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This Week in Anime [Week 26, 2021]
Date Published: Fri, 16th July, 2021
As we transition into the latter half of July, an interesting cocktail of developments sets the stage for what lies ahead. This week has been unlike any other so far in the year; a culmination of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and interesing cultural differences across the world have made what seems to be the perfect storm of chaos in the world of anime. This week spells quite an interesting melting pot of headlines! Here's your Rapid Rundown for proof:
1. U.S. Faces Unprecedented Manga Shortages!
2. Russia Goes On Another Anime Banning Spree!
3. Misfit of the Demon King Academy Manga Author Passes Away
4. New "I Can't Believe it's not Hentai!" Anime Unleashed!
1. U.S. Faces Unprecedented Manga Shortages! 
Graphic Novels are all the rage in the world right now, and manga sales are showing a sharp spike in their sale statistics. In fact, the situation is so dire that that online sellers have gone on record to state that the US is “working through a year’s worth of pent-up demand.” Why this is the case has eluded many authorities examining the issue in the past weeks, but new explanations have emerged which cast some light behind the grim situation. Closer inspections into the workings of publishing companies and trending mangas have revealed the cause of the manga-drought to be multifactorial.
Perhaps the simplest way to explain the sudden drop in supply is by elaborating upon the increase in demand. With everyone locked up in their homes during the pandemic, it stands to reason that they'll need something to pass the time with. Interestingly, the sales figures also support this idea, with the most impacted titles being My Hero Academia and Chainsaw Man, two widely popular dubbed mangas in Western audiences. It therefore stands to reason that our weeb counterparts in the U.S. have been busy recruiting their friends into otaku culture!
Another less exciting and more worrisome addendum used to explain the situation is a sudden drop in the numbers of truck drivers and delivery-men in the U.S. Whether this is due to people being laid off or too hesitant to roam neighborhoods in the middle of a pandemic remains unclear, but what is true beyond any doubt is the fact that mangas cannot be sold if they don't reach the shops in the first place. In fact, even major online sellers like Amazon are reporting empty stocks in their warehouses for certain mangas. This would further compound the issue and may be indicative of a deficit in supply within Japanese territories as well.
Whatever the reasons, one thing is for sure: mangas appear to be the new gold of the 21st century!
2. Russia Goes On Another Anime Banning Spree! 
Russian censorship authorities have once again put anime in their crosshairs and added yet another collection of titles to their ever-growing list of barred titles. Already famous for their no-tolerance approach to isekai anime, Russia made news earlier this year as well for banning a large list of anime, including Death Note, Inuyashiki and Tokyo Ghoul as well as well-known movies like Akira. The reason for this decision was officially stated to be attempts made by Russian teens to replicate what they saw in these anime, with no further details given to add substance to the claim.
Recent attempts were also made to ban titles such Naruto, Elfen Lied (we can actually understand this one!) and Interspecies Reviewers, with the St. Petersburg court system stating that “every episode contains cruelty, murder, violence”. No follow-ups to this story are available, so the official status of these titles in Russian territories remains unclear. Unfortunately, this isn't quite where this story finds its conclusion...
“Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge”, “Happy Tree Friends” and the Attack on Titan live-action film all made their way into Russia's blacklist this week, with St. Petersburg authorities once again expressing open contempt at the titles. “The consumption of this film by minors may cause harm to the mental health, spiritual, and moral development, as well as the formation of phobic reactions in them”, is what the court responded with when asked to explain their decision for adding the movie to their list.
3. Misfit of the Demon King Academy Manga Author Passes Away 
Great tragedy befell the anime community this week with news of Kayaharuka's passing on the 6th of July recently being made public. Already placed on an indefinite hiatus owing to the mangaka's ill-health pertaining to pancreatic cancer, this news effectively puts a halt to any likelihood of the manga being continued. The sliver lining is that the anime is based off the light novel and will proceed uninterrupted. Nevertheless, let us spend a moment in silent reverence to mourn the passing of one of the most respected mangakas of all time.
The synopsis of the show, as given by Square Enix is as follows: (edited for brevity)
Anoth, the Demon King of Tyranny, has defeated humans, spirits, and gods alike. But even demon kings get tired of all the fighting sometimes! Hoping for a more peaceful life, Anoth decides to reincarnate himself. When he wakes two thousand years later, though, he finds the world has become too peaceful–his descendants have grown weak and magic is in serious decline. Intending to reclaim his rightful place, he enrolls in Demon King Academy, where he finds that his magical power is off the charts.With the support of Misha, the one student he manages to befriend, the misfit (Demon King) begins his climb up the demon ranks!
4. New "I Can't Believe it's not Hentai!" Anime Unleashed! 
And it comes in three flavors: a modified version safe for TV, a "see-through" version (don't ask) and an uncensored version. The title under question is called Mother of Goddess' Dormitory and we'll say one thing and one thing only- if you want to check the trailer on YouTube, you need to pass an age filter. We'll leave details of the anime obscure in the interest of our younger readers, but here's a synopsis of the hen- uhhh- anime:
12-year-old boy Kōshi Nagumo, who finds himself homeless, penniless, and without relatives to care for him. As he lies on the street, he gets picked up to become the “dorm mother” of a dormitory full of troubled women’s university students.
That wraps it up for this week, folks! We'll catch you next time right here with more amazing news and all the insights you'll need on what's fresh in the world of anime!
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