Saturday, 24 October 2026
Anime, manga, and games, with a take · A Yukimedia publication

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Wata

Wata is credited with character design and the main visual for MONOPHOBIA, the 2.5D urban legend adventure from developer Dendrobium that publisher Shochiku Games will bring to Tokyo Game Show 2026 with a playable story demo, ahead of a PC via Steam release with the price undecided.

Synthesized from 30 Yomimono stories · updated Sep 12

Wata's credited work in the current cluster centers on MONOPHOBIA, the 2.5D urban legend adventure that Shochiku Games publishes and indie team Dendrobium develops. Wata handled character design and the main visual. The game follows two high school girls, Kirihara Konoka and Nakano Shino, investigating supernatural phenomena in a city drawn in pixel art that draws on 32-bit era adventure games. Light novel author Mikami Teren wrote the scenario. The exhibition at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe, is the first public showing of the game's story demo.

The position is narrow. Across the stories here, Wata appears only through MONOPHOBIA. Dendrobium, established in 2022, calls the game its first independent development project. Japanese voice support is planned, and the game is slated for PC via Steam with the price undecided. No release window beyond that has been stated, and no other credit, staff role, or project for Wata appears in this cluster.

What is settled for now is the two-part role on the project and the venue where the work will be seen next. Everything else about the title, including how it reaches players, remains open. Coverage has not diverged: one story carries the attribution, and it is the one where the game's staff and setting are set out.

Key facts

Role on MONOPHOBIA
Character design and main visual ↗
Game
MONOPHOBIA, a 2.5D urban legend adventure published by Shochiku Games ↗
Developer
Dendrobium, an indie team established in 2022; MONOPHOBIA is its first independent development project ↗
Scenario writer
Light novel author Mikami Teren ↗
Demo debut
The story demo's first public showing is at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe ↗
Lead characters
Kirihara Konoka, described as always mysterious, and her gal classmate Nakano Shino ↗
Planned platform and price
PC via Steam, with the price undecided; Japanese voice support is planned ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Noted
handled character design and the main visual · 2026-09-08

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/wata. CC BY 4.0.

All coverage

23h ago

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1d ago

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1d ago

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3d ago

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4d ago

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5d ago

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5d ago

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5d ago

Tora Tsugumi Anime Casts Masaaki Mizunaka, Misaki Watada, Haruki Ishiya

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5d ago

Tsugumi Project Anime Names Masaaki Mizunaka, Haruki Ishiya, Misaki Watada

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Oct 13

Manga Creator Masako Watanabe Dies At 97

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Oct 13

Startup IP Officers Build Mutual-Aid Group suiP

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Oct 12

Erica Sakurazawa to Launch New Manga on November 6

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Oct 6

Gundam X 30th Screening Brings Takagi And Takamatsu Back To Ikebukuro

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Oct 5

Ken Watanabe Praises Tom Cruise's DIGGER Ahead Of Japan Opening

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Oct 5

Biblia Koshodou No Jiken Techo Anime Sets April 2027 Broadcast

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Oct 5

Kuzumimizuku Named Third Original Band in Girls Band Cry First Riff

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Oct 4

Cass Details Kunai Footholds And Time Stop In Tokoyo Wataru No Shinobi

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Oct 4

Biblia's Case Files Anime Adds Four Cast Members, Sets April 2027 Debut

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Oct 4

Battle In 5 Seconds Manga Resumes After Health Hiatus

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Oct 4

Yu Hibari's Watashi De Dotei Suteta Kuse Ni Novels Get Manga

Kadokawa's Monthly Shonen Ace announced Tuesday that Yu Hibari's Watashi de Dotei Suteta Kuse ni light novel series is getting a manga adaptation, drawn by Shusei Kirisaki, launching September 29 on the Shonen Ace Plus website. The post-breakup love comedy follows childhood friends Kota and Sakura, and turns on Sakura's teasing about Kota losing his virginity to her.

Sep 18

Wataru Endo Joins Athdemy as Advisor

Athdemy Co., Ltd. appointed Wataru Endo as an advisor, the company announced on Friday. Endo, who has played at top European clubs and for the Japan national team, will share insights from his career through regular dialogue with the company. The appointment will inform four Athdemy businesses: Athdemy Institute, B-navi, Dialog Code, and THERE. Endo said CEO Koki Kotani is an opponent from their high school National Sports Festival days.

Sep 12

Yusanchi! From Yu-hachi Sets October 5 Debut With Chiaki And Hina Kawata

Fanworks announced on Friday that Yusanchi! from Yu-hachi, an omnibus short anime adapting three Yu-hachi manga, will debut on October 5. It airs within Fuji TV's Nonstop! on Mondays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m., and within Kansai TV's Shunkan Live Toretate! on Mondays and Fridays at 3:30 p.m., with streaming on FOD, TVer, and Fuji TV's anime YouTube channel after each episode airs. The main cast is Chiaki, Hina Kawata, Fuka Izumi, Ryota Suzuki, Kenta Sasa, and Tomo Miyazawa.

Sep 12

UN:Me Team Explains Why The Game Is Not Horror

Takuya Yamanaka, director on the Caligula series, is working on UN:Me with developer Historia for FuRyu and Shueisha Games. In an interview, Yamanaka and Shueisha Games producer Yasuichi Kawai said the game is built without a fixed genre and aimed at unease rather than fear. UN:Me is planned for release in 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC via Steam, with a playable demo at Tokyo Game Show 2026.

Sep 10

Yawataya Isogoro Suica Penguin Shichimi Set Sells In Nagano From September 16

JR East Cross Station will sell a limited Suica Penguin Shichimi 3-Can Set, a collaboration with Nagano shichimi shop Yawataya Isogoro. The 5,000-set run, priced at 3,800 yen with tax, arrives Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Each set holds the Suica Penguin shichimi, yuzu shichimi, and shichimi garam masala cans with a limited sticker. Sales are limited to NewDays, NewDays Mini, and NewDays KIOSK stores in Nagano Prefecture.

Sep 10

You, Me, and the Existence/Non-Existence Hits PS5, PS4, and Switch

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Sep 8

VTuber Viral Sim Sends Players Back to 2018

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Sep 8

Hotel Inhumans Season 2 Sets October 4 Debut, Reveals Theme Songs

The Hotel Inhumans anime revealed its second season key visual, trailer, and theme song artists on Tuesday. GAN, the solo project of Takanori Iwata, performs the opening theme "Rasen" (Spiral), and girl group Phantom Siita performs the ending theme "Sweet Pea." The season debuts October 4 on TV Tokyo at 11:45 p.m. JST, then airs on BS TV Tokyo October 5 and AT-X October 6. Director Tetsuro Amino returns at studio Bridge, with Bridge's Isle studio, established as a subsidiary in May 2025, credited for production. Shoji Yonemura writes the scripts, Shingo Fujisaki designs the characters, and Koharu composes the music. Hina Yomiya voices new concierge Shiba Kirihara, who appears in the key visual with Yusuke Kobayashi's Ikuro Hoshi and Hinano Shirahama's Sara Haizaki. GAN said "Rasen" was written for the anime as a modern hip-hop number where rap and emotional melody intersect, depicting a relationship that keeps pulling people back together. Phantom Siita said Miku Nakamura of Cö shu Nie wrote "Sweet Pea." The first season aired July to September 2025, and Ao Tajima's manga ended with its 12th volume in September 2025.

Sep 8

TARMACWORKS 1/64 Diecast Lineup Opens Amazon Pre-Orders

Four TARMACWORKS 1/64 scale diecast mini cars are open for pre-order on Amazon Japan, including the Safari Rally Kenya 2024 winning Toyota GR Yaris and a Pandem Mazda RX-7 FC3S. Prices run from 5,060 to 6,160 yen, and all four are scheduled for a February 28, 2027 release.

Sep 8

MONOPHOBIA Story Demo to Debut at Tokyo Game Show 2026

Shochiku Games announced on September 8, 2026 that MONOPHOBIA, the 2.5D urban legend adventure it publishes, will be playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe. The exhibition marks the first public showing of the game's story demo. The game follows two contrasting high school girls, the always mysterious Kirihara Konoka and the gal classmate Nakano Shino, who form a buddy pair to investigate eerie supernatural phenomena in a modern city rendered in nostalgic 2.5D pixel art inspired by 32-bit era adventure games. Light novel author Mikami Teren wrote the scenario, and illustrator Wata handled character design and the main visual. Developer Dendrobium, an indie team established in 2022, calls MONOPHOBIA its first independent development project. Japanese voice support is planned. The game is slated for PC via Steam with the price undecided.

Sep 5

BanG Dream! Our Notes Release Date Special Airs September 13

A live program announcing the release date of BanG Dream! Our Notes will air September 13 from 21:00 to 22:30 on YouTube. The cast includes Hina Youmiya, Yuzuki Watase, Nonoka Miyanaga, Asaki Yuikawa, and Kana Hishikawa. The rhythm game is scheduled for 2026 and is free to play.

Sep 2

C'CLOCK MASTERS Voice Actor Clock Series Launches With Inada, Iwata, Takeuchi Models

C'CLOCK, the voice actor digital clock line, is launching a new series called C'CLOCK MASTERS built around veteran voices. Aoni Production's Tetsu Inada, Mitsuo Iwata, and Ryota Takeuchi get models with orders opening at noon on September 9, 18, and 28, 2026. All voice data is newly recorded for the series, and the line is designed so buyers can collect multiple actors by swapping microSD cards.

Sep 2

Netflix Sets Fujiyama Boy for January 2027 With Wataru Ichinose and Suzu Hirose

Netflix announced on September 1 that its original series Fujiyama Boy will premiere worldwide in January 2027. Wataru Ichinose stars as Kakuhata Kanta, a man who has been a shut-in for eight years and has zero romantic experience. Suzu Hirose plays Hamamiya Mami, Japan's top idol, whom Kanta vows to marry after his dying mother tells him she dreamed of the union. The story follows Kanta's sudden declaration that he will marry the idol and his subsequent struggle to make that happen. Ichinose, who previously starred in the Netflix series Sanctuary, said he was surprised to hear Netflix wanted him for a love story and that he felt obligated to give his all since Netflix changed his life. Hirose described the project as quite funky and said she wondered why she was cast, but praised the explosive strength of her character. The series is directed by Yu Irie, known for the SR Saitama no Rappers films and An no Koto, with scripts by Shigeki Kaneko, who won the 38th Kuniko Mukoda Award for Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai. Executive producer Yuta Fukui said the story is about a man who recklessly pursues a love everyone calls impossible.

Sep 1

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Gets 4K Remaster for 25th Anniversary

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, the 2001 feature set between episodes 22 and 23 of the Cowboy Bebop TV series, is returning to Japanese theaters in a 4K remastered version starting October 30, 2026. The remaster was created under the full supervision of director Shinichiro Watanabe, who said he hopes audiences will experience "the crystallization of the passion and soul we poured into this work, in the darkness of a movie theater." The announcement came with a new 25th anniversary visual drawn by Toshihiro Kawamoto, the film's character designer and animation director, with background art by Atsushi Morikawa and main title design by Toshiaki Uesugi of Mach 55. The film follows Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew as they chase a 300 million woolong bounty tied to a bioterror incident on Mars, a case that leads them to a man who was supposed to have died in a past war.

Aug 30

tuki. and Hoshimachi Suisei Announce Joint Live at K-Arena Yokohama

tuki. and Hoshimachi Suisei will hold a joint live titled 'Hoshifuru Bansankai' on December 20 at K-Arena Yokohama. The key visual was drawn by wataboku. Ticket advance reception begins August 30. The two became close after posting karaoke videos in 2025, and tuki. later provided the song 'Suisei' to Hoshimachi Suisei in December 2025. Hoshimachi Suisei established her personal agency Studio STELLAR in March 2026.

Aug 29

Gundam x Hololive Collab Unveils 2nd Wave Pilot Suits and Mobile Suits

The Gundam x Hololive collaboration revealed its second wave of pilot suit designs, mobile suits, and chibi figures for six talents: Oozora Subaru, Usada Pekora, Tsunomaki Watame, Mori Calliope, IRyS, and Todoroki Hajime. The new additions bring the total displayed to 12. A special booth at TOKYO Toy Show 2026 will show the latest project information and products.

Aug 29

Oishii Kyushoku Season 4 Adds Issei Hashimoto As Rival Transfer Student

The school gourmet comedy drama Oishii Kyushoku season 4 announced six new cast members on August 27. Issei Hashimoto plays Ren Toma, the transfer student who becomes Amita's rival in the Okinawa-set season. Hiroki Kawata, Shogen, Tomohito Yashima, and Ryosei Tayama join the cast, while Maiko Ito reprises her role as lunch lady Fumie Makino. Hayato Ichihara stars as Yukio Amita.

Aug 27

TOYRISE Reveals Shoji Kawamori Items for Tokyo Toy Show 2026

T-SPARK has previewed TOYRISE items to be announced at Tokyo Toy Show 2026, held from August 27 to August 30 at Tokyo Big Sight. The previews cover four franchises: Mashin Hero Wataru, Mado King Granzort, Absolute无敌 Raijin-Oh, and Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion. A Shinkalion with design concept by Shoji Kawamori was teased via silhouette on August 25 and appears as a gray prototype at the show. The T-SPARK official X account revealed image visuals for all four lines on August 26, with Wataru and Granzort shown together at the T-SPARK booth. The event's business days, August 27 and 28, are for trade visitors only; the general public can attend on August 29 and 30 with advance tickets at 2,000 yen or same-day tickets at 2,200 yen. Dengeki Hobby Web's breaking reports from the Takara Tomy booth confirmed the Kawamori Shinkalion prototype, plus items from Raijin-Oh, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Wataru, and Granzort. Other Takara Tomy displays included a Captain Tsubasa: Tatakae Dream Team and ZOIDS collaboration, SYNEGENEX Evangelion Prime Unit-02, and Transformers-related items such as Adamas Machina Magna Regulus.

Aug 27

Robot Girl Novel Game COCORO Launches on PC

Good Smile Company and Front Wing released the PC novel game COCORO on August 27. The game is available as a download only, priced at 3,800 yen, with a 20 percent off launch sale on Steam through September 8. A demo version is also on Steam. COCORO is set in Tsukumishi, a former utopia destroyed by a global AI rampage. The story follows Hinata Mimine, a boy who lost his hometown, and Cocoro, a humanoid girl who wishes to become human and dreams of marriage. Hinata returns to the ruined city during summer vacation and reunites with Cocoro at a botanical garden, where she tends flowers and awaits a fiance she does not realize is him. The game features full voice acting except for the protagonist. Hina Yumiya voices Cocoro, with a cast including Hikaru Tohno, Yasuaki Takumi, Riona Imaizumi, Maaya Uchida, and Shuta Morishima. Planning and scenario are by Asta Konno of ATRI -My Dear Moments-, character design by Akio Watanabe of the Grisaia series, and music by Fuminori Matsumoto. The game supports Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Aug 20

Alice Hirose Stars in Live-Action Please Save My Earth Drama on Prime Video

Alice Hirose will star in the Prime Original drama Please Save My Earth, the live-action adaptation of Saki Hiwatari's sci-fi shoujo manga. Takahiro Miki directs. The series streams worldwide on Prime Video in fall 2027. Hirose plays Mokuren, a moon base team member holding the story's secrets.

Aug 19

Dark Machine The Animation Video Reveals More Cast, Opening Song, October TV Debut

The staff for Dark Machine the Animation unveiled the second promotional video on Wednesday. The video reveals four new cast members playing players from rival e-sports teams, previews the opening theme song "Sonzai Riyū Kai" by BUCK-TICK, and announces the anime's October television premiere. The series will be available for TV and streaming via Fuji TV.

Aug 14

Nia Liston Anime Reveals Tsunomaki Watame Opening Song

The staff for the Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden television anime announced that VTuber Tsunomaki Watame will perform the opening theme song "Respawn!!". The anime debuts on October 6 on Tokyo MX, BS NTV, and MBS, with HIDIVE streaming as it airs. A new situation visual was also revealed.

Aug 12

Finding Polka Interactive Adventure Launches on Steam

PARCO GAMES released Finding Polka, an interactive adventure by Japanese creative studio lidlocks, on Steam today, August 12, 2026. The game follows protagonist Frendy, who lives peacefully with his dog Jazz, as he searches for a dog resembling Polka, a companion from his childhood. Set in a world drawn with a ballpoint pen, players explore map areas while chasing Polka's figure, with optional mini-games such as mini golf, whack-a-mole, soccer penalty kicks, boat races, watermelon splitting, and volleyball. The game has no dialogue or words; characters convey emotions through facial expressions, gestures, and sound effects. Guest creators from the indie scene contributed, including HIPHOP group DON YASA CREW, known for SONOKUNI, who handled rap for insert songs and BGM, and Hiroshi Sawatari, developer of NeverAwake and Magical Princess, who directed the shooting game parts. Shoma, known for MotionRec, designed a stealth puzzle in the rocket factory section. The game is priced at 1,500 yen, with a 20% discount to 1,200 yen until August 25. Bundle versions with TOEM, Hidden through Time, and Lost and Found Co. are also available, and a launch trailer has been released.

Aug 11

Blue Lock Live-Action Cast Takes Over Weekly Shonen Magazine Covers

The Weekly Shonen Magazine 36-37 combined issue will feature the live-action Blue Lock cast on both front and back covers, timed to the film's August 7 release. The movie's official YouTube channel also posted a special talk between Fumiya Takahashi and Ura Kazuki, who play and voice Yoichi Isagi respectively.

Aug 10

Live-Action Blue Lock Film Adds Yusei Yagi, Keisuke Watanabe, Omi Natsuki

The staff for the live-action film based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura's Blue Lock soccer manga confirmed three more cast members on Monday, August 10. FANTASTICS member Yusei Yagi will play Rin Itoshi, Keisuke Watanabe will play Jyubei Aryu, and Omi Natsuki will play Aoshi Tokimitsu. Character visuals showing the actors in costume were released alongside the announcement. The film opened in Japan on August 7 and recorded 188,212 admissions and 277,648,800 yen (about $1.7 million USD) at the box office from August 7 to 9. Starting on August 21, the film will screen in MX4D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema formats. Cheering screenings, where audiences are allowed to shout and interact with the film, will be held at five theaters in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka, and Fukuoka. The film is directed by Yusuke Taki, with a screenplay by Tetsuo Kamata. CREDEUS is producing, and TOHO is distributing. The cast includes Fumiya Takahashi as Yoichi Isagi, Kaito Sakurai as Meguru Bachira, and Masataka Kubota as Jinpachi Ego, among others.

Aug 8

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. Season 2 Casts Yusuke Shirai as Shō Manao

The Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. anime announced Yusuke Shirai will play Shō Manao, a mysterious but gentle man without a past, in season 2. The season premiered on NTV on July 4. Riki Fukushima directs at J.C.STAFF, with Michiko Yokote as script supervisor. The manga ended in July 2025.

Aug 7

Romelia War Chronicle Anime Adds Four Cast Members, Sets October 2026 Premiere

The Romelia War Chronicle anime will premiere in October 2026 and run for two cours. The staff revealed four new cast members: Shoya Chiba as Gran, Gakuto Kajiwara as Ragn, Shun Horie as Kyle, and Ryunosuke Watanuki as Otto. Crunchyroll will stream the series as it airs, and Otakon screened the world premiere on July 31.

Aug 6

Atari Katagiri and Makoto Kisaragi Launch New Romantic Drama Manga

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.

Jul 21

Otakon 2026 Hosts Cast and Staff From Three Anime Adaptations

Otakon announced it will host cast and staff from the television anime of Kazuto Mihara's The World Is Dancing, the anime adaptation of Dr.Poro and Nabana Naba's The Vermillion Mask, and Orange's Trigun Stargaze. The guests will participate in panels at the convention, which runs from July 31 to August 2 in Washington, D.C.

Jul 21

Psychological Horror ADV Smartphone Steam Store Page Opens

Developer OwataStudio opened the Steam store page for its psychological horror adventure game 'Smartphone' on July 21, 2026. The game, originally released for browsers on unityroom on May 13, 2026, is being remade for PC via Steam. In 'Smartphone', protagonist Shinya Komatsu wakes up trapped in a dark, unfamiliar locked room with no memory of how he got there. The only object available is a smartphone, which players must operate to search for clues and escape. The Steam version revises the story, presentation, and controls compared to the browser original. While content up to ending 5 remains the same, the remake doubles the number of endings and adds new developments and conclusions. New apps not present in the browser version have also been added. The game is scheduled for release approximately one month from the store page opening. The browser version remains available for free on unityroom.