been either two or, probably better, one 45 minute wrap up.  Not exactly the most exciting and overly dramatic finish befitting a Crimson Demon prodigy like Megumin.
 

FIF#264-Red River

Yuri Suzuki just confessed her feelings to the love her life when suddenly she is snatched and pulled through time.  Now she’s stranded in Hattsua, the capital of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, thousands of years in the past, with no way to return home.  Suddenly the target of a maniacal Queen seeking to end an empire through dark, mystical means, Yuri’s only hope for survival lies in the hands of the handsome Prince Kail.  Little does Yuri know, she has a greater destiny waiting for one, one that will impact and change the history of Hattsua forever.

 
Today’s First Impression is a suggestion from a friend while hanging out at Otakon.  Red River may have a simple name but it’s premise is anything but.  Actually this is a pretty unique title that involves time travel rather than usual Isekai tropes and a few other touches to make it stand out.  What I find most curious about Red River from the premiere is its timing.  This doesn’t feel like an Anime thriving in the new age of endless Isekai’s and visual splendor.  Rather it feels like something you would have seen almost 20-25 years ago when the Manga was still ongoing.  Is this all most fascinating than the first episode itself?  Well, yes but Red River’s debut isnt bad by any stretch.
 

T5W#580-Top 5 Worst Resident Evil Movies

Well I’ll be damned.  Despite my continued skepticism, Zack Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot made a splash at the box office this past weekend and scored the highest ratings of any Resident Evil film released to date.  I guess I’ll have to get around to seeing if this movie is worth the praise and money’s it’s netted at some point but clearly, it’s not nearly as bad as some of the many stinkers in the various Resident Evil film series.  Be they canonically animated or live action, the Resident Evil franchise may be the highest grossing Video Game Adapted series on record but they can hardly be called masterworks and even the best can only be passable.  Anyway, a few years back in preparation for my playthrough of Resident Evil 4 Remake, I did a Top 5 on the Best Resident Evil Movies and initially had this ready as a follow up, only for it to fall by the wayside into stand by mode.  Well, stand by mode disengaged as we look at the Top 5 Worst Resident Evil Movies on today’s Top 5 Wednesday.

KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Part 3 Episodes 7-9

Megumin’s grand adventure isn’t off to the best start.  Short on money and stuck in Arcanretia, the prodigy of the Crimson Demons finds herself in a tug of war between two warring churches and a diabolical mystery surrounding the towns beloved hot springs.  To make things worse, Arnes is still searching for her supposed Demonic mistress who may or may not be Megumin’s pet cat, Chomusuke…who has also shown up with Yunyun in tow.  But Megumin’s determined to get to Axel and begin her adventures with a party of her choosing and she will get there…no matter what terrible deed or despicable tactic she needs to use to get there.

Schools out and its onto the open road for the penultimate chapter of Megumin’s explosive origin story.  As sort of sad as it is to leave the classroom setting (and the wacky teachers) behind, it’s nice to see Megumin have some actual adventures before her inevitable meet up with Kazuma and the gang.  Said adventures included returning to one of my favorite spots from the original series and a caravan under constant demon attack.  It feels a bit too familiar at times but I’m still enjoying the ride and the change in the status quo.
 

FIF#263-Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia

Young slave Sitara was welcomed into a home of learning, acceptance and love.  But when the Mongolian Empire came, they tore down her home, her family and her future.  Sitara survives and now finds herself serving in the heart of the Empire that took everything from her.  But Sitara isn’t an ordinary girl.  She has a knack for learning and might just be able to study her enemies close enough to be their ultimate downfall.  It will take time but Sitara isnt about to let the lessons imparted to her go to waste.

 
Today’s FIF comes as a recommendation from a friend and I’ll be honest, I’m surprised this one isn’t getting a lot of buzz this season.  This is the first of two Anime that are set in a very not Japan region of the world we’ll be looking at over the next couple of weeks and really, I wish more Anime were taking advantage of that.  Jaadugar not only looks to have a very compelling story to tell but it also shown off in one of the most beautiful artstyles I’ve ever seen, proving that Science Saru is not a studio to ever be underestimated. 
 

T5W#579-Top 5 Reasons Why Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is the Feel Good Anime of 2026

2026 has not been a slouch when it comes to mega entertaining Anime titles (though maybe not quite as on par with the cultural zeitgeist that was a Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man movie breaking box office records left, right and center).  Jujutsu Kaisen made it’s triumphant return.  Bleach is actually closing in on it’s proper finale.  And the newest iteration of Ghost in the Shell has gotten some of the most positive buzz the franchise has had in a long time.  However, there is one title that is standing out amongst the rest, not for its spectacle or action but for its more down to Earth realism, honesty and, above all, genuine kindness while enjoying a favorite pastime.  I’m talk about Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You.  Somehow a show with a premise so simple (the title mostly covers it) has become one of the most talked about and widely praised of the year.  Heck it’s one of the few I’m personally keeping up with as close to when new episodes air as I can.  So today on Top 5 Wednesday, we’re gonna chill a little bit and talk about the Top 5 Reasons Why Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is the Feel Good Anime of 2026.

 

KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Part 2 Episodes 4-6

As graduation draws near, Megumin and Yunyun find themselves with just enough points to attain their magical dreams.  That could be a problem though with Dark God Monsters stepping up their attacks on their village.  When Komekko and Yunyun find themselves in trouble, Megumin sees the chance to seize her destiny and release the power within: the power of Explosion magic.  Soon the demons of the world (and her village) will feel her fury.  This is where Megumin’s legend truly begins.

The second week of the KonoSuba Megumin Prequel covered a lot of ground this week, a surprising amount actually.  I mean In know this is only supposed to be 12 episodes but wow you’d think things were wrapping up after only 6, which is both a good and not 100% bad thing.  I’m happy we still have time left to spend with Megumin’s origins but I’ve gotta say, seeing everything come together and seeing Megumin take her first major steps towards the maniac mad bomber Kazuma somehow relies on put a huge smile on my face.
 

FIF#262-Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan (The Special)

The assassination of a prominent world leader brings her daughter and heir to Japan, where she’ll unknowingly cross paths with two iconic figures.  One is the greatest thief in the world.  The other is a genius detective trapped in the form of a child.  Normally they’d be at odds with each other but if this Princess is to survive another attempt on her life, can Lupin the Third and Detective Conan put aside their differences long enough to save the day?

 
The Gentlemen Thief and the Teen Detective stuck in the body of a child and refuses to get unstuck for whatever reason.  On paper matching these two up is pretty interesting.  Conan’s a genius investigator and Lupin is the genius thief who’s skill and wit can help him out of any situation. It’s quite the match and thanks to a short snippet I checked out at Otakon a few weeks back, I can say it might just work better than I thought, especially coming from a guy who hasn’t been super big into either of these characters or their franchises.
 

T5W#578-Top 5 Ways King Ghidorah Could Return in Godzilla Minus Zero

Ohhhhhh this just got so good.  In what could very well be the last trailer before the movie drops in November, Godzilla Minus Zero revealed one of its biggest surprises for the much anticipated sequel.  Sure there were some red herring splintered in throughout all the chaos.  But then the screen cut to black and a very familiar creature sound was heard…followed by Godzilla being dropped from the sky to the ground.  That’s right folks: KING GHIDORAH IS BACK!!!!!  Godzilla’s most famous rival returns to challenge for the right to be called King on November 6^th in what will be their first true on screen Japan  showdown since…well I guess either 2001 with GMK or 2004 with Final Wars though technically that was Kaiser Ghidorah (and we’re not counting Legendary’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters cause that’s on the US side).  The question I’m sure is on everyones mind, including my own is, well, how is the Three Headed Monster being folded into this new iteration of Godzilla’s story.  Well in todays Top 5 Wednesday Dear Readers, that’s what we’re gonna chat about.  These are my theories for the Top 5 Ways King Ghidorah Could Return in Godzilla Minus Zero.  Full Disclosure: Some of these will be very farfetched and mostly just excuses to talk about how Ghidorah has been presented in the past.  I put nothing past Takashi Yamazaki, especially if he can integrate it into the narrative as well as anything in Godzilla Minus One.

 

KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Part 1 Episodes 1-3

When she was just a small girl, Megumin of the Crimson Demons witnessed a feat of magic so incredible, it’s all she wants to have.  Now, Megumin has come to the Red Prison Magical Academy.  Here she will meet friends who want to be rivals, out of control teachers, and group of classmates who think that Explosion Magic is a joke.  But it’s no joke to Megumin and there’s no one who can stop her from learning the spell that will become her claim to fame.

It’s been a minute since we’ve visited the wacky world of KonoSuba.  While we wait for the announced Season 4 of the home series, this month we’ll be looking at the only (so far) franchise spin off focusing on everyones overdramatic goddess of destruction: Megumin.  Incase you didn’t tell from the synopsis, this is a Megumin origin story centered on how she came to acquire explosion magic and become the megaton delivering maniac she is.  KonoSuba spin offs aren’t a bad idea, especially when you pick the right character to follow in their own adventure.  The question here is: can Megumin handle her own tale without the back up of her fellow adventurers?  That’s what we’re going to find out this month as we begin KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!
 

FIF#261-Clevatees

The Four Beast Kings: Monsters of unfathomable power, borderline invincible foes.  Alicia Glenfall learned this the hard way when she fell in battle along with other brave souls at the hands of Clevatees.  Alicia did not expect to be resurrected to assist the Demon with an unexpected task: raising a baby named Luna.  Neither know of the childs true destiny and where the path of this experiment in human understanding leads, even Clevatees himself does not know.

 
I’ve never been one for Dark Fantasy.  Between growing up hearing just how nightmare inducing the final of the original Berserk was to how unsettling the first episode of Goblin Slayer surprised everyone, I’m cool with letting others enjoy them, even if they are beloved tales (a la Berserk).  I’m not sure what about Clevatees gravitated me to it but go figure, it might have something to offer thanks to the titular beast himself. 
 

T5W#577-Top 5 Best Peter Cullen Toonami Promos

We’ve sadly lost a lot of popular icons within the span of seemingly days and the losses aren’t getting any easier.  While the loss of Tim Curry and Dolly Parton still feels unreal, for me, the most heart wrenching departure of a famous and beloved human being is still Peter Cullen.  For many of us, he is forever immortalized as the voice of one of the greatest heroes in science fiction: Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots in the Transformers franchise. But for those of us who didn’t grow up with his awesomeness as a voice actor in the 80s, the Toonami age saw Cullen’s vocal talents brought to a whole new generation.  Alongside Steve Blum’s Tom, Cullen provided the hype for virtually every single show on Toonami’s line up in dozens of promos across Toonami’s ongoing lifespan.  It’s just not going to be the same hearing him announce the arrival of a new title or remind us when an awesome show like Bleach or Naruto is coming up next.  Heck, how many Anime did Cullen bring to our attention in the same way he narrarated the epic opening for Voltron?  Well today that’s how I’m going to honor a hero whose loss did as much a number on me as losing Leonard Nimoy.  Today on Top 5 Wednesday, we honor the voice of multiple generations with the Top 5 Best Peter Cullen Toonami Promos.  Rest well in The Matrix old friend, Til all are one. 

 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match

Before he was a champion of Earthrealm, Johnny Cage was still trying to make it big in the action movie business.  When his costar on his latest project goes missing, Johnny is on the case, not realizing he’s about to be pulled into a dangerous web of satanic cults, demon warriors and beautiful women.  It’s a fight for the City of Angels itself and now Johnny must step up and become the bad ass he’s always played on screen. This isn’t a movie though.  This is Mortal Kombat.

At last we’ve come to the (at the moment) last entry in the Mortal Kombat Legends series and it’s the one I’ve been looking forward to the least.  This iteration of Johnny Cage has been the weakest aspect of Legends overall for me.  But whether by intention or by popular fan demand, Warner Bros Animation decided to give Johnny his own solo film, a prequel no less.  Now yes, like Snow Blind this is more in line from what I expected from Legends overall and Johnny Cage is a good fit for his own movie…just not this version of him and certainly not this movie itself.
 

FIF#260-Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You

For hapless business worker Sakaki, all he has in life to cheer him up are his smokes and the pretty check out girl, Yamada, at his local Supermarket.  When he arrives one night and Yamada isn’t there, Sakaki despairs.  That is until he is summoned behind the Supermarket Yamada’s beautiful coworker, Tayama, to share a smoke.  Completely unaware of her true identity, Sakaki starts up an unlikely friendship with this blunt but well meaning beauty as they continue to smoke behind the supermarket together.

 
I’m not a smoker but damn if Anime doesn’t somehow make it look cool and appealing, from Spike Spiegel to Revy and the Lagoon Company.  And then this title pops up on my Crunchyroll feed.  I don’t know what it’s about, I mean the title couldn’t be that on the nose, could it?  All I know is there’s a really cute Anime girl having a smoke with a guy and they look pretty chill.  Is that really all this show needs to be successful?  The answer after the first episode is…well…yeah maybe.
 

T5W#576-Top 5 Big Titles Coming Fall 2026

2026 has seen yet another incredibly showing of Anime for the world to enjoy.  From the return of Jujutsu Kaisen and Ghost in the Shell to newcomer champions like Daemons of the Shadow Realm & Marriagetoxin, there’s no shortage of favorites to peruse this year. With Summer 2026 winding down, all eyes look to the new titans of the Fall to take the stage and show us what they’ve got.  Old friends return, new stories begin and new iconic characters make their way to the big screen.  And just what am I looking forward to in the next couple of months?  Let’s find out on todays Top 5 Wednesday as I count down my Top 5 Big Titles Coming Fall 2026.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind

In a desolate land where hope is but a memory and the Wastelands are ruled with an iron fist by King Kano and the Black Dragons.  No one dares oppose him, save for one.  Blinded by betrayal, a young warrior named Kenshi must learn to harness new skills and powers under the tutelage of the last of the Lin Kuei, Kai Liang, formerly known as Sub Zero.  Together, they will seek justice and redemption against, braving a storm of brutal battles and impossible truths to restore hope to the future. 

When I first heard about Mortal Kombat Legends and heard the first title was “Scorpion’s Revenge” I naturally believed these animated features would be hyper violent stand alone stories, origin or otherwise, centered on a singular MK character with maybe an appearance or two from others.  Unfortunatley, as good as it was, Scorpions Revenge wasn’t a Scorpion focused tale and Battle of the Realms only had a couple of good character moments and awesome fight scenes to stop it from ending up on the same level as Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.  With the third entry of the Mortal Kombat Legends series I’m finally getting what I was hoping/expecting from these animated films and it’s easily the best of the three so far, even if it does tap into some unexpected corners of the MK universe that, to my knowledge, no ones really a fan of.
 

FIF#259-Daemons of the Shadow Realm

The peaceful life of young villager Yuru is shattered when a special ops unit from another time storms his home and slaughters the inhabitants.  Rescued by unknown forces, Yuru learns the life he’s been living is a lie and this his village is hidden behind a sheild that hides it from the modern day.  Thrust into a new world, Yuru begins a quest to find his long lost sister, Asa, discover the secrets behind his lifelong deception, and learn to master the power of otherworldly beings known as Daemons.

 
Daemons of the Shadow Realm probably didn’t show up to the Anime scene looking to answer a particular question but it did anyway: What if M. Night Shamylan’s The Village was actually good and delivered on that infamous twist ending (and maybe added a pinch of Rahxephon for good measure)?  The answer is one of the best debut episodes of an Anime in recent memory thanks to an explosive opening that raises so many questions, makes you squirm at the carnage and keeps your eyes open to spot which character design from a certain beloved Anime classic you might spot next.
 

T5W#575-Top 5 Thoughts on the Kingdom Hearts IV D23 Updates

Disney’s D23 event took place this past weekend and brought some major announcements and previews for upcoming…well everything from the announcement of the cast for the MCU X-Men movie to the first trailers for Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 and Frozen III.  However, I doubt anyone expected Kingdom Hearts IV to get such a substantial amount of attention.  Director Tetsuya Nomura and several key developers and voice actors, including Haley Joel Osment (Sora) and David Gallagher (Riku) took to the stage to drop some new updates for the highly anticipated sequel.  Though my relationship with Kingdom Hearts is kinda strained after KHIII, I’m willing to eventually dive back in and get caught up much like I have with Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth (finally finished the latter btw, what a game).  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’ll be sharing my Top 5 Thoughts on the Kingdom Hearts IV D23 Updates. 
 
Before we get started though, I’d like to dedicate today’s Top 5 Wednesday to the memory of actress Hayden Panittiere, who sadly passed away last weekend.  Whether you knew her from Heroes, Nashville or Kingdom Hearts’ Kairi, hers is a talent that will be forever missed.  We raise our Keyblade high in her memory.