Bl Cinema Fest 2026 in Ikebukuro Lineup Includes Six Anime and Live-Action Works
The festival packages recent BL anime and live-action films into a single theatrical event, giving two 2024 TV series their first big-screen showings.
Anime Anime
The Apothecary Diaries, Jormungand, and Black Lagoon Lead June GX Lineup
The issue bundles three major series milestones-a four-month stand campaign for The Apothecary Diaries, a 20th anniversary Jormungand exhibition, and an upgraded 25th anniversary Black Lagoon exhibition-into a single promotional push.
Comic Natalie
AKIBA's TRIP Series Reaches 15th Anniversary, Tops 1 Million Sales
The 1 million sales milestone and 15-year run confirm that a niche concept-a game built around stripping enemies in a real-world Tokyo district-can sustain a franchise across multiple platforms and media adaptations.
Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark, Inside
Doyusha Releases Infinity Action X Series Marvel Figures in June 2026
Doyusha is bringing ZD Toys' Chinese-made Infinity Action X line to the Japanese market at a competitive price point, expanding affordable Marvel figure options for domestic collectors.
Dengeki Hobby Web
New Adventure Time Spin-Off Side Quest Sets October 5 Premiere
This is the first new Finn-and-Jake-led Adventure Time series since the original ended in 2018, and the first to launch on Disney+ and Hulu rather than on Warner Bros. Discovery's Max.
Denfaminicogamer
Cobra TV Anime Second Season Begins Free Streaming on YouTube
This release gives a wider audience access to previously unadapted Cobra material, expanding the anime's reach beyond its original broadcast.
Denfaminicogamer
Panasonic Projector & Display Acquires UK Media Server Firm Hive Media Control
The acquisition signals Panasonic's push beyond hardware manufacturing into integrated content playback and control solutions, while keeping HIVE's vendor-neutral positioning intact.
ASCII.jp
Kota Iguchi Motion Graphics Exhibition Opens in Ginza
Iguchi's exhibition formalizes a decade of cross-disciplinary motion design that moved from Olympic pictograms to Sphere and NIKE campaigns, now documented as a gallery practice.
KAI-YOU
New Indie Game NOWHERE UMBRELLA to Debut at BitSummit PUNCH
The game's premise-controlling an umbrella as a protagonist-is an unusual concept that could stand out at Japan's largest indie game festival.
4Gamer.net
Gridman Universe Harajuku Culture Popup Returns in May
The popup's quick revival within six months shows sustained demand for Gridman Universe merchandise focused on character fashion rather than mecha action.
Inside
Studio Khara Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Original Rei Art
The anniversary message is a rare public statement from Hideaki Anno about the studio's trajectory, coming as Khara works on a new Evangelion project and an untitled Space Battleship Yamato film.
Anime News Network
Blue Archive Global 4.5th Anniversary Event Sells Out Same Day
The instant sellout shows that demand for Blue Archive's global live events in South Korea is high, even for a milestone anniversary that is not a full number.
4Gamer.net
Shirakami Fubuki and Ookami Mio Get Taiwan-Only Immersive Collaboration Series
The collaboration is Cover's first major real-world activation for these two talents as a pair, and its Taiwan-only scope signals a deliberate regional marketing push rather than a global rollout.
hololive production (EN)
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe Watch Order Guide
The sequel's heavy reliance on past UC events makes a curated watch order essential for newcomers who want to understand the protagonist's trauma without watching decades of backlog.
Niche Gamer (Anime)
Kimi to Hanabi to Yakusoku to Film Adds Cast, Staff, Theme Song, Trailer
The casting of Rie Takahashi, a prominent voice actress, and the involvement of idol group timelesz signal a push for broad mainstream appeal beyond the light novel's existing readership.
MyAnimeList, Anime Trending
Super Kaguya-Hime! Collaboration Cafe Opens at Tokyo Dome City Store
The cafe extends the film's physical merchandising push two months after its Netflix premiere, targeting fans with character goods and a story-specific menu item.
Nijimen
Seahorse and Japanese Spider Crab Win Life Below Reader Vote
The vote is a rare case of a Western developer directly polling a Japanese audience to decide in-game content, signaling deeper localization outreach.
4Gamer.net
Sea Cucumber RTS NAMAKORIUM Leaves Early Access With Boss Battles and Costume DLC
NAMAKORIUM exits early access with the content structure of a finished game-boss fights, stage variety, and cosmetic monetization-at a discount that makes the asking price roughly the cost of a single DLC pack.
Denfaminicogamer
Ichiban Kuji MOTHER2 Second Edition Launches June 6 With Mr. Saturn Plush
This second edition expands the MOTHER 2 merchandise line beyond the first wave's offerings, adding functional items like a room light and present box that target daily-use collectors rather than display-only fans.
4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Dengeki Hobby Web
Street Fighter 6 Adds Avatar Random Match and Avatar Arcade on May 28
The new modes shift Street Fighter 6's avatar content from a purely competitive or story-driven loop toward a more accessible, grind-friendly system with randomized matchmaking and unlockable cosmetics tied to CPU battles.
4Gamer.net, Game Spark
You, Fireworks, and Our Promise Film Trailer Reveals Cast, Theme Song
The trailer confirms the film's full creative team and musical identity four months before its July release, following a preview at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Anime News Network
Adventurer Elliot's Millennial Tale Prologue Demo Launches With Save Transfer
The demo's save transfer and cross-title bonus campaign are designed to drive pre-launch engagement and reward loyalty across Square Enix's RPG catalog, a strategy that mirrors recent industry moves to convert demo players into day-one buyers.
4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress)
OLM-Animated Scooby-Doo Series Yokoso Scooby-Doo! Heads to Tubi and Cartoon Network
This is the first time OLM, a studio best known for long-running Japanese franchises, has been tapped to animate a major Western cartoon property, signaling a deeper cross-Pacific production pipeline between Warner Bros. and Japanese animation studios.
Anime News Network, Anime Corner
Nintendo Announces Camera-Based Smartphone Game Pictonico!
Pictonico! revives the camera-based minigame concept Nintendo last explored on the DSi, adapting it for modern smartphones with a WarioWare-style sensibility.
4Gamer.net, Inside