In addition to bringing you the most important Marvel and DC-related news, we are also committed to bring you weekly updates of the all the major anime industry news you may have missed every week.
This week begins with a piece of anime news that will probably be of particular interest in DC Comics fans.
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League confirms release date and English dub
The anime film's official website has confirmed that Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will initially release digitally on March 18, with the physical home media releases following for 4K UHD and Blu-ray coming on April 15. This announcement follows a previous reveal of the movie's release in Japan, including a special debut on the Japanese version of Cartoon Network on March 20.
Coinciding with the announcement of the international release is the release of the movie's first English-language trailer (posted above). The trailer includes the following summary of Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League:
"In this sequel to Batman Ninja, the Batman family has returned to the present to discover that Japan has disappeared, and a giant island - Hinomoto - is now in the sky over Gotham City. At the top sit the Yakuza, a group of superpowered individuals who reign without honor or humanity and look suspiciously like the Justice League. Now, it’s up to Batman and his allies to save Gotham!"
The original Batman Ninja released in 2018 and is currently available digitally on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, the Google Play Store and YouTube.
Kodansha announces 2025 manga releases
Japanese publisher Kodansha's US division has announced its upcoming slate of English-language manga licenses set for release throughout the remainder of 2025. Some of the noteworthy releases include:
• The second half of the original Sailor Moon manga releasing as a boxed set, as well as a boxed set of the prequel series Codename: Sailor V, which introduced fans to the character of Sailor Venus who existed as a standalone character before being tied into the Sailor Moon series by creator Naoko Takeuchi.
• An increased number of series becoming available via the Kodansha Print Club print-on-demand service, including Love, That’s an Understatement, Blade Girl and Teppu.
• A premium edition of supernatural detective series Mushishi.
• The Magnificient Bastard: The Legend of Keiji slated for a fall release: a historical fiction series following the iconoclastic real-life samurai Keiji Maeda (1543-1612), featuring art by Tetsuo Hara, artist of the legendary post-apocalyptic martial series Fist of the North Star.
The full list is available on Kodasha's US website.
Dark Horse licenses Berserk creator's original story
As shared by Crunchyoll, Dark Horse Comics plans to release a collected edition in English of Dur-an-ki, an original story from creator of iconic Dark Fantasy manga Berserk Kentaro Miura. Originally serialized in magazine Young Animal Zero starting in 2019, Dur-an-ki was ended after Miura's unexpected death in 2021. His assistants have been continuing Berserk to close out the long-running in accordance with Miura's notes.
Dark Horse is planning to release the entirety of Du-an-ki's manga run in a 256-page edition, with supplementary materials from Miura. The release date is currently planned for September 16, 2025.
The announcement includes the following brief synopsis of Dur-an-ki:
"In ancient times, a wondrous child was born of the gods. Neither
human nor god, neither male nor female, Usumgal has an inventive mind
that can create solutions where they are needed most. Descending from
the holy mountain, Usumgal finds friends among humans, and with each
fateful encounter comes adventure and, perhaps, their destiny!"
@HIDIVEofficial & @Shudder are partnering up with @ICONICEventsNow to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Vampire Hunter D in theaters!
— HIDIVE (@HIDIVEofficial) February 20, 2025
🎫Get your tickets now: https://t.co/YkdGtfJjzE pic.twitter.com/u5UfFpeqK0
Vampire Hunter D 40th anniversary theatrical event coming soon
Anime streamer HIDIVE has announced a collaboration with horror streaming service Shudder and Iconic Events to bring cult classic anime movie Vampire Hunter D to theaters to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its original release as part of Anime Expo's AX Cinema Nights annual events. Last year, a similar collaboration saw iconic anime movie Ninja Scroll return to theaters to commemorate its 30th anniversary.
The AX Cinema Nights run of Vampire Hunter D is scheduled for April 9, 10 & 13 in theaters across the US. Tickets can be ordered online here, though the website is only available to US residents. Although there has been no official confirmation, if the Vampire Hunter D anniversary event follows the pattern of Ninja Scroll, fans can expect the movie to begin streaming on HIDIVE in the near future, along with a home media release.
HIDIVE's announcement includes the following summary of Vampire Hunter D:
"In the year 12,090 A.D. technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling Nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage."
As we bring you the latest anime news every week, the Bam Smack Pow team also has a new anime recommendation for fans every week. You can check that out here as we take a look at perhaps the single most popular anime and manga series of all time!