Culture
Anime Dokuhon: New Criticism Magazine Launches on November 30
The first issue contains nine essays on Chou Kaguya-hime!, along with pieces on short anime and SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT.
On November 30, 2026, the first issue of the new anime criticism magazine "ele-king presents Anime Dokuhon" will be released in Japan. It opens with an extensive examination of the animated film "Chou Kaguya-hime!" and the question of why the work has reached such a large audience. The issue is published in the context of the Japanese culture magazine ele-king.
Nine Contributions on Chou Kaguya-hime!
The cover feature comprises nine independent essays. Among other topics, the authors explore how viewers move from observing a story to participating in its virtual world. Further texts consider the internet as an everyday part of life, the closeness to VTuber culture, and the perception of animated characters.
Music is also a subject of analysis: one contribution examines the use of a cover of "ray." Other pieces address memory, the staging of characters, and the ending of the story. The magazine thus focuses on interpretation rather than on conventional production interviews or promotional material.
Concrete figures already exist to place the success in context: "Chou Kaguya-hime!" surpassed three billion yen in box office earnings in September. The concert in the virtual world Tsukuyomi announced for December also shows that the production is using formats beyond the film.
Further Topics and Release Date
In addition to the film focus, the 132-page first issue contains a conversation between Naoya Fujita and Takuto Kobayashi about the possibilities of anime criticism. Another article examines short anime using productions by Plott. There is also a contribution on "SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT", the anime adaptation of the action game.
Editorial supervision is handled by Naoya Fujita and the ele-king editorial team. The cover illustration is by Shohei Morimoto, and the design by Hijiri Suzuki. The publisher lists a price of 1,450 yen plus tax, which is 1,595 yen including Japanese consumption tax. The official book page provides the table of contents and Japanese purchase sources. The announcement contains no information about a German-language edition.