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Nas announced the official title and Steam store page for Needle In A Haystack Simulator on August 28, 2026. The game tasks players with finding one needle among 5 million pieces of straw. A teaser posted on August 22 has surpassed 52.58 million impressions. Release is planned for Q4 2026.
At gamescom dev in Cologne, EVE Online executive producer Snorri Arnason explained how the game fell into stagnation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Decision-making was paralyzed, trust collapsed between developers and players, and the company's internal knowledge base eroded as veterans left. He described the rebuilding method as stating plans, explaining the reasoning, and executing, then trying again on failure.
Shueisha's Grand Jump announced on August 19 that the launch of Rokudenashi Blues Gaiden: Onikazura is delayed from summer to winter and will now feature art by Yuki Yoshimoto. Boichi was originally announced as the artist. The manga is set in the early 1990s and centers on Onizuka and Kasai, two of the story's "four heavenly kings."
Hanashi Media announced it has licensed eight light novels for English release, announced in July and August. The slate includes The Hated Prince's Do-Over, Living the Slow Life as a Demon Lord, Shimotsuki-san Has a Thing for a Background Character, and The Sage of the Forbidden Library. The publisher will release the titles in English and Spanish.
Taito announced on August 27 that it will release "Arcade Collection PART2," the fifth additional SD card for the tabletop arcade cabinet Egret II Mini, on March 25, 2027. The announcement came during a Famitsu LIVE broadcast. The card includes 10 games released between 1980 and 1993 by Universal (now Universal Entertainment) and Irem (Irem Software Engineering), such as "Lady Bug," "Undercover Cops," and "Cheeky Mouse." With this addition, the total number of playable titles across the Egret II Mini series reaches 100. The card sells for 9,878 yen and bundles a 32-page strategy guide, "Dengeki TAITO STATION VOLUME 6," plus an Instruction Card Mini for each of the 10 titles. Pre-orders have begun. On December 17, 2026, Taito will release three dedicated peripherals in a Violet Color: the Paddle & Trackball Controller, the Control Panel, and the Control Pad. Connecting the Paddle & Trackball Controller adds 10 titles such as "Arkanoid" and "Cybattler" without needing an SD card. A set bundling the Egret II Mini Violet Color body with Arcade Collection PART2 is set for March 25, 2027 at 31,856 yen.
D3 Publisher announced its exhibition plans for Tokyo Game Show 2026, running September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe. The company's booth, Hall5 05-C03, will feature trial stations for three Earth Defense Force titles, including the PlayStation 5 game 'Earth Defense Force 6.2 INVADERS FROM ANOTHER WORLD.' Visitors can also try 'Earth Defense Force 5 for Nintendo Switch 2,' releasing October 8, and 'Earth Defense Force 6 for Nintendo Switch 2,' due this winter. The booth stage will host events introducing new titles, with live streams on YouTube and Niconico Douga. Details on event content and schedules will be posted on D3 Publisher's and Earth Defense Force's official X accounts, plus a dedicated TGS2026 special site. The announcement trailer is available on YouTube. The company also opened a special site for the event. The trial corner highlights the series' signature feature of battling overwhelming enemy numbers, with partial weapon customization available in the PS5 title.
The television anime adaptation of Mochimaru Sakaki's light novel series The World's Strongest Witch has revealed its main promotional video, main visual, and additional cast and staff. The new trailer also previews the opening and ending theme songs. The anime is set to premiere on Tokyo MX, BS11, and TV Aichi on October 7, 2026, and on MBS on October 10, 2026. Yuto Uemura joins the cast as Reinhardt Highwind, the town's gatekeeper. Previously announced cast members include Azusa Tachibana as protagonist Rona Hermit, Fairouz Ai as Erimina, the guild master known as the "Inferno Witch," Honoka Inoue as elf princess Eruna, Kana Hanazawa as guildmaster Aries Tear Bluemoon, and Maria Naganawa as water dragon princess Ruru Ru Rie. Joji Furuta directs the anime at studios Bridge and Aisle, with Shoji Yonemura handling series scripts, Yuki Morimoto designing characters, and Arisa Okehazama composing music. HoneyWorks feat. HaKoniwalily performs the opening theme "Eikyoryoku∞Idol," and Rokudenashi performs the ending theme "Hoshi o Muguru." The anime adapts Sakaki's original story, which began serializing on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in May 2022, with a manga adaptation by Tamaki Toga.
Sony Music Entertainment began order-based sales of 4th Anniversary Goods for VEE virtual talents Anew Uparu and Luminous Sweet at the VEE Official Shop. Each acrylic diorama stand, priced at 4,500 yen, includes a bonus sticker using new illustration by Kutori Panya. Orders run through September 6.
The television anime adaptation of A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage is set to premiere in January 2027, as announced on Friday. King Amusement Creative revealed a teaser promotional video, a teaser visual, and the main cast and staff. Tomoaki Maeno will voice Eiji Kirisame, a forty-year-old detective, and Inori Minase will voice Tsugumi Kuchinashi, a silent high school girl who communicates through doodles on a drawing pad, one of which proposes marriage. Takaaki Ishiyama directs the series at EMT Squared, with Shigeru Murakoshi overseeing series scripts, Miyuki Nakamura designing characters, Hiroto Morishita as sound director, and Kana Hashiguchi composing the music. The source manga, written by Shinichi Sawaragi and illustrated by Tank Gasuyama, began serialization in Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine in December 2022 and has 400,000 copies in circulation. Yen Press licensed the manga in English and released the first volume on March 24.
Toplitz Productions announced the third anniversary update for Sengoku Dynasty, the open-world survival sim from Superkami. The free update, named Kagura after Japanese ceremonial music, adds furniture and items rooted in faith and daily life, including a kamidana shrine shelf, kongo rei bell, taiko drum, shime decoration, and shakuhachi flute. A legendary weapon set inspired by kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with gold, is also included. The update also brings several bug fixes.
KADOKAWA's online lottery service Kujibikido is offering an Akane-banashi lottery with newly drawn illustrations of Akane, Hikaru, and Karashi in modern Japanese-style clothing. Prizes include BIG acrylic stands, acrylic stand figures, keychains, bromides, and can badges. Sales run from August 19 to September 16, 2026, at 770 yen per draw.
The television anime of Nao Iwamoto's Marronnier Okoku no Shichinin no Kishi manga revealed its first promotional video, main visual, cast, and October 3 premiere on NHK Educational. Kengo Takanashi, Makoto Tanikawa, Haruki Ishiya, Satoshi Inomata, Kiyoto Mizuno, Taishi Murata, and Reiji Kawashima voice the seven knight brothers. Kiyoko Sayama directs at J.C. Staff.
NASA has changed the launch vehicle for its SunRISE mission, which studies solar storms using six CubeSats, from ULA's Vulcan Centaur to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. The reason was not disclosed, though the change follows anomalies in two of Vulcan Centaur's four launches. The launch date remains undetermined.
Good Smile Company opened pre-orders for a deformed figure of Akane Sakura from the TV anime Akane-banashi, based on her first rakugo performance. The Mini Memory figure stands about 80mm tall, includes a base, and is priced at 3,900 yen on Amazon.co.jp, with release scheduled for January 31, 2027.
Koei Tecmo Games announced a Summer Sale on July 28, offering titles on PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, and Nintendo eShop at up to 85% off. Discounts apply to Nioh 3, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, its Dreamlike Four Heroes DLC, Fate/Samurai Remnant, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Sale periods vary by store, ending between July 30 and August 12.
The staff for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia revealed three new cast members on Thursday. Akira Ishida plays Dayir, Inori Minase plays Khulan, and Shōya Chiba plays Kurtogan. The characters appear in the anime's sixth episode on Saturday.
Ize Press announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 that it has licensed two boys-love webcomics, Codename: Anastasia and Mignon, for English print publication. Codename: Anastasia, an espionage thriller, will be released in March 2027, while Mignon, a romance between an underground boxer and a vampire doctor, will get a special box set in January 2027.
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.
Anna Nagase, the voice of Akane Osaki in the Akane-banashi anime, spoke with Anime Herald at Anime Expo 2026 about her preparation for the role. She described over a year of rakugo practice, the influence of co-star Akio Otsuka, and the challenge of balancing the character's bright and dark sides.
TOHO Movies has unveiled the first full trailer, teaser, cast, and character visuals for the new live-action Kaiji film, titled Kaiji: Jinsei Revenge Game. Tatsuya Fujiwara returns as Kaiji, with Kazuya Kamenashi, Mahiro Takasugi, Sara Minami, and Susumu Terajima joining the cast. The film opens in Japanese theaters on January 29.
Koei Tecmo Games opened digital pre-orders on July 21 for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition, the dark Three Kingdoms action RPG developed by Team NINJA. The game is set for release on September 3, 2026, priced at 7,480 yen. The Complete Edition bundles the base game with all three DLC packs: Battle of Zhongyuan, Little Conqueror of Jiangdong, and Storm of Jingzhou. It also includes new weapon types (gauntlets, long sword, whip), additional scenarios for Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and Liu Bei's forces, expanded stage difficulty, the endgame content Thousand-Mile Journey of the Demon Realm, and collaboration equipment and stages from NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, Lies of P, and Nioh 2. The Switch 2 version supports both online and local multiplayer for up to three players. Pre-order bonuses include the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger battle armor sets, plus the Historical Records item that reveals flag locations on the minimap. A limited-time Black Tortoise Battle Armor Set will be distributed to Switch 2 version owners until September 30, 2026. The sequel, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, is planned for early 2027 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
NHK has added six actors to the cast of its special period drama "Zenigata Heiji" starring Kazuya Kamenashi. The newcomers portray members of the traveling troupe Hanakage-sha and shogunate officials who hold the key to the story. The 89-minute special airs August 21 on NHK One and will be streamed on NHK Plus.
The 'Something Genuine' series published a conversation with Anastasia Muñoz, the voice of Serie in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. The interview moves beyond her anime credits to discuss her work as a theater educator, fine arts department head, and founder of the nonprofit Arts Mission Oak Cliff, as well as her views on creativity and AI.
At Anime Expo 2026, representatives from TV Asahi, Dentsu, and SEGA described a shared strategy of lowering barriers for overseas audiences. TV Asahi's Akane-banashi anime released episodes on YouTube in three languages, while Dentsu's Gachiakuta campaign built a global community narrative. The panel argued that the content itself does not need to change; the key is improving access and engagement.
Kazuya Kamenashi stars in the period drama 'Zenigata Heiji,' which previously aired on BS8K in March. The drama will have its terrestrial premiere on NHK General TV on August 21. The cast includes Tomoya Oku, Erika Ikuta, Takenori Goto, and Katsumi Takahashi. The script is by Junpei Yamaoka, music by Akio Izutsu, and direction by Keisuke Toyoshima. Kamenashi expressed honor and pressure in taking on the role.
TV Asahi announced six new English dub cast members for the Akane-banashi anime during its Anime Expo panel. The dub cast includes Kari Wahlgren, Greg Chun, Ben Diskin, SungWon Cho, Crispin Freeman, and Keith Silverstein. The anime will return for a second season in January 2027.
Osaka game center KO-HATSU announced on July 4 that the preliminaries for the 10th Denko Taikai, the official national tournament for SUBTLE STYLE's arcade fighting game Ennead Complete World Anastasis, will begin on July 11. Store preliminaries run through August 16 at eight locations, with finals at KO-HATSU on August 29-30. Participants receive newly drawn postcards from the developer.
Bandai opened pre-orders on Premium Bandai for the HG 1/144 Hydra Gundam from New Mobile Report Gundam W Dual Story G-UNIT, alongside seven reissue kits including the RG Mass Production Z'Gok, HG Gundam Griepe, and HG Gundam Geminass. The Hydra Gundam transforms into mobile armor form and costs 5,500 yen.
The staff for the Though I Am an Inept Villainess anime released a subtitled promotional video on Sunday that announces and previews the ending theme song "Shooting Star" by Rokudenashi. Eve wrote the lyrics and music. The anime premieres July 12 on TV Tokyo, Netflix in Asia, Crunchyroll globally, and Hulu.
The TV anime "Futsutsuka na Akujo de wa Gozaimasu ga ~Hinagiku Chōso Torikae Den~" released its pre-broadcast PV, showing the schemes and negotiations in the harem and deepening the relationship between Huang Linglin and Zhu Huiyue. The ending theme is "Hōkiboshi" by Rokudenashi, with lyrics and composition by Eve. Streaming begins July 13, and the anime airs on TV Tokyo from July 12.
COVER Corporation announced the first official concert delay view screening of Takanashi Kiara and Ninomae Ina'nis' "Drawn to Dawn" and a free screening of "hololive English 3rd Concert -All for One- Day 1" at Hyper Japan Festival 2026 in London from July 24-26. Tickets for the paid screening go on sale June 25.
Anime Corner released the results of its twelfth weekly poll for the Spring 2026 season on June 26, based on over 4,000 votes from fans worldwide. Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2 took first place with 8.18% of the vote, marking its third weekly victory of the season. Witch Hat Atelier climbed to second place with 6.19%, while Classroom of the Elite IV secured third with 5.00%. I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class reached a new season-high in fourth place at 4.54%, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4 rounded out the top five with 4.40%. The poll ranks 58 series total, with titles like Dr. Stone: Science Future Part 3, Marriagetoxin, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm following in the top ten. Anime Corner noted that the rankings reflect community preferences and are not a definitive guide. The site also began collecting votes for its Spring 2026 Anime of the Season award.
The spinoff manga PARANORMASIGHT: File 25 - Reikan Shōjō Kurosuzu Mio no Kaigō will conclude with its second volume, shipping August 6. The series, by Hinase Momoyama, tells an original story set after the events of Square Enix's game PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. The manga launched on Square Enix's Manga UP! platform in November 2025, with the first volume released in February 2026.
The season finale of Akane-banashi is a quiet denouement following Akane's Karaku Cup victory. She receives the stage name Arakawa Akane, begins learning taiko drum, and sees her performance go viral, causing a surge in popularity at school. The episode focuses on the aftermath and her friends' ambitions, setting up future seasons without a cliffhanger.
NASEF Japan will hold a press conference on June 30 to announce the outline of the 4th All Japan High School eSports Championship, designed with input from an executive committee of high school eSports club advisors. The organization will also introduce a new certification system for training eSports instructors to support club activities.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced a policy to generally ban generative AI use in elementary schools, effective from the new school year starting late August 2026. Children aged 6 to 13 will not be allowed to use AI, while those 14 to 16 may use it only under teacher supervision. The government also plans legislation requiring municipalities to provide paper textbooks, reversing a long-standing digital-first policy.
TV Asahi announced on Saturday that the Akane-banashi anime will return for a second season in January 2027. The announcement came with the conclusion of the first season's Karaku Cup Arc. Six new cast members were revealed for characters who appeared in the season finale: Hochu Otsuka as Miroku Kashiwaya, Ryotaro Okiayu as Shomei Tsubakiya, Hiroshi Naka as Enso Sanmeitei, Mutsumi Tamura as Urara Ransaika, Shinichiro Miki as Ryu'un Kenputei, and Tomokazu Seki as Chocho Konjakutei. The second season will follow Akane after she graduates high school and becomes an apprentice of Shiguma Arakawa, starting her professional career as a rakugoka under the name Akane Arakawa. Studio ZEXCS returns for animation production, with Ayumu Watanabe directing. The first season aired on TV Asahi's IMAnimation block starting April 4. The anime is based on the manga by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue, which launched in Weekly Shonen Jump in February 2022. Viz Media publishes the manga in English.
The Steam version of Melty Blood: Type Lumina, a fighting game set in the Tsukihime universe, is 70% off until June 26. The game features over 10 characters, a story mode written by Kinoko Nasu, and Fate collaboration fighters like Saber and Mash. A new title, Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina, was announced at EVO Japan 2026.
Toplitz Productions and UMEO Studios released an update for the life and farming sim Farmer's Dynasty 2, currently in Early Access on PC. The update adds the Riverside Sawmill, where logs can be processed into planks for sale, building renovations, or furniture crafting. It also introduces tree planting with five sapling types, stump removal, and byproduct collection.
Developer Render Cube announced the free 'The Wild Game' update for Medieval Dynasty, focusing on hunting, releasing September 22. The update adds legendary animal variants and trophies. A paid 'Hunting Set' DLC and free content for 'Exquisite Pack' owners launch simultaneously. A new map DLC 'The Backwood' is planned for 2027.
The Peruvian-set film 'Reinas', directed by Claudia Reynicke and selected as Switzerland's entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, will be released in Japan on August 21 under the title 'My Little Queens'. The story follows an estranged father and his two daughters spending their last summer together in 1992 Peru before the mother moves them to Minnesota.
Episode 11 of Akane-banashi shifts to a celebratory cooldown after the Karaku Cup victory, with a party scene that fills most of the runtime. The episode also begins to explore whether Akane's father's rakugo was simply not good enough, planting a seed of doubt about the art form's survival.
Two major fan polls for the Spring 2026 anime season have released their Week 10 results, covering episodes aired from June 3 to June 9. Anime News Network's reader poll ranked Akane-banashi at number one for the weekly episode ranking, with Witch Hat Atelier and Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun rounding out the top three. In the cumulative ranking, Witch Hat Atelier held the top spot, followed by Dorohedoro and Nippon Sangoku. Anime Corner's separate poll, which collected over 6,000 votes, showed a different leader: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 took first place for the seventh consecutive week with 12.63% of the vote. Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2 climbed to second place at 5.88%, narrowly beating Witch Hat Atelier at 5.85%. Anime Corner noted that Marriagetoxin achieved its highest placement of the season at sixth place, and Akane-banashi entered its top ten for the first time this spring.
Toplitz Productions released the 'Shokunin' update version 1.2.2.1 for Sengoku Dynasty, an open-world survival sim set in the Sengoku period. The update adds beekeeping, pottery crafting, new building elements like stone foundations and clay tile roofs, new weapons, decorative board games, UI improvements, and bug fixes. A known visual bug after seasonal changes is noted.
The production team for the anime adaptation of My Classmate's a Sexy Actress, and Now We Live Together?! has set a July 5, 2026 premiere date. They also released a character promo focused on Ruka Someya, voiced by Hitomi Yanagi. The anime adapts Nigo Shoji's manga Onaji Semi no Someya-san ga AV Joyū datta Hanashi, which ran for eight chapters in KATTS' Ananga Langa magazine from 2023 to 2024. Studio Hokiboshi, known for hentai adaptations such as Adam's Sweet Agony, is animating the series. Narue Kurotsuguchi directs, with Eeyo Kurosai handling series composition and Hapirai Chokomi on character design. Riku Miyazora co-stars as Ryosuke Kamiya. The theme song is Sakura Momo's "Mirai Contrail." The first episode will stream early on June 12 via DMM TV and AnimeFesta. The broadcast version will be censored, with an uncensored version available through premium streaming. No Western streaming service has licensed the series yet.
Koei Tecmo Games released Ver1.305 for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty on June 8, the game's first update since February 2024. The patch further weakens the early-game boss Zhang Liang, reducing his Spirit and HP damage in both human and demon forms while increasing the Spirit damage he takes. Player-side adjustments include easier Divine Beast gauge filling during the fight and full HP and healing item restoration after the battle.
Koei Tecmo Games announced the Switch2 version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition will release on September 3 for 7,480 yen. The package includes the base game, all three DLC volumes, bonus armor sets, and the endgame content The Thousand-Mile Journey. A limited-time Black Tortoise Battle Armor Set is available for Switch2 owners through September 30.
A sofubi figure of Medunas, based on Yoshitita Amano's art piece Deva Loka, is available via lottery at the Medicom Toy Official Store. The 31 cm tall figure costs 165,000 yen, includes a signed guarantee card, and is sculpted by Rinnosuke with color design by Pied Piper. The lottery runs until June 10, 2026.
Good Smile Company has opened pre-orders for a Nendoroid of Takanashi Hoshino in her battle form from the game Blue Archive. The figure, listed on Amazon.co.jp at 7,130 yen, includes a shotgun, shield, auxiliary pistol, and three face plates: composed, serious, and embarrassed. It stands about 100 mm tall and is scheduled for release on November 30, 2026. The prototype was handled by Hora with production cooperation from Nendoron. Separately, Good Smile also began pre-orders for a Nendoroid Surprise trading figure set featuring six Blue Archive characters: Shiroko, Hoshino, Nonomi, Serika, Ayane, and Shiroko*Terror. That set costs 10,450 yen for a box of six, with a release date of January 31, 2027. Both items are available through Amazon.co.jp as of June 5, 2026.
P.A.Works has launched the 2026 edition of its Kissuiso MUSEUM project, an annual fan art initiative supporting the Yuwaku Bonbori Festival in Ishikawa Prefecture. The studio is soliciting illustrations, paintings, manga, and photos of three-dimensional objects themed around Yuwaku Onsen Town and the Hanasaku Iroha series. Selected works will be compiled into a catalog, with 200 copies donated to the festival committee. Applications are open from June 5 to August 16, 2026.