The Animation Blog

Short Film Spotlight: Heart-Bit Dim Sum Friends!

October 10, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: On the outskirts of Hong Kong, lies a humble dim sum shop named A Little Heart Restaurant.

Three dim sum, Pobu the char siu pork bun, Mai the shumai, and Gao the crystal shrimp dumpling come to life and use their Kung Fu powers to save the day!

Written, Directed and Animated by Veda Lee.

Rough Animation: Michelle Qiu, Celine Hung and Chun Kit Fong

Cleanup Animation: Michelle Qiu and Renita Tang

Colorists: Harold Tsui, Renita Tang, Miranda Lu, Michelle Qiu, Fionna Chang, Sumin Cho and Natalie Worcester

Music Composed by An Binh Tat.

Sound Mix by Daniel Eaton.

‘Go With the Clouds, North-by-Northwest’ Official Trailer: Aki Irie’s Manga Gets Netflix Anime Adaptation

October 9, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: 2007

Synopsis: Sometimes a journey. Sometimes a mystery. Welcome to Land’s End, Iceland, 64 degrees north.

17-year-old Kei Miyama carries three secrets: he can talk to cars, he can’t talk to girls, and, well… he’s a detective.

One day, he’s bringing home a runaway dog. The next, he’s tracking down a stranger’s love at first sight.

Directed by Yosuke Kubo.

Written by Takashi Sano.

Character Design by Chikashi Kubot.

Based on the manga series by Aki Irie.

Starring Tomohiro Ono as Kei Miyama.

Short Film Spotlight: Take Me Drunk I’m Home

October 8, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: It’s 5 o’clock here. As a town descends deeper into their cups, one man tries desperately to ascend his stairs to bed.

Directed and Animated by Nolan J. Downs.

Sound by Jack Weiss, Alejandra Molina Rios and Aria Analise Dines.

Music by Phil Sciurba.

Voice cast:
Ian Ballantyne
Samuel Buroker
Nolan J. Downs
Adam Gold
Amanda Lake
Emily Mattaliano
Chris Rutledge
Isaiah Schetelick
Sarah Schmidt

Short Film Spotlight: Clutch

October 7, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: In a futuristic Lagos, Kay, bike mechanic prodigy, yearns to become a street racer like his idol Maze.

Desperate to turn his dream into reality, he enters the dangerous Japa Rush. Will he make it to the finish line?

Written and Directed by:
Akin Oluwatomiwa Aduniyi
Christopher Carter
Adriano Correia
Jia Guo
Pochih Ko
Gaïa Locque

Music by Jeremiah Oginni.

Sound by Mathieu Tiger, Clément Naline, Sylvain Dodane and Christoph Burdet.

Voice cast:
Serah Johnson as Kay
Tevin John Nwajei as Maze
Menghan Li as Ejo

Short Film Spotlight: Maggot’s Magick Block

October 6, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A strange visit sends a young witch on a quest to regain her powers.

Written and directed by Erika Salazar.

Music and sound design by Jennifer Xing.

Additional music by Sebastian Santacruz.

Voice cast:
Bella Onori as Maggot
Greyson Rebello as White Clock
Lauren Kong as Buttercup Fairy & Fairy Queen

Short Film Spotlight: Anthéor

October 5, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A young woman returns to places occupied by the shadows of the past. Driven by stormy winds, she begins a cathartic journey that will bring her back to the origin.

Written and directed by Patrice Joseph Blanc.

Animation by Thomas Caudron, Lucie Jean and Patrice Joseph Blanc.

Sound by Pali Meursault.

Music by Nils Petter Molvær.

Voice by Vanessa Cailhol.

‘Dragon Ball Super: Beerus’ Trailer and Release Date: Goku, Vegeta and Universe 7 Get Visual Upgrades

October 4, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: October 11, 2026 on Crunchyroll and Hulu. October 17, 2026 on Netflix.

Synopsis: Set several years after the fierce battle against Majin Buu, the series finds Earth enjoying a rare period of peace.

At the same time, Beerus, the God of Destruction, awakens from a long slumber. Upon hearing rumours of a Saiyan warrior who defeated Frieza, Beerus sets his sights on Goku.

As the strongest being in the universe arrives on Earth, Goku and his allies are drawn into a cosmic battle that will shake the entire universe.

Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is the newly enhanced version of Dragon Ball Super, with improved story, animation, dialogue, music and sound.

Original Work, Story and Character Design by Akira Toriyama.

Short Film Spotlight: Colocation Sauvage (Wild Housemates)

October 3, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A joyful goat decides to build herself a cabin in the middle of the jungle. But as construction progresses, she discovers that she won’t be living alone.

Her new housemates are two hungry tigers, exactly the kind of neighbors a sensible goat should avoid.

Directed by Armelle Mercat-Junot.

Written by Armelle Mercat-Junot and Pierre-Luc Granjon.

Music by Jean Poinsignon.

Sound by Flavien Van Haezevelde and Pierre Aretino.

Voiced by Nastasia Berrezaie, Maxence Thireau, Laurent Fradin and Olivier Deweer.

Short Film Spotlight: Coin Coin

October 2, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Everything was going great between them… until a cat showed up with a Game Boy. Can their friendship survive?

Directed by:
Solenn Lelaisant
Jeanne Marotte
Amélie Frit
Anouk Archambault
Lucile Grunder

Music by Jean-Victor Suzanne

Sound Mix by Pierre-François Renouf.

‘The Ramparts of Ice’ Season 2 Trailer, Release Date, Synopsis and Voice Cast

October 1, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: October 1, 2026 on Netflix

Synopsis: The Ramparts of Ice follows Koyuki Hikawa, a high school girl who struggles to connect with others and keeps everyone at a distance. She spends her days quietly, keeping to herself except when she’s with her childhood friend, Miki Azumi.

That is, until Minato Amamiya, a surprisingly pushy guy, unexpectedly barges into her life. As they grow closer, Koyuki and Minato begin to develop feelings for each other that go beyond mere friendship.

Meanwhile, Yota, the gentle basketball player, finally confesses to Miki the feelings he’s harbored for years.

Some speak their hearts while others keep their emotions hidden, causing their paths — and their feelings for one another — to continuously cross and pass by.

Directed by MANQ.

Written by Yasuhiro Nakanishi.

Based on the manga by Kocha Agasawa.

Music by Kanade Sakuma and Natsumi Tabuchi.

Short Film Spotlight: Va-t’en (Go Away)

September 30, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Two Afghan migrants are crossing the mountains toward the Iranian-Turkish border when their journey suddenly goes wrong.

After a violent confrontation leaves them without their smuggler, Ibrahim and Arman are forced to continue alone. Cold, exhausted and increasingly vulnerable, they seek shelter in an isolated hut as night falls.

But when the sound of approaching engines echoes through the mountains, the two friends are faced with a devastating choice.

Written and directed by Félix Poutet and Sihème Bouaou.

Original Score by Sacha Coulombier.

Sound by Laora Bongiovi, Thibaud Henry, Gabriel Berckmoes and Maxence Ly.

Voice cast:
Ali Mohebbi as Ibrahim
Farzad Bahonar as Arman
Fati Fyalcin as Passeur

Short Film Spotlight: Mix-Up Mail

September 29, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Lewis, a young deliveryman, must deliver a small pink package to a massive, intimidating cabin. When it’s stolen inside by Castagne, the pet beaver, he sneaks in to retrieve it.

Directed by:
Moana Bremond
Tristan Cambon
Ilian Djabelkhir
Mathilde Herrbrecht
Tiffany Kao
Alan Magnier
Alexandre Mouries
Xavier Try

Original Score by Arthur Troch.

Sound by:
Mickael Meirrheim
Sébastien Fournier
Antoine Smetz
Tristan Le Bozec
Yoann Poncet

Voices by Mark Kaczmarek.

‘Adventure Time: Side Quests’ Season 2 Trailer and Release Date: Finn and Jake Return for 20 New Episodes

September 28, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: October 2, 2026 on Disney+ and Hulu, and October 5, 2026 on Cartoon Network internationally

Synopsis: Finn and Jake are back for more adventure and even more side quests across the wild, wonderful land of Ooo.

Wrestling toads, facing baby gladiators, and getting tangled up in one too many magic spells, it’s clear no side quest is too strange, too small, or too dangerous to take on.

Voice cast:
Sasha Knight as Finn the Human
John DiMaggio as Jake the Dog
Tom Kenny as Ice King
Hynden Walch as Princess Bubblegum
Olivia Olson as Marceline
Niki Yang as BMO

Based on the original Adventure Time series created by Pendleton Ward.

‘The Sisters Grimm’ Season 2 Trailer: Apple TV’s Fantasy Adventure Series Returns with Six New Episodes

September 27, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: October 2, 2026 on Apple TV

Synopsis: In season two, one year after their parents’ mysterious disappearance, sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm continue uncovering the secrets of Ferryport Landing, where fairy tales and fairy tale creatures are real, as they face new adventures and mysteries.

Based on the books by Michael Buckley.

Developed by Amy Higgins (Star vs. the Forces of Evil) and Erica Rothschild (Sofia the First).

‘Family Guy’ Halloween Special (2026) Trailer and Release Date: Kieran Culkin Guest Stars as the Devil in Hulu Exclusive Episode

September 26, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: October 5, 2026 on Hulu (U.S.) and Disney+ (International)

Episode title: Happy Hell-o-ween

Synopsis: Brian and Stewie find themselves in Hell – not an annoying day, the actual underworld – paying for 24 seasons’ worth of bad behavior. When they manage to annoy even the Devil himself, they end up in charge.

Voice cast:
Seth MacFarlane as Peter, Brian, Stewie and Quagmire
Alex Borstein as Lois
Seth Green as Chris
Mila Kunis as Meg
Arif Zahir as Cleveland Brown
Mike Henry as John Herbert
Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson
Kieran Culkin as the Devil