Jun 29
Manga Up! Global added three manga licenses in late June: The Lonely King and His Sunshine Bride's Happily Ever After, Yoshi no Zuikara, and Don't Pry Into People's Genders in Online Games!. The titles were released between June 24 and June 30, covering romance, slice-of-life, and BL comedy genres.
Jun 14
Producer Kento Kaku and writer-director Dave Boyle held a stage greeting and Q&A for their film Never After Dark at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku in Tokyo on June 14. They discussed the left-right reversal gimmick, the tooth-pulling scene shot from 4 AM, and the challenge of making a film without explanatory dialogue.
Jun 1
New footage for the film "Never After Dark," produced by Kento Kaku and starring Moeka Hoshi, has been released on YouTube. The video presents a tour of the mansion setting as if it were an attraction, showing the old clock, a ringing phone, a self-opening door, and a "room of sealed secrets." The film opens nationwide on June 5.
May 29
The horror film "Never After Dark," produced by and starring Kento Kaku, will open in Japanese theaters on June 5. Directed by Dave Boyle, who previously worked with Kaku on the 2024 Netflix series "House of Ninjas," the film held its Japan premiere screening on April 28 at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku in Tokyo. The story follows Airi, a medium from a family of psychics, and her sister Miku, who became a spirit after an incident. Together they investigate paranormal cases, including a request to exorcise a ghost haunting a mansion. Moka Hoshi plays Airi, Kureha Inagaki plays Miku, and Tae Kimura plays Teiko, with Kaku appearing as her skeptical son Gunji. Preview attendees described the film as a "revolution in Japanese horror cinema," praising its shift in fear type between the first and second halves. Comments highlighted the pacing, the single-setting mansion location, and the blend of suspense and mystery. The production is the first theatrical feature from SIGNAL181, the film production company founded by Kaku and Boyle. Kaku also promoted the film by posting a phone number on social media that, when called, plays a recorded message in his voice as a promotional gimmick.
May 27
Comic publisher Aloha Comics announced its first manga license, Ikuno Tajima's Ever After, a two-volume series about the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm cleaning up fairy tale messes. The hardcover edition with bonus merchandise is estimated to ship between August and September.