Articles

Takopi’s Original Sin just got nominated for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards — here's why it should win

Every so often, an anime comes around that hits you where you hurt most, but few match the absurdity and emotional weight of Takopi’s Original Sin . It’s one of the saddest anime I’ve ever seen, and it just got nominated in Crunchyroll’s 2026 Anime Awards . source https://www.polygon.com/takopis-original-sin-just-got-nominated-in-the-2026-crunchyroll-anime-awards-heres-why-it-should-win/

Esoteric Ebb has all the charm of a homebrew D&D campaign

Since 1975, video games have been trying to replicate the experience of playing the world’s most famous tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons . The actual pen-and-paper game hadn’t been out for more than one year when a student at the University of Illinois created The Dungeon on the PLATO IV system . Fifty years later, D&D-inspired games are winning awards and shaping the industry. Not all of them, however, can capture the experience of a tabletop D&D campaign. Or at least, no one did it as well as Esoteric Ebb has. This game is a homage to the history of CRPGs that is not saddled by nostalgia but looks boldly at the future of the genre. source https://www.polygon.com/esoteric-ebb-review-dnd-game-campaign-recommend/

Do you need to watch Gen V before The Boys season 5? We asked the showrunner

The Boys regularly mocks the bloated superhero franchises DC and Marvel have created with references to the Vought Cinematic Universe and its many in-universe movies and streaming shows. But now that The Boys has two spinoffs and another on the way , showrunner Eric Kripke is making sure to avoid creating the kind of homework that has made keeping up with Marvel such a chore. That means there's no need to watch the spinoff series Gen V ahead of The Boys season 5 , even if the series does sneak in a reward for hardcore fans. source https://www.polygon.com/the-boys-gen-v-connection-interview/

Mother 3’s anti-capitalist message still resonates two decades later

This month marks 20 years since the launch of Mother 3 for the Game Boy Advance, the RPG sequel to the cult classic Earthbound (known as Mother 2 in Japan). It’s still never seen an official release outside Japan, but Mother 3 ’s unflinching critique of capitalism feels more relevant than ever today. source https://www.polygon.com/mother-3-20th-anniversary/

25 classic Sesame Street skits that parents and kids will botn enjoy

After HBO dumped Sesame Street at the end of 2024, the educational series has been collecting so many new homes that even The Count can barely keep track. In addition to new episodes airing on Netflix and PBS, YouTube signed a deal with Sesame Workshop to air classic episodes. And now, Tubi is also getting in on the action with a deal that includes 250 classic episodes from seasons 1 through 38 (or 1969 through 2007). source https://www.polygon.com/sesame-street-coming-to-tubi-25-classic-clips/

Voice-acting legend Eric Bauza on his Mario Galaxy role and the Mario Bros. Movie scene that got cut

At the beginning of The Super Mario Bros. Movie , Mario arrives in the Mushroom Kingdom and meets the citizenry known as the “Toads.” Each Toad is short, adorable and has a mushroom cap at the top of their head. They also all have similar, sweet voices. Of the hundreds of citizens, they all pretty much look and sound the same, but one Toad is unmistakably different. While his low-set reading glasses only slightly set him apart visually, his low, booming voice and commanding presence make him unmistakable. He is the Toad General and he is not to be taken lightly. source https://www.polygon.com/toad-general-eric-bauza-interview-super-mario-galaxy/

Every Peanuts strip ever is now available for $25

As part of Fantagraphics’ ongoing 50th-anniversary celebration , the comics publisher is teaming up with Humble Bundle to provide Charlie Brown fans with access to every Peanuts comic book and strip published between 1953 and 2000. Given that there are 43 books in this bundle (though eight-book and four-book bundles are also available), that’s an astonishingly extensive catalog. source https://www.polygon.com/peanuts-charles-schulz-humble-bundle-collection/