Actress Meiku Hata, 24, appeared on her first solo cover of Ray magazine's August 2026 issue. She shared an off-shot on Instagram showing freckle makeup applied under her eyes while wearing a yukata. Fans commented on her cute yet mature appearance, comparing her to a doll.
Japan XR Center has begun selling acrylic stands of monsters from the VR attraction 'Kaiju no Sumika VR' at its Fukuoka store. The lineup includes Baltan, Pigmon, and Gomora, each priced at 1,980 yen. The attraction lets players explore a monster paradise in VR.
System Service exhibited new prize figures at the 84th Prize Fair in Tokyo on May 20, 2026, including first-time figures of Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu from Magic Knight Rayearth, a bunny polarized color version of Roxy from Mushoku Tensei II, and Rias Gremory from High School DxD HERO. Also shown were Maomao and Jinshi figures from The Apothecary Diaries in jiangshi and nine-tailed fox forms for October 2026, and shinigami-inspired versions for December 2026.
ASCII.jp reviews the Switch package version of Doraemon's Dorayaki Shop Story, a management simulation where players run a dorayaki shop in a town populated by characters from Fujiko F. Fujio's works. The game, originally released digitally in 2024 as part of the Fujiko F. Fujio 90th birthday project, now has a physical edition with a permanent bonus guide. The reviewer notes the game's relaxed pace and the appeal of seeing characters from multiple Fujiko series appear.
Amazon Kindle is running a sale on Champion series manga, with individual volumes priced at 99 yen each as of June 25, 2026. The promotion includes titles such as Chikyuu no Houkago, Ganso! Urayasu Tekkin Kazoku, Seikon no Qwaser, trash, Niboshi-kun no Hentai, Hitomi-chan wa Hitomishiri, and Shijin no Koe o Kiku ga Yoi. For Sensou Meshi and Saint Seiya Next Dimension: The Myth of Hades, only volumes 1 through 8 are discounted at 99 yen. The sale also continues from last week for Jitsu wa Watashi wa, Franken Fran, and BM Nectar, which remain at the same price. Several series offer the first volume free for a limited time, and bundle deals are available for complete sets. The campaign is part of a broader Kindle promotion on Champion-related titles, with prices subject to change after the campaign ends.
Solo developer studio nu announced BRAYZ, a super-high-speed racing game set in the near-future solar system. Up to 64 anti-gravity machines race simultaneously on courses with vertical and upside-down sections, reaching speeds of 8000 km/h. The game features Career and Arcade modes, customization of parts and abilities, and 15 courses with 11 Arc Frames. It is scheduled for release on PC via Steam. No multiplayer is included due to solo development.
Ray Kindo's one-shot manga The Knight of Blasphemy, originally published in Kodansha's special Young Magazine US English issue in August 2025, will begin serialization in the August issue of Monthly Young Magazine on July 16. The series will also launch simultaneously on Kodansha's K MANGA app. The one-shot ranked third in a reader poll whose top five winners are guaranteed serialization.
Bandai Spirits will hold THE GUNDAM BASE POP-UP WORLD TOUR in YOKOHAMA from July 10 to August 31, 2026, at Yokohama Sky Building. The event is the last domestic Japan stop of the global tour commemorating Gunpla's 45th anniversary. It will sell limited Gunpla kits, merchandise, and snacks, display a 2-meter Gundam statue, and offer purchase bonuses including a Gundam Card Game promo card and an original shopper bag.
MegaHouse's G.E.M. Series has unveiled first color samples of Attack on Titan palm-sized Eren and Levi figures, plus first prototypes of Bungo Stray Dogs Dazai and Naruto Shippuden Minato. Re-releases of Naruto, Demon Slayer, and Gintama figures were also announced, alongside a Premium Bandai lottery event.
Video distribution service ABEMA has announced a selection of five charming father characters from popular anime to celebrate Father's Day on June 21. The list includes Nohara Hiroshi from 'Crayon Shin-chan', Loid Forger from 'SPY×FAMILY', Endeavor from 'My Hero Academia', Mouri Kogoro from 'Detective Conan', and a character from 'Atashinchi'.
To mark Father's Day, Nijimen surveyed its readers on their favorite father characters in anime and manga. The top 10 list includes Crayon Shin-chan's Nohara Hiroshi, Pokémon's Norman, Kingdom's Ō Sen, Naruto's Namikaze Minato, My Hero Academia's Endeavor, and Sakamoto Days' Sakamoto Taro, among others.
The live-action Blue Lock film announced five new cast members on Friday. Shihō Harumi plays Hirotoshi Buratsuta, Sōma Santoki plays Tomonari Tada, Yūsuke Hirayama plays Isshin Tomobe, Tōru Nomaguchi plays Issei Isagi, and Maho Nonami plays Iyo Isagi. The film opens August 7. Yusuke Taki directs, Tetsuo Kamata writes the screenplay, CREDEUS produces, and TOHO distributes.
The 33rd Crayon Shin-chan 2D anime film, Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Kikikaikai! Ora no Yōkai Bake-shon, has cast FRUITS ZIPPER singers Runa Nakagawa and Noel Hayase in guest roles. The film opens in Japan on July 31, 2026, and follows the Nohara family into a yōkai world after an incident at a fireworks festival in Akita.
ANYCOLOR announced the package design, bonus liver camera footage, and in-store campaigns for the Nijisanji Countdown Live 'Crossing Tones' Blu-ray, releasing September 2, 2026. The Blu-ray captures the December 2025/January 2026 countdown event and includes select song performances from eight livers as bonus video.
The third collaboration event between Bungo Stray Dogs and Tobu Zoo, titled Night Zoo, runs from July 18 to August 30, 2026. Newly drawn yukata illustrations feature characters from the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia. The event includes exclusive goods, a collaboration restaurant, games, fireworks on select nights, and in-park voice announcements.
KADOKAWA began the pickup gacha [Rainy Drops] on June 16 in the smartphone puzzle game Oshi no Ko Puzzle Star. Part 1 features ★★★[Rainy Drops] Akane Kurokawa and ★★[Rainy Drops] Ruby in newly drawn special costumes. A Like Pass grants Akane's costume, and a new event Idol Step starts June 17.
Kadokawa released the main promotional video for Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! 2 on Friday, previewing the ending theme song by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa voice actor Kenshō Ono and confirming the anime's July 2 premiere on Tokyo MX and d Anime Store. The second season adapts Kanaineko's spinoff manga featuring chibi versions of the Bungo Stray Dogs cast, with returning director Toshihiro Kikuchi at BONES and Nomad.
The main promotional video for Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! 2 features the full cast of the spin-off series and previews the ending theme song "Bokura ~Ryunosuke Akutagawa Ver.~" performed by Kensho Ono. The anime begins airing on TOKYO MX and other channels on July 2, 2026, with streaming on d Anime Store the same day. The first season will also be rebroadcast starting July 2.
Beneath the Tangles' Reader's Corner for June 9, 2026, covers six manga volumes, including the first extra-long volume of Ai Yazawa's classic shoujo I'm No Angel, along with new releases of Hirayasumi, Tsumiki Ogami's Not-So-Ordinary Life, Cosmos, Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards, and Imaginary. The column expresses disappointment with Imaginary Vol. 2, noting that the series has lost its imaginative spark and relies on out-of-place fanservice, while praising Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards Vol. 9 for its action-packed conclusion to a major arc.
A collaboration between the upcoming film "New Theatrical Version☆Keroro Gunso: Resurrection and Immediate Crisis of Earth's Destruction!" and "Mobile Suit Gundam" has been announced. Original illustrations by both series' creators and two collaboration Gunpla models will be released, with the film opening June 26, 2026.
2K Games announced at Summer Game Fest 2026 that the expansion Man of Honor for Mafia: Origin - The Betrayed Homeland will release on August 14, 2026. The expansion covers Salieri's rise in Sicily before his Lost Heaven days, includes two new story chapters and free ride content, and supports Japanese. Sales up to 85% off on the base game and previous Mafia titles are ongoing across Steam, Epic Games Store, and PS Store.
The new Magic Knight Rayearth anime has added three cast members, the production announced on June 5. Saori Hayami will voice Princess Emeraude, Yuki Ono will play the priest Zagato, and Mika Kikuchi will voice the creature Mokona. The anime is set to premiere in October 2026 on TV Asahi's IMAnimation W block. A world premiere screening of episodes 1 and 2 will take place at Anime Expo 2026 on July 4, with appearances by voice actors Rie Takahashi and Saori Hayami. The series is directed by Yui Miura in his series directorial debut, with E&H Production handling animation. Shigeru Murakoshi is writing the series scripts, Satomi Watabe is designing the characters, and Yuki Kajiura, Takumi Ozawa, and Shiho Terada are composing the music. UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS is producing the project. Previously announced main cast members include Ayane Sakura as Hikaru Shido, Rumi Okubo as Umi Ryuzaki, and Rie Takahashi as Fuu Hoji.
The anime Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! 2 will hold a collaboration campaign with tapioca shop Bull Pulu from June 11 to June 28, 2026. The event features newly illustrated mini-characters of Atsushi, Dazai, Akutagawa, and Chuuya on themed drinks, food, and merchandise including badges, keychains, and acrylic stands. Online sales run through July 5.
The official X account for the new Magic Knight Rayearth TV anime posted an image on June 4 showing only a date and time: June 5, 2026 at 17:00 JST. No further details were given. Social media speculation suggests the announcement could reveal additional cast members or theme song information. The anime is set to premiere in October 2026 on TV Asahi.
A new Bungo Stray Dogs spinoff manga by Shikiji Sorakura will launch in Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine on July 3. The manga adapts "Dazai o Hirotta Hi" (The Day I Took In Dazai), a novel bonus for the 2022 live-action film Bungo Stray Dogs the Movie: Beast.
The 33rd film in the Crayon Shin-chan movie series, titled "Crayon Shin-chan: Mysterious! My Yokai Vacation," will feature a theme song by singer-songwriter TOMOO. The song, titled "Otona ni Nattara" ("When I Grow Up"), was written specifically for the film. Alongside the announcement, the main trailer and poster visual were released on June 3 and June 4, 2026. The trailer shows the Nohara family wandering into a forbidden yokai country, where Hiroshi and Misae have their "oshiri-dama" (butt-shaped objects) removed and are transformed into yokai. Shinnosuke and the family, aided by friendly yokai, must retrieve the oshiri-dama before midnight the next day to restore his parents. Guest voice actors include Ito Sairi as the nine-tailed fox yokai Yako, who guides the family, and members of the comedy duo Mayurika as obstructive yokai. The film is directed by Masaki Watanabe, with a screenplay by Yoshiko Nakamura. It is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026, distributed by Toho.
Ubisoft announced a new title in the Rayman series during Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play broadcast on June 3, 2026. The game, Rayman Legends Retold, is a rebuilt version of the 2013 platformer Rayman Legends, using modern technology with 3D graphics and full voice acting. It supports local cooperative play for up to four players, with a new story and stages set in a world called Kung Foot. The announcement trailer showed characters Rayman, Globox, Barbara, and Grand Minimus. The release date is October 1, 2026, for PS5, with PC and Xbox Series X|S versions also planned. The game is a reconstruction of the original Rayman Legends, which first launched on Wii U and other platforms.
Anime Expo 2026 will host the world premieres of the Black Torch television anime and a new Magic Knight Rayearth anime, with guest Rie Takahashi. The event also features Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE producer Shohei Sakakibara and scenario writer Kazutaka Kodaka, a first look at Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 from Studio Trigger, and U.S. premieres for Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia and Sparks of Tomorrow.
A pop-up shop selling collaboration merchandise for Chibi Maruko-chan and Crayon Shin-chan will open at Tokyo Solamachi from June 4 to June 21, 2026. The shop, called Okiraku Shoten, will carry stationery, household goods, and event-exclusive items, with a photo spot and a lottery prize for purchases over 2000 yen.
The 33rd 2D Crayon Shin-chan film, opening July 31, 2026, revealed three guest voice actors: Sairi Itō as a nine-tailed fox yōkai, and the comedy duo Mayurika as squid and flounder yōkai baseball players. The film sends the Nohara family to Akita and then to a yōkai world.