Akibaccano Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium vol.2 was held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium for a second straight year, with Atsuki Suzumiya organizing. Itaru Hinoue, original illustrator of CLANNAD, drew the key visual. In the 2on2 BATTLE a record 200 teams applied, 60 people entered the KIDS battle, and the unit Sesshiyakuwan, made up of aitama and maru, took the tournament. Guest artist Spiraspica performed.
Yuki Kanamaru said on X on Thursday that the More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers manga will resume in the December issue of Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine in November. The series went on hiatus in March 2025 so Kanamaru could prepare and publish the final part at a steady pace. It returns with the 14th compiled volume, which begins that final part.
Sankaku Head announced in a Saturday livestream on Niconico that Umaru-chan 100, a new series in the Himouto! Umaru-chan manga, will start on Shueisha's Young Jump+ platform on October 1. The original manga ran in Weekly Young Jump from 2013 to 2017 and inspired a 12-episode television anime in July 2015, plus a second season, Himouto! Umaru-chan R, in October 2017.
Aogiri High School announced on October 2, 2026, that member Komaru Kurikoma will suspend activities starting the same day. The group said the hiatus was decided by management after discussions with the talent and will last for the time being, with no end date set. Because the matter involves contract-related details, management said it will refrain from disclosing the specific circumstances or reasons. The announcement asked fans to stop contacting Kurikoma or other members about the situation and apologized for the sudden notice. Further updates will be posted on the official X account, and management said it will keep working to create an environment where members can focus on their activities. Kurikoma debuted on August 14, 2021, alongside fellow first-year member Chiyoura Choumi, and her channel has 487,000 subscribers. She is known for frank, edgy content including live-action location videos.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store announced that two creators will join its VTuber project EchoVerse, with streaming debuts set for October 2026. Illustrator Kiseki Hiiro streams first on October 4 at 20:00, and video creator Iza Saraba follows on October 17 at 20:00. Both were chosen through a second-round audition held in April 2026, which sought expressive people working from techniques in illustration, music, and video. Character design for Kiseki Hiiro comes from Kaomin and for Iza Saraba from Kuga Funa. Their Live2D models were produced by Kanbutsu Himono and Iron Vertex. EchoVerse's first-generation member Hanayori Yoruha debuted in September 2025 and released a first original song, Bansoukou, in June 2026. The two new members will each design a label for a sake crowdfunding project tied to that song, running from October 1 with all affiliated creators taking part.
The Detective Precure! LIVE2026 Cureatto Nessho! Hanamaru Showtime☆ stage show is getting a Blu-ray release on February 19, 2027. The main feature carries the complete Mystery Night Performance, with daytime-only songs and MC segments as extras. A first-production-run edition adds an acrylic music box that plays an arrangement of the first-season ending theme Naze! Nazo?! ANSWER. Performers include Hikari Senga, Kaede Hondo, Ikumi Hasegawa and Nao Toyama.
City Connection's Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth has playable demos of Jajamaru no Hyakki Yakou Den and Baseball Fighting League Man Bases Loaded. The new Ninja Jajamaru-kun entry is a hack-and-slash action game set in a yokai party dungeon, scheduled for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. Players switch between sword, spear, kusarigama, hammer, and claws while collecting weapons and armor from treasure chests.
A Love Live! Sunshine!! pop up shop runs from Friday, October 2 to Monday, October 12, 2026 on the 8th floor of Shinjuku Marui Men, with free admission. Almabianca is running the shop, and the goods use newly drawn illustrations built around a "gal uniforms" concept. They include acrylic keychains, acrylic stands, desk mats, can badges, acrylic cards, bromide photos, and Halloween version chibi character items. A purchase lottery and a standee panel display are planned.
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, ZakuZaku Games held a stage event for RD no Enkaku Suiri, its desktop suspense game set for release within 2026 on PS5 and Switch. Original concept supervisor Takemaru Abiko, producer Manmaru, and director Koichi Tsuruta played the trial version and explained how D-Words work. The TGS build was adjusted after last year's survey, where players called it immersive but too difficult.
Taiwanese indie developer Rao Fenxiao released the yuri mystery comedy adventure Bloody Yuri: Serial Killer, Don't Get Between the Yuri for PC on Steam on September 15. Lily, who has a crush on her friend Sui, declares war on the culprit after a murder at the inn on their hot spring trip. Everyone other than the two leads appears as a silhouette, and choices branch the story into 10 endings. It costs 624 yen, discounted to 499 yen until September 29.
A stage adaptation of OVER REQUIEMZ is set for February 5 to February 10, 2027 at Mitsukoshi Theater in Tokyo. The production, titled OVER REQUIEMZ -Akuma Tsuki no Ouji Hen-, is based on a work by Idea Factory and Kogado Studio and will run in two versions, a Truth Route and a Fallen to Darkness Route. Ryusei Maruyama, Isami Hiraga, Kodai Miyagi, and Ryoma Baba lead the cast, with Sho Kubota writing and directing.
Amazon Japan lists the sixth volume of Mochimaru Sakaki's The World's Strongest Witch light novel series as the final one, shipping October 7. Square Enix published the first print volume in December 2022 with illustrations by riritto, and the fifth shipped in May 2025. Tamaki Toga's manga adaptation runs on Kodansha's Getsu Maga Kichi and Comic Days, with a 12th compiled volume out May 8. The television anime premieres the same day as the final novel.
During the Nintendo Direct broadcast on September 9, 2026, Imagineer announced a collaboration between its exercise game series Fit Boxing and the sword training simulation Touken Ranbu ONLINE. The new title, Fit Boxing Touken Ranbu -Shutsujin! Exercise Honmaru-, is scheduled for release on January 15, 2027, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Players exercise alongside six sword warriors who appear as 3D instructors, including Mikazuki Munechika, Oodachi Yasusada, and Tsurumaru Kuninaga. The game includes a Nito Kenbu Mode that lets players train with two sword warriors at once. Continuing exercise unlocks daily episodes in which players communicate with the characters. The Fit Boxing series has previously released collaboration titles such as Fit Boxing Fist of the North Star and Fit Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku. Touken Ranbu content had appeared in Fit Boxing 2 only as BGM DLC from the anime Touken Ranbu -Hanamaru-, making this the first full collaboration between the two franchises. The announcement was part of the Nintendo Direct 2026.9.9 showcase.
P Maru-sama will appear on NHK's Minna no Uta for the first time with "Zettai Seiten!!," airing October through November. She co-wrote the lyrics with producer Ryota Saito, her first attempt at writing lyrics. NOVECHIKA and Taishi Noguchi composed the track, and Kasuki Kato of Shirogumi handled the animation. Three other new songs join the same broadcast window.
City Connection announced its Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth lineup on September 1, with the event running September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe. The centerpiece is Jajamaru no Hyakki Yakouden, the latest Ninja Jajamaru-kun series title, a hack-and-slash action game planned for 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam. It will be playable at the booth, and visitors receive a double-sided mini uchiwa printed with Jajamaru-kun. The booth also hosts Yakyuu Kakutou League Man Bases Loaded, an HD remake of the 1993 arcade beat-em-up releasing December 10 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam; Jalecolle Famicom-hen: SHATTERHAND, a horizontal action re-release for Switch in 2026; and Muchi Muchi Pork! & Pink Sweets Boosted, a vertical bullet hell bundle arriving October 1 on Switch, PS5, and Steam. A photo spot corner themed around the Jajamaru game, with the yokai cast and a large Gama Pakkun, and a Natsume command time attack event on September 19 are also planned. A live stream on September 2 at 21:00 will detail the booth contents.
RE-MENT will release "BAD BADTZ-MARU ROOM" on September 21. The collection includes figures and miniature furniture of Sanrio's Badtz-Maru in 8 variations. It features cool and prickly items characteristic of the character. The price is 1,320 yen (tax included), and it will be sold at toy and novelty stores, character shops, and other locations.
City Connection announced Jajamaru's Hyakki Yakouden, a new hack-and-slash action game in the Ninja Jajamaru-kun series, during the Pixel Arcadia showcase streamed on August 25, 2026. The game is set for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC via Steam, where a store page opened the same day. The title was first teased at the City Connection 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Festival in December 2025, but this announcement revealed the platforms and shifted the release window from 2026 to 2027. Developed jointly by City Connection's team, which worked on the previous Jajamaru's Yokai Daikessen, and Amazing, known for Venus Eleven Vivid!, the game follows Jajamaru as he searches dungeons for the kidnapped Princess Sakura. Players use over 300 types of equipment, including ninja swords, kusarigama, and shuriken, and pass through glowing torii gates to trigger Hyakki Yakou Parades with special battle rules. Clearing dungeons teaches ninjutsu, and a base room allows stat and equipment upgrades, plus furniture that affects stats. The story culminates in a fight against the yokai general Nuraripiyoko. Western publishing is handled by Clear River Games.
Hamster Corporation will release Console Archives Little Princess: Maru Oukoku no Ningyou Hime 2 for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 on August 20, 2026. The game, priced at 1,500 yen, is a revival of Nippon Ichi Software's 1999 musical RPG for the original PlayStation. It is set 12 years after the previous game, Maru Oukoku no Ningyou Hime, and follows Kururu, the daughter of Cornet and Prince Ferdinand, as she travels the Maru Kingdom in search of her ideal prince. The battle system has been overhauled from the predecessor, with command-based combat where special moves consume HP and partner dolls use the in-game currency Inochium. Filling the Gratitude Gauge through doll attacks enables a powerful Reward attack. Defeated monsters can join the party as dolls, and equipping them boosts stats. The Console Archives series aims to faithfully reproduce classics on modern hardware, including features like button and screen customization and save/load anywhere. The previous game in the series is also available for the same platforms.
Cinefil WOWOW Plus on Amazon Prime Video announced that the dubbed version of Jackie Chan's 1978 action film Drunken Master will stream free on its official YouTube channel for two weeks starting August 14 at 9 PM. The film, directed and action-choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping, features Hiroya Ishimaru voicing Chan.
The live-action series adaptation of Yamayade's boys' love manga Can You Kiss Me First? has revealed a new visual and eight additional cast members. The series stars Jin Suzuki as Ueno and Gaku Oshida as Kanda, and will debut on Fuji TV this fall. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga for release in September.
Yuri Sonoda's Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi manga resumed with a new chapter on Kodansha's Comic Days website on Friday. Sonoda put the manga on hiatus in January 2025 for health reasons. She said the series will proceed at a slower pace but that she will continue to draw each chapter with care.
Wonder Festival 2026 Summer, held July 26 at Makuhari Messe, featured a wide range of figures from Hololive talents, independent VTubers like Amami Luka, and original characters by popular illustrators. The event included garage kits, pre-sales, and original sculpts across many genres.
Seven Seas Entertainment announced seven new manga licenses on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, spanning isekai adventures, supernatural horror, and a yuri romance. The slate includes The Berserker NPC Unknowingly Destroys the World, Influencer Hero: After Saving Another World, I Got Rich Streaming Dungeons!, Wandmaker of the Ruined World, The Kaiju Autopsy, The Moon Cries at the Final Wish, My House Cat Became the World's Strongest?!, and It's a Secret, Shirotae-sama. Each series will debut in English print between February and May 2027, with volume 1 priced at $13.99 USD / $18.99 CAD. Several titles are manga adaptations of existing light novels, including Wandmaker of the Ruined World, which is based on a novel by Hagane Kurodome with art by Nori Kazato and Kayahara. The Berserker NPC and Influencer Hero also originate from light novels, with the former's novel already available digitally from Seven Seas. The Kaiju Autopsy, a standalone work by Mado Saito, follows a scientist investigating a colossal kaiju corpse. The Moon Cries at the Final Wish, by Suu Minazuki, centers on a vampire angel and the Seven Luminaries. My House Cat Became the World's Strongest?! features a giant cat leading its owner through dungeons, while It's a Secret, Shirotae-sama is a vampire academy romance under the Seven Seas GL imprint.
The Josemaru short anime revealed its second teaser video and visual, lead cast member Riho Tsuda as the title character, and additional staff. New staff include character designer Mai Narushima, stop-motion animators from dwarf studios, and producers from TV Asahi. The anime premieres on TV Asahi's PicoAni block in January 2027.
The fourth season of the Fate/Grand Order: Ritsuka Fujimaru Doesn't Get It anime shorts was announced at the FGO Fes. 2026 event. It launches August 7 within the Club Chaldea FGO Radio Station program at 9:00 p.m. JST, with new episodes every two weeks. The shorts adapt Tsuchida's slapstick comedy manga about humanity's last master Ritsuka Fujimaru.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced the 35th anniversary festival "Glory Winners" for the Future GPX Cyber Formula series, scheduled for January 9, 2027, at Misato City Cultural Hall in Saitama. The event will feature daytime and evening sessions with cast members Junichi Kanemaru, Kotono Mitsuishi, Sho Hayami, and Toshihiko Seki, plus session-specific guests. Theme song artists Hironobu Kageyama, Aki Misato, and Dynamite Shige will perform live. Tickets cost 9,800 yen for all reserved seats, with the fastest advance reservation period running from August 5 at 5:00 PM to August 23 at 11:59 PM. MegaHouse will release two new products: the Cyber Formula Collection -Heritage Edition- DX, reproducing the rollout set of the new machine Zenis Asurada AKF-S0/G, and the Super Asurada 01 Circuit Mode NEON Ver. in cyber colors. The new short anime, a direct sequel to the 1998 OVA SIN, is directed by Mutsumi Fukuda and features machine design by Shoji Kawamori. A life-size Zenis Asurada model will be displayed at MegaHobby EXPO2026 on September 26, 2026, with a riding experience featuring Asurada's voice actor Kenichi Ono.
TOHO animation announced on Tuesday that Kamome Maruyono's comedy gourmet manga Dokagui Daisuki! Mochizuki-san is receiving a television anime adaptation. Animation studio Passione is producing the anime. TOHO revealed the adaptation at the end of a one-hour cooking video loop that began streaming on Tuesday, and Maruyono drew an illustration to celebrate the announcement. The manga centers on Mikoto Mochizuki, a woman with intense enthusiasm for eating enormous quantities of food. The ongoing series launched simultaneously in Hakusensha's Young Animal Zero magazine and the Young Animal Web manga site in May 2024. Hakusensha published the first compiled book volume in October 2024, and will publish the fourth volume on September 29. The manga was nominated in the 18th Manga Taisho awards in 2025, and was included on the list of top 20 manga for male readers in the 2026 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook. It also ranked #8 in the top 10 series in the Web Manga category of the Next Manga Awards 2024, and was the inaugural winner of that year's new Nichirei Prize.
The television anime adaptation of Mochimaru Sakaki's light novel series The World's Strongest Witch: I'm Starting My Free Life in a World Where Only I Can See the Online Strategy Guide has revealed two new cast members and an October 7 premiere date. Kana Hanazawa and Maria Naganawa join the previously announced cast, and the anime will air on Tokyo MX, BS11, TV Aichi, and MBS.
KADOKAWA will have a booth at Fate/Grand Order Fes. 2026 Chaldea School Festival on August 1-2, 2026, at Makuhari Messe. The booth will sell advance items from 14 Fate-related works, including newly illustrated goods for Fate/Grand Order: Fujimaru Ritsuka Doesn't Get It, Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Silver Blue, and others. Venue-limited clear cards and purchase bonuses are also planned.
NHK Enterprises announced the Ojarumaru 30th Anniversary Project on July 17, two years ahead of the series' 30th broadcast anniversary in October 2027. The first phase is the Ojarumaru Relaxed Mysterious Masterpiece Selection, a streaming collection of 50 episodes from 2016-2025 that were notable for their oddity. The episodes begin streaming on services including d Anime Store and Hulu. Commemorative T-shirts, plush toys, and re-released merchandise also launch.
MARGINE has begun sales of 'The Story That Begins at the Akizuki Teahouse,' a historical town exploration mystery ARG set in the real Edo-period castle town of Akizuki in Fukuoka Prefecture. The work contains no negative elements and is described as a 'light ARG.' Players solve story-driven puzzles tracing over 400 years of history, feelings, and memories. A VTuber guide, Akizuki Miihi (CV: Mashima Hiyori), accompanies the experience. The ARG is recommended by the current head of the Akizuki domain and supported by local tourism associations. It is priced at 2,500 yen.
Bocchiboromaru will perform the ending theme for The Elusive Samurai season 2, with three guest vocalists from idol group Hinatazaka46. The song is titled "Romantic ga Hoshii nara." The season premieres July 17 on Fuji TV and streams on Prime Video. Returning staff include director Yuta Yamazaki and character designer Yasushi Nishiya at CloverWorks.
Ryūki Ōnuma and Hikari Komaru's manga Doggo (also known as INNU) ended with its 74th chapter on YanMaga Web on Saturday. The final chapter stated both authors are currently preparing a new work. The series launched in August 2024 and moved to YanMaga Web in January. Seven Seas publishes the English edition.
Anime News Network published a five-part roundup of Tanabata greetings from across the anime, manga, and video game industries on July 7, 2026. The collection includes wishes and illustrations from official accounts for series such as Bungo Stray Dogs, Detective Conan, My Hero Academia, Sakamoto Days, Doraemon, Chibi Maruko-chan, Hell's Paradise, and Dragon Quest. Video game franchises like Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, and Like a Dragon also participated, alongside creators including Hideo Kojima, Yuki Kaji, and Shoko Nakagawa. Several series tied their posts to new releases: the second season of Yoroi Shin Den Samurai Troopers premiered on July 7, My Happy Marriage released a special Tanabata illustration and announced a three-episode special for 2026, and My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked began airing on July 8. The roundup also features greetings from manga titles like Chiikawa, MARRIAGETOXIN, and Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, as well as from studios Tatsunoko Production and Square Enix.
TheOASG Podcast Episode 247, released July 7, 2026, covers the late-June license announcements and the flood of acquisitions at Anime Expo 2026. Hosts Justin and Helen run through dozens of new manga and light novel licenses from J-Novel Club, Seven Seas, and Kodansha, plus a GKIDS home media release and a Suehiro Maruo work from Bubbles Zine.
Frontier Works announced a large-scale exhibition, "Hetalia 20th Anniversary Original Art Exhibition WorldFesta," for Tokyo and Osaka in autumn 2026. A key visual of Italy in a white prince outfit, newly drawn by Hidekazu Himaruya, was released. The event will display original pencil drawings and color illustrations, plus a life-sized Italy figure and photo spots.
Sekai Project announced during its Anime Expo panel that it will release Cabbage Soft's visual novel Jewelry Hearts Academia in the West in 2026. The company also showed a demo for Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka and revealed a Grisaia series merchandise collaboration with Frontwing for the series' 15th anniversary.
NHK revealed the trailer, five new cast members, and an August 12 premiere date for the live-action special based on Osamu Tezuka's autobiographical manga. The drama stars Kengo Kōra as Tezuka and Konosuke Harada as his wartime alter ego, weaving between 1945 Osaka and 1973 Tokyo.
Oh-Ami is producing a 1/6 scale figure of Danimaru's original character J○ Vampire Ruri. The figure features a desk pose with removable clothing and interchangeable parts. A deluxe edition adds water splash effect parts and a bonus expression. Reservations are open on Amazon Japan for a September 2027 release.
Nagisa Connect Inc. announced that the cumulative number of visitors to its VRChat social world Himari Ryokan has exceeded 3 million. The Japanese-style inn-themed world, designed for natural conversation and interaction, sees approximately 400,000 monthly visitors and has become one of Japan's leading VRChat social worlds since its release.
The official website for the television anime of Mochimaru Sakaki's The World's Strongest Witch light novel series began streaming a promotional video on Friday. The video reveals two new cast members: Fairouz Ai as Erimina, the master of the adventurers' guild known as the "Inferno Witch," and Honoka Inoue as Eruna, an elf princess who worries over her sick mother. Azusa Tachibana was previously announced as protagonist Rona Hermit. The anime is directed by Jōji Furuta at studios Bridge and Aisle and will premiere in October.
Bubbles Zine announced it has licensed Suehiro Maruo's horror collection New National Kid. The publisher will release the English edition in winter 2026-2027, with translation by Ryan Holmberg. Bubbles Zine previously published two other Maruo titles.
The YouTube channel "Yonino Channel," led by Kazunari Ninomiya and featuring Yuichi Nakamaru, Ryosuke Yamada, and Fuma Kikuchi, reached 5 million subscribers on June 19. The milestone came about 5 years and 2 months after the channel's launch in April 2021, making it the first STARTO ENTERTAINMENT-related YouTube channel to do so.
The Touken Ranbu ONLINE and J.League collaboration project Shutsujin! J.League Ouen Honmaru opened a special site and began advance goods sales. Twenty sword warriors from the game serve as cheer captains for all 20 J1 clubs for the 2026/27 season, with illustrations by lack. Collaboration events at stadiums start in October.
Kadokawa announced on Thursday that Jirō Sugiura and Umemaru's manga The Fake Alchemist will receive a television anime adaptation produced by Studio Passione. The announcement included a commemorative trailer, a teaser visual, and special illustrations of the character Nora drawn by both Sugiura and Umemaru. The manga, which began as an indie web novel, has sold over 1 million copies in Japan in its commercial edition. Sugiura expressed surprise at the adaptation, thanking supporters, while Umemaru said he looks forward to seeing the story animated. The story follows Paracelsus, a reincarnated alchemist hiding his cheat skills in the city-state of Orichalconia, who contracts with a shaman slave-girl named Nora and later meets an elf named Coco who has lost all four limbs and five senses. The manga launched on Kadokawa's KadoComi website in June 2023 and is ongoing, with the fifth compiled volume released on February 20. Yen Press publishes the manga in print, with volume two scheduled for June 23.
The collaboration between the theatrical film Uta no Prince-sama Taboo Night XXXX and the brand MAYLA will start accepting preorders for four shoe models on June 12, 2026. The pumps are inspired by Reiji Kotobuki, Ranmaru Kurosaki, Ai Mikaze, and Camus, priced at 30,800 yen each.
Chiyoko Maruume and Tokegoro launched the new manga Twilight Blade on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ platform on Wednesday. Viz Media's Shonen Jump service and Shueisha's MANGA Plus are publishing the manga digitally in English simultaneously with the Japanese release.
The Japan Animation Film Culture Association (NAFCA) has completed and released the original anime 'Hokuto to Kagemaru' on YouTube. The project began as educational material for the Animator Skill Test textbook, and a 2025 crowdfunding campaign exceeded its goal by 136%. The cast includes Yumiko Kobayashi, Hitomi Nabatame, and Shigeru Chiba, with character design by Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Satoshi Koike. A sequel is in production.
The television anime adaptation of the light novel series The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power has announced two additional cast members, Atsushi Tamaru as Gilbert and Nobuhiko Okamoto as Owen, along with a June 30 premiere date on AT-X and other Japanese channels. A new key visual was also revealed.
Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine announced on Thursday that the Gifted manga by Seimaru Amagi and Rima Amamiya will receive an anime adaptation broadcast in 2027. The manga, which launched in December 2021, follows a genius detective and a partner with the gift to identify murderers. It previously inspired a live-action series in 2023.