Yuki Iwai is set to return as main MC of ABEMA's Japan Anime Trend Awards for the fourth consecutive year, with the 2026 edition streaming free on December 26. He also works as one half of the comedy duo Haraiti, which was named promotional ambassador for the True Samurai Legend YAIBA anime in August.
Yuki Iwai's coverage on Yomimono runs through two roles: television host and comedy duo member. The most recent story confirms he will be main MC of ABEMA's Japan Anime Trend Awards 2026, returning to the role for the fourth consecutive year. The ceremony streams free live on ABEMA's Anime SPECIAL Channel from 19:00 on December 26, 2026, with Sumire Uesaka and Aozora Tokui joining as new MCs. The awards draw on X data, Anime! Anime! coverage, and ABEMA viewing data, and the Grand Prize is decided by user voting.
Earlier, in August, Iwai and Tasuku Sawabe, his partner in the comedy duo Haraiti, were named promotional ambassadors for the TV anime True Samurai Legend YAIBA. The announcement landed on August 8, designated YAIBA Day, and came with an official interview and a commemorative quiz video on YouTube. The appointment was framed around the pair's stated childhood fandom for the original manga as the anime moved toward its second season, the Kaguya Arc.
The two stories do not connect beyond Iwai himself. One places him in an awards hosting role tied to fan voting; the other places him in a promotional role for a specific anime. A third story about SHIBUYA ANIME BASE's 100th episode does not involve Iwai and is not part of his record here.
Written with AI from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced. See our editorial policy. Every fact links the story it came from.
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ABEMA confirmed the Japan Anime Trend Awards 2026 will stream free live on its Anime SPECIAL Channel from 19:00 on December 26, 2026. Haraichi's Yuuki Iwai returns as main MC for the fourth consecutive year, joined by new MCs Sumire Uesaka and Aozora Tokui. The awards analyze X data, Anime! Anime! coverage, and ABEMA viewing data, with user voting deciding the Grand Prize.
Hikari Senga, who plays Cure Answer in "Detective Precure!," appeared as a guest on the 100th broadcast of "SHIBUYA ANIME BASE." The episode featured a special on the film "Detective Precure! The Mysterious Garden and the Two Secrets," which opened in theaters the same day. Senga said she cried watching the completed film despite already knowing its content, and discussed her path to winning the role while still a newcomer.
The comedy duo Haraiti, made up of Yuki Iwai and Tasuku Sawabe, has been appointed promotional ambassadors for the TV anime True Samurai Legend YAIBA. The announcement came on August 8, designated YAIBA Day. An official interview with the pair and a commemorative quiz video on YouTube accompanied the news.