The Japan-U.S. Vocaloid project BEYOND BORDERs released its second collaborative single, 'Light', on Friday, August 28. The track pairs Philadelphia rapper and producer slayr with the unit XAMIYA and Vocaloid producer picco. An official visualizer is on YouTube. A collaborative EP titled 'EMERGE M♡DE MIKU', including 'Light' and contributions from Grimes and others, arrives September 25.
The anime film Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 3, The Serpent God, which opened in Japanese theaters in May 2026, will be exclusively streamed worldwide on Netflix starting Tuesday, September 29. This installment is the concluding chapter of a new theatrical trilogy based on the 2007 TV anime Mononoke, which itself originated from the Bakeneko arc of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales. The trilogy is set in the Ooku, the inner chambers of the shogun's palace, and follows the Medicine Seller, voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya, as he exorcises vengeful spirits. Each chapter shifts perspective to a woman of higher status: a new maid in Chapter 1, The Phantom Rain; an elite senior maid in Chapter 2, The Fire Rat; and the Midaidokoro, the highest-ranking woman, in Chapter 3. The third film centers on Sachiko, voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, whose newborn son dies, triggering a conspiracy tied to the Ooku's founding 150 years earlier. The theme song is No Epilogue by Aina The End. Chapters 1 and 2 are already streaming on Netflix, so the full trilogy will be available at once.
Anime News Network's This Week in Anime column examines director Kenji Kamiyama's filmography in light of his new Gundam series, XARX-ZERO, revealed at San Diego Comic-Con. The column traces his path from late-80s background artist on Akira and Kiki's Delivery Service to director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and projects tied to Star Wars, Ultraman, and Blade Runner.
Director Toshihisa Tada revealed that Nawam, the new villain in Star Wars: Visions: The Ninth Jedi, wields a blue lightsaber to create surprise, breaking the Sith red convention. The character's design, including a Japanese-style helmet, was developed with Naruto character designer Tetsuya Nishio, who produced seven or eight helmet designs.
The television anime adaptation of Jiang Jia Meizi's Chinese manhua Shang Shan, titled Shozen, received its first promotional video on Wednesday, confirming an April 2027 premiere. The series will air in the B8station programming block on Fuji TV and other venues. The story follows the wandering Taoist priest Dozen, who meets a young girl raised by supernatural creatures. He names her Shozen and takes her on as his disciple, teaching her about human emotion and love. The cast includes Rina Kawaguchi as Shozen, Hiroshi Kamiya as Dozen, Daisuke Sakuma as Ryojin, Aoi Yuki as Kensei, and Ayumu Murase as Chiro. Itsuro Kawasaki directs and writes the scripts at Dangan Pictures and Cannon Code, with Eri Osada handling character designs and Takuro Iga composing the music. Alongside the trailer, Micro Magazine's RaiComi website began releasing the manhua's Japanese version, starting with the first twenty chapters on Wednesday. The original series continues to run on bilibili Manga.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a new Gundam television series, Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2026. The series is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, who also handles series composition. Animation production is by SOLA ANIMATION. The series is part of the RG Project, a multimedia initiative that also includes the action game GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT. The anime is set in a new timeline separate from the Universal Century and Common Era, beginning in A.A. (After Apocalypse) 45. Humanity abandoned Earth after an alien ecosystem called the Apocalypse overran the planet. The protagonist, Ray Azumi, a war orphan, pilots the Gundam Zero. Takeo Otsuka voices Ray Azumi. The series is scheduled to launch in 2027. The anime takes place roughly 100 years before the events of the game. Kamiyama stated the project allowed him to create a Gundam from scratch in a new timeline.
Toy Story 5 opened in Japan on July 3, 2026, following a record-breaking US debut that earned approximately $160 million in its opening weekend. The film's worldwide box office has surpassed $585 million, exceeding the final totals of Toy Story and Toy Story 2. The Japanese dub cast includes Alice Hirose as the new character Lily Pad, with comments from the actress and details on theater bonuses.
Hiroshi Kamiya has been cast as Kai Izumo in the second season of the Mission: Yozakura Family anime. Kai is Kyoichiro's best friend and the president of the spy association. The character debuts in the 38th episode on Sunday. The announcement came during the Chayamachi Oshi Festival 2026 stage presentation.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the anime, the non-credit opening videos for seasons one and two of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. have been released for free on the ShoPro Channel YouTube channel. The four opening songs are now available to stream. Non-credit ending videos are scheduled for June 8.
The Gachiakuta stage play canceled its Wednesday and Thursday performances after lead actor Hikaru Imamaki tore his meniscus during Tuesday's evening show. Imamaki will withdraw from the remaining run, and Ryota Kamiya will take over the role of Rudo starting Friday.
Tomo Nagawa's manga "Would You Like to Be a Tanuki?" is getting a television anime adaptation, as announced by publisher Ichijinsha on Wednesday. The staff unveiled a teaser video and visual alongside the announcement. Jun Kamiya, known for directing "Kingdom" season 1, "Hikaru no Go," and "Let's Make a Mug Too," is directing the anime at Nippon Animation. Masaki Wachi, who worked on "Kingdom" seasons 1 and 2, is supervising and writing the series scripts. Cocoro Takemoto is designing the characters, and Minako Seki is composing the music. The story follows the mythical tanuki creature Koganemaru, who approaches humans troubled by life and offers them the chance to become a tanuki, helping them rediscover what matters in their own lives. Nagawa launched the manga in Ichijinsha's Comic Pool digital magazine in April 2021. The ninth compiled volume was released in October 2025, and the 10th volume is scheduled for May 25.