Rapper LEX will release the music video for 'Sense feat. Siero' on YouTube on May 1, 2027, his birthday, approximately one year after the album 'SPEEDSTAR' dropped. A teaser is already available. The track is the lead single from the album, which features eight new songs and a pre-released track. LEX, who emerged from SoundCloud and released his first album at 16, is scheduled for a Toyota Arena show in October 2026.
CRITICAL REFLEX released a new trailer for Denkiworks' TANUKI: Pon's Summer and announced a demo arriving June 15 on Steam. The demo covers the first three days of the game, where players deliver mail as a tanuki named Pon, perform BMX tricks, restore a shrine, and build relationships with townspeople across four Japanese cities.
Prime 1 Studio is producing a 1/4 scale figure of Motoko Kusanagi and Tachikoma based on artist Entei Ryu's illustration from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Two versions are available: a sepia-tone edition and a character color edition. Pre-orders are open at Rakuten Books for 296,890 yen each.
Publisher CRITICAL REFLEX and developer Forest Reges announced the roguelite cooking game SATED during the PC Gaming Show 2026 stream on June 8. The game is coming to PC via Steam, with Japanese subtitle support. In SATED, players partner with a cursed refrigerator that dispenses ingredients such as organs, industrial waste, live insects, batteries, and human eyeballs. Players must cook dishes to satisfy monsters with incomprehensible tastes while descending through a randomly generated dungeon in a decaying giant structure. The balance and order of ingredients matter: if the procedure is wrong, the dish may become moldy, cursed, or sentient. If a customer is not satisfied, the player character becomes the ingredient instead. The developer, Forest Reges, previously worked on LiDAR Exploration Program, which holds a 90% positive rating from 273 Steam reviews. The Steam store page lists the game as coming soon.
Nijisanji announced pre-sales for Kuzuha's one-man live 'Bloody Alexandrite' merchandise will begin June 3, 2026 at 18:00 on the Nijisanji Official Store. The lineup includes 15 items such as penlights, T-shirts, towels, tote bags, uchiwa fans, and more. The live event is scheduled for October 12, 2026 at K-Arena Yokohama.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced on June 2 that it will release the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, the first arcade controller under the PlayStation brand, on August 6 for 34,980 yen. Pre-orders begin June 12. The controller is designed for PS5 and PC, with a thin body, a semi-hard carry case, and a rechargeable battery. It connects via PlayStation Link wireless or USB-C. The company also revealed the 27-inch Gaming Monitor with DualSense Charging Hook, a QHD IPS display with up to 120Hz on PS5 and 240Hz on PC, priced at 49,980 yen and launching August 27 with pre-orders from June 5. A third product, the PULSE Elevate Wireless Speaker, was confirmed for a release in the latter half of 2026; its price and pre-order date are to be announced. The fight stick's release coincides with the August 7 launch of the fighting game MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls.
A survey commissioned by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry estimated that sales of counterfeit anime and other character products caused ¥4.7 trillion (US$30.4 billion) in financial damages in 2025. The figure is the first to measure the impact of piracy on the merchandise market, as previous editions of the survey only calculated damages from digital content piracy. The survey was conducted by advisory firm PwC Consulting on behalf of the Content Overseas Distribution Association. In a separate finding, internet monitoring firm Adish identified at least 841 counterfeit anime merchandise items with prices totaling ¥22.2 million (US$140,000) being sold online for five top anime airing in the second quarter of 2025. The report also noted that overseas licensees struggle to combat counterfeits because anime companies often lack sufficient chain of title documentation to submit infringement claims. Separately, the newsletter reported that Aniplex acquired anime production planning company Egg Firm, and that a permanent Sailor Moon stage musical production will begin performances in April at Tokyo's Shinagawa Prince Hotel.
A pre-release rally for the film "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash - The Witch of Kirke" drew an estimated 4,000 fans to Shinjuku's Kabukicho district on January 18. The event featured voice actors Kensho Ono (Hathaway Noah) and Reina Ueda (Gigi Andalusia), who performed a live dub of the poolside scene from the first film. Comedian Kemuri Matsui of Reiwa Roman appeared in a pumpkin-head mask, claiming to represent the anti-government movement Mafty. The rock band Alexandros made a surprise appearance, performing songs including the first film's theme "Senko" and newer tracks. The film opens in Japanese theaters on January 30. A special collaboration program with Nippon TV's "ZIP!" will air on January 24, featuring first-time broadcast footage and interviews with Ono and Ueda.
Aniplex president Atsuhiro Iwakami will become the next president and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, effective April 2026, as reported by the Nikkei and covered by Animenomics. Iwakami, who has led Aniplex for ten years, will be the first executive with a video production background to head the Japanese music giant. The appointment reflects the growing influence of Aniplex within Sony Music Group, as more than half of Sony Music's sales in Japan now come from non-music sources, including Aniplex. Aniplex produced both "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle," the highest-grossing anime film globally, and "Kokuho," Japan's highest-grossing live-action film. External revenue from Sony Music's visual media and platform business, which includes Aniplex, rose 42.8 percent in the nine months ended December 2025 compared to the same period last year. Prior to leading Aniplex, Iwakami worked on productions such as the "Monogatari" series, "Puella Magi Madoka Magica," and "Sword Art Online," and produced the mobile game "Fate/Grand Order" and the "Demon Slayer" anime adaptation.
TV Asahi announced a four-year management plan aiming to double its anime production capacity by March 2030. The commercial broadcaster, known for Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan, intends to shift from a television broadcasting business to one centered on IP creation. The plan follows recent successes with anime investments like Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube and Medalist. TV Asahi will increase the number of anime projects where it leads the production committee, retaining a greater share of licensing royalties to boost anime business profits by 50 percent. It also plans deeper collaboration with subsidiary Shin-Ei Animation and major shareholder Toei Animation. The broadcaster will expand late-night anime slots from three and strengthen ties with streaming service Abema. India is a target for IP growth, building on Crayon Shin-chan's success there. TV Asahi also seeks to recruit creators for a generative AI studio for anime, dramas, and commercials. The company says it remains committed to television after securing top viewer ratings last year.
Vinyl editions of five CD albums from the TV anime Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will be released in two batches on July 22 and August 26. A vinyl edition of the Innocence original soundtrack will also arrive on August 26. The FlyingDog YouTube channel began streaming weekly tracks from the series on May 25.
Crunchyroll began streaming the English dub for the Tamon's B-Side anime on Thursday. The dub cast includes Abigail Blythe as Utage, Conner Allison as Tamon, and Brandon Acosta as Ouri, among others. Helena Walstrom directed the dub. The anime premiered in January and was produced by J.C. Staff.
Paru Itagaki's Beast Complex manga will receive a new one-shot story this summer, as announced on the official X account for her works. The series, a compilation of short stories set in the same world as Beastars, last received a new chapter in December 2022. Itagaki recently ended her manga Witching Hour in May.
Voice actor Alex Horn has joined the English dub of the television anime Marriage Toxin. Horn announced the role on social media on May 12, 2026, confirming he plays Genya Naruko, a sound master. The episode featuring the character is now streaming on Crunchyroll. The dub is directed by Leeo George, with scripts adapted by Clayton Browning. The series premiered on April 7, 2026, as part of the Ka-Anival!! programming block. Crunchyroll is streaming the show and producing the English version. The anime adapts the manga by Joumyaku and Mizuki Yoda, which has been serialized in Shonen Jump+ since 2022 and collected into twelve volumes. Viz Media publishes the print edition in English. The Japanese cast includes Haruki Ishiya as Hikaru Gero, Shion Wakayama as Mei Kinosaki, and Soma Saito as Genya Naruko. The previously announced English cast features Ethan Gallardo as Hikaru, Brittney Karbowski as Mei, and Taylor Murphy as Akari. Motonobu Hori directs the series at studio Bones Film, with series composition by Kimiko Ueno and character designs by Kohei Tokuoka.