1d ago
NEKCOM Entertainment brought a playable demo of Showa American Story to gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, giving attendees their first hands-on look at the action game set in an alternate late-1980s America that Japan colonized. Denfaminicogamer reporter Soma Umi tested the demo, which offered four elements: combat, town exploration, a camper van, and a boss fight. Players control protagonist Choko Chigusa, voiced by Yoko Hikasa, who battles a gang called the Brave Corps in NEO YOKOHAMA using chained weak and strong attacks, firearms with limited ammo, and weapon-specific finishers that include repeatedly stomping downed enemies. The demo included a boss fight against Akitora Mutsuki, a ninja voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa, who attacks with shuriken, a sword, and fire, revives into a new phase after his health is depleted, and can trigger a cutscene where a sword stabs into Choko's stomach before exploding. The reporter could not defeat Mutsuki before time ran out. Showa American Story, published by 4Divinity, is scheduled for release on PC and PS5 in 2026.
Jul 10
The TV anime 'LV999 no Murabito' released advance cuts, a synopsis, and a web preview for Episode 3, titled 'Lv3 Coexistence of Demons and Humans'. Hikaru Midorikawa joins the cast as the demon Esterler. A lottery campaign for autographed color boards and gift cards runs from July 10 to 17.
May 29
Yuu Watase drew the three-sided case illustration for the Fushigi Yugi Blu-ray BOX, releasing August 26. The image shows Miaka, Tamahome, and the Suzaku Seven Stars. Voice actors Kii Arakawa and Hikaru Midorikawa shared anniversary messages.
May 28
May 27 marked the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series. Creator Yuji Horii, former series director Jin Fujisawa, voice actors, and the official Final Fantasy account posted congratulations. The franchise began in 1986 with a command-based RPG that helped popularize the genre in Japan.
May 20
The official website for the Hell Mode anime announced four new cast members for its second season on May 20, 2026. Reiji Kawashima will voice Keel, a boy with a strong attachment to money. Kiyono Yasuno will play Sophialohne, the princess of an Elven kingdom. Hikaru Midorikawa will voice Volmaar, Sophialohne's guard. Miyu Tomita will play Meruru, a dwarf with exceptional military leadership skills. The second season is scheduled to premiere in Japan in July 2026 on Tokyo MX, MBS, and BS Nippon Television. The staff previously announced that Takahiro Sakurai will join the season as Helmios. Masato Tamagawa directs the anime at Yokohama Animation Lab, with Daishiro Tanimura handling series scripts and Kei Tsushima designing characters. The first season aired 12 episodes in Winter 2026. HIDIVE streamed the first season and is also streaming an English dub. The light novel series by Hamuo and illustrated by Mo began on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in November 2019 and is published in print by Earth Star Entertainment. J-Novel Club licenses the light novel and manga adaptation for digital English release.