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1h ago
Movic is taking pre-orders on the Kadokawa Store for six layered acrylic art panels: Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, Megurine Luka, MEIKO, and KAITO. The characters wear original winter costumes inspired by the constellation Orion, drawn by aruk. Each panel separates character and background across two printed layers on a slab about 14 by 10.5 cm and 10 mm thick, so it stands without a base. They cost 2,310 yen each, with pre-orders closing October 25, 2026 and shipping mid-December 2026.
2d ago
The TV anime adaptation of ippatu's manga Tora Tsugumi -TSUGUMI PROJECT- announced its first cast on October 19. Masaaki Mizunaka plays Leone, a former soldier and death-row prisoner; Misaki Watada plays Tsugumi, a bizarre creature with a lovely appearance and abnormal strength; Haruki Ishiya plays Dudu, a former underground fighting champion who travels with Leone. The announcement came with the first voice comic video, which shows Leone and Dudu meeting aboard a plane bound for the ruined "old Japan," a land of high radiation where monstrous creatures roam and no people live. More voice comic videos are planned. The original manga ran in Kodansha's Young Magazine, and the Japanese collected edition is complete at seven volumes; the French edition is published by Ki-oon, where the series was a hit before Japan. A giveaway on X offers a signed acrylic panel featuring all three voice actors. The anime adaptation was announced in July.
2d ago
The television anime of ippatu's Tsugumi Project manga announced its first three cast members on Monday: Masaaki Mizunaka as Leon, Haruki Ishiya as Dudu, and Misaki Watada as Tsugumi. Two of the three appear in a newly released voice comic video for the manga. The manga ended in September 2023, and Kodansha USA Publishing released the final volume in September 2025.
3d ago
A Happy Kuji line marking 40 years of Momoko Sakura's Chibi Maruko-chan goes on sale November 7 at 850 yen per draw, sold at Seven-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, Youme Town, Lawson, Lawson 100, Ministop, bookstores, hobby shops, and Happy Kuji Online. Prizes include a "Maruko's Room" figure recreating the messy room from the volume 10 chapter "Today Is Home Visit Day," a 10-type figure collection, and a Volume 1 cover figure as the Last Prize.
6d ago
Sunny Side Up will release a Happy Kuji line for Chibi Maruko-chan on Saturday, November 7, 2026, marking 40 years since the original manga began serialization. Each draw costs 850 yen including tax, and the lineup has nine prize ranks plus a Last Prize. The Special Prize is a roughly 21cm figure of Maruko's cluttered room from the chapter "Today Is Home Visit Day" in volume 10, down to her expression and the onomatopoeia behind her. The A Prize is a 10-type Figure Collection, roughly 5.5 to 8.7cm tall, with characters on pedestals bearing their dialogue. The Last Prize reproduces the cover of manga volume 1 as a figure about 17.5cm tall. Middle ranks include tote bags with title-page art, melamine cups and plates, rubber mascot keyholders, flat pouches, mini towels, a can collection, and sticker sets themed around Class 3-4.
Oct 11
A Real Sound Anime interview gathers Jun Furukawa, Konomi Inagaki, Anna Nagase, and Haruka Shiraishi to discuss the TV anime When I Woke Up, I Had the Strongest Equipment and a Spaceship, So I Want to Live Freely as a Mercenary Aiming for a Detached House. They describe the mix of isekai reincarnation and sci-fi, hard-to-read star and country names, and the dubbing sessions they worked through together.
Oct 8
Hanamaruki's Sugu Uma Cup Miso Soup line and the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will release six limited packages drawn by ufotable, shipping from mid-October 2026 to supermarkets, mass retailers, and drugstores nationwide. Tanjiro Kamado, Giyu Tomioka, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, and Shinobu Kocho appear across the six varieties, which include fried eggplant, spinach, tonjiru, tororo kombu, seaweed with aosa, and long green onion.
Oct 6
Voice actor Haruka Fukuhara, known for playing Tsubame Koyasu in Kaguya-sama: Love is War, announced on Saturday that she married professional soccer player and Japan national team member Takefusa Kubo. The couple released a joint statement on their Instagram pages thanking fans and supporters. As of press time, the announcement had received over 5 million likes and over 18,000 replies combined. Fukuhara's other roles include Himari Arisugawa in Kirakira Precure a la Mode.
Oct 5
Adobe's official program CREATOR KITCHEN supported by Adobe opened Season 3 on Monday, September 28, 2026. Kondo Haruki returns alongside Ishiyama Renge, following Season 2. The first episode turns hand-drawn rough sketches into mascots and explores where Adobe Firefly fits into actual work, with a participatory project in which viewers turn their own illustrations into mascots.
Oct 5
The 18th TAMA Film Awards, run by a citizens' volunteer executive committee, announced its winners on the 2nd. Best Picture went to Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Soudain and Shuichi Okita's Satoko wa Itsu mo. Best Actor went to Masahiro Motoki and Tasuku Emoto, Best Actress to Riho Yoshioka and Mio Imada, with newcomer prizes, a Special Award, tickets by lottery from October 31, and a ceremony on November 28 at the Parthenon Tama Large Hall.
Oct 4
An Atlus commercial published on its overseas YouTube channel features Dylan Lackaye, who became a therapist after the Persona 5 Royal counselor Takuto Maruki pushed him toward the profession. He appears at roughly the 1 minute 15 second mark in the Persona 5 Royal segment with the line "your life will change." The video also covers sale information for Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Oct 4
Kadokawa revealed four more cast members and a new visual for the television anime of Ayune Araragi's Isshiki-san Wants to Know About Love. Haruki Ishiya plays Danjuro Iwata, Takuma Nagatsuka plays Masato Nakatani, Hiiro Ishibashi plays Chikai Matsumoto, and Yu Wakui plays Rena Yamakawa. The anime debuts in January 2027, with Riko Akechi and Shuichiro Umeda as the leads.
Sep 17
Koei Tecmo Games is showing Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Ryugu no Miko, its iOS and Android romance adventure, at Tokyo Game Show 2026. A booth photo spot makes the Eight Leaves appear around the Miko under flash light. Two sticker types go to visitors who follow the official Instagram or post a booth photo on X with the hashtag. A stage event runs September 20 with three voice cast guests.
Sep 16
Bandai Namco Filmworks released a full promotional video and two new teaser visuals for the television anime of Kaeru Chohokiteki's Witch and Mercenary light novel series. The video confirms an April 2027 premiere on NTV and 29 affiliated channels, plus the satellite channel BS NTV, and names three more cast members: Yuri Noguchi as the rank 2 swordmaster Isana Gihon, nicknamed Snow White; Hiromu Mineta as Alan Clows, a rank 4 swordmaster and party leader; and Haruka Shiraishi as Elicia Armel, a rank 3 staff-wielding adventurer. Saori Hayami voices Siasha and Taito Ban voices Zig Crane, both heard in the trailer. Shinpei Ezaki directs at 8-Bit, with Taishirou Tanimura on series scripts, Keita Matsumoto designing characters, Akiko Fujita as sound director, and Rei Ishizuka composing at Lantis. One teaser visual focuses on Siasha, the other on Zig.
Sep 16
Imagineer releases Walking Mystery 2: The Mermaid Legend Murder Case for Switch on September 17. Director and scenario writer Tomio Kanazawa told 4Gamer the series grew from a pitch by Imagineer CEO Kazunori Sumioka, was reworked into a three-part story with a different town per title, and that the Mystery Research Club was added to give the cast a reason to gather.
Sep 5
Kadokawa announced a promotional video, key visual, new cast members, theme song artists, and an October 4 debut for the anime of Hiro Oda's Yowaki MAX Reijo light novel series. Konomi Suzuki performs the opening theme "Goki MAX Sengen," and Miku Ito performs the ending theme "Yoake Made ni." The anime airs on AT-X and other channels, and streams on d Anime Store, Hulu, U-NEXT, and Anime Hodai.
Sep 2
Shinchosha announced on September 1 that it will publish Murakami Haruki WORKS, a 16-volume complete works collection covering nearly half a century of the author's writing, as part of its 130th anniversary program. The set opens with volume 8, the complete 1Q84 in one book, on January 27, 2027, followed by one volume every two months. Recommendation comments come from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki and poet Machi Tawara.
Aug 10
The television anime of Nao Iwamoto's Marronnier Okoku no Shichinin no Kishi manga revealed its first promotional video, main visual, cast, and October 3 premiere on NHK Educational. Kengo Takanashi, Makoto Tanikawa, Haruki Ishiya, Satoshi Inomata, Kiyoto Mizuno, Taishi Murata, and Reiji Kawashima voice the seven knight brothers. Kiyoko Sayama directs at J.C. Staff.
Aug 7
Imaginer set the release date for Mystery Walk 2: Mermaid Legend Murder Case to September 17. The mystery adventure launches on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A hidden scenario features Gachapin and Mukku appearing as themselves. The sequel follows the Teito University Mystery Research Club investigating a 20-year-old unsolved case in Kamakura.
Jul 21
The official website for the new Fairy Princess Minky Momo OVA has revealed a video, visual, and cast. The OVA stars Kurumi Haruki as Minky Momo, with Fukushi Ochiai, Natsumi Fujiwara, and Rie Kugimiya in supporting roles. It opens in Japan on November 13 and is the franchise's first new OVA in 32 years.
Jul 18
The anime adaptation of Muchimaro's four-panel manga 'Even the Student Council Has Its Holes!' has added two new cast members. Haruka Shiraishi will voice Hisako Kotobuki and Miyu Tomita will voice Komaro Michinoku. The series is set to premiere in October 2026, with Shōgo Sakata starring as protagonist Mizunoe Ume.
Jul 15
Manga creator Nyoijizai, known for Harukana Receive, launched a new series on Kadokawa's Dra Dra Sharp# magazine. The story follows newlyweds Yuto and Asuka, a professional volleyball player and team captain who agrees to abstain from sex until a tournament ends. The series began last Saturday, shortly after Nyoijizai ended Cinderella Athletes in February.
Jul 9
Billboard JAPAN's JAPAN Book Hot 100 chart for June 29-July 5 put HUNTER×HUNTER Volume 39 at number one, ahead of One Piece Volume 115 and Haruki Murakami's new novel KAHO -The Tale of KAHO-. The chart, launched in November 2025, aggregates physical sales, e-book downloads, library lending, and other data. Volume 39, released July 3, includes chapters 401-410 and features Hisoka on the cover alone for the first time.
Jul 8
Anime News Network published a five-part roundup of Tanabata greetings from across the anime, manga, and video game industries on July 7, 2026. The collection includes wishes and illustrations from official accounts for series such as Bungo Stray Dogs, Detective Conan, My Hero Academia, Sakamoto Days, Doraemon, Chibi Maruko-chan, Hell's Paradise, and Dragon Quest. Video game franchises like Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, and Like a Dragon also participated, alongside creators including Hideo Kojima, Yuki Kaji, and Shoko Nakagawa. Several series tied their posts to new releases: the second season of Yoroi Shin Den Samurai Troopers premiered on July 7, My Happy Marriage released a special Tanabata illustration and announced a three-episode special for 2026, and My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked began airing on July 8. The roundup also features greetings from manga titles like Chiikawa, MARRIAGETOXIN, and Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, as well as from studios Tatsunoko Production and Square Enix.
Jul 7
The official website for the anime of akuji Katō's The Demons Are Planning Something Good comedy manga revealed the cast, additional staff, a visual, and a 2027 television debut. The cast includes Junichi Suwabe, Wakana Kuramochi, and Haruka Shiraishi. Takuya Asaoka directs at TNK, with Kazuyuki Fudeyasu on series composition and Hiraku Kaneko on character design. Yen Press licenses the manga.
Jun 30
The August issue of Kadokawa's Monthly Comic Alive magazine revealed that Funa Yukina's Liar Liar manga, an adaptation of Haruki Kuō's light novel series, will end in the magazine's next issue on July 27. The manga launched in August 2019 and has four compiled volumes. Yen Press releases the manga and novels in English.
Jun 19
Alliance Arts announced on June 19 that the denpa song rhythm game Yunyun Denpa Syndrome has surpassed 100,000 copies sold on Steam. A 20% off sale runs until June 26, and a music video for the song Douni Demo Naare will premiere on June 20. The game has maintained a Very Positive rating with 90% positive reviews from over 3,000 user reviews.
Jun 12
The main promotional video for Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! 2 features the full cast of the spin-off series and previews the ending theme song "Bokura ~Ryunosuke Akutagawa Ver.~" performed by Kensho Ono. The anime begins airing on TOKYO MX and other channels on July 2, 2026, with streaming on d Anime Store the same day. The first season will also be rebroadcast starting July 2.
Jun 11
A collaborative TV commercial between the anime "Osomatsu-san" and energy company CD Energy Direct begins airing in the Kanto region on June 12. The ad features ambassador Haruka Fukuhara humming the company's song while cleaning, with the sextuplets as bathhouse customers joining in. A making-of video and an interview with Fukuhara have also been released.
May 30
The first promotional video for the TV anime adaptation of "Yowaki MAX Reijou na no ni, Retsuwan Konyakusha-sama no Kake ni Notte Shimatta" has been released. The video reveals three new cast members: Rina Hidaka as Caroline Ramsey, Sora Amamiya as Erin White, and Haruki Ishiya as Henry Cox. The anime is a villainess-type love comedy about a timid protagonist who reincarnates as an otome game villainess. It is directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi at Jumondo and is scheduled for October 2026.
May 30
A pop-up shop selling collaboration merchandise for Chibi Maruko-chan and Crayon Shin-chan will open at Tokyo Solamachi from June 4 to June 21, 2026. The shop, called Okiraku Shoten, will carry stationery, household goods, and event-exclusive items, with a photo spot and a lottery prize for purchases over 2000 yen.
May 29
Hikaru Utada released the performance video of 'Flavor Of Life -Ballad Version-' from the May 11 broadcast of TBS's 'CDTV Live! Live!' on her official YouTube channel. The video is available in full length for four weeks. The song is a special arrangement made for that broadcast. The video trended high on X on the day of broadcast.
May 17
ASMIK Ace revealed the main cast, opening song artist, and July premiere for the original television anime Mebius Dust on Thursday. The anime is based on Hajime Shinagawa's story, which won the grand prize in the Kids/Game category of the Project Anima competition in 2019. Yuto Takenaka voices Araki, a high school student in a downtown neighborhood. Nene Hieda plays his younger sister and classmate Stella. Haruka Sato voices Olga, their childhood friend. Singer Leo Ieiri performs the opening theme song "Mebius." The first episode preview was also released. Tarou Iwasaki directs the anime at studio Doga Kobo, with Yoriko Tomita handling series scripts. The anime will run for one cour, or quarter of a year. Mebius Dust is the third anime produced from Project Anima winners. Previous adaptations include Sakugan, which aired in 2021, and The Story of the Girl Who Couldn't Become a Wizard, which premiered in October 2024. The story follows Araki, Stella, and Olga in a cozy neighborhood, but a meteorite shower in 2000 introduced a substance called Mebius Dust that can replace lost limbs.
May 16
Ufotable revealed on Saturday the returning voice cast and character visuals for the anime film adaptation of Type-Moon's visual novel Witch on the Holy Night. Haruka Tomatsu reprises her role as Aoko Aozaki, Kana Hanazawa returns as Alice Kuonji, and Yusuke Kobayashi voices Soujyuro Sizuki. The film is scheduled to open in 2026. The original visual novel, first released in Japan in 2012, is set in the late 1980s and follows Aoko, a high school student reluctantly apprenticed to the witch Alice, alongside the transfer student Soujyuro. A fully voiced HD remaster of the game launched on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in December 2022 and on Steam in December 2023. The PS4 and Switch versions have sold over 150,000 copies worldwide. The film was first announced in December 2021. Ufotable is handling animation production. A key visual was released in March 2026.