Chō is a Japanese voice actor who voiced Opera in the fourth season of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun, with recent episodes in July 2026 revealing new character motivations.
Chō voices Opera, the demon butler in the fourth season of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun. Episode 16, which aired around July 20, 2026, reveals why Opera serves Sullivan: out of hope, because Sullivan represents kindness in a world where it is rare. The episode also establishes that Iruma has been nominated as a candidate for demon king, and Opera wants to become his devoted devil.
Earlier in the season, episodes 14 and 15 focused on themes of acceptance and character growth, with Iruma's kindness influencing others. Opera's role in those episodes is not detailed in available coverage, but the character is part of the supporting cast that the series continues to develop.
No other stories in the provided cluster mention Chō or his work outside of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun Season 4. The coverage is limited to these two episode reviews from July 2026, which together show the character's deepening motivation and alignment with Iruma's path toward demon king candidacy.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/cho.
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French developer Emeteria released Fading Echo today on Steam and Epic Games Store. The action RPG is set in the collapsing Echoverse, where protagonist One can transform into water to fight, explore, and solve puzzles. A launch discount brings the price to 2,070 yen. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned for late 2026.
Publisher rokaplay select and developer NullRef Entertainment announced on July 21 that the first-person furniture crafting simulation game 'Chop Chop Inc.' will launch on August 7 for PC via Steam. The game follows a protagonist fired from furniture company Furnox Corp, who starts over with only an axe and a few trees. Players chop down trees, process logs into boards using machines, craft furniture, and ship finished products to the city for profit. Funds can be reinvested into better tools, new processing machines, and automation equipment to scale up production. As the business grows, new areas unlock, including snow-covered regions and lava-filled caves with trees that have properties like stone, metal, or electricity. The game features eccentric residents including beavers and a duck with a secret. Craftable items include tables, chairs, exercise machines, and wooden PCs. The protagonist has strength and stamina stats that can be enhanced through exercise equipment and cooking. NullRef Entertainment was founded by three developers after their previous studio closed in mid-2025; members previously worked on 'Endzone - A World Apart', 'Endzone 2', and 'In Between'. A demo is available on Steam, and the game supports Japanese display. As of June 21, the wishlist count reached 75,000.
At the finale event for Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, held July 19 at Tokyo Dome City Theater G Rosso, main cast members Kohei Nagata, Ryuga Akabane, Kanna Sumi, and Kentaro Yasui announced that the Super Gavan team will appear in the new series Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn. A post-finale mini-drama, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity Gaiden, will stream on YouTube and TTFC.
Episode 16 of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun explains why Opera serves Sullivan: out of hope, because Sullivan represents the best of demons-kindness in a world where it is rare. The episode also reveals that Iruma has been nominated as a candidate for demon king, and Opera wants to become his devoted devil.
The Western game industry's historic layoffs have hit veteran studios like id Software, which lost 136 of 185 staff, and Romero Games, which shrank from 110 to 9 after a funding cut. Glen Schofield retired after failing to secure $17 million for a new project. In response, successful indie developers are launching their own publishing arms-Outersloth, Evil Landfall, Kinetic Games, Pocketpair, and Kepler Interactive-to fund peers with developer-friendly terms.
Toei announced a mini-drama series 'Super Space Sheriff Gabban Infinity Gaiden' set after the TV series finale. It will be distributed from August 2 on YouTube and the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club. The episode holds the key to a crossover between 'Super Space Sheriff Gabban Infinity' and 'Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn'. A mysterious red Arc Gaburion appears. The second PROJECT R.E.D. series 'Kakusei Hunter Omega Horn' begins July 26, with Kohei Nagata returning as Iron Wall Rage.
Famitsu's weekly ranking for July 6-12 shows Rhythm Heaven Groove repeating at No. 1 with 126,073 copies sold (519,451 total). New releases include Magical Girl Witch Trials (No. 2), Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (No. 4), Echoes of Aincrad (No. 5), and Digimon Story: Time Stranger (No. 6 on Switch 2, No. 8 on Switch). Tomodachi Life remains a steady seller at No. 3.
Game Spark published its weekly ranking of the most-read articles from July 10 to 16. The list includes a column on MechWarrior 2's cultural impact, free Epic Games titles, the full release of Survival Machine, and a roundup of Steam games including the co-op horror Cursed Companions. The top spot is not shown in the excerpt.
TAITO is releasing approximately 60 cm tall plushies of Haruhi Suzumiya, Mikuru Asahina, and Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya as part of its Dokyūto Puchi series. Pre-orders open July 24 through August 31 at TAITO GEAR & GOODS, with each priced at 22,000 yen and shipping scheduled for January 2027.
Publisher LiTMUS and developer Game Studio announced a double pack for Switch and Steam containing a port of the mobile sequel Ao Oni 2 and a brand-new scenario, Ao Oni Rinkai Gakkou. The new title features non-linear stage progression, new enemy designs including a skeleton model ghost, and a 17x speed mode. The bundle releases August 6 at 1200 yen with no restrictions on streaming or video uploads.
Epic Games Store is offering the psycho-horror adventure Luto and the turn-based RPG Echo Generation: Midnight Edition for free from July 17 to July 23. Separately, the open-world survival game KeepUp Survival is free until July 20. All three support Japanese. The Midnight Edition includes visual upgrades and quality-of-life improvements.
Mebius released the 2D dungeon exploration RPG Monochrome Echoes - Black - on Steam on July 16, 2026. The sequel to Monochrome Echoes - white - adds character creation, random dungeons, and new classes while retaining the battle system. The game is priced at 1,980 yen.
Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space and a veteran game developer with a 35-year career, announced his retirement from day-to-day game development on July 14, 2026. In a video posted to his LinkedIn account, Schofield expressed gratitude to his family, friends, colleagues, and fans. He reflected that the past few decades have been the greatest era for video games and that he was fortunate to work with talented people. Schofield began his career in 1991 at Absolute Entertainment, later working at Crystal Dynamics on titles like Gex and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. He joined Electronic Arts and led the creation of Dead Space in 2008. He co-founded Sledgehammer Games and served as co-director on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, and WWII. He then founded Striking Distance Studios and released The Callisto Protocol in 2022. After leaving the studio in 2023 following its poor performance, he attempted to pitch a new horror project but could not secure funding. At age 64, he plans to shift to art activities.
The dating app with, with over 15 million members, adopted Channel Talk's AI agent ALF to provide 24/7 customer support. The agent was chosen for its ability to adjust tone to user emotions. In six months, the inquiry rate per MAU dropped 18%, and users began consulting ALF about romantic problems, with one user continuing for two weeks. The Customer Care team now manages AI interactions and uses the expanded customer voice for service improvement.
The review of episodes 14-15 of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun Season 4 highlights themes of acceptance as characters like Ameri and Lead help others feel included. Naphula's social anxiety is addressed by the girls' group, while Lead helps Asmodeus realize he is not an outsider. Iruma's influence spreads through his friends.
All 16 volumes of ONE's Mob Psycho 100 are available on Kindle for 100 yen each, totaling 1,600 yen, as part of a limited-time sale. The series follows middle school psychic Shigeo Kageyama as he navigates ordinary youth while dealing with supernatural threats.
Muse Molds is producing 1/6 scale figures of Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima from High School DxD HERO, both in original cheerleader costumes. Each figure includes a swappable upper body part and removable skirt. Rias is scheduled for December 2026, Akeno for January 2027. Both are priced at 29,700 yen and distributed by Good Smile Company.
Spaghetti Cat will release the simulation game 'A Game About Chopping Trees' on Steam on July 15. Developed by Space Raccoon Game Studio, the game lets players cut trees with an axe at their own pace, with no timer or stress. Players move through forests on a hand-pumped trolley and can upgrade their axe. The game also features tree planting to maintain the forest. Japanese language support is included.
Retromagine officially announced False Echo on July 14, a code-breaking simulation for PC (Steam) inspired by Papers, Please. Set in 1942, players operate a decoding machine on a submarine, classifying messages as true or false according to the regime's shifting rules. The game also features a hidden spy among the crew and multiple endings. Retromagine is a Serbian indie studio founded in 2025.
ASCII.jp's weekly Steam sales ranking for Japan, as of July 13, 2026, shows Valve's Counter-Strike 2 holding the top spot for another week. Bandai Namco's Sword Art Online title Echoes of Aincrad, released on July 9 (Steam version July 10), enters at No. 2 with a price of ¥8,910. Cygames' Granblue Fantasy: Relink, boosted by its Endless Ragnarok expansion, ranks third. Other notable entries include Pocketpair's Palworld at No. 4, now out of early access, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Black Flag Re:Sync at No. 9. The ranking also features free-to-play titles Apex Legends, eFootball, and Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, as well as the indie hit Meccha Cameleon and Kuro Games' Wuthering Waves. Meanwhile, Game Spark's roundup of international reviews for Echoes of Aincrad reports a Metascore of 60 on PC (9 reviews) and 64 on PS5 (34 reviews). Critics praise the story but criticize repetitive design, limited exploration, and technical issues, with some outlets calling it the weakest entry in the series.
Amekiri's boys-love manga 'Chotto Mato yo, Harutora-kun' will debut a live-action series on August 13 on MBS and other channels. Masaya Sakuragi stars as Harutora Kurobe and Tsubasa Nakagawa as Sui Kishida. The story follows a bullied high schooler who begins to open up after meeting a new student. Keisuke Shibata and Masayoshi Kishida direct, with LGBTQ supervision by lawyer Mimano Kawamoto.
Haruame Urame, affiliated with Aogiri High School, will hold her second one-man solo live 'NoEntry' on November 11 at CLUB CITTA'. The announcement was made during a July 11 stream. Ticket applications opened July 11 and run through July 25. Three ticket tiers are available: SS (¥18,000), S (¥14,000), and A (¥8,500), each with bonus goods.
Refugium Games announced on July 12 that Agefield High: Rock the School will release on August 12, 2026 local time (August 13 Japan time) on PC via Steam. The open-world action-adventure game is set in an early 2000s American town. Players take the role of transfer student Sam, who has three months until graduation. He can attend classes, skip them, fight, and earn money through side missions to buy items like motorcycles and clothes. The game features 32 main missions and 15 side missions, with an estimated 8-10 hours of playtime and two endings. Developer Refugium Games, known for horror titles, shifts to a comedic style. The game is described as combining elements of GTA, Bully, and American Pie. Console versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are planned for later in the year.
A new original anime short for Mob Psycho 100 was released on July 12, 2026, to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary. The short debuted at the "Mob Psycho 100 Anime 10th Anniversary Event: Reunion" held at Fukagawa Mirai Hall in Kawaguchi City, Saitama. It is now streaming online with English subtitles. The story is set at the Spirits and Such Consultation Office and features Reigen Arataka, Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama, Dimple, and Tome Kurata. Yuzuru Tachikawa directed, wrote, storyboarded, and served as technical director for the short. Yoshimichi Kameda, the original anime's character designer, worked as animation director and also drew a commemorative illustration. Kameda noted that nearly all of the original production team reunited to produce the short. The first season of the Mob Psycho 100 anime premiered in July 2016, and the franchise has been marking its 10th anniversary throughout the year, starting with projects on Mob's birthday, May 12. The series is based on the manga by ONE and was produced by Studio Bones.
Bandai Namco and Game Studio released an 18-minute original anime promo made solely for the action RPG Echoes of Aincrad, set in the Sword Art Online universe. The promo will be removed from the internet on July 6, after which it will be unviewable. The game launches globally July 9/10 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
Actresses Yui Asaka, Yuka Onishi, and Yuma Nakamura, who played the Kazama sisters in the 1986 drama Sukeban Deka III: Shoujo Ninpou Denki, reunited in Tokyo on July 12 for a Blu-ray release event. They provided live commentary on the second episode, shared behind-the-scenes stories about grueling shoots and their lack of acting experience, and reflected on the series' legacy 40 years after its original broadcast.
KADOKAWA and ABEMA announced the "KADOKAWA・ABEMA Anniversary Anime Selection" project on July 10, offering free streaming of 10 anime titles that are celebrating anniversaries in 2026. The project includes two types of streaming: dedicated ABEMA channels for some titles and free marathon streams for others. Five titles will receive dedicated channels: Steins;Gate (15th anniversary, channel from July 11), Re:Zero (10th, from August 8), The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (20th), Konosuba (10th), and Bungo Stray Dogs (10th), with channels opening sequentially. The Steins;Gate channel will stream all 24 TV episodes, the movie "STEINS;GATE: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu," all 24 episodes of Steins;Gate 0, and two special episodes (#23β and #25) streaming for the first time on ABEMA, available free for two weeks after airing. The other five titles-Zero no Tsukaima (20th), Aria the Scarlet Ammo (15th), Haganai (15th), Joker Game (10th), and Pompo: The Cinéphile (5th)-will receive free marathon streams. A dedicated website for the project has also been launched.
ABEMA announced a special project, 'KADOKAWA・ABEMA Anniversary Anime Selection,' offering free streaming of 10 KADOKAWA anime celebrating anniversaries in 2026. The lineup includes dedicated channels for five series, starting with Steins;Gate on July 11, and free marathon streams for five more. The project runs through the year.
A 20th anniversary exhibition for the TV anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya will be held at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo from August 10 to 30, 2026. The event features a retrospective corner with setting materials and a replica of the SOS Brigade clubroom, and a corner on the series' cultural impact. Original goods, admission bonuses, and a limited "Brigade Chief Armband" item will be available.
Bandai Namco Entertainment released a new trailer for Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad on Tuesday, previewing the game's Death Game Mode. The mode is a permadeath option that deletes the player's save file upon character death, with no respawns. It is normally available only after completing the game once, but early access is included with the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions. The game launches in Japan on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on July 9, and on PC via Steam on July 10. The Western release is July 10 across all platforms. Players create their own customizable avatar and explore Aincrad alongside characters like Kirito and Asuna. Aimer performs the theme song "Live to Survive." The game has four editions: Standard, Deluxe, Ultimate, and Aincrad (Bandai Namco Store exclusive). The Ultimate Edition adds a digital soundtrack, digital artbook, an in-game armor pack, and the bonus anime "Unanswered//butterfly," which follows other characters during the original Sword Art Online story. The Deluxe Edition includes expansion DLC and a starter item pack.
Four characters from the manga and game franchise The Prince of Tennis will appear on the back cover of the July 15, 2026 issue of the magazine anan (issue 2504). The cover features Ryoma Echizen, Kunimitsu Tezuka, Syusuke Fuji, and Ryoga Echizen in casual summer clothing, described as an anan-exclusive special gravure. The collaboration promotes the July 30 release of two remastered romance adventure games: The Prince of Tennis: Motto Gakuen-sai no Ouji-sama ♡ -40 and more... and The Prince of Tennis: Gyutto! Doki Doki Survival Tie break ♡ game. These are updated versions of PlayStation 2 titles originally released between 2005 and 2007, and they will be compatible with Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam. The magazine's back reading pages will include a report on the games. The Prince of Tennis manga by Takeshi Konomi began serialization in 1999, and its sequel The New Prince of Tennis will conclude in the September 2026 issue of Jump SQ. on August 4, ending a 27-year run. The anime adaptation, which started in 2001, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with projects planned through December 2027. A fan event called Tenipuri Surprise Summit is scheduled for July 19 at Tokyo International Forum Hall A, featuring Konomi and voice actors.
The first episode of Rich Girl Caretaker introduces Itsuki, a normal student who becomes the secret caretaker for the outwardly perfect but inwardly messy Hinako. The episode frames Itsuki's abandonment by his gambling parents as comedy, and Hinako's dependency on him as a running joke. The review finds the humor flat and the central relationship more uncomfortable than charming, comparing it unfavorably to Kare Kano.
Bandai Namco Entertainment released the Season 5 'DRIFTERS' update for SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada on July 6. The patch adds the anime's final protagonist mech 'Daisy Ogre Fix', new REB weapons, powerful enemy Veteran Drifters, an SS Rank in Storm Hunt, and a new season pass. The game is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Developer BIGO opened the Steam store page for the short adventure game ECHOES. Players wake in a ruin and meet an android girl whose speech uses unknown characters that must be deciphered. The game takes 30 minutes to one hour to complete, has three endings, and is due on PC in 2026.
Valve's Counter-Strike 2 reclaimed the top spot on the Steam sales ranking for Japan as of July 6, 2026, according to ASCII.jp's weekly chart. The free-to-play shooter took first place ahead of EA's Apex Legends in second and Cygames' Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond in third. Bandai Namco Entertainment's new Sword Art Online action RPG Echoes of Aincrad debuted at seventh place ahead of its Steam release on July 10. The game launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on July 9, with a standard edition priced at 8,910 yen. To promote the title, Bandai Namco is running a Clearance Group Recruitment Campaign through July 17, inviting streamers to play on Very Hard difficulty with Death Game Mode enabled. Participants receive a NerveGear streaming kit and have their names inscribed on a Monument of Life page. Separately, Sony Interactive Entertainment aired a two-part talk show on July 7 and 8 featuring SAO game general producer Takasuke Futami and Echoes of Aincrad production manager Yasuhiro Yawata, who demonstrated character creation and early story content.
Game Spark and Inside have published their weekly roundups of new game releases for the week of July 6, 2026, covering both the Japanese and North American markets. The headline titles this week are 'Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced', 'GRANBLUE FANTASY: Relink - Endless Ragnarok', and 'Palworld', all scheduled for release on July 9 and July 10 respectively. 'Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced' launches on July 9 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. 'GRANBLUE FANTASY: Relink - Endless Ragnarok' also arrives July 9 on PC, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch 2. 'Palworld' follows on July 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Other notable releases include 'Echoes of Aincrad' (July 9 on PS5, Xbox, PC; July 10 on PS5, Xbox, PC), 'Digimon Story Time Stranger' (July 9 on Switch 2 and Switch), 'Wuthering Waves' (July 10 on Xbox Series X|S), and 'College Football 27' (July 9 on PC, PS5, Xbox). The lists also include dozens of smaller indie and digital-only titles across all platforms.
ASCII.jp's 2026 Summer Anime Special Part 7 highlights five titles: Grand Blue Season 3, The Cat and the Dragon, The Strongest Dregs Prince's Secret Imperial Succession Struggle, The Case of the Transfer Student's Pure and Lovely Beautiful Girl Being a Childhood Friend I Used to Play with Thinking She Was a Boy, and X-Men '97. Grand Blue Season 3 premieres July 6.
Game Spark reviews Maseylia: Echoes of the Past, a 3D Metroidvania on PC via Steam. The game features classic platforming actions like double jumps and grappling hooks, a minimalist story told through lore items, and a combat system the reviewer found outdated. Sequence breaks are possible and encouraged for speedrunning. The reviewer notes missing translations and long death rewinds as rough spots.
JAST USA announced the full English voice cast for School Days Remastered during Anime Expo 2026 on July 5. The remastered version of Overflow's 2005 visual novel will receive its first official English dub. Katelyn Barr voices Kotonoha Katsura, Brittany Lauda voices Sekai Saionji, and P.M. Seymour voices Makoto Itou. The cast also includes Jalitza Delgado as Setsuna Kiyoura, Sara Ragsdale as Otome Katou, Kayli Mills as Hikari Kuroda, and others. The game will support English and Chinese text. School Days originally launched in Japan in 2005 and inspired a 12-episode television anime in 2007, followed by two OVA spinoffs in 2008. The story follows a love triangle among protagonist Makoto Itou, his classmate Sekai Saionji, and Kotonoha Katsura. The anime gained notoriety when its final episode was preempted by a real-life axe murder in Japan, leading to the "nice boat" catchphrase. JAST USA announced the English dub version is scheduled for overseas release in 2026. The remastered version updates the original fully animated visual novel for modern PCs with enhanced presentation and quality-of-life improvements.
TV Asahi announced six new English dub cast members for the Akane-banashi anime during its Anime Expo panel. The dub cast includes Kari Wahlgren, Greg Chun, Ben Diskin, SungWon Cho, Crispin Freeman, and Keith Silverstein. The anime will return for a second season in January 2027.
English manga publisher BluPetal announced at Anime Expo that it has an agreement with Animate International to be the sole agent and subdistributor for English-language editions of the publisher's titles worldwide, effective October 2026. Initial BL titles include Mask Danshi, Kabukicho Bad Trip, and Tashiro-kun, Why're You Like This?.
ABEMA will broadcast three Danganronpa anime for free to mark the series' 15th anniversary. Danganronpa: The Animation airs July 5, followed by Danganronpa 3's Future Arc and Despair Arc on July 12 and 19. Each set of episodes is free to view for one week after broadcast.
A special collaboration video featuring Kamen Rider Zetts and Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity will screen in Japanese theaters from July 3. The video is part of the "NO MORE Movie Thieves" campaign, which urges audiences not to film or record in theaters. The two heroes pursue a "Camera Man" character in a comical chase, with narration by Jiei Kabira and Ayako Kawasumi.
LLC 887 representative Tatsuya Inoue launched the experimental series IPPON NIPPON - the world's echo -, an itinerant dialogue exploring the relationship between people and trees through Japanese wood culture. The first installment, themed 'Reading Wood,' will hold an exhibition in Paris, France in summer 2026 featuring works by architect Fumihiko Sano.
Indie studio Evenir Studios announced Luenna: School of the Magi, a life simulation RPG for PC via Steam. Players attend a magic school as a protagonist with no magical talent, attending classes, gathering materials, cooking, brewing potions, building bonds, and fighting in turn-based battles. The game cites Stardew Valley as an influence. Japanese language support is not currently planned.
Cluster Inc. and Meisei High School announced MEISEI Schoolverse, a metaverse high school launching in April 2027. Students attend via smartphone as avatars on the cluster platform, earning a diploma in three years. Features include generative AI learning buddies, avatar customization, and virtual events.
Bandai Spirits is re-releasing the Soul of Chogokin GX-105 Mazinger Z Kakumei Shinka figure, originally released in 2022 for the 50th anniversary of the Mazinger Z TV broadcast. Pre-orders open July 1, 2026, with a December 2026 release date. The figure features a new sculpt and redesigned joints for improved posing.
Stella Music Inc. has opened the official website for Glitch Echo Yggdrasil, the second project in the Glitch Echo series. The angel-themed VTuber unit features four members-Aria, Eden, Ciel, and Lilith-and tells a story of angels singing to regenerate a burnt-out world tree. The first installment recorded 5.69 million impressions.
Bandai Namco Entertainment America released the opening movie for the action RPG Echoes of Aincrad, featuring the theme song "Live to Survive" by Aimer. The song launches digitally Wednesday in English and Japanese. The game launches July 9 in Japan and July 10 worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
Beneath the Tangles' Reader's Corner column covers new volumes of The Fake Alchemist, The Remarried Empress, Vagabond Definitive Edition, Insomniacs After School, Blade & Bastard, Girl Crush, and Lycoris Recoil. The review highlights Vagabond Definitive Edition Vol. 5 as a standout, praising its artwork and storytelling.