Thursday, 9 July 2026
Anime, manga, and games, with a take · A Yukimedia publication

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maki

maki is drawing a new love comedy manga titled Sugarless Romance, credited for art alongside Nana Haruta as story writer, set to launch in Ribon's September issue on August 3.

Synthesized from 15 Yomimono stories · updated 4m ago

Manga artist maki is collaborating with Nana Haruta on a new series. The August issue of Shueisha's Ribon magazine announced on July 3 that the two will launch Sugarless Romance in the magazine's September issue on August 3. Haruta is credited for the original story, and maki is drawing the manga. The love comedy centerson first year high school student Aoi Nanase, who is determined to have a wonderful high school romance. Haruta previously ended her Tsubasa to Hotaru manga in 2017. This marks maki's first announced work in Ribon following the collaboration.

Key facts

New manga announcement
Sugarless Romance will launch in Ribon's September issue on August 3 ↗
Creative roles
Nana Haruta writes the original story and maki draws the manga ↗
Premise
Love comedy about first year high school student Aoi Nanase seeking a wonderful romance ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

All coverage

2h ago

Nana Haruta, maki Launch New Sugarless Romance Manga

The August issue of Shueisha's Ribon magazine announced on July 3 that manga authors Nana Haruta and maki will launch a new manga titled Sugarless Romance in the magazine's September issue on August 3. Haruta is credited for the original story, and maki is drawing the manga. Haruta previously ended her Tsubasa to Hotaru manga in 2017. The love comedy centers on first year high school student Aoi Nanase, who is determined to have a wonderful high school romance.

1d ago

Retro Rail GO! Renamed to Retro Rail: Japan! Following Plagiarism Criticism

Developer Barely Making Games announced on July 8 that it will complete the railway simulation game 'Retro Rail GO!', which had been under consideration for cancellation after widespread criticism of its similarity to Taito's 'Densha de GO!' series. The title has been changed to 'Retro Rail: Japan!', and the in-game UI and demo version have been updated. The developer stated it made the changes not because it yielded to criticism, but to maintain a healthy and safe development path. The core gameplay remains unchanged. The demo update removed all AI-generated placeholder assets and replaced them with artist-created works, switched the train horn sound to one more characteristic of Japanese trains, added station character sprites and crossing gate models, and fixed UI scaling for widescreen aspect ratios. The developer also emphasized that no copyrighted materials were used. The game is set in a fictional Japanese railway route with retro 3D graphics reminiscent of 1990s simulators. It will offer two modes: Casual mode with relaxed schedules and Professional mode with strict timetable adherence and two-step notch control. Early access release on PC via Steam is planned within 2026. A demo is currently available.

2d ago

Otakon 2026 Hosts Ayaka Fukuhara, Maki Terashima-Furuta

Otakon announced it will host voice actress Ayaka Fukuhara and Production I.G. USA president Maki Terashima-Furuta at its 2026 event, running July 31-August 2 in Washington, D.C. The convention also revealed a long list of other guests including Ryotaro Okiayu, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, and Yuka Iguchi, and confirmed a policy change banning fan art sales in the dealers room.

5d ago

Unmei No Makimodoshi Anime to Air From April 2027

The television anime adaptation of the manga "Unmei no Makimodoshi" (also localized as "Fate Rewinder") will begin broadcasting in April 2027. The announcement was made on July 4, alongside the release of a teaser promotional video and the first cast details. The series will air on TV Asahi's nationwide 24-station IMAnimation programming block. The lead cast includes Sho Komura as the protagonist Chrono, Kouki Uchiyama as Shirai, Kohei Amasaki as Akaba, and Reina Ueda as Lemon. The teaser PV carries the tagline "Seize the one-in-a-million future." No studio or additional staff have been announced at this time. The IMAnimation block has been the home for several recent shonen and fantasy anime adaptations, positioning this series for a broad late-night audience.

6d ago

Steins;Gate Final Mission Pop-Up Event Set for August 29-30

MAGES. announced on July 3 that it will hold the official pop-up event "STEINS;GATE Final Mission" for the newly released game "STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT" on August 29 and 30 at Bellesalle Akihabara in Tokyo. The event marks the first official merchandise sales since the game's launch on August 20. Admission is free, but advance reservations are required for certain time slots to manage congestion. The merchandise lineup includes acrylic stands, tapestries, pin badges, a metal Upa figure, an Upa room light, and plushies of Rintaro Okabe and Kurisu Makise. Two original lab coats modeled after Okabe and Makise will be sold for 20,000 yen each. A 2.7-meter-tall artificial satellite display will also be on exhibit. Advance online orders for venue pickup open from July 6 to July 12.

Jun 27

Kill Blue Anime Gets Second Season

The television anime adaptation of Tadatoshi Fujimaki's manga Kill Blue will receive a second season. The announcement came immediately after the first season's 12th and final episode aired in Japan on Saturday. Fujimaki, best known for creating Kuroko's Basketball, drew a commemorative illustration to mark the news. The first season, directed by Hiro Kaburagi at studio CUE, premiered on April 11 on multiple TV Tokyo stations and began streaming the same day. The series follows legendary hitman Juzo Ogami, who after a mission is transformed into a 13-year-old boy and must infiltrate a middle school. South Korean girl group aespa performed the opening theme "ATTITUDE," and boy band RIIZE performed the ending theme "KILL SHOT." The manga ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from April 2023 to September 2025, spanning 13 volumes. Viz Media publishes the series in English. Fujimaki is scheduled to attend Anime Expo 2026 next week for a panel and autograph session.

Jun 27

Inuyama Tamaki Stars in Novel Game Wantama Life Released

CyberStep released the fully voiced visual novel "Wantama☆Life: Inuyama Tamaki's School Trip Survival" on June 25 for Nintendo Switch and PC at 3,960 yen including tax. The game stars VTuber Inuyama Tamaki as the main character, with fellow VTuber Kagura Mea and manga artist Tsukudani Norio appearing as themselves. The story is a slapstick comedy in which Tamaki, who harbors the secret of being a "male-girl," participates in a school trip, and the player takes on the role of a teacher who must protect that secret through events like sightseeing, yukata, and hot springs. A luxury package version called the "Special Box" is available for 14,300 yen including tax exclusively at the CyberStep official shop and Rabbit Foot official BOOTH, with a paid-bonus version at 18,700 yen. Future releases for smartphones, PS4, and PS5 are also planned.

Jun 27

PLAMATEA Adds Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Shikinami Models

Good Smile Company and Max Factory are adding Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Shikinami from the "Rebuild of Evangelion" films to their PLAMATEA line of movable plastic model kits. Both figures stand approximately 170mm tall and are scheduled for release in December 2026 at 7,700 yen each. The Rei Ayanami kit includes three expression parts-serious, smiling, and glaring-with decals for eye direction, plus a glasses case accessory. The Asuka Langley Shikinami kit includes smiling, embarrassed, and "Are you stupid?" faces, along with a puppet accessory. Both models feature movable joints, pre-painted parts, and color-separated molding. They come with a base that has a movable support arm and can hold weapons from the separately sold MODEROID Evangelion Unit-01 kit. Prototype production is by SELECT D.

Jun 26

Desktop Idle Mining Game 'Cozy Mining' Released on Steam

Tatsumaki Games released the desktop-resident idle mining game 'Cozy Mining' on Steam on June 26, 2026. The regular price is 905 yen, with a 15% launch discount bringing it to 769 yen until July 3. The game runs in a corner of the desktop screen, supporting always-on-top and transparent background modes. Players click a destination, and the character automatically moves and digs underground, collecting ores and treasure chests. There are 20 types of ores, from copper to orichalcum, which can be forged into pickaxes. Stats can be customized through synthesis and reforging, and rare accessories may boost abilities. The goal is to reach the 1000th floor. The game explicitly avoids FOMO elements, additional charges, daily login bonuses, and loss-type systems, offering a buy-to-play experience with all content available. After participating in Steam Next Fest, the title accumulated over 10,000 wishlists. A free demo is also available. The game supports Windows and macOS, with text in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

Jun 22

Uzumaki Novelization Ends Serialization

The July issue of Shogakukan's Big Comic Original Zōkan magazine published the final chapter of Masaru Satō's novelization of Junji Ito's Uzumaki horror manga on June 12. The compiled novel will ship later. Satō launched the novelization in February 2019.

May 28

Gachiakuta Stage Play Cancels Shows After Lead Actor Injures Leg

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.

May 19

Good Smile Company Announces Evangelion Unit-08α Moderoid Model Kit

Good Smile Company's Moderoid line adds Evangelion Unit-08α, the variant piloted by Mari Makinami in Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. The kit stands 165mm tall, includes a sniper rifle, and uses pre-painted parts and stickers. It releases in Japan for ¥4,500 in October 2026 and in the US for $26.99 in Q1 2027.

May 16

It's Anime Sets Weekly Kill Blue Sub and Dub Schedule on Samsung TV Plus

The free streaming channel It's Anime has locked in a weekly release schedule for the Kill Blue adaptation, giving North American viewers a regular Saturday night slot for new subtitled episodes and a one-week turnaround on the English dub. Subtitled episodes will premiere Saturdays at 10:00 PM EST on Samsung TV Plus and other FAST platforms, arriving shortly after the Japanese broadcast. The English dub of episodes 1 and 2 launched day-and-date with the subtitled version. Starting with episode 3, each new dubbed episode will follow within one week of its subtitled counterpart. The series adapts Tadatoshi Fujimaki's Weekly Shonen Jump manga about a 39-year-old hitman, Juzo Ogami, who is transformed into a 13-year-old boy and forced to infiltrate a middle school. Ray Chase voices the adult Ogami and Caitlyn Elizabeth voices the child version, with Kayli Mills, Khoi Dao, and Dawn M. Bennett in supporting roles. It's Anime, operated by Tokyo-based REMOW, positions Kill Blue as the most widely available anime of 2026, distributing it free and ad-supported across Samsung TV Plus and VIZIO WatchFree+.