NHK has announced six additional cast members for Blossom, its 115th serial TV novel starring Shizuka Ishibashi as Tamano Tama. Marika Ito, Ko Maehara, sara, Kaishi Iwao, Mitsuki Tanimura and Sakura Fujiwara join the production. Ito, sara, Iwao and Fujiwara make their morning drama debuts. The story is modeled on the writer Chiyo Uno and is set in Iwakuni City, Tokyo and Hokkaido.
Hoshikawa Sara's second mini album Stella Note arrives November 25, 2026, in a first-press edition with a Blu-ray of her Nijisanji Fes 2022 main stage footage, a regular CD edition, and an M-Card with four bonus tracks. The six-track list leads with Attoteki Star Hoshi, written by Rimimirara and Hirotaka Hayakawa. That song is streaming now, with an MV set for October 22.
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.
A Tokyo Game Show session on September 18 brought together four people behind Chihaya Kisaragi's solo Nippon Budokan concert OathONE, held January 24 and 25. Yukiyoshi Yoshimoto of Bandai Namco Entertainment, Nobuaki Kazoe of REZ&, Akira Nakano of Sony Group and Takahiro Kozuki of Sony PCL explained the roles their companies played. The set used a 360-degree center stage, motion capture and Unreal Engine rendering.
The television anime of Kazami Sawatari and illustrator Achiki's light novel series The Salty Koharu Has a Soft Spot for Me will debut on AT-X on October 6 at 8:30 p.m., with later airings on Tokyo MX, BS-TBS, WOWOW, CBC, and MBS. Masayoshi Oishi performs the opening theme "Sugar Salt"; HoneyWorks feat. Hoshikawa Sara performs the ending theme "Hatsukoi Reply." Tezuka Productions animates, with Fumihiro Yoshimura directing and Hiiro Ishibashi and Miku Ito in the lead roles.
Nijisanji's Sara Hoshikawa will sing 'Hatsukoi Reply' for the TV anime 'Shiokoi: Shio Kotai no Sato-san ga Ore ni dake Amai.' Credited to HoneyWorks feat. Hoshikawa Sara, the song is written, composed and arranged by HoneyWorks with MARUMOCHI, and is Hoshikawa's first anime tie-in. It arrives digitally on September 29. The anime's second key visual and main PV also appeared. Oishi Masayoshi handles the opening theme, 'Sugar Salt,' out October 6, the day the anime starts airing.
The TBS drama VIVANT will bring back Chinggis, the Barca Republic police officer played by Barsarakhagva Batbold, in episode 15 airing August 23. It is his first full appearance in season 2, after a brief glimpse in episode 11. His return sets up a possible alliance or conflict with Nogii and Nozaki.
Hakusensha's Hana to Yume magazine announced that Akumi Agitogi's The Emperor's Shaman novels are getting a new manga adaptation. Yuru Sasara will draw the series, titled The Emperor's Shaman ~The Demon-Eyed Consort~, launching on the Hana to Yume + website on August 10.
Atari Katagiri and Makoto Kisaragi launched the manga Watashi-tachi no Koto wa Nanto Yobeba on Square Enix's Manga UP! service on Sunday. Katagiri draws the art and writes the story, while Kisaragi handles composition. The story follows Mineko and Sunao, high school lovers whose single parents remarry, making them siblings.
The official website for the television anime of Puuzaki Puuna's adult dōjin manga The Lonely Snow Widow and the Cursed Ring announced on Friday that the series will air in October on Tokyo MX and BS11 in Japan. OceanVeil will stream the series this fall. The anime's English title differs slightly from the manga's English title. Kazuomi Koga is directing the anime at Studio Hōkiboshi, with Eeyo Kurosaki overseeing series scripts, Minakyawa Akapiv as character designer, and Miyako Nishida as chief animation director. Production is by Suiseisha. The cast includes Harumichi Shidō as Satoru Takahashi, Rikka Kitami as Mifuyu Yukino, and Sara Ayumi as Kaede Kiryuin. The story follows Satoru, an apartment manager who angers his secret crush, Mifuyu, a snow woman living in the same building. He uses a mysterious ring said to help communicate with yokai, but it makes Mifuyu suddenly forward, leading to repeated physical encounters. Puuzaki Puuna claimed this is the first time an adult dōjin manga will be adapted directly into a TV anime without a prior commercial version. The anime will feature an original story different from the manga.
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.
The New National Theatre announced the full cast for the world's first stage adaptation of Fujiko F. Fujio's 1969 sci-fi short manga 'The Minotaur's Plate'. Seishiro Kato plays the protagonist crew member, Future Uchida plays the girl Minoa. The play runs December 10-28 at the New National Theatre's Small Theatre in Tokyo. Takuro Suzuki handles adaptation, choreography, and direction.
Max Factory's PLAMAX line is releasing a 1/72 scale plastic model of the VF-19P Excalibur in Battroid mode from Macross Dynamite 7. The kit includes new parts for the time-space resonance speaker units, a same-scale Nekki Basara figure, and a gunpod. Reservations are open at Rakuten Books for 7,806 yen.
The upcoming theatrical anime film Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend has released a new memorial visual and promotional video focusing on Sara Himeji, voiced by Konomi Kohara. The film is scheduled to premiere in Japan on October 16, 2026. Soichi Masui returns as director, with Masahiro Yokotani as story composer, Satomi Tamura as character designer, and fox capture plan composing the music. CloverWorks is handling animation production. The voice cast includes Kaito Ishikawa as Sakuta Azusagawa, Asami Seto as Mai Sakurajima, and others. The film is the latest entry in the Rascal Does Not Dream anime series, adapting the 15th and final main volume of Hajime Kamoshida's light novel series. Yen Press has licensed the light novels and manga adaptation for English release. Crunchyroll streams the previous anime series and films. A second short story collection for the light novel series will be released in Japan on October 9, 2026.