Abstract painter U-ku will hold a solo exhibition, Between the Lines, at THE GALLERY OMOTESANDO from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, November 15, 2026. The show turns on what U-ku calls the invisible things between people, between past and present, and between chance and choice. Announced works include Between the Lines, Watashi o Hakobu Mono, Ever Silence Has a Will, and Yohaku -kan-.
Shachihata will be the entertainment partner for Orafu-kun's 1st solo live, Palette, set for January 31, 2027 at Omiya Sonic City Main Hall. Orafu-kun is a member of the game commentary group Dozle-sha. At the show, Shachihata's acoustic synchronization technology Oto no Shirushi will light penlights at the venue and for home stream viewers in real time, with archive streams also supported.
A blind box series of Racing Miku figures illustrated by Eku Uekura is now accepting preorders at Rakuten Books. The set, Racing Miku All Stars Figure Collection Vol.2, contains eight types drawn from the 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 designs. One box includes all types. The seller is Good Smile Racing, with a reference price of 17,600 yen and a Rakuten Books price of 15,741 yen including tax.
Aniplex released the second character promotional video for Fate/EXTRA Record on October 15, focusing on the Masters and Servants of the enemy faction that players will fight in the Moon Holy Grail War. The video, titled RIVAL's SIDE, introduces Shinji Matou, Alice, Run Ru-kun, Julius B. Harwey, Dan Blackmore, Monji Gatou, Leonardo B. Harwey, Rani VIII, and Rin Tohsaka, along with the Servants who fight alongside them. Aniplex also announced a special hands-on event in Tokyo on November 7 and 8, where participants can play a broader portion of the game than in previous demos. Each 90-minute session invites 30 people by lottery, and attendees receive a not-for-sale clear file featuring the key visual. The game launches January 28 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. The standard edition is priced at 8,910 yen including tax. Pre-release promotion includes a fan kit and seven planned updates.
KADOKAWA's online kuji service Kujibikido will run the Kino's Journey the Beautiful World Online Kuji 2026 from 12:00 on Thursday, October 22, 2026 to 11:59 on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 770 yen per draw plus shipping. Prizes use illustrations by original illustrator Kouhaku Kuroboshi and span a jacquard blanket, acrylic plates, A3 clear posters, acrylic mascots, and square can badges. A repost campaign and two bonus gift tiers run alongside.
FuRyu has published the full prize list for "FuRyu Kuji Hatsune Miku: Miku-meku JK Life ~Cute Food Tour~," a no-losing lottery priced at 850 yen per draw and scheduled for November. The top A and C prizes are Hatsune Miku figures in original outfits, with B and D as KAITO and Kagamine Len noodle stoppers. Lower tiers include mini figures, acrylic stands, keychains, rubber hood figures, can badges and stickers.
Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko imprint announced on Friday that writer Keiichi Sigsawa and illustrator Kouhaku Kuroboshi, the duo behind Kino's Journey, will launch a new light novel series titled Drifted ~John Smith no Edo Hyoryu Kitan~. The first volume ships on November 10. The story follows a wandering man who works jobs alongside ninjas, yokai, and preternatural-powered beings.
The staff for the new Ahare! Meisaku-kun television anime announced Tuesday that more episodes will arrive in January 2027. Previous episodes will re-air until then. The most recent season of five-minute shorts premiered on July 5, with director Taketo Shinkai, character designer Jun Oson, and the studio Pie in the sky returning.
Medicom Toy is adding two items to its MAT (MONSTER ART TOY) soft vinyl line for Ultraman's 60th anniversary, both approved by Susumu Kurobe, who played Member Hayata. One is a two-figure set of Ultraman and a roughly 12 cm Mini Member Hayata at 25,000 yen. The other is a 24 cm Member Hayata with a removable helmet and a Beta Capsule at 22,000 yen. Orders run September 24 to October 31, 2026, with shipping planned for June 2027.
The live-action film of Shohei Manabe's Sins of Kujo began streaming a new teaser on Thursday, adding six cast members. Kiyohiko Shibukawa plays Takehito Mitarashi, Haru Kuroki plays Kanako Kujo, Yui Narumi plays Rui Ota, Eita Okuno plays Uji, Mutsuo Yoshioka plays Karigane, and Yu Tokui plays Kajiya. The film opens in Japan on January 8, 2027.
The Furyu Kuji Esther Bunny Cake Dreams lottery launches September 19 at Ministop, hobby shops, and bookstores. Prizes span seven grades, from a BIG plush and tote bags to carabiner plush, aurora pouch, cupcake-style towel, acrylic keyholders, and sticker sets, all using newly drawn illustrations. Esther Bunny is the creation of Korean-American artist Esther Kim, whose work carries the message 'Love Myself, Love Yourself.' One play costs 790 yen.
Ado and original Morning Musume. member Natsumi Abe appear in the documentary "10 Years After Losing His Voice: What Tsunku Wants to Convey Now About 'Happiness'" during 24-Hour Television 49. The documentary accompanies the drama "Happiness Exists," based on Tsunku's life after losing his vocal cords to laryngeal cancer, airing August 29 and 30, 2026.
New visuals for the Nippon TV drama "Shiawase wa Aru" show Mitsuomi Takahashi as Tsunku♂ fully recreating five Sharam Q CD jackets, including "Single Bed" and "Zurui Onna," down to facial expressions and poses. The drama airs August 29 and stars Keiko Kitagawa as Tsunku's wife Kanako.
Kadokawa began streaming the first two minutes of the Uchū Nanchara Kotetsu-kun: Ukkari Detekita Uchūjin o Sagase! film on Thursday. Shōko Nakagawa voices the various aliens and performs the theme song. The film opens in theaters on September 11 and follows trainee Kotetsu searching for aliens.
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.
Broccoli Online began accepting preorders on August 18 for Uta no Prince-sama 15th anniversary merchandise featuring Chinatsu Kurahana's visuals from the UTA☆PRI WONDERLAND event. The lineup includes customizable visual cards in SHINING and RAGING variants, big can badges, cloth posters, acrylic stands, holographic clear files, clear sticker sets, and art boards for ST☆RISH, QUARTET NIGHT, and HE★VENS. Preorders run through September 8.
FURYU Corporation announced the second Nintama Rantaro lottery, "FURYU Kuji Nintama Rantaro Fuwari Sakura Mochipiko no Dan Ni," for winter 2027. The top prizes are BIG plushies of five fifth-year students: Hisashi Kukizaki, Kanemon Obama, Raizo Fuwa, Saburo Hachiya, and Hachizaemon Takeya. The first round launched March 14, 2026.
Good Smile Company announced the Blind Box Series Snow Miku All-Stars Figure Collection Vol. 2, featuring eight figures of odd-year Snow Miku designs by illustrator Eku Uekura. Each figure stands about 75mm tall with a dedicated base. The set releases in February 2027, priced at 2,200 yen each.
Imaginer set the release date for Mystery Walk 2: Mermaid Legend Murder Case to September 17. The mystery adventure launches on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A hidden scenario features Gachapin and Mukku appearing as themselves. The sequel follows the Teito University Mystery Research Club investigating a 20-year-old unsolved case in Kamakura.
Kadokawa began streaming the opening sequence for the Uchū Nanchara Kotetsu-kun: Ukkari Detekita Uchūjin o Sagase! film on Thursday. The film opens in theaters on September 11 and centers on space pilot trainee Kotetsu, who hears about the possible existence of aliens and drives the whole academy to search for them. It combines anime footage with real footage of space, and the television anime cast reprises their roles.
K MANGA added Yu Taguchi's Dazzling Spring Days manga in English on Sunday. The school love story follows high schooler Kuraki, who draws gloomy manga characters until he meets the dazzling Urara Haruno and uses her as his model. The manga ran on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket from September 2025 to March 2, and Kodansha shipped its third volume on May 8.
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.
Kadokawa released the trailer for the Uchū Nanchara Kotetsu-kun film, 'Uchū Nanchara Kotetsu-kun: Ukkari Detekita Uchūjin o Sagase!', on Monday. The trailer previews the theme song 'Uchū no Nanchara Nakama' by Shōko Nakagawa. The film, based on Yūji Nishimura's web manga, will open in theaters on September 11. The story follows space pilot trainee Kotetsu searching for aliens. The television anime cast returns. Yoshinori Tsutsui directs, with script by Yōichi Katō.
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.
Kadokawa announced that Yūji Nishimura's web manga Uchū Nanchara Kotetsu-kun: Space Academy will receive an anime film titled Uchū Nanchara Kotetsu-kun: Ukkari Detekita Uchūjin o Sagase! (Space Academy: Find the Aliens Who Accidentally Came Out!) opening in Japan on September 11. The film combines anime footage with real space footage. The TV anime cast returns. Yoshinori Tsutsui directs, Yōichi Katō writes the script.
KADOKAWA announced a film adaptation of the web manga Uchu Nanchara Kotetsu-kun, titled Eiga "Uchu Nanchara Kotetsu-kun" Ukkari Detekita Uchujin o Sagase!, opening September 11, 2026. The original story combines re-edited anime footage with real space exploration footage from NHK and JAXA. The TV anime cast returns. The franchise also added Minamitane-cho as its fifth Space Support Ambassador municipality.
VIZ Media and Yen Press announced their Spring 2027 manga licenses on June 12, with simultaneous social media posts. VIZ's slate includes 12 titles such as Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven, and a Slam Dunk deluxe hardcover. Yen Press added four series, including Witches Can't Be Collared and Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom.
The staff for the new Ahare! Meisaku-kun television anime released a promotional video and key visual on Friday. The video previews the theme song "Nonsense Nonsense" by the band Frederic and confirms the anime's July 5 premiere on multiple TV Tokyo affiliates.
A bookstore fair starting June 18, 2026 offers newly drawn collaboration illustration cards featuring characters from The Apothecary Diaries and COSMOS. Customers who buy Volume 22 of The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao's Imperial Palace Puzzle Solving Notebook or Volume 9 of COSMOS at participating stores receive a card. The cards are drawn by the opposite series' artist: Ryohei Tamura draws Maomao and Jinshi, and Minoshi Kurata draws Rin and Mizumori.
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.
Kadokawa's Dengeki Daioh G magazine announced on May 27 that Rakuda's light novel series Shujinkō no Osananajimi ga, Wakiyaku no Ore ni Guiguikuru will begin a manga adaptation in volume 154 on June 29. The story follows a high school student given a second chance after being killed by a romantic comedy protagonist, only for the protagonist's childhood friend to propose to him. The series ranked #7 in the New Bunkobon category of the 2026 Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! guidebook.