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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 To You in the Beyond anime film unveiled a full trailer, key visual, theme song artist Tota, and four new cast members on Wednesday. The film adapts Akiko Abe's novel and opens in Japan on October 9.
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.
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.
Publisher Nino Games released the desktop mascot game 'Existence/Nonexistent Lilith' on Steam on July 16. The software brings Lilith, a character from the visual novel 'Existence/Nonexistent You, and Me' and the JRPG 'Existence/Nonexistent Dreamer: Silver Onion Forest,' to the user's desktop. As of writing, Steam reviews are 97% positive out of approximately 340 reviews. The game is currently voice-acted in Chinese only, with Japanese voice support planned for December. It is on sale for 238 yen until July 24.
The Junket Bank TV anime has added Wataru Hatano as Keiichi Shishigami and Daisuke Hirakawa as Reiji Murasame. The series will air on TV Tokyo and affiliates on Mondays at 24:00 JST starting in October. The anime adapts Ikkō Tanaka's manga about a world where banks double as gambling halls, with Sōma Saitō and Rikuya Yasuda starring.
GAN (Takanori Iwata) released the single "Who's Next / RISE NOW" on July 1, 2026. The song "RISE NOW" is the tie-up CM song for Lenovo, official technology partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026. YONDE produced a TikTok game effect called "⚽ Language Challenge" that uses voice recognition to have users pronounce "soccer" in various languages to advance a soccer ball toward a goal. Users can record and post their gameplay.
The official website for the television anime adaptation of Haka Tokura's Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized! light novel series released a new promotional video on July 4. The video and accompanying announcement revealed three additional cast members: Akeno Watanabe as Camilla, Masaaki Mizunaka as Chronos, and Wakana Kuramochi as Rita Heinkes. They join previously announced leads Reiji Kawashima as Wim Strauss and Hana Hishikawa as Heidemarie. Crunchyroll confirmed at its Anime Expo 2026 panel on July 3 that it will stream the series and also showed an English-subtitled version of the trailer. The anime is set to premiere in January 2027. It will air on Tokyo MX, MBS, BS11, and 17 other channels, and will also be available on Netflix. Hideki Okamoto is directing the series at J.C. Staff. Takao Yoshioka is handling series scripts, Yu Murakami is designing the characters, and Yuki Hayashi, Luke Standridge, and Asa Taylor are composing the music. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the light novel and its manga adaptation for English release.
CyberAgent announced a television anime adaptation of Mozuku Sora and Higoro Tomori's fantasy war manga The Bugle Call: Song of War, produced at its CA Soa studio and directed by Shinya Watada. The series is set for a 2027 premiere, with a teaser trailer and visual released.
The TV anime My Charms Are Not Working for Medaka Kuroiwa has been nominated in the Best Romance Anime category at the Japan Expo DARUMA Awards 2026. Public voting is open until July 1. The awards are decided by a jury and fan vote through the Mangacollec app or website.
Tatsuya Watanabe, representative director and president of ROLEUP, participated in the PIVOT official channel &TALK program. The discussion covers structural reasons large corporations struggle to change, prescriptions for revitalizing the Japanese economy, and the role of a management strategist in supporting strategy and M&A execution.
Wataru Watanabe's Yowamushi Pedal character Onoda Sakamichi is on the cover of Tarzan issue 928, released June 25. The issue's theme is "10 minutes a week, all-purpose stretching." Inside, Watanabe discusses stretches for manga artists, celebrating the series' 100th volume.
Toei Animation's new Eterna Animation brand released a trailer for its short film Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki. The film follows character designer Shinano as discarded creations from her past appear to her. Takeru Shinozuka directs and writes in his commercial debut. The short is set to debut this year.
The second season of the Skeleton Knight in Another World anime has received a new promotional video and key visual, revealing three additional cast members. Mitsuo Iwata, Kento Hama, and Hiroshi Naka join the voice cast as Charos, Ein, and Hanzō, respectively. The season is set to premiere on AT-X on July 4 at 8:30 p.m. JST, with a repeat broadcast on July 6, followed by airings on Tokyo MX and BS11 on July 9. Crunchyroll will stream the series. The second season sees several staff changes from the first season: Toshizo Nemoto takes over series scripts from Takeshi Kikuchi, Chisa Shibata replaces Hideki Inoue as sub-character designer, and Jia Fang Lu replaces Kenta Tsuboi as art director. Aura Studio handles animation production, replacing Studio KAI and HORNETS. Katsumi Ono returns as director, with returning character designer Tōru Imanishi and sound director Satoshi Motoyama. PelleK returns for the opening theme, while DIALOGUE+ performs the ending theme. The first season aired in 2022.
The official website for the television anime adaptation of Rokuro Uraji's novel series "Zombie no Afureta Sekai de Ore Dake ga Osowarenai" ("I am the only one who is not attacked in the world filled with zombies") opened on June 25, 2026, revealing a teaser promotional video, teaser visual, main cast, staff, and a delayed premiere. The anime will now debut in January 2027 on the premium AT-X channel, having been previously planned for 2026. Wataru Katō voices protagonist Yūsuke Takemura, a former office worker whom zombies ignore, and Yuno Azuma voices Mitsuki Fujino. Kazuya Fujishiro (episode director on "Dropkick on My Devil!", "Girlfriend, Girlfriend", "Cells at Work! Code Black") directs the series at studios Acca effe and Frontier Engine. Yasushi Hirano handles series scripts, with Kayō Shimoyama and Makuto Okimiru writing individual scripts. Megumi Ishihara designs the characters. The story originally launched in 2013 on the R18 section of Shōsetsuka ni Narō and concluded in 2017. Frontier Works published three novel volumes with illustrations by Saburō, and a manga adaptation by Chihiro Masuda began in 2021, with its fifth volume shipping August 5, 2026. A spinoff manga also ships that day.
The live-action film "Osomatsu-san: Jinrui Kuzu-ka Keikaku!!!!!?" will host limited audio commentary screenings from June 26 to July 31, featuring Aぇ! group and Nishimura Takuya. New live footage of Watanabe Miho and Noguchi Iori performing a duet has also been released on YouTube for a limited time until July 12.
A pre-release event for the new Keroro Gunsou film was held in Tokyo on June 16. Cast members Kumiko Watanabe, Etsuko Kozakura, ano, and Soshu discussed the film, the first theatrical entry in 16 years. Kozakura praised the death voice technique in the theme songs performed by ano and Soshu.
The cast of "Osomatsu-san: Jinrui Kuzuka Keikaku!!!!!?" appeared at a first-day stage greeting on June 12 at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya in Tokyo. The live-action film, based on the anime by Fujio Akatsuka, follows the sextuplet Matsuno brothers as they confront a world that has begun praising their lazy lifestyle. Members of Ae! group-Seimei Yoshinori, Masaki Sawa, Ken Kojima, and Masaya Sano-star alongside Takuya Nishimura, Miho Watanabe, Yusuke Onuki, Naenano, and Iori Noguchi. Director Taisuke Kawamura revealed that the choreographer said the sextuplet actors could handle the most difficult dance, so he requested maximum difficulty choreography, which the cast learned in two hours. The actors described the dance as more challenging than Ae! group's own songs and said it took a full day to film, like a music video. Koji Mukai of Snow Man, who played Osomatsu in the 2022 film, appears as "Old Osomatsu" and added ad-libs that raised the cast's morale. The film was postponed by about five months before its release.
The completion preview screening for the first new Keroro Gunsou theatrical film in 16 years took place on June 3 in Tokyo. Kumiko Watanabe, Jesse of SixTONES, ano, Shinobu Hasegawa, and Yuichi Fukuda attended. Jesse voiced original characters Aruru and Deruru, while ano performed the theme songs and voiced a role. The film opens nationwide on June 26.
A new clip from the sixth episode of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- season 4 shows Julius Euclius being hit with chopsticks. The scene is part of the Loss Arc, the first of two arcs that make up the 19-episode season. The Loss Arc began broadcast and streaming on April 8, 2026, and runs for 11 episodes. The Recapture Arc will follow with 8 episodes starting August 12, 2026. The season is directed by Masaharu Watanabe, with series composition by Masahiro Yokotani and character designs by Kyuta Sakai. Production is handled by White Fox. The opening theme is "Recollect" by Konomi Suzuki and Ashnikko, and the ending theme is "Ender Ember" by MYTH & ROID feat. TK (Ling tosite sigure). The clip was released by Crunchyroll, which streams the series. The season adapts the ongoing novels by Tappei Nagatsuki, which began in 2012.
The upcoming "New Theatrical Version ☆ Keroro Gunsō: Revival and Immediate Crisis of Earth's Destruction!" has announced seven new guest voice actors, including Keigo Sato (JO1), Yusei Yagi (FANTASTICS), Suzanne, Rina Watanabe (Hinatazaka46), Tomokazu Seki, Natsuki Hanae, and Koichi Yamadera. The film commemorates the anime's 20th anniversary and is the first new movie in 16 years, directed by Yuichi Fukuda. It opens nationwide on June 26.
A new anime short titled 'Narumi's Week at Work' will premiere this fall. The story, conceived by Kizuku Watanabe, follows Gen Narumi during his work week. Returning staff includes director Shigeyuki Miya, Production I.G, and voice actor Kōki Uchiyama as Narumi.
Yuu Watase drew the three-sided case illustration for the Fushigi Yugi Blu-ray BOX, releasing August 26. The image shows Miaka, Tamahome, and the Suzaku Seven Stars. Voice actors Kii Arakawa and Hikaru Midorikawa shared anniversary messages.
The official website for the Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. anime released the first promotional video for its second season on May 26, 2026, announcing a July 4 premiere on NTV in Japan. The video previews the ending theme song "BooooM!!!" performed by VTuber Marine Houshou. Two new cast members were revealed: Sayumi Watanabe joins as Iroha Akasaka, and Mariko Higashiuchi takes over the role of Hitomi Koshigaya, replacing Yumiri Hanamori, who stepped down. The season introduces several new staff members, including assistant director Hiroyasu Oda, sound director Yoshikazu Iwanami, and art director Shun Yoshii. Toshinori Fukushima directs the season at J.C.Staff, replacing first-season director Masahiro Hiraoka. Michiko Yokote handles series composition and scripts, while Masahiro Fujii returns as character designer and Makoto Miyazaki returns as composer. The first season aired from October to December 2024, and the manga by Sekka Iwata and Yu Aoki concluded in July 2025 with 160 chapters.
The official website for the new Sgt. Frog 20th anniversary anime film, Shin Gekijōban ☆ Keroro Gunsō Fukkatsu Shite Sokkō Chikyū Metsubō no Kiki de Arimasu!, announced seven additional guest voice cast members on Tuesday. The film opens in Japan on June 26. The new guest cast includes Tomokazu Seki as Warrior #7, Natsuki Hanae as an alien, Kōichi Yamadera as the Space Police Chief, JO1 member Keigo Satō and FANTASTICS member Yūsei Yagi as men in Shibuya, Suzanne as a Kumamoto announcer, and Hinatazaka46 member Rina Watanabe as a woman in Shibuya. Watanabe's role marks her first voice acting work. Jesse of the idol group SixTONES voices brothers Aruru and Deruru from planet Keron. Singer ano and comedian Soshina, who perform the opening theme song "Mata Kaettekita KERO! to MARCH," also appear as guest cast: ano plays a researcher robot, and Soshina plays a man in Shibuya. Yūichi Fukuda is supervising director and scriptwriter, with Fumitoshi Oizaki directing at Bandai Namco Pictures. A new Sgt. Frog television anime with a brand-new cast will debut in fall 2026.
Anime Expo announced it will host the first official North American screening of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? on July 5. The convention also revealed guests including voice actors Masakazu Morita and Machico, and a Macross panel by BIGWEST on July 2.