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Misha Mihailova

@mihailova.bsky.social
237 followers 342 following 203 posts

Assistant Professor, School of Cinema, San Francisco State University. PhD, Yale University. President of the Society for Animation Studies. 🇧🇬 Research: animated media, AI, vfx, video games. Latest: academic.oup.com/screen/article/67/…

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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The NYT put all kinds of absolute nonsense on their Top 100 Shows of the 21st century but the *single* animated show they picked is Bojack Horseman? Be more predictable, I dare you.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Went to see this in the theater. The subtitles were several seconds out of sync with the dialogue. It made for an absolutely painful viewing experience. What an insane lapse of quality control on the part of GKIDS.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
A new LAIKA trailer is always a reason to celebrate.
youtu.be
Wildwood – Official Trailer
YouTube video by LAIKA Studios
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Reposted by Misha Mihailova
Casey Stegman @caseystegman.com · 27/07/2026
People who think Emily Wilson is being mean have clearly never presented a paper at an academic conference
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Great news for Miku! I just know she'll have the best time in Spain.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Right now is either the best or the worst time to be a Nolan hater, depending on how you look at it.
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Reposted by Misha Mihailova
Society for Animation Studies (SAS) @sasanistudies.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
After an incredible #SAS37 in Pittsburgh, it’s time to look ahead to next year. We can’t wait to welcome you to Edinburgh for The 38th Annual Society for Animation Studies Conference! Start thinking about Animating Intelligence now
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
My latest deepfake research: doi.org/10.1093/scre...
doi.org
Discriminators for gender equality: deepfakes in feminist filmmaking
Since deepfakes’ initial appearance on the online platform Reddit in 2017, the production and distribution of non-consensual pornography has emerged as the
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
If this Hong Kong animated feature is playing anywhere near you, run, don't walk to the theater. It is absolutely stunning. I could stare at each frame for hours. The background artists in particular deserve their flowers. Warning: the trailer does not reflect how bleak the story is.
animationmagazine.net
'Another World' Director & Producer Explore Life and Death in Award-Winning Animated Feature | Animation Magazine
Director Tommy Ng Kai Chung and producer Polly Yeung on how they made the afterlife come alive in their new feature 'Another World.'
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
The death threats are, of course, unhinged, but I am glad people are holding Jorge R. Gutierrez accountable for selling out and for his blatant hypocrisy. So disappointing.
ign.com
'You're One of the Last People Anyone Expected to Turn to AI' — The Book of Life Director Is Making an AI Animated Series for Amazon and His Loyal Fans Are Heartbroken
El Tigre and The Book of Life creator Jorge R. Gutierrez has sparked a significant backlash for signing up to make an AI animated series for Amazon.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
YES. It should be released in theaters, and soon. But Paramount won't do any of that because if there’s one thing media corporations will always do, it’s severely misunderstand the animation market.
polygon.com
Avatar footage leak only makes the streaming fate of The Last Airbender movie look worse
Do the right thing, Paramount
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
If you send out an email today containing the phrase "Happy Tax Day," I simply do not want to hear from you ever again.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
My MA students are hosting a fandom/fan studies conference and these are the posters 💖
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Someone on Letterboxd dubbed ChaO (Yasuhiro Aoki, 2025) the "Incel Ponyo" and they are extremely correct but the animation is exhilarating and fantabulous and I had the absolute best time finally seeing it in the theater.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Fucking Hell
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
I just wrote "I have no horse in this steel ball run" in my feedback to a paper and was once again reminded that I am severely underpaid and underappreciated for what I bring to these students' education.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
A very strong contender for most utterly tasteless April Fools' email, courtesy of the California Faculty Association.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
I did not take any photos at #SCMS26 because of generalized awkwardness but it was lovely to catch up with academic friends and meet *their* friends! If I missed any of you, please know that it was due to unfortunate spatiotemporal configurations and not a calculated choice to avoid you. Probably.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Reporting from O'Hare Terminal 3: cleared TSA in ten minutes. #SCMS26
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Hey #SCMS26, if you are the absolute clown who took my reserved, clearly labeled copy of Zen and Slow Games from the MIT press table, I hope your pillow is always warm and your sheets forever scratchy.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Seems like a good time to share my 2024 blog post on Sora
blog.animationstudies.org
Ships in a Coffee Cup, Tempest in a Teapot | animationstudies 2.0
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I got the dreaded 9 AM Thursday slot at #SCMS26, and my panel is programmed against an awesome stop motion roundtable l I wish I could attend instead 🫠 Still, I'll be around for the whole conference, so I'd love to catch up with folks!
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Remember when sci-fi was FUN, full of heart, and backed by proper movie star power? Phil Lord and Christopher Miller sure do.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Hey video game folk, have any of you been to GDC? My MA student got a donated pass and wants to know where and who they should try networking with. I don't have any GDC experience, so I have no clue what to tell them. This is a Media Studies person with an interest in TTRPGs and horror/queer games.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
My student chose this particular JJK screenshot for her anime tropes assignment, demonstrating A skills in media literacy and A+ skills in knowing her professor.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
People are saying "[insert animation classic] deserves it more." Yes, BUT: The Criterion almost never platforms animation. Netflix is notorious for not releasing its films on physical media *and* for shelving successful animation for no good reason. So this is a win, and I'm excited to own a copy.
cartoonbrew.com
'KPop Demon Hunters' Getting Criterion Collection Release
Criterion’s release reinforces the film's cultural impact and marks a huge moment for physical media fans often left longing for their streaming favorites.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Personally, I prefer saturnine relationships. Perhaps even mercurial ones, if you're nasty.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Had a fantastic time recording an episode of the excellent Fantasy/Animation podcast with hosts Christopher Holliday and Alexander Sergeant. We cover generative AI and animation, my current main research area. Give it a listen at the link below!
fantasy-animation.org
Episode 167 - AI and Animation (with Mihaela Mihailova) — Fantasy/Animation
The creative - and highly controversial - relationship between animation and artificial intelligence provides the focus of Episode 167 of the Fantasy/Animation podcast, which features as its special...
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Back in November, I got an unusual request in my inbox: would I be down with recording a Ghibli podcast on The Cat Returns, one of my least favorite Ghibli movies? Turned out to be a really fun conversation, thanks to host @ettletodd.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/6Cip...
open.spotify.com
Spotify – Web Player
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Happy Circle Back Day to all who celebrate 🫠🫠
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
2025 anime recap. Favorite shows: - The Summer Hikaru Died - Zenshu - The Apothecary Diaries - Dandadan - Gachiakuta - The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity - May I Ask for One Final Thing? - Kaiju No.8 - MHA - Sanda - Spy x Family - Wind Breaker - Orb - Yakuza Fiance
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
This year's Xmas Eve pick is SANDA, an absolutely delightful anime (by Science Saru!) about a middle schooler who turns into a buff Santa. It's set in future Japan, where seasons no longer exist, Xmas is just a myth, and declining birth rates give children higher social status than adults.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
Annual reminder that Satoshi Kon invented Christmas in 2003.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
I know it's popular to hate on My Hero Academia for being "mid" but now that the anime has officially stopped airing, it needs to be said that Bakugo's growth over the series is one of the most compelling character arcs in contemporary shonen.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Opened my Letterboxd to log BUGONIA like a good nerd and it gave me this. Fair play.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
I wrote about queer rep in the shōnen anime Wind Breaker, particularly one character's role in reframing masculinity and subverting many of the toxic masculinity tropes typical of the genre.
mediacommons.org
Redefining Shōnen Masculinity through Queer Strength in Wind Breaker | In Media Res
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Indie movie theaters which screen Perfect Blue around Halloween every other year but never show Tokyo Godfathers around Christmas need to get their shit together.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Glad to see reviews of this stunning book in the Anglophone press.
newyorker.com
A Bulgarian Novelist Explores What Dies When Your Father Does
Writing about a son’s vigil at his dying father’s bedside, Georgi Gospodinov examines what parents and their children reap and sow.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
The only creature that has genuinely terrified me this Halloweekend is the type of person who wakes up on November 1st and immediately puts up their Xmas decorations
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
*Sitting in office hours when there is nobody here*: Nobody ever comes to office hours! I have to just sit here pointlessly for two hours! This sucks! *Sitting in office hours and a student shows up*: First of all, who the fu--
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Celebrating International Animation Day, and especially May I Ask for One Final Thing?, a new anime about a magical noblewoman who just really enjoys throwing hands
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
I'm finding it challenging to stan harder than I already do, but I'll put in the effort
variety.com
Guillermo del Toro Says He’d ‘Rather Die’ Than Use Generative AI in His Films: ‘Not Interested’
Guillermo del Toro says he would 'rather die' than use generative AI in his films.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Spotted at a BART station: this disgusting AI slop. If that's the level of quality control they maintain at Skechers, why should I trust them to make good shoes?
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
My fellow manga lovers in the Bay Area should check out the de Young's "Art of Manga" exhibition. If you teach comics/manga/anime, your students would enjoy it, too.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
When the usual suspects (Cameron, Zemeckis) started shilling AI, it felt inevitable and fully on brand. But this? This is just deeply disappointing.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
At some university reception today, another professor told me that she watched KPop Demon Hunters with her two children (aged six and nine) and kept pausing it to "make sure they understood that the lesson of this movie is radical self-acceptance." Anyway, academics shouldn't procreate.
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Reposted by Misha Mihailova
Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 07/10/2025
Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day? Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Brit Marling in conversation with Sherryl Vint at SFAM 2025. Guess I'll finally watch The OA now.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Born to play Hades II, forced to attend an academic conference the weekend Hades II finally drops.
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Misha Mihailova @mihailova.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
I'll be in LA Wed-Sunday of this week, taking part in this cool speculative fiction conference. I'll be doing double duty - panel talk on AI-generated media + roundtable on adapting Ted Chiang's “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” (ft. Chiang himself).
sfamla.org
Speculative Fiction Across Media 2025 – Speculative Fiction Across Media
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