Mana is a solo game creator whose debut work, Catharsis ~The Last Atelier~, opened a Steam store page on September 7, 2026 with a planned release within 2026. Separately, Mana Ashida is confirmed to star as Maomao in the live-action The Apothecary Diaries series set to stream worldwide on Amazon Prime Video in 2028.
Stories filed under this name split across two people. Mana is the solo creator behind Catharsis ~The Last Atelier~, an immersive art adventure published by Kodansha. The Steam store page opened on September 7, 2026, with release planned within the year. Players control a nameless being guided by a mysterious voice through ten paintings by Van Gogh, Klimt, and Monet, with stages that shift between 3D walking, side-scrolling, and boat travel. A wolf and an owl accompany the journey. There is no game over and no time limits, and each stage runs about 10 to 20 minutes. The game supports Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese. Catharsis is Mana's debut work; Mana self-taught Unreal Engine after moving abroad, won Epic Games' Unreal Quest 5 contest, and was selected for Kodansha Game Creators Lab in February 2024.
The other thread belongs to Mana Ashida. Amazon Prime Video announced a live-action adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries with Ashida as Maomao, streaming worldwide in 2028. The series is co-produced by TOHO and Amazon MGM Studios, with Yuki Saito directing and Erika Yoshida writing. Original author Hyuganatsu welcomed the casting. At Prime Video Presents Tokyo on September 3, 2026, Ashida called playing a beloved character the greatest happiness.
No story ties these two threads together. The name is shared, and the coverage treats the game creator and the actor as separate subjects.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/mana.
CC BY 4.0.
Sega will run a free launch preview of Football Manager 27 from 3:00 a.m. JST on October 30 to 3:00 a.m. JST on November 4, with save data carrying over to the full release on November 11 for PC and Mac, Football Manager 27 Console for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Football Manager 27 Mobile for iOS and Android via Netflix. Pre-orders open October 30 at 10% off.
Manavu Kashimoto launched a new manga, Tantei Neko Machida (Detective Neko Machida), on Shogakukan's Weekly Coro Coro Comic online magazine on Tuesday. The mystery series follows detective Neko Machida and his assistant Myako as they solve difficult cases. Kashimoto's Croquette! debuted in Monthly Coro Coro Comics in 2001 and inspired a 2003 television anime; its sequel, Croquette! Black Label, ended in May 2025.
AMANATION Inc. spun off its creator division and established AICON, a digital creator agency whose members work mainly on social media. The agency lists seven affiliated creators, among them Chiyuu with more than 5,000,000 followers, Hana no JK with more than 1,000,000, and Minahebi with more than 820,000. AICON draws on AMANATION's production staff, including illustrators and designers, for PR work.
Mana Kumoito released the beta of Otoawase on October 14, a free Windows app that measures microphone and game audio loudness during a stream and writes the correction straight into OBS Studio. It reports levels such as "Game audio is too loud, -3dB" and an Apply button moves OBS's faders, so streamers can match volume without judging it by ear. Targets sit at -16 to -14 LUFS overall, with game audio 8dB under the voice.
Voice actor Manaka Iwami announced on Tuesday that she has married and given birth to her first child. She made the announcement at the start of her weekly radio program, Iwami Manaka no Radio Tekuteku, then released a handwritten letter through her agency, Raccoon Dog. Iwami wrote that her partner is not associated with the anime or voice-acting industries. She apologized for being unable to attend events and recording sessions during her pregnancy and thanked fans, supporters, and colleagues. The letter, dated October 13, 2026, says she had anxieties since this was her first experience, and that both she and her baby have settled and are doing well. As of press time, her social media post had received more than 31,000 likes and over 1,000 replies. Her roles include Akane Kurokawa in Oshi no Ko, Rice Shower in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby franchise, Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket (2019), and Maquia in Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.
Sega released a feature explainer video titled Training and Tactical Effectiveness for Football Manager 27, the next entry in the Football Manager series. The training screen has been revamped into the main navigation bar, schedule duplication returns, and load can be checked several weeks ahead. A new Tactical Effectiveness system shows four gauges, and Tactical Complexity frames the trade-off between plug-and-play and long-term systems.
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, developer METASLA showed Mana Alchemy, a Vampire Survivors-style game set on a large open field. Players level up, choose enhancements, and assemble attacks inside a limited-space grimoire. Combining materials dropped by enemies creates new magic through alchemy. The protagonist, Merlin, is raised in a pioneer village after being cast aside by the witch Daved. METASLA plans a trial version within the year.
Character designer Kyoji Asano, who handled the Seven Bears designs for Odoru Daisosasen N.E.W. Run Through the Metropolis!, says the concept came from producer Chihiro Kameyama and director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Pride was designed first. The evil soul bursting from a plush toy's abdomen draws on Manami Hyuga, and Asano also describes a hidden bear-people backstory that was cut.
Red Dunes Games and Agate released the 2.5D roguelite action game Jumana Port for PC and PS5 on September 8, priced at 1,600 yen with Japanese language support. Director Shandhi Sayogo told Game Spark the game draws on the Arabian tradition of pearl diving and on Cult of the Lamb, and that the team built a playable Tokyo Game Show 2025 demo in roughly three to four months.
NHK announced on Friday, October 9, the hosts of the 77th Kohaku Uta Gassen: Mana Ashida, Masato Sakai, Kazunari Ninomiya, and announcer Nahoko Suzuki. The 2026 theme is "Koe te ikou, uta to tomo ni." Sakai and Ninomiya play sworn brothers in the TBS drama VIVANT, whose sequel airs from July for two consecutive cours. The show airs live December 31, 7:20 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Crunchyroll announced at New York Comic Con on Thursday that J.C. Staff is animating the adaptation of YC and Rakyeon's webtoon Teenage Mercenary for broadcast next year. Manabu Ono directs and oversees series scripts, Koji Haneda designs characters, Hiroyuki Sawano composes music, and Hayate produces. The webtoon launched on Naver Webtoon in November 2020, has over 2.84 billion views worldwide, and is distributed in 10 languages.
Coldspire Studios announced Cable Management Simulator on October 7, 2026 and opened its Steam store page. The first-person PC game puts players in a server room with 8 racks and 3072 ports, running cables to give a building internet. Players plan routes, cut cables to length, and take work requests from a desk printer. Release is set for the fourth quarter of 2026 with Japanese display support.
Sega released the commentary video "Tactical Adjustments and the Evolution of the Match Engine" on October 6, covering improvements to player movement and the use of Hawk-Eye Innovations data, which the video says lets the whole match run at a more realistic speed and tempo. A new Tactical Adjustments feature, described as inspired by conversations in professional settings, is also being added. Football Manager 27 is scheduled for November 11.
JIBULABO Inc., based in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, has joined TRY!YAMANASHI!, a new business co-creation platform, as a core meeting member and operator. The company runs three coworking spaces in the prefecture, including CROSS BE near Kofu Station, and connects challengers with the community, government, and companies through its vision of making challenges not isolated.
Weasel Pit, the developer of the roguelite game Iron Pilgrim, reported that someone recreated the game with AI and threatened to publish a clone on Steam unless Weasel Pit paid $200 worth of Steam items within 24 hours. Weasel Pit said it believes the clone was made from footage posted on social media and indicated it would not pay. InTheIndie, an outlet that covered the matter, noted that Weasel Pit had previously told another developer on Reddit that if that developer released a game on Steam, Weasel Pit would publish a free version, and questioned whether the victim report might be a self-staged publicity stunt. Weasel Pit admitted fault over the Reddit comments and said it intended to apologize, but disputed the stunt claim, saying similar emails had gone to other developers. Psicodart Games, the developer of Circusar, also reported receiving the same demands from Zagir Harif. In Japan, tomo-mana, co-representative of GREENHORN, said the studio will hold back the progress posts it had been making twice a week for its game Project Solaris.
UN:Me, a soul triage adventure game, is set for release in 2027. Historia Inc. is developing it and Shueisha Games is publishing. An interview tied to Tokyo Game Show 2026 features general producer Taiichi Kawai, Historia director Shun Sasaki, planner and scenario writer Takuya Yamanaka, and Yumiri Hanamori, who plays the protagonist. The protagonist is a girl who holds four souls, and players decide which one remains last.
Anthropic will hold the exhibition 'Machines of Loving Grace' at KARIMOKU RESEARCH CENTER in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo, from Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 25, with free admission. Media artist Daito Manabe and design engineer Yusuke Kamiyama present new installation works. Manabe's 'Timber / Timbre' mounts a modular synthesizer in a wooden enclosure developed with KARIMOKU RESEARCH. Sponsor Karimoku Furniture provides woodworking technology.
Bloomo Securities will offer its in-house asset management platform to IFA operators, with Value Advisers as the first adopter from October 1, 2026. The platform puts overseas ETFs, individual U.S. stocks, and discretionary investment management in one account, using BlackRock-advised discretionary management as the core and custom U.S. stock and ETF portfolios as satellites.
Sega has published the second feature deep-dive video for Football Manager 27, titled "Into a Deeper World of Football," and opened store pages on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Windows. Sports Interactive moves the series past the Tiles & Cards layout that Football Manager 26 used: tiles now only display information, while navigation runs through primary and secondary menus at the top of the screen, so clicking Team goes straight to the top team's player list instead of requiring a second click on Top Team. Many information items, including player career stats, fill the screen rather than a narrow tile. Cup draws and transfer deadline day return, news gains season previews and title-race coverage, and the next screen after Continue is now chosen at random, with that frequency adjustable in the options.
Shueisha Games will release UN:Me, a soul triage adventure for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, in 2027 at an undecided price. The game follows a girl carrying four souls, labeled I through IV, each claiming to be the body's true owner. Players explore her unstable inner world, gather clues, talk with each soul, then erase souls one by one and choose who remains. Historia, the studio behind the Caligula series, handles planning and development. Yumiri Hanamori voices all four souls, a role that led the team to record each soul on separate days rather than switch between them in one session. Producer Taiichi Kawai, planner and scenario writer Takuya Yamanaka, and director Shun Sasaki discussed the project at Tokyo Game Show 2026. The team also pushed the release from an earlier date to 2027 and added motion capture after Hanamori's performance.
Dwango will stream the first real live performance by MECHATU-A, an eight-member male unit from the VTuber group Nijisanji, on Niconico Live Broadcasting on October 10, 2026. The event, titled "MECHATU-A 1st LIVE "Over Drive!"", takes place at K Arena Yokohama with a 16:30 open and 18:00 start. Main stream viewing tickets cost 6,500 yen before fees, and a version with an acrylic diorama bonus costs 10,500 yen. The unit will perform songs from its first mini album "On-Deck!", released in July 2026. Fans who cannot attend the venue can watch the opening portion free. A pre-show broadcast at 16:45 and a fastest impressions broadcast after the live are also planned, and both will stream on Niconico.
Sega announced on October 1, 2026 that Football Manager 27 will launch on November 11 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and Windows, Mac, and Netflix. A physical version is scheduled for November 20. Alongside the date, Sega released the third entry in its feature detail video series, titled "The Evolved Matchday Experience." The video covers changes to match presentation: crowds, stadiums, weather, lighting, and player representation. The announcement trail began with 4Gamer.net and ASCII.jp publishing coverage the same day, with 4Gamer.net posting in the morning and ASCII.jp following later in the day. Both outlets describe the game as a soccer club management simulation, and both point to the matchday presentation work as the focus of the newly posted video. The release date and platform list are consistent across both reports, as is the November 20 date for the physical edition.
PLAYISM is showing Idol Manager: Virtual Venture, the latest Idol Manager entry from Russian developer Glitch Pitch, at Tokyo Game Show 2026. The 2021 game covered traditional idol groups; this one moves the setting to virtual streamers. A demo build covers the full flow from an empty agency to hiring staff, holding auditions, and debuting a V-streamer, with male as well as female streamers available to scout.
Manami Ashida stars in the Kantele and Fuji TV Monday 10pm drama "Minami Nanda Lawyer is a Genius," which begins airing on October 19 and streams worldwide on Netflix. A poster visual shows Minami walking among whales drawn by ShiShi Yamazaki, and the trailer shows her introducing herself. The three-piece band muque wrote the theme song "Iin ja nai."
Shueisha Games said on September 17, 2026 that the soul triage adventure game UN:Me has slipped from 2026 to 2027, with the release date to be set later. The publisher is showing a demo at its Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth in Hall 5, 05-C10, which runs from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe, and it is the game's first playable exhibit in Japan. Takuya Yamanaka, who worked on the Caligula series, handles planning and scenario, and Historia, which developed Caligula 2, directs and develops. The protagonist is a girl who houses four souls that each claim to own her body. Yumiri Hanamori voices her, keeping one voice across the four personalities. The delay is tied to motion capture work meant to let players read each soul through movement and facial expression during dialogue, with studio footage released alongside the announcement. Shueisha Games also detailed Soul II and Soul IV. A campaign to mark the voice cast runs through September 30, with five signed boards from Hanamori drawn by lottery.
Takuya Yamanaka, director on the Caligula series, is working on UN:Me with developer Historia for FuRyu and Shueisha Games. In an interview, Yamanaka and Shueisha Games producer Yasuichi Kawai said the game is built without a fixed genre and aimed at unease rather than fear. UN:Me is planned for release in 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC via Steam, with a playable demo at Tokyo Game Show 2026.
Metasla announced it will exhibit Mana Alchemy at Tokyo Game Show 2026 from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe. The Vampire Survivors-like open-world RPG will feature its first playable demo at the booth. Visitors who show a wishlist registration screen will receive an early development prototype in an original DVD package as a novelty item. The game targets PC via Steam and console, with release planned for 2027.
Kodansha Game Lab opened the Steam store page for Catharsis ~The Last Atelier~, an immersive art adventure by creator Mana, on September 7, 2026. The game is planned for release within 2026. Players control a nameless being who knows nothing about humans, guided by a mysterious voice through ten paintings by Van Gogh, Klimt, and Monet. Each stage changes the viewpoint and controls: some are 3D walking spaces, others side-scrolling, and one involves traveling by boat. A wolf and an owl accompany the journey, letting the player ride across plains or fly to high places. The game has no game over and no time limits, and each stage takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Wishlist registration opened with the store page. Catharsis is Mana's debut work. Mana self-taught Unreal Engine after moving abroad, won Epic Games' Unreal Quest 5 contest, and was selected for Kodansha Game Creators Lab in February 2024. The game supports Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese, and is published by Kodansha.
Metasla announced Mana Alchemy, a Vampire Survivors-like open-world RPG, on September 4, 2026. The game is set for a 2027 release on Steam, with a console version planned but no platforms named yet. The story follows Merlin, the youngest of eight daughters born to the great witch Dawed. Lacking magical talent, Merlin is cast out as a child and saved by a talking grimoire called Harley. She sets out across the island of Shudar, ruled by her mother and crawling with monsters, to take revenge on the seven older sisters who now rule it. Combat is movement-only: spells fire automatically once set into a grimoire grid, in the style of Vampire Survivors. Players build magic by arranging blocks in the grid, and can create new spells by alchemizing collected materials and existing magic. Equipping staves raises stats and grants each staff a unique ultimate spell. The story is framed around a choice between forgiveness and revenge. Metasla is a three-person indie studio based in Nagoya. Its previous PC release, Sea Fantasy, launched in 2025 and sold over 50,000 copies.
At Prime Video Presents Tokyo on September 3, 2026, Mana Ashida, who plays Maomao in the live-action adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries, said, 'Being able to play a beloved character is the greatest happiness.' The event also featured cast and creators from Bless, Jinko Glico, Please Save My Earth, and The Silent Fleet, with Prime Video announcing doubled investment in Japanese original works over the next two years.
Amazon Prime Video announced on Thursday that it is producing a live-action series adaptation of Hyuganatsu and Touko Shino's The Apothecary Diaries light novel series, with Mana Ashida cast as protagonist Maomao. The series will stream exclusively worldwide on Amazon Prime Video in 2028. It is co-produced by TOHO and Amazon MGM Studios, with Yuki Saito directing and Erika Yoshida writing the screenplay. A teaser visual featuring Ashida as Maomao was revealed alongside the announcement. Ashida, who said she was already a fan of the novels, described the filming period as one where she poured her heart into her love for Maomao and the series. Original author Hyuganatsu welcomed the adaptation, saying she felt confident after Ashida was chosen, and that she visited the set several times, impressed by the elaborate sets and costumes. The Apothecary Diaries began as a web novel in October 2011, with print novels starting in August 2014 and a manga adaptation in May 2017. The story follows Maomao, a young apothecary sold into service in the emperor's rear palace, where her medical knowledge catches the attention of the head eunuch Jinshi. The series has two anime seasons, with a third season premiering October 2, 2026, and an anime film opening December 11.
KADOKAWA released "Learn with Amagami Konomi and Suki! Middle School English Words & Phrases 1800" on September 1. It is the first study reference book by Amagami Konomi, a self-produced VTuber with over 840,000 YouTube subscribers, supervised by Kawai Juku English teacher Yuma Moriya. The 224-page volume covers middle school vocabulary, phrases, and conversation expressions, with fill-in-the-blank dialogues and a red sheet to hide answers.
Studio Sasanqua, the studio founded by Visions of Mana director Kenji Ozawa, announced on August 24 that it has begun mid-career recruitment for 7 game development positions. The roles span Game Producer, Game Director, Lead Planner, Lead Engineer, Art Director, Environment Artist, and UI Designer. The company says it aims to create games that balance emotional themes with comfort, and projects are already in development.
EVeM Co., Ltd. has released the Sengoku Management Scouter, a diagnostic tool that scores management ability against four standards and classifies users into 16 Sengoku warlord types. Developed from work with roughly 2,500 managers, it takes about five minutes and follows EVeM's Management 16 Types Diagnostic, used by approximately 40,000 people.
Sports Interactive and SEGA announced Football Manager 27 on August 27, 2026, with a release window of November 2026. The specific release date and supported platforms will be revealed later. The new installment is positioned as a series comeback after the turbulent launch of the previous game, Football Manager 26. That title followed the cancellation of Football Manager 25, which was scrapped due to development delays caused by the switch to the Unity engine. Some players voiced dissatisfaction with the UI adopted in Football Manager 26, and Studio Director Miles Jacobson acknowledged the studio failed to meet expectations of users accustomed to the traditional interface, saying he wants to prioritize resolving this in the new game. The policy for Football Manager 27 is to further develop the current design while reviving ideas and in-game behaviors that were well received in past titles. From September onward, the studio plans to release gameplay introductions, deep dives on key functions, commentary from the development team, and blog articles. A Steam playtest is planned, with registration open now, and details on early access for the Steam version will be announced later.
Kakao Games announced on August 4 that it will work with webtoon studio The Grimm Entertainment to develop and publish games based on its popular comic and webtoon properties. The Grimm Entertainment owns IPs including Manager Kim and Lookism, and is known for Viral Hit, which inspired an anime and a Japanese live-action adaptation. The companies aim to attract global interest through game adaptations.
Bandai Namco Entertainment announced on August 20 that the expansion DLC 'Mask of Idris' for 'Code Vein 2' will release on September 9. The announcement came via the official PlayStation Japan X account, which shared a trailer and a PlayStation Store link. The DLC is set in the 'Abandoned World,' a space formed by the emotions of worlds erased by the history-altering events of the main game. These distorted emotions swell and begin to affect the real world, and the story follows a battle to save another world alongside new partners. Two new companions join the protagonist: Liv Vorda, voiced by Aoi Yuki, the half-sister of the vampire Valentin Vorda and the original overseer of the 'Hollow of Time and Space,' who abandoned her duties out of boredom; and Ruu Magmel, voiced by Manaka Iwami, a lone vampire girl working to stop the Abandoned World's expansion. To access the DLC, players must reach the second ending 'Moon of Harmony' and complete the quest 'Exchange Opinions with Valentin: Magmel Island Book.' A free update, Ver.2.0, will release the same day, adding post-main-story exploration with partners. 'Code Vein 2' is available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The television anime adaptation of Manabu Yashiro's Tank Chair manga will premiere on October 4. Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed the main promotional video, key visual, additional cast and staff, and theme song artists on Wednesday. Yurina Amami joins the cast as Dr. Radio, a genius scientist hiding in an abandoned radio tower, and Gen Sato plays Uzu, a mysterious newcomer to the Academy's Class A. The opening theme is "DALALA" by reggae-punk band SiM, and Daoko performs the ending theme "SYNC." The anime airs on Tokyo MX at 11:00 p.m. JST on October 4, followed by BS11, CBC on October 5, and MBS on October 6. Tadahiro "Tady" Yoshihira and Hiroaki Ando direct and write scripts at Polygon Pictures, with Yuki Moriyama designing characters and Masaru Yokoyama composing music. The cast includes Koki Uchiyama as Nagi Taira, Minori Fujidera as Shizuka Taira, Gakuto Kajiwara as Naozumi Kurosaka, and Saori Hayami as Touko Kurosaka. The manga began on Magazine Pocket in November 2022 and moved to Monthly Shonen Sirius in November 2024.
The fourth season of the KonoSuba anime, titled KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 4, was announced at the "Colorful" 10th anniversary event on July 26, 2026. The season is set to air in 2027. Studio ENGI will handle the animation, taking over from the previous studios that worked on earlier seasons. Takaomi Kanasaki returns as chief director, while Manabu Kurihara, who previously directed The Detective Is Already Dead, steps in as the new director. Makoto Uezu returns to oversee series scripts, Koichi Kikuta returns for character design, Yoshikazu Iwanami returns as sound director, and Masato Kōda returns to compose the music. The event also revealed an "ultra teaser visual" and a 10th anniversary video featuring a new arrangement of Machico's song "fantastic dreamer" from the first season. The third season aired in April 2024, and the sequel was first teased after the Bonus Stage OVA in March 2025.
The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, selected SKY-HI and the six members of BE:FIRST as new members for 2026. They now have voting rights for the 69th Grammy Awards in February 2027 and eligibility to attend the ceremony. The selection is separate from any nomination. The move comes as BMSG, the label that manages both, pushes for global expansion.
Retailers list Sae Kumanami's manga From Superfan to Stepsister to conclude with its 10th compiled volume, shipping September 18. The series began on Twitter in November 2020 and later serialized in Gangan Online. English publisher Manga UP! Global describes the story of a girl whose stepbrother turns out to be her idol model Noa.
Nyxtails Studio announced Backrooms Manager - Together, a cooperative logistics survival game for up to six players set in the Backrooms. Players are kidnapped with erased memories and must fulfill a 49-day contract to regain freedom. The game emphasizes economic management: players meet quotas, manage team funds, and face balance checks every three days. Early access begins on Steam on July 26, 2026, with Japanese display support.
Former Zachtronics lead designer Zach Barth's circuit puzzle game 'U.V.S. Nirmana' was released on May 5 for PC, Mac, and Linux. The game combines Zach-like puzzles with a story inspired by ancient Buddhist scriptures. It includes 30 puzzles and supports Japanese. The developer has moved on to the next puzzle game after post-release updates.
Publisher indie.io and developer Neurona Games released Esports Manager 2026 on Steam on July 7. The game is an esports team management simulation set in a tactical FPS similar to Counter-Strike. Players act as a team manager, handling training, scouting, sponsorships, merchandise, and legal matters. The game includes over 325 real esports teams and more than 1,900 real players, with stats based on actual performances. In matches, players watch AI-controlled action from a top-down view and can give equipment instructions like full buy or eco. The game quickly attracted players, reaching a peak concurrent count of around 5,000. As of July 7, 80% of 240 Steam user reviews are positive, earning a 'Very Positive' rating. Some players have criticized the AI behavior during matches, with reports of illogical actions. The developer announced a functional improvement patch for the next day. The game is priced at 2,300 yen, with a 20% launch discount to 1,840 yen until July 21. The store page does not list Japanese language support.
Seven Seas Entertainment announced 16 new licenses at its Anime Expo panel on July 4, 2026. The slate spans multiple imprints and genres, including light novels, manga, manhwa, and audiobooks, with releases scheduled from March through June 2027.
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.
Composer Yoko Shimomura will hold a 39th anniversary orchestra concert on September 25, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall. The concert, titled "39! ~Thank You!~," will feature the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Grammy Award-winning Arnie Roth. The announced setlist includes pieces from games Shimomura composed for, such as "Home Town Domina" from Legend of Mana, the main theme of Xenoblade, "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms" from Super Mario RPG, "Stand Your Ground" from Final Fantasy XV, "The Other Promise" from Kingdom Hearts, a Live A Live medley, and "Cocone's Theme" from Napping Princess. Organizer advance ticket sales begin July 4 at 10:00 AM, followed by playguide advance sales on July 13, and general sales on August 22. Ticket prices are ¥9,900 for S seats and ¥8,800 for A seats.
Developer Florian Alushaj announced that the simulation game Fantasy World Manager has surpassed 100,000 wishlist registrations on Steam. A demo released in June 2026 received useful feedback, and the developer is working on a relaxing mode inspired by WorldBox while keeping the game's core world-building tools intact. The game is scheduled for a 2026 PC release.
Manami Iwami and Masaya Fukunishi have joined the cast of Magilumiere Co. Ltd. Season 2, playing Sakae Tōnomori and Hibiki Yami Mori respectively. A 30-second promo video was released featuring the opening theme "Late Magic" by syudou × Yusei Yagi. The first season will stream free on Jump+ YouTube from June 20. Season 2 premieres Summer 2026.
The second season of the Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. anime revealed a new promotional video, the opening theme "Latte Magic" by syudou × Yūsei Yagi, and two new cast members: Manaka Iwami as Sakae Tōnomori and Masaya Fukunishi as Hibiki Yamimori. The season premieres on NTV on July 4 at 24:55 JST.