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KADOKAWA released the educational manga 'Geography & History Mystery: World Scary Things MAP: Japan Edition' on July 21. The book follows three cursed students investigating scary legends across Japan to learn geography, history, and culture. It covers locations like a cursed shrine in Tokyo and a Kanagawa mountain haunted by a fallen warrior's ghost.
Atlus announced on July 4 that animation studio MAPPA will produce the anime cutscenes for the upcoming game Persona 4 Revival. The announcement was made via the official Persona public relations X account and the Atlus West account. MAPPA, known for Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, will handle all animation cutscenes for the title. Persona 4 Revival is a full remake of Persona 4 Golden, retaining the original storyline while completely refreshing graphics, UI, and adding new elements to battles and events. Alongside the cutscene announcement, Atlus released an introduction video for the character Rise Kujikawa, which includes anime cuts of a swimsuit scene. Rise Kujikawa is a popular first-year high school idol who becomes a companion in the story. On social media, fans expressed excitement with comments such as 'Can we see the smooth-moving protagonist!?' and 'Too luxurious.' Persona 4 Revival is scheduled for release on February 18, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, PC (Windows, Steam), and PS5. The standard edition is priced at 9,900 yen. A limited box edition with bonuses including a special binding box, art book, and DLC is also available.
Atlus announced on Saturday that Studio MAPPA will produce all of the animated cutscenes for Persona 4 Revival, the upcoming remake of the 2008 role-playing game. The news came during Anime Expo 2026 alongside two new character videos featuring the protagonist and Rise Kujikawa. Atlus also confirmed that Abby Trott will voice Rise in the English dub, part of a new English voice cast for the game. The remake is set to launch on February 18, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC with Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Steam. Pre-orders are open now. The original Persona 4 was released for PlayStation 2 in 2008 and later received an enhanced port, Persona 4 Golden, for PlayStation Vita in 2011. The new version is described as a distinct reimagining separate from Golden. The animation director reportedly played Persona 1 through Persona 4 before beginning work on the cutscenes. Persona 3 Reload, the previous Atlus remake, launched in February 2024 and featured animation from a different studio.
MAPPA will exhibit at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles from July 2 to 5, showcasing production materials for Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Dorohedoro Season 2. The booth will also sell convention-exclusive goods including happi coats, T-shirts, keychains, skateboard decks, and Mappa caps.
Kenshi Yonezu and animation studio MAPPA have released a short anime for the song "Karasu," the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme. The video, published on YouTube on June 25, 2026, was produced by MAPPA and marks the third collaboration between the musician and the studio, following the Chainsaw Man opening theme "KICK BACK" (2022) and the theme for the Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc film "IRIS OUT" (2025). The short anime matches the first chorus of the song and uses a pencil-drawn visual style, showing a person earnestly chasing a ball while a crow soars overhead. The song itself was released digitally on June 15 and achieved six chart crowns in its first week, including No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings. It is Yonezu's 20th overall No. 1, the most for a solo artist in history. The short anime is timed to the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the song scheduled to air on NHK's soccer broadcasts.
Nexon announced the MapleStory summer major update Crown during a June 21 showcase. The update launches July 2 with growth support systems like Challengers World Season 3 and Hyper Burning BEYOND, job remasters for Kinesis and Wild Hunter, new bosses Brilliant Evil Star and Jupiter, the Gear Drack region, and the Sol Hecate common core. Content rolls out in stages through August.
MAPPA released a 15th anniversary music video on Friday, set to the song "Seikatsu" by PEOPLE 1. The video blends animation with production elements like key drawings and storyboards. The studio also announced the MAPPA EXPO 15th Anniversary exhibition, running from September 16 to December 7 at the Yurakucho Museum in Tokyo, featuring pieces from Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, Attack on Titan The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more.
MAPPA released a 15th anniversary movie on June 19, accompanied by a new song from the band PEOPLE 1. The video, titled "MAPPA 15th Anniversary Movie," was first shown during the studio's anniversary lineup presentation, which streamed on MAPPA's official YouTube channel. The anniversary song is "Seikatsu" (Life), a track newly written by PEOPLE 1. The full song will be distributed at midnight on June 20. The commemorative video uses original drawings and storyboards to depict the studio's scenery and staff involved in anime production. PEOPLE 1 previously performed the 10th episode ending theme "DOGLAND" for the TV anime "Chainsaw Man," which MAPPA produced. The band formed in December 2019 around musician Deu, along with Takeuchi and Ito. MAPPA was founded in 2011 and has produced series including "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Attack on Titan The Final Season," "Chainsaw Man," "Dorohedoro," and "Ranma 1/2." The studio has opened a special website with the anniversary logo and details on commemorative projects.
Comic Natalie's weekly access ranking for June 11-17, 2026, was led by coverage of the Netflix live-action series Fight Class 3, which included its opening footage and a character relationship chart. MAPPA's 15th anniversary key visuals for Chainsaw Man and Attack on Titan placed third and ninth, respectively. A special feature on Shinchosha's Comic Bunch 25th anniversary also ran.
MAPPA will produce the anime adaptation of Naoki Fujita's Beat & Motion manga, with a worldwide Netflix release scheduled for 2027. The announcement came during the studio's 15th anniversary livestream on June 19, which also revealed a teaser visual, a first trailer, and the main staff and cast. Yuki Komada directs the series, with Misaki Morie handling series composition and scripts. Kazunori Aoki is the character designer and chief animation director. Shuichiro Umeda voices protagonist Tatsuhiko Hirayama, a former aspiring animator who reconnects with his craft after meeting indie musician Nico Kashiwagi, played by Aya Gomazuru. The manga ran in Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ from February 2023 to January 2025, spanning six volumes. It originated as the grand prize winner of Shueisha's Million Tag competition, which guaranteed the winner a serialization and an anime adaptation. Viz Media and MANGA Plus publish the manga in English. The livestream also included new information on Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan, and other MAPPA projects.
MAPPA released a teaser trailer for the third season of the Dorohedoro anime during its 15th anniversary lineup livestream on June 19. The teaser opens with footage transitioning from the final scene of Season 2, episode 11, into a scene at a Chinese restaurant, where character Aikawa searches for "something interesting." Storyboard footage hinting at the start of Season 3 production is shown. The second season of Dorohedoro premiered on April 1, 2026, and streamed through May 27, 2026, on platforms including Crunchyroll and Netflix. Season 1 debuted on Netflix in Japan in January 2020 and later streamed worldwide. The anime adapts Q Hayashida's manga, which ran from 2000 to 2018 across multiple magazines and was compiled into 23 volumes. Viz Media publishes the English edition. Alongside the trailer, a "Best Pair Grand Prize 2026" voting campaign opened, running from June 19 to July 2. The winning character pair will receive an illustration by Hayashida.
MAPPA announced during its 15th anniversary lineup reveal livestream on June 19 that it is producing a television anime adaptation of Coco Uzuki's shojo manga Fall in Love, You False Angels, set for a 2027 release. Yasutomo Okamoto directs the series, with Mariko Oka handling character design, Yōhei Yamazaki as series script supervisor, and Yuriko Waki as animation producer. The manga, which debuted in Kodansha's Dessert magazine in April 2023, won the 49th Kodansha Manga Award in the shojo category in 2025 and was nominated for the Shogakukan Manga Awards that same year. Kodansha USA publishes the English version. The story follows high school class president Otogi Katsura, who maintains a perfect angelic image while hiding her brash true personality, and her vice president Toki Ninomae, who reveals a hidden side of his own. The seventh compiled volume shipped in Japan on June 12.
MAPPA announced an anime adaptation of usagi's manga Jimoto Saiko! during its 15th anniversary livestream. The series will stream worldwide on Netflix. The story follows Chanel and her friends in a hometown plagued by violence, drugs, and poverty. Staff includes director Tokio Igarashi and scriptwriter Ryō Takata.
MAPPA released the second teaser PV for Chainsaw Man: Assassin Arc on June 19 during the studio's 15th anniversary lineup stream on YouTube. The PV shows assassins from around the world moving to target protagonist Denji, with glimpses of new characters. Alongside the PV, MAPPA announced a smartphone game project for Chainsaw Man. The opening theme for the arc is a new song by Maximum the Hormone titled ALL THE LYNCH!! ALL THE MINCE!!. A 1-minute 29-second version of the song plays in an opening movie produced by MAPPA. Maximum the Hormone's Maximum the Ryo-kun said the full version is already complete at about 4 minutes 30 seconds, calling it a masterpiece and a future staple of the band's live performances. The smartphone game's official X account is running a follow-and-retweet giveaway to commemorate the announcement. The Assassin Arc was announced last year as the story following the Reze Arc. The theatrical film Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, released in September 2025, recorded 7.1 million domestic viewers and 10.8 billion yen at the Japanese box office, with a worldwide total exceeding 29.78 billion yen.
MAPPA released a second trailer for the third season of the new Ranma 1/2 anime, confirming an October premiere on NTV and Netflix. Director Kōnosuke Uda and most staff return, with Riko Kaneda and Haruki Miura joining as chief animation directors and Atsuko Ishida and Yoshihiro Takeda added as main animators.
Koei Tecmo Games announced on June 19 that MAPPA, the studio behind the TV anime Attack on Titan The Final Season, will produce the opening animation for the upcoming tactical hunting action game Attack on Titan 3. The opening will be a completely new animation that depicts the story of Attack on Titan from beginning to end. The game is planned for release on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Further details, including the release date and the first look at actual gameplay footage, will be revealed during an official web program airing on July 2 at 19:00 JST. The program will feature voice actors Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa Ackerman) and Shiori Mikami (Krista Lenz), along with development producer Eisei Suzuki as a commentator. According to Game Spark, the opening animation will not be included in the main game at launch but will be added in a later update.
MAPPA is producing the television anime adaptation of Coco Uzuki's manga Koi seyo Mayakashi Tenshi-domo, with a teaser visual and teaser PV released on June 19 during the MAPPA 15th Anniversary Lineup Presentation. The romantic comedy follows Otogi Katsura, a student known as the perfect beautiful girl who hides her true self, and Toki Ninomae, a seemingly perfect classmate who also conceals his real nature. After Toki discovers Otogi's hidden side, the two form a secret accomplice relationship. The manga has been serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Dessert since 2023 and has cumulative circulation exceeding 2.25 million copies. The anime is scheduled to air in 2027. Director Yasutomo Okamoto leads the staff, with Mariko Oka handling character design and Yohei Yamazaki writing the series composition. Additional staff includes art director Takumi Hashimoto, color designer Kana Tanabe, photography director Shunsuke Taniguchi, editor Ayumu Takahashi, and animation producer Yuriko Waki. The teaser PV includes Otogi's character voice for the first time.
Animation studio MAPPA will hold a 15th anniversary exhibition titled "MAPPA EXPO 15th Anniversary" at YURAKUCHO MUSEUM in Tokyo from September 16 to December 7, 2026. The event is split into two periods: the first runs September 16 to October 25, and the second from October 28 to December 7, with some exhibits changing between them. Displays will focus on the worlds of "Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc," "Attack on Titan The Final Season," and "Jujutsu Kaisen." Original goods featuring newly drawn illustrations and original artwork will be sold, including visual acrylic panel sets tied to each of the three titles. Admission bonuses include art postcards in cut-bag-style envelopes, with five designs per title. The fastest advance lottery for first-period tickets opened June 19 at 10:00 PM via Lawson Ticket, with date- and time-specified entry to manage congestion. After the Tokyo run, the exhibition is planned to tour multiple regional cities. MAPPA was founded in 2011 and produces TV anime, films, commercials, and web videos, managing its own IP and licensing.
MAPPA announced on June 19 during its 15th anniversary lineup presentation that it will produce an anime adaptation of the manga "Local Is Best!" ("Jimoto ga Saikō!") by usagi. The series will stream exclusively worldwide on Netflix. Alongside the announcement, a teaser visual and a teaser promotional video were released. The PV uses the song "milk" by singer-songwriter aiko, who is a fan of the original work. The manga, originally serialized on social media, is known for its cute art style contrasted with a story that has been described as a stew of all the world's evils. It follows girls who have never left their hometown and insist "Local is best!" no matter what misfortunes befall them. The director is Toshio Igarashi, the script is by Ryo Takada, and character design is by Rio. The original creator usagi commented on the announcement, expressing gratitude that the manga could be adapted into an anime, and noted that during serialization, when the creator went bankrupt, the editor lent 1 million yen out of pocket. aiko also shared her joy about the adaptation and the PV.
At NEXON Developers Conference 26, NEXPACE blockchain lead Ryu Gi-hyeok presented a postmortem of five years building MapleStory Universe, the blockchain ecosystem around MapleStory. He described three walls the project hit after launch: the security risk of asset approvals, the friction of transaction fees, and the cost of vetting external builders on a permissioned chain. The talk centered on whether blockchain's permissionless ideal can coexist with a developer's responsibility to protect users.
German studio Pipapo Games' map-making adventure 'Map Map - A Map-Making Game' has sold over 10,000 copies on Steam since its May 29 release, with 91% of 185 reviews positive. Players use authentic surveying tools like compasses, sextants, and telescopes to explore islands and create maps.
Nexon opened Maple Island, a permanent area at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul, South Korea, in April 2026. The area features four attractions, a goods shop with about 90 types of items, and a food corner. A limited-time collaboration campaign that decorated the entire park has ended, but Maple Island remains open.
MAPPA released the first of three planned 15th anniversary key visuals on June 16, featuring Reze from the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc movie. The illustration shows Reze walking from a dim alleyway toward a light source. The studio said it created the visual to mark its 15th anniversary with gratitude to supporters. The visual was illustrated by Shoichi, colored by Misaki Nakano, with backgrounds by Taichi Uchima and photography by Yusuke Awanowa. MAPPA celebrated its 15th anniversary on June 14. The Chainsaw Man Reze Arc film, based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga, was released last September with MAPPA handling animation production. The studio also announced a "MAPPA 15th Anniversary Lineup Presentation" on its YouTube channel for June 19 at 8:00 PM. The key visual project will include up to three installments, with new visuals released sequentially.
MAPPA celebrated its 15th anniversary on June 14 with a special website, a June 19 lineup presentation stream, and a fall 2026 exhibition. The studio, founded in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, has produced major hits including Attack on Titan The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man. The presentation will feature new title information and a commemorative movie with a song by PEOPLE 1.
Animator Kayoko Ishikawa, known for her design work on 'Aikatsu!', will release her first art collection 'Kayoko Ishikawa Design Works TEATRO' on July 15. The 184-page volume from BNN includes over 500 illustrations, covering her work on 'Aikatsu!', 'Sarazanmai', 'LUPIN the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine', and nine MAPPA titles including 'Yuri!!! on ICE', 'Chainsaw Man', and 'Zenshu.' It also features new drawings, an interview, and commentary.
Nexon announced the SUMMER SHOWCASE 2026 CROWN official livestream for MapleStory, broadcasting June 21 at 19:00 on YouTube and X. The showcase will detail the major summer update CROWN. A teaser PV sharing campaign and an in-game countdown event with rewards run ahead of the broadcast.
MAPPA will stream a 15th anniversary lineup presentation on its official YouTube channel on June 19 at 20:00 JST. The event will reveal new information on works including Chainsaw Man and Dorohedoro, plus new projects. Kenjiro Tsuda will navigate, and Kotono Mitsuishi will narrate. An anniversary movie set to the song Seikatsu by PEOPLE 1 will debut. Segments include cast talks for Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan The Final Season, Oblivion Battery season two, and Ranma 1/2 season three.
Nexon opened a permanent MapleStory-themed area called Maple Island at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul on April 3, 2026. The 600-pyeong outdoor zone features attractions based on in-game areas like Henesys and Ludibrium, and hosted a 10,000-player event called Happy Maple Day. A dedicated PC cafe, MAPLE AGIT, opened in Gangnam in fall 2025.
German studio Pipapo Games released Map Map - A Map-Making Game on Steam on May 29. Players use authentic surveying tools like compasses, step counting, telescopes, and sextants to create maps of islands. The game currently has a 92% positive rating from 95 Steam user reviews. A 10% launch discount runs until June 12.
Netflix and MAPPA announced a strategic partnership that gives Netflix exclusive streaming rights to a slate of original MAPPA-produced anime titles. The deal was revealed alongside Netflix's semi-annual viewership report, which showed anime accounted for 8.9 billion hours watched on the platform in 2025, a 10.6% increase from the previous year. Anime viewership grew more than ten times faster than the rest of Netflix's catalog, which grew only 1.3%. The partnership is structured on a cost-plus basis, where Netflix pays for production plus a guaranteed margin. Industry analyst Jerome Mazandarani described the arrangement as a pivot toward sustainability for MAPPA, a studio that has faced production strain from major titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan's final season. The deal allows MAPPA to bypass the traditional production committee model, which limited the studio's profit share on past hits such as Yuri!!! On ICE. Netflix's 2025 anime lineup included fewer than 20 exclusive new releases, with around half of its new global anime titles shared with competitors like Crunchyroll or Disney.
Japanese film distributor Gaga will directly distribute the Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of A New Era film in North America starting in February through its Los Angeles office, following a similar move by Toho in 2024. The film, based on Cygames' mobile game franchise, earned ¥1.4 billion (US$8.9 million) in Japan and arrives two years after its domestic debut, as the English-language mobile game gained popularity after winning Best Mobile Game at the Game Awards in December. Gaga aims to replicate the success of its own direct distribution of a concert film by singer Ado across over 300 theaters last year. Meanwhile, MAPPA entered a strategic partnership with Netflix for exclusive distribution of multiple self-produced anime titles, as reported by Nikkei. Edia is ramping up anime production for its own light novel properties, developing at least five new titles for broadcast in 2028 and beyond, up from three in the prior period. The company, which owns publisher Hifumishobo, previously invested small amounts in production committees for Drugstore in Another World and The Aristocrat's Otherworldly Adventure.
MAPPA announced on March 1, 2026, that it will absorb its subsidiary studio Contrail through a merger effective April 1, 2026. The merger is intended to consolidate operations and improve working conditions for staff. Contrail's brand will be maintained after the merger, and its team will continue producing current and future projects. The decision to merge was driven by MAPPA's plan to relocate Contrail's staff to its headquarters in Nakano, Tokyo, providing a better production environment. The company stated that the merger aims to allow staff from both studios, who have different cultures and technical backgrounds, to learn from each other and create animation that resonates with global audiences. MAPPA and Contrail will share the creative philosophies and production expertise they have each developed over time. The announcement did not specify any changes to Contrail's ongoing projects or leadership.
Netflix has shared new details about its recently announced strategic partnership with MAPPA, the Tokyo-based anime studio behind *Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc* and *Jujutsu Kaisen*. During a content presentation in Tokyo on Tuesday, Netflix's Kaata Sakamoto, head of content for the streamer in Japan, said multiple projects are already underway, spanning story development through merchandise. The partnership, first unveiled on Jan. 21, is designed to operate outside the traditional production committee system that typically governs Japan's anime industry. Sources close to the deal told The Hollywood Reporter that bypassing the committee model, where multiple companies pool funds to spread risk, will give MAPPA greater creative control over its titles while also giving Netflix a larger voice in the process. MAPPA president and CEO Manabu Otsuka, speaking when the partnership was announced, emphasized the importance of independence for Japanese animation studios as they court global audiences. Netflix framed the deal as a natural next step, noting that more than half of its members now watch anime and that overall anime viewership on the service has tripled over the past five years.
MAPPA is recruiting new graduates for the 2027 fiscal year, seeking CG creators, visual artists, and R&D personnel. Applications close on May 31, 2026. The studio, which employs 562 people as of April 2026, operates studios in Tokyo, Sendai, and Osaka. Upcoming works include 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Season 3 and 'Hell's Paradise' Season 2 in 2026.
NEXPACE, Nexon's blockchain subsidiary, announced a $10 million (1.6 billion yen) buyback of NXPC tokens for its MapleStory Universe project. The three-month program is framed as ecosystem support, not market intervention. The company cited 850,000 active wallets, first-time user spending exceeding rewards in Q1 2026, and 8.32 million NXPC burned. A content roadmap includes new classes, maps, and a boss, while the long-term vision shifts toward a builder-centric platform with AI-assisted game creation tools.
TOHO has announced a third season of the Dorohedoro anime, following the finale of the second season on May 27. Director Yuichiro Hayashi shared a commemorative illustration of the demon Haru singing to mark the renewal. Studio MAPPA returns for animation production, with Hayashi again directing. The second season premiered on April 1 across multiple platforms including Crunchyroll and Netflix, running for 11 episodes. A music video for the opening theme "Zettai Must Danmen" by (K)NoW_NAME was also released alongside the finale. The first season debuted in January 2020 on Netflix Japan and later globally. The manga by Q Hayashida ran from 2000 to 2018 across 23 volumes. No release date or distribution details for the third season have been announced yet.
A new promotional video for the Jujutsu Kaisen sequel manga Modulo was released, animated by MAPPA and directed by Shun Miyakawa. The PV commemorates the final volume's release on May 1. The spin-off, set 68 years after the Culling Game, follows an alien race seeking coexistence with jujutsu sorcerers.