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TIFFCOM 2026 and the Tokyo International Film Festival have named 24 projects for the 7th Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, including five animated ones. Two are Japanese: Ayumi Moriyama and OLM's Mahora, and YKBX and P.I.C.S.'s Princess Zonof. The market runs October 28 to 30 and takes projects that have already raised at least 60 percent of their budgets.
BANDAI SPIRITS revealed the full lineup for Ichiban Kuji Disney Princess Enchanted Glow, a no-loser lottery. The A and B prizes are Beauty and the Beast figures recreating the ballroom scene where Belle and Beast's gazes meet. C prize is a Charm Collection BOX with a rose metal charm. D through F are goblet-style glasses for Belle, Rapunzel, and Ariel. G through K cover mini figures, mini canvas boards, can mirrors, rubber and sticker collections. The Last One prize is a stained-glass light. Release is September 5 at 781 yen.
KADOKAWA's online lottery service Kujibikido has added a Princess Lover! lottery featuring original goods. Sales begin September 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM, priced at 770 yen per draw. The lineup includes an extra-large cloth poster, wall scrolls, acrylic panels, keychains, and can badges. A repost campaign on X offers three winners a full set of can badges, and purchases of 10-draw sets include a random mini bromide.
A Japan Powered review of Agents of the Four Seasons Dance of Spring argues the story sidesteps the folktale damsel trope by making the prince unnecessary. The review notes Hinagiku, Agent of Spring, frees herself after a decade of captivity, with guard Sakura coaxing her back. Rosei, Agent of Winter, later acts as the prince, but Hinagiku saves him spiritually, and both women stand as equals to their male counterparts.
The official website for the new Fairy Princess Minky Momo OVA announced four more cast members on Friday: Show Hayami as the King of Diginarsa, Kikuko Inoue as the Queen, Kazuyuki Okitsu as Momo's father, and Mie Sonozaki as her worrywart mother. The OVA opens in Japanese theaters on November 13.
Dark Horse Manga announced at Anime NYC on Friday that it will release two graphic novels in Hideyuki Kikuchi and Yoshitaka Amano's Vampire Hunter D franchise. The Vampire Hunter D: Fortress of Blood comic debuts December 16, and the English translation of Saiko Takaki's Vampire Hunter D: Rose Princess manga arrives in March 2027.
Anime News Network's weekly games column covers Sony's State of Play with Phantom Blade Zero, the return of Kingdom Hearts and Princess Maker, plus Kingdom Hearts 4 footage from D23 and a new Kingdom Hearts TV series. The column also notes the passing of Hayden Panettiere, the original voice of Kairi.
Tomohito Takatsuka and Yōko Hikasa have joined the cast of the new Fairy Princess Minky Momo OVA, playing the young man Rubato and the boy Peter. The OVA, titled Mahō no Princess Minky Momo Akogare no Yume e Magokoro no Duo, opens in Japan on November 13. It is the franchise's first new OVA since 1994's Minky Momo in The Station of Your Memories.
The official website for Uta no Princess-sama, the female idol counterpart to Uta no Prince-sama, announced last Saturday that the project's third anniversary concert has been canceled due to "various circumstances." The concert was announced in December without a date or venue. The project launched in March 2023 and features two trio groups, Flower Candy and Silent Queen.
Scholastic announced five new titles under its Graphix imprint in partnership with Tezuka Productions, each reimagining a manga by Osamu Tezuka. The lineup: Atomcat/Astro Cat, Princess Knight, The Three-eyed One, Triton of the Sea, and Zero Man. Samuel Sattin returns as writer, continuing from Unico: Awakening, with Japanese artists handling illustrations. Unico: Awakening launched August 6, 2024 with art by Gurihiru and will end with its eighth volume; volume three shipped July 7.
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.
Ahead of the November 13 release of the new OVA Magical Princess Minky Momo: Toward the Yearning Dream - Duet of Sincerity, the KAC official YouTube channel will stream both TV seasons free for a limited time starting August 10. Season 1 airs in five weekly blocks through September 14.
Takara Tomy Arts is adding Disney Princesses to its gacha figure series "Shoulder Lean Fig.," a concept line where characters lean onto another's shoulder and appear to have fallen asleep. The new capsule product includes five types: Jasmine, Belle, Rapunzel, Moana, and Ariel. Each figure measures approximately 3.9 to 4.2 centimeters in total length. The price is 400 yen per play, tax included, with a scheduled release in late August 2026. The figures are palm-sized and designed to be displayed together, creating a chain of shoulder leans that extends across different Disney animated films. Photos of the products are samples under development, and actual products may differ in some respects. The series is copyrighted by Disney.
Anime News Network's weekly release list for August 2-8 covers one anime title and dozens of print manga volumes. The anime release is Rooster Fighter in a limited edition Blu-ray set from Viz Media. The manga slate includes new series debuts like Crescent Moon Marching, Girl Meets Rock!, and The Princess Groom, alongside ongoing series such as Kagurabachi and D.Gray-man.
Manga UP! Global released five manga in English over the past few weeks, including I'm Now the Princess of Spring in Another World, Fantasy Gourmet, Sunbeams in the Sky, Since I Was Confessed To, Milady Has Been Acting Strange, and School Submarine Fleet: Mermaid Girls. The titles span isekai, romance comedy, and sci-fi action genres.
Netflix began streaming the final trailer for The Ribbon Hero, the new anime film based on Osamu Tezuka's Princess Knight manga, on July 30. The trailer previews the English dub and reveals five new cast members who play Sapphire's coworkers at a mining site. Yoshimasa Hosoya voices Rock, Mito Tsukino voices Hecate, Yusuke Tezuka voices Chorogy, Lunlun voices Chick, and Debidebi Debiru voices Tack. Mito Tsukino, Lunlun, and Debidebi Debiru are VTubers affiliated with NIJISANJI, and these are their first roles in a feature-length anime. The film stars Saya of comedy duo Lalande as Sapphire, in what Netflix says is her first leading role in a feature-length animated production. Seiran Kobayashi voices Pine, Koki Uchiyama voices Velvet, Mayumi Shintani voices Zirco, and Haruhiko Jo voices Pope. Yuuki Igarashi directs the film at his new studio OUTLINE, marking his feature-length directorial debut. The film premieres exclusively on Netflix worldwide on August 8. The story follows Sapphire, a princess who loses her homeland of Silverland to a calamity called Nergal, then finds hope in Goldland before Nergal returns.
The official website for the new Fairy Princess Minky Momo OVA has revealed a video, visual, and cast. The OVA stars Kurumi Haruki as Minky Momo, with Fukushi Ochiai, Natsumi Fujiwara, and Rie Kugimiya in supporting roles. It opens in Japan on November 13 and is the franchise's first new OVA in 32 years.
The 1987 Dragon Ball theatrical film Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle will air on TOKYO MX on July 19, 2026 at 20:00. It is the second broadcast in a series following last year's airing of the first Dragon Ball film. The film features Goku and Krillin rescuing a sleeping princess from demons.
MiliPro talent Nonono Otono released her sixth single 'Princess Viral' under the agency's in-house label Million RECORDS on July 10-11, 2026. The move marks her departure from Universal Music. The song was produced by VOCALOID creator yowanecity, with animation by Ichimaru.
The novel adaptation of Shingo Yamashita's Cosmic Princess Kaguya! anime film topped Oricon's monthly light novel ranking for June 2026, selling 15,049 copies. The film's limited theatrical run ended on June 18, and Netflix began streaming it in January. Classroom of the Elite: Year 3 Vol. 4 dropped to #2, and Ryohgo Narita's DON'T BLEACH MY FIST debuted at #3.
Hamster Corporation will release the 1998 musical RPG "Märchen Kingdom: The Puppet Princess" as part of its Console Archives series for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 on July 9, 2026. The game, originally developed by Nippon Ichi Software for 32-bit home consoles, is priced at 1,500 yen. The story follows a girl named Cornet who has the mysterious ability to befriend dolls, and she sets out to rescue a prince kidnapped by villains. Players cooperate with dolls that fight alongside Cornet as they progress through the adventure. The Console Archives series aims to faithfully reproduce classic titles on modern hardware, adding features such as button and screen customization, anywhere save and load, and CRT-style screen filters. This marks the first Nippon Ichi Software title to appear in the Console Archives lineup. The game was followed by two sequels, and a 25th anniversary collection containing all three titles was released in 2024 for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
The raising simulation game 'Princess Maker: Children of Prophecy', the first new package entry in the series in 18 years, has achieved 'Overwhelmingly Positive' recent user reviews on Steam, with 95% of 110 reviews in the last 30 days being positive. Early access began July 3, 2025. A version 0.9.7 update released July 6 adds new dresses, a Fate Card, and expanded weapon shop inventory.
Kadokawa released the first teaser promotional video and teaser visual for the television anime adaptation of Toru Shirogane's The Kept Man of the Princess Knight light novel series on Monday. The anime is set to debut in January 2027. The teaser trailer features Junichi Suwabe as Matthew and Mikako Komatsu as Arwin, the Crimson Princess Knight. Newly announced staff members include action director Hibiki Yamaguchi, prop and monster design by Recommendation, Inc., art setting by Shingo Kakimoto, art direction by Ryōsuke Kawai, color design by Naomi Nakano, 3D direction by Yoshinori Ban, 2D works by Yumeta Company, compositing direction by Kōdai Washizu, offline editing by Nobutaka Maki and Kiminori Yoshida, music by Taku Iwasaki, sound direction by Satoshi Motoyama, and casting management by Ippei Tomari. Chihiro Kumano is directing the series at BLADE. Hisao Ishii is designing the characters based on Saki Mashima's original light novel designs. Deko Akao is handling series scripts. The light novel series won the 28th annual Dengeki Novel Awards grand prize and has over 200,000 copies in circulation. Yen Press publishes the novels in English.
Akihiro Miwa, the singer, actor, and voice actor known for roles as the Witch of the Waste in Howl's Moving Castle and Moro in Princess Mononoke, died on June 20 of old age. He was 91. His agency announced his passing on Sunday, stating he had been convalescing at home after his health declined three months ago.
Anime News Network's review of episodes 11 and 12 of The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King finds the finale unsurprising in both its romantic resolution and its heavy-handed treatment of the series' central theme about dehumanizing enemies. The reviewer notes that while the romantic plot concludes happily, the broader political conflict remains unresolved, and the show continues to struggle with how it portrays women.
Manga creator Akiko Higashimura is directing and scripting her first live-action series, "Vacance no Hōsoku," for streaming service ABEMA. The series stars Kanna Hashimoto and Chae Jong Hyeop, and will premiere on July 27 with 18 episodes released free on a weekly schedule.
The staff for The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King anime released a new visual and promotional video on Saturday previewing the show's climax. The final episode will air on June 25. The series debuted on April 9 after a delay from October 2025.
247 Comics is launching a Kickstarter for a 20th Anniversary Collection of Misaho Kujiradou's Princess Ai manga. The edition includes the original trilogy, rare vault material, and extras. No launch date has been announced. The concept was created by Courtney Love and D.J. Milky, with character design by Ai Yazawa. The manga originally ran in Wings magazine from 2004 to 2005 and was published in English by Tokyopop.
Anime News Network reviews episodes 9 and 10 of The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King, noting inconsistent animation in a hot springs scene and praising episode 10 for world-building and character growth as Sera confronts her assumptions about the world beyond Illdoran.
The official website for the new Fairy Princess Minky Momo OVA, titled Fairy Princess Minky Momo: A Duo of Sincerity Toward a Dream of Longing, announced on Saturday that the film will open in Japanese theaters on November 13. The OVA is the franchise's first new animated release since 1994's Minky Momo in The Station of Your Memories, marking a 32-year gap. The story is set in Diginarsa, the land of dreams and hopes, which is sustained by dream energy. As humans lose their dreams and hopes, the dream energy decreases, threatening the land's existence. The king sends three companions-Chamocha, Dettabook, and Pipirupi-to seek help from Minky Momo. On her 12th birthday, a girl named Momo receives a smartphone and awakens as Minky Momo after meeting the companions, resolving to save Diginarsa. As she collects dream energy, a mysterious app becomes popular, but the dreams children share on the app are frivolous, driven by desire for recognition or views. Momo begins to question everyone's dreams. Ayumu Watanabe directs the OVA at Ashi Production, with Deko Akao writing the script and Hiroshi Watanabe and Mari Tominaga handling character designs. The original 1982 series was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama.
The Anime Feminist weekly round-up for May 27 to June 2, 2026, features a retrospective on Please Save My Earth, a look at the troubled Vampire Princess Miyu Blu-ray release, a BL scholarship announcement, and other articles on magical girl history and queer themes in anime.
Shingo Yamashita's Cosmic Princess Kaguya anime film will end its Japanese theatrical run on June 18, after a limited release that began February 20. The film earned a cumulative total of 2.526 billion yen as of May 17. A stage event is scheduled for June 19.
Writer Robinson Haruhara and artist Taishi Tsutsui will launch a new manga titled Animal Signal in Weekly Shonen Jump on June 8. The series is a bishojo animal comedy about an organization called the Anima Countermeasures Center. Haruhara wrote 'Tis Time for Torture Princess and Tsutsui created We Never Learn.
Anime Feminist reviewed the premiere of "The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King," a fantasy comedy that aired on April 11, 2026. The episode opens with lady knight Serafina captured by eastern warrior Veor after a seven-year war. He chains her in a cell, has her forcibly stripped and bathed, then announces he will court her as his bride. The show frames Serafina's blushing and stammering as cute and funny. A flashback reveals her home kingdom's aristocratic greed, misogyny, and colonialist racism, which the review calls a blunt but present social critique. However, the review argues that Veor's actions-imprisonment, forced stripping, and a marriage proposal without consent-merely trade one form of dehumanization for another. The episode ends with a visual of Veor's erect penis as a gag. The review concludes that while the show has interesting layers, the premiere did not earn enough trust to warrant a return visit.
Anime Feminist published a review of the film "Cosmic Princess Kaguya," calling it a sapphic musical animated movie that ranks among the best anime films of 2026. The review describes the story as a retelling of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" set in a near-future Japan where high schooler Iroha Sakayori, living independently to escape an abusive mother, finds a baby in a bamboo box attached to a telephone pole. That baby grows into a girl who is Princess Kaguya, and together they create music, stream online, and fight to keep Kaguya on Earth rather than return to the moon. The review praises the soundtrack, composed by Ryo of Supercell alongside multiple Vocaloid producers and Conisch, and notes the English dub features voice actors including Dawn M. Bennett, Anairis Quiñones, Max Mittleman, and A.J. Beckles. The reviewer gives the film a 4.5 out of 5 star equivalent, calling it fun, colorful, and openly queer, though noting the final twenty minutes feel muddled due to a time skip. The review emphasizes the film's themes of found family, community, and love.
Anime Feminist's February 11-24 round-up features a review of Cosmic Princess Kaguya, described as an early contender for best anime film of 2026, and an essay on Vinland Saga's ethics of political nonviolence. The round-up also links to an Automaton article on Japanese indie games about mental health, including The Second Reality Room: Unspoken Truths, a game about understanding chuunibyou teenagers. An interview with dubbing producer Reuben Lack discusses trends in anime dubbing, including rushed workflows and the use of vendors with no anime experience. Other items include a review of In the Clear Moonlit Dusk episodes 5-6, a retrospective on Ultra Maniac, and a video on antiblackness in anime fandom. The round-up also covers news about Hello Kitty's primary artist Yuko Yamaguchi stepping down after 46 years, and a concert cancellation for the Himitsu no AiPri franchise due to threats.
Netflix is sending its anime original feature "Cosmic Princess Kaguya" to Japanese theaters for a limited one-week run starting February 20, despite the film already having debuted globally on the streaming service on January 22. The film, directed by Shingo Yamashita, is a futuristic adaptation of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" that incorporates virtual worlds and idol culture. It is Yamashita's debut feature and the first major project from his new Studio Chromato, produced in partnership with Studio Colorido, which handled animation. The theatrical engagement runs from February 20 through February 26 in select Japanese cinemas, with special events and bonus materials planned. This follows Netflix's previous experiment with a wide theatrical release for "KPop Demon Hunters" last year, which earned an estimated $20 million in its opening U.S. weekend two months after its streaming debut. The "Cosmic Princess Kaguya" run is limited to Japan and is unlikely to signal a broader shift in Netflix's theatrical strategy.
Studio Ghibli announced on December 12 that the first two broadcasts of Nippon Television's Friday Road Show in 2026 will be Ghibli films. On January 2, the slot airs Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" uncut from 21:00 to 23:39. The following week, January 9, the same time slot features Isao Takahata's "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" uncut from 21:00 to 23:54. The announcement, posted on the official Ghibli website, lists the full voice cast for both films: "Spirited Away" stars Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Bunta Sugawara; "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" features Aki Asakura, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Takeo Chii, Nobuko Miyamoto, Atsuko Takahata, Tomoko Tabata, and Shinosuke Tatekawa. Joe Hisaishi composed the music for both films. The broadcasts are part of the regular Friday night movie programming block.
Ashi Productions announced on May 30 that a new OVA for "Magical Princess Minky Momo" will hit theaters on November 13, 2026. The project, titled "Magical Princess Minky Momo: Toward the Dream We Long For - Duet of Sincerity," is the first completely new OVA in 32 years, following 1994's "Minky Momo in The Station of Departure." It commemorates the 50th anniversary of Ashi Productions' founding. The story takes place in Desirnasa, a dream-powered land facing extinction as humans lose hope. On her 12th birthday, Momo receives a smartphone and awakens as Minky Momo after meeting three companions: Chamocha, Dettabook, and Pipirup. She begins collecting dream energy but grows suspicious of a mysterious app spreading "shallow dreams" driven by approval and numbers. Kunihiko Yuyama, chief director of the 1991 series, provided a comment and illustration to mark Momo's birthday on May 30. The OVA is directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with character designs by Hiroshi Watanabe and Mari Tominaga, and a script by Deko Akao. A fan art campaign runs until June 24 on X, with selected works appearing in the theater pamphlet.
MediaOCD and AnimEigo will release the restored HD Blu-ray of the 1988-1989 Vampire Princess Miyu OVA on or before September 8, 2026, but the disc will ship with a completely blank cover and slipcase. The company announced on May 29 that it had completed the HD remaster and sent packaging to Japan for approval over a year ago, but hit a procedural logjam in the Japanese copyright system that made no progress in over a year. MediaOCD founder Justin Sevakis stated that the company then discovered its license for the series expires next year, leaving no time for a proper release. To avoid letting the remaster go unreleased, MediaOCD decided to sell the Blu-ray exclusively through its own website with no artwork requiring approval. The release includes both the AnimEigo English dub and the Manga UK English dub, plus original Japanese audio. Pre-orders are open for $24.95. Sevakis added that if approvals ever come through for a real package, purchasers will be able to get one without rebuying the disc.
Anime News Network's review of episodes 4 and 5 of The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King criticizes the series for a persistent lack of subtlety, citing cartoonish villainy, sexist moments, and a failure to trust viewers to interpret events on their own.
The Super Kabuki stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke has released a video ad showing the main cast in costume. The play stars Danko Ichikawa V as Ashitaka, Kazutaro Nakamura as San, and Tokizo Nakamura VI as Eboshi Gozen. It runs from July 3 to August 23 at Tokyo's Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre, directed by Kensuke Yokouchi with a script co-written by Ghibli veteran Keiko Niwa.
Beneath the Tangles reviews eight manga volumes, including the first physical volume of VIZ's Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi, volume 14 of The Eminence in Shadow, and volume 6 of The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices, among others.