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Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi and director Eiichiro Sasaki discussed the action RPG Stupid Never Dies ahead of its October 22 release, saying its combat targets the head-on, guard-free brawling of Chainsaw Man's Denji. Sasaki said the demo drew heavy feedback, including calls for a lock-on, and an update patch is planned for September 22 at noon. The game follows a zombie, Davy, hunting the King of Monsters.
BS12 TwellV's "Sunday Anime Theater" will broadcast "Street Fighter II MOVIE (HD Remaster)" on October 18, 2026, and "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved" on October 25. The 1994 Street Fighter II film was produced and set by Capcom with animation by Group TAC under director Gisaburo Sugii. Both broadcasts are first TV airings.
The official website for Devils' Crest, the television anime of Reki Kawahara's Demons' Crest novels, announced four classmate roles on Wednesday. Yusuke Kobayashi plays Teruki Sugamo, Maaya Uchida plays Aria Misono, Rie Murakawa plays Kai Kisanuki, and Sora Amamiya plays Sumika Watamaki. The anime premieres worldwide on November 6 on Amazon Prime Video, with Ado performing the opening theme.
Futabasha released an ASMR video for "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Elma's OL Diary" on September 10, read by Yuki Takada, who voices Elma. The video marks the spin-off's 100th chapter and depicts Elma encouraging a listener. Volume 12 of the series, drawn by Ayami Kazama from a story by coolkyousinnjya, also went on sale that day.
Archipel will hold The Tenth Mosaic, a two-day game culture festival, on September 22-23 at Tokyo Nichi-Futsu Gakuen. The lineup includes talks with Kazutaka Kodaka and Masafumi Takada, a Rez 25th anniversary session with Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Ken Ishii, a horror panel with Keiichiro Toyama and Frederic Raynal, and a Persona 30th anniversary talk. Shuhei Yoshida curates an indie legacy showcase with 15-plus titles, and music sets include Yuzo Koshiro and Saori Kobayashi. Several talk sessions have already sold out.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced that Chikahiro Kobayashi plays Lee in the eighth episode of the new Ghost in the Shell television anime from Science SARU. The staff also shared the episode's end card, illustrated by animator and director Shingo Natsume. The series premiered on July 7 on the new Ka-Anival!! programming block from Kansai TV and Fuji TV.
Anime News Network's weekly roundup lists anime and manga releases in North America from August 9 to 15. The anime slate includes Dragon Ball Daima, Made in Abyss Season 1, and Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. The manga list spans dozens of new volumes, including debuts like Draw This, Then Die! and Hotel Inhumans.
The anime adaptation of Ezogingitune and DeeCHA's I Became a Legend After My 10 Year-Long Last Stand light novel series has cast Naoto Kobayashi as Garuvu, a sacred wolf beast. The character debuted in the anime's sixth episode on Monday. The series premiered in July on multiple Japanese platforms and Crunchyroll.
The Chainsmoker Cat anime has added Yu Kobayashi to its cast as Penpen Neko. The character appears in the sixth episode, which airs Thursday. Kobayashi joins a cast led by Yuko Natsuyoshi as Yani Neko. The comedy anime, based on Nyan Nyan Factory's manga, premiered on July 2 on Tokyo MX and BS11.
Sega and GPTRACK50 announced on July 30 that the action RPG Stupid Never Dies will launch on October 22 for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. The standard edition costs 7,689 yen, and the digital deluxe Gorgeous Baka Edition costs 8,789 yen. The game follows Davy, a cowardly zombie who falls in love with a frozen woman named Julia and ventures into a monster-filled dungeon to revive her. Players use abilities like Style Eat, which lets Davy devour enemy cores and steal their powers, granting 11 transformation styles including werewolf, harpy, and golem. Another ability, Body Hack, allows players to modify Davy's body with gear to improve stats and skills. The developer GPTRACK50 is a studio founded by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, known for the Resident Evil and Devil May Cry series. Stupid Never Dies is the studio's debut title. The opening theme song Stupid Never Dies by DAVY & JULIA and the ending theme Restless, Reckless, Never Die, Fearless by DAVY will begin streaming on August 4.
Yūgo Kobayashi's planned new manga has been pushed back by six months due to unspecified circumstances, after earlier delays from spring to summer. Meanwhile, the Aoashi Brotherfoot spinoff manga changes from monthly to weekly serialization in Weekly Big Comic Spirits starting this month. Kobayashi stated he has material for four volumes and plans two more, totaling six compiled volumes.
Hiroyasu Kobayashi, CGI director of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, is directing the Tiny Metal: Zero Line anime at studio SAFEHOUSE. The pilot episode premiered at Japan Expo 2026. The anime is based on AREA35's tactical game series. Character designer Yūsuke Kozaki and composer Gō Shiina are attached. The game sequel Tiny Metal 2 is scheduled for spring 2027 on PC.
The TV anime World Is Dancing has released advance cuts and the ending video for episode 3, and announced Yuusuke Kobayashi will join the cast as Shin'emon, a bodyguard. The episode, titled 'You Have Your Own Good Points,' sees the Kanze troupe perform at a historic festival. The ED theme 'Namae no Nai Hana' by hockrockb is also out. A collaboration event with the Kanze Noh Theater is scheduled for late July.
Q-six announced a 1/5 scale figure of Ilulu from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid in a bandage-style design. Two versions will be available: a standard finish and a suntan variant with glossy skin. Both include swap parts for a blushing face and a dragon arm. The figure stands 27 cm tall, is priced at 29,480 yen, and is scheduled for release in December 2026.
Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures announced on Friday that Damu Amato and Shirabii's novel series Heir to a Monstermancer is receiving a television anime adaptation. The announcement included a teaser visual and the main cast and staff. Manaka Iwami voices Leen, Chiaki Kobayashi voices Hakura, and Akio Ōtsuka voices Ao; all three reprise their roles from a voice drama released with the first novel volume in 2024. Chihiro Kumano directs at Project No.9, with Satoru Sugizawa handling series scripts and Akane Kasasagi designing the characters. The series won the grand prize in the 2nd Drecom Media Awards. Amato originally posted the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website from 2016 to 2024. J-Novel Club publishes the novels in English. A manga adaptation by Yū Satō will launch on Drecom's Drecomi+ manga website in September. Drecom will publish the third novel volume on July 10. A promotional webtoon adaptation was produced by MITA, Gudan, and Red Seven.
An extra edition of Nikkan Sports featuring ads for five soccer manga, including Yugo Kobayashi's Ao Ashi and its spin-off Ao Ashi Brotherfoot, began distribution on June 26 at three Tokyo locations. The edition commemorates the Japanese national team's advancement from the group stage in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The extra edition will also appear in the June 27 Tokyo edition of Nikkan Sports.
The anime adaptation of Kazami Sawatari and Aitiki's light novel series The Salty Koharu Has a Soft Spot for Me will premiere in October 2026. A promotional video and key visual were released, along with six new cast members including Miyu Tomita and Chiaki Kobayashi. The series is directed by Fumihiro Yoshimura at Tezuka Productions.
The main visual for the first cour of the TV anime "Ao Ashi Season 2" was released on June 26, 2026. The opening theme will be performed by the band 10-FEET, and the ending theme by singer Higuchi Ai. The visual centers on protagonist Aoi Ashito, surrounded by eight members of the Tokyo City Esperion Youth A team: Nagisa Akutsu, Haruhisa Kuribayashi, Yuma Motoki, Taira Nakamura, Yoichi Kirigi, Eita Takasugi, and Enshin Akiyama. Handwritten comments from three voice actors were also published. Kosuke Ōsuzu, who voices Ashito, wrote "Soccer at a more 'professional' level!!" Shunsuke Takeuchi (Nagisa Akutsu) wrote "Check out the cool buzz cut!!" and Yūichirō Umehara (Haruhisa Kuribayashi) wrote "Anguish." The second season adapts the arc following Ashito's promotion to the A team. The original manga by Yūgo Kobayashi ran in Weekly Big Comic Spirits from 2015 to 2025 and has sold over 25 million copies. The first season aired from April to September 2022. The first cour of season two is scheduled to premiere on NHK E-TV on October 4, 2026, airing Sundays at 17:00. Animation production is handled by TMS Entertainment, with Kazuki Yokoyama directing.
Crunchyroll added three anime titles to its streaming library on Friday: the Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise film, the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved film, and the Given: Moments in Life OVA. The additions expand the platform's catalog with recent theatrical releases and a spinoff OVA.
Hiroshi Takahashi's Dustland, the official sequel to Crows and Worst, released its first volume on June 19. Eight figures including actor Shun Oguri and rapper R-Shitei contributed commemorative comments. The series runs in Young Champion and follows delinquent boy Asada Hibari in the Utsusemi district.
The official website for the television anime adaptation of Shun Numa's Super Psychic Policeman Chojo manga unveiled a promotional video and visual on Thursday, revealing the cast. The anime is set to debut in October on Kansai TV and Fuji TV's new Tuesday night anime block.
TV Asahi unveiled the first promotional video for the Magic Repo Man anime, revealing the cast, additional staff, and an October television premiere. The series adapts Masakichi and Shingou Iijima's manga about a boy who can loan magic points and later collects debts with interest. The anime premieres in October on TV Asahi and affiliates.
In an interview tied to the 2026 Blu-ray Box release, chief director Osamu Kobayashi and episode director Tomomi Mochizuki discuss the making of the 1983 magical girl series Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel. They recall the surprise of Hiromi Takada's character designs, the choice to set scenes at the Tokyo Racecourse, and the show's focus on drama over formula.
Shigemitsu Harada and Takumi Kobayashi will launch a new manga titled Ijime to Kaeru to Mama to Fukushū on Kodansha's YanMaga Web platform on June 18. The story follows Makoto, a factory worker who finds comfort with his childhood bully's mother, who then makes a shocking proposal when the bully returns to town.
Lotte Chocolate and Shin-Ei Animation are partnering on a new web anime series for the Pie no Mi snack brand. Titled Pie no Mi: Oshi no Mori he Yōkoso, the series will premiere on the Lotte Chocolate YouTube channel on June 4 at midnight Japan Time. The cast includes Yumiko Kobayashi and Rie Hikisaka.
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.