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HarperCollins' KAZÉ US manga imprint announced at Anime NYC that it will launch in fall 2027 with 3-5 titles, then release 5-8 titles in 2027, 20-25 in 2028, and 25-30 in 2029. The imprint also plans to expand to Brazil and Spain in 2027, and will publish HarperCollins Japan originals, manhwa, manhua, and original English manga.
REMOW announced at its Anime NYC panel that the television anime of Kuzushiro's The Moon on a Rainy Night manga is coming in 2027. Tomoe Makino directs at CompTown, Shogo Yasukawa writes and oversees the series scripts, and Ayumi Nishibata designs the characters. The story follows Saki, who meets a hard-of-hearing classmate named Kanon after a rainy-night encounter. Kodansha USA licensed the manga, which debuted on Kodansha's Comic Days site in June 2021.
ASCII.jp's second look at the Sycom G-Master Spear 2 Z890i benchmarks the BTO PC with a Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and RTX 5070 Ti. The CPU carries 6 P-cores and 12 E-cores, four more E-cores than the Core Ultra 5 245K and two fewer P-cores than the Core Ultra 7 265K. CINEBENCH 2026 scored 7263 pts multi-thread and 566 pts single-thread. The standard configuration sells for 453,130 yen, or 404,150 yen during the Sycom Summer Campaign 2026 through August 31.
The Indie Stone released the Build 42.20 stable update for Project Zomboid on July 29. The update, two years in the making, roughly doubles the map area compared to Build 41. Some facilities get major renovations, and livestock and construction systems are improved. The game remains in early access on PC via Steam and GOG.com.
Snoozy Kazoo announced on August 22 that Rizz Dungeon: Skeleton Key to My Heart is delayed from September 17 to 2027. The studio said the September date was set out of necessity, to release before its funds ran out, and it had been cutting characters and features to make that deadline. Turnip Boy series sales performed better than expected, so the studio no longer needs to rush and plans to restore cut content.
Sycom's standard gaming PC line, the G-Master Spear, is being refreshed as the G-Master Spear 2. The new series drops the Cooler Master MasterBox CM694 case for a Fractal Design Epoch S custom model made for Sycom. Three models are listed: the Z890i for Intel Core Ultra 200S, the B760i D4 for 14th gen Core with DDR4, and the X870A for AMD Ryzen 9000. The review covers the Z890i, priced at 453,130 yen, or 404,150 yen during the summer campaign.
Good Smile Fest 2026 Osaka is showing a painted prototype of Guts wearing the Berserker Armor and covered in blood. The figure, named Guts [Berserker Armor] Bloody Paint Ver. L size, has an undecided price and release date. The display also includes Guts [Berserker Armor -Sanity-], Griffith [Hawk of Light], and Void, who is scheduled for a February 2027 release at 10,800 yen including tax.
Bandai will release two CRAZY RACCOON gashapon sets from the 5th week of August 2026. Each set features six members of the professional gaming team in a pinched design, with two variants per member: ball chain and crab can. The two sets cover 12 members total, and each costs 400 yen.
A limited edition Zippo featuring Bunta Fujiwara from Initial D has opened pre-orders, capped at 150 units. It is the first item in the CAMSHOP Zippo series to use Bunta as a motif. The black nickel body carries laser-engraved comic scenes and an individual serial number.
Koichi Tokita's sequel spin-off manga Mobile New Century Gundam X FLASH starts serialization in the October 2026 issue of Monthly Gundam Ace, out August 26. Newly drawn cover illustrations for Mobile New Century Gundam X Record Compilation A.W. 30th Chronicle were revealed: a DREAMS cover by character designer Nobuyoshi Nishimura and a Resolution cover by mechanical designer Kunio Okawara. The compilation releases January 2027.
Bandai revealed five new Kamen Rider Mice items: the DX Ex-Pack storage case with Build Ride Eggs, the DX Hoko Crow stamp toy with Owl Seed Eggs, the DX Mice Phone with Faiz Ride Eggs, the DX Juunishi Alliance Rider Weapons Set 01, and the DX Legend Rider Eggs Set 01. Release dates run from September 5 to October 3, 2026.
MediaWorks is releasing a 20th anniversary trading card-with-wafer for the TV anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on October 18, 2026. Preorders opened August 21 at Animate stores and the online shop. The product includes 24 total card types, mixing 12 visual cards and 12 story cards.
Nitoel Inc. has listed AISTAZ, an AI online school from Re-rail Inc., on the B2B matching platform BarterMatch. Companies on the platform can now experience AISTAZ through mutual free use, offering their own services for a set period as consideration instead of paying a fee.
PLAYISM announced 'Card Make Arena' on August 18 for PC via Steam, with early access planned within 2026. Developer Lizardry revealed the game includes a shakapachi function. Players flip through their hand with crisp sound effects, and well-timed shakapachi triggers a SUPER variant, with better timing producing an EXTREME shakapachi featuring spinning cards. Since opponents cannot see it, players can shakapachi freely without bad-manner concerns.
Nippon TV Wands has opened an online lottery for The Amazing Digital Circus at the FaveConnect Store. New original illustrations show Pomni, Jax, Caine, Ragatha, Gangle, Kinger, and Zooble in American diner-style costumes. Prizes include acrylic stands, can badges, die-cut stickers, and a special wall hanging. The lottery runs from August 21 to September 23, 2026.
Tokyo Disney Resort will raise prices for Disney Premier Access starting September 1. At Tokyo Disneyland, Beauty and the Beast's Enchanted Tale goes from 2,000 to 2,500 yen. At Tokyo DisneySea, Anna and Elsa's Frozen Journey and Soaring: Fantastic Flight rise from 2,000 to 2,500 yen, while Journey to the Center of the Earth goes from 1,500 to 2,000 yen.
On August 21, 2026, Amata announced its indie publishing brand AMATA Games will exhibit at the horror content event Tokyo Horror Special Zone!!, held September 11 to 13 at Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall. The booth will feature playable units for Shinjuku Ihen, Kinki Reimu Kyoku, and Manny's.
DMM TV announced three new cast members for the second season of the live-action Happy Kanako's Killer Life series on Friday. Hikaru Takahashi plays Nana, Aoi Morikawa plays Ado, and Sayu Suzukawa plays Yui, all assassin colleagues of Kanako. Non and Taisuke Fujigaya reprise their lead roles, and Tsutomu Hanabusa returns to direct and co-write the scripts.
Anime News Network reviews Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 episode 13, giving it a community score of 4.2. The episode centers on Subaru facing a death of personality as Rui plays on his existential fears, causing his blackouts and eating his memories in an infinite feeding cycle. Rem reminds him of his potential.
Anime News Network's weekly games column covers Sony's State of Play with Phantom Blade Zero, the return of Kingdom Hearts and Princess Maker, plus Kingdom Hearts 4 footage from D23 and a new Kingdom Hearts TV series. The column also notes the passing of Hayden Panettiere, the original voice of Kairi.
ABEMA announced on August 21 that it will launch a dedicated GeGeGe no Kitaro channel for a limited period starting August 24, 2026. The channel will run free daily broadcasts of all 536 episodes from the TV anime's six seasons, beginning with a marathon of Season 1 at 6:00 PM on opening day. The channel will remain available until September 27, 2026, at 5:00 AM. This marks the first time ABEMA has opened a dedicated channel for the franchise, which is based on Shigeru Mizuki's yokai manga and has been televised since January 3, 1968. Alongside the TV series, the 2023 film Kitaro Birth: GeGeGe no Mystery will also stream for free on the platform, its first appearance on ABEMA. The film, which depicts the past of Kitaro's father, is described in the announcement as a social phenomenon. Episodes from the TV anime will remain free to watch for one week after their broadcast on the channel.
Hololive-affiliated VTuber AZKi will appear in the immersive music live show "Animersive Live 'Belle - PROJECT LAYRA -'," based on Mamoru Hosoda's 2021 film "Belle." The announcement came on August 21, 2026, through the show's official "HIROchan" X account, which first posted a silhouette hinting at a guest artist as the "Diva of the VTuber world" shortly after 3:00 p.m. that day, then confirmed AZKi's involvement at 7:00 p.m. AZKi also released a comment expressing excitement about performing on the show's main stage. The live event is scheduled to run from October 10 to November 15, 2026, at MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives Box1000 in Tokyo. The show is a spin-off story set five years after the film, following the character Hiro-chan as she produces a new songstress in the virtual world U, which in the film gathered 5 billion users. Organizers are MoN Takanawa and the Animersive Live "Belle" Production Committee, with cooperation from Studio Chizu.
Pony Canyon announced on Friday that a new original television anime series, Maiden Blood, will debut in 2027. The dark fantasy action series is created by director Seiji Kishi, scriptwriter Makoto Uezu, and Pony Canyon, with Polygon Pictures handling animation production. Kishi directs the anime, and Uezu oversees series scripts. The original character designs are by illustrator LAM, known for Witch and Hound and takt op. Destiny. The main voice cast includes Iori Saeki as Eva and Yukari Anzai as Epica. The story is set in a world where the end-of-days war between good and evil was overturned, and eight billion humans were sacrificed to an Evil God. In this world, human blood is currency, fuel, and a weapon. Mages devised a forbidden ritual that transforms a girl's blood into a blade capable of destroying demons. The younger sister, Epica, is the strongest blood warrior, but her soul was stolen. The elder sister, Eva, cannot walk, yet only her blood can awaken Epica's power. Composers Keiichi Okabe, Kuniyuki Takahashi, and Taichi Jōraku provide the music. Pony Canyon produces the music with cooperation from MONACA. International release details will be announced later.
Phoenixx released the early access version of Lazy Witch's Factory, a roguelite factory builder developed by Meltclock, on Steam on August 21, 2026. The game is priced at 1,870 yen, with a 10% launch discount running until September 4. Players control Momoko, a lazy witch who is tricked by a demon into accumulating a massive debt and must repay it by automating a factory with the help of cute familiars. Mining goblins gather resources, blacksmith salamanders craft items, and players fulfill orders to earn funds. To succeed within the 30-minute time limit, players must make contracts with demons to gain skills and buffs, some of which are risky, such as forcing employees to work or counterfeiting money. The game also reached 269% of its crowdfunding goal, which unlocked a new high-difficulty mode featuring disaster response missions and taxation by Archduke Gehenna. A campaign on X gives away autographed color papers by Misato Fukuen, who voices Momoko, to three winners until September 4.
The film 'Hibagon☆Project,' a town-promotion movie based on the UMA Hibagon, is in production with a planned spring 2027 release. Filming is underway in Saijo-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, where the 1970 sightings occurred. The cast includes Chika Hiraoka, Sakurako Suei, Robert Scott, Megumi Mori, and Ryuji Harada. Takeharu Mikami, editor-in-chief of 'Mu,' will appear as himself.
Dazed Games released the co-op fishing simulator How to Fish on Steam on August 20, and the game has already drawn a large audience. According to SteamDB, the title surpassed 20,000 concurrent players shortly after launch, and at the time of writing it holds an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, with 96% of roughly 780 user reviews positive. How to Fish is a physics-based, first-person fishing simulation that supports single-player and online co-op for up to four players. The premise has the player washed ashore on a small island after a boating accident while drinking, and they must earn money by catching and selling fish to buy better gear and weapons. The game's hook is that fishing is not limited to rods: players can use knives, handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, and sniper rifles to take down fish, and can also cook catches on a grill, gamble with fish as capital, and perform acrobatic trick shots for bonus money. Co-op adds chaos, with seagulls stealing prey and players accidentally shooting each other. The game is available for PC on Steam, and a launch sale offers it at 545 yen, 38% off the regular 880 yen price, until August 28.
Marvelous announced on August 21 that the latest entry in the Story of Seasons series, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, will be the next title in Nintendo's simultaneous trial event for Nintendo Switch Online members. The trial runs from August 24 at 12:00 to August 30 at 17:59, letting subscribers play the full game for free during that window. The game, released in August 2025, is a farm management simulation set in Soyokaze Town, a community known for its weekly bazaar that has fallen into decline. Players grow crops, care for animals, and sell goods at the bazaar to revive the town and aim for the world's greatest bazaar. It is based on the 2008 Nintendo DS game Story of Seasons: Welcome! Wind Bazaar, with updated graphics and systems for current consoles. Alongside the trial, a sale runs from August 24 to September 6, offering 40% off the Switch version at 3,960 yen and the Switch 2 version at 4,620 yen. Save data from the trial can transfer to the purchased full version.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced at Anime NYC 2026 that the Fool Night anime will stream worldwide on Netflix starting November 26, with all episodes released at once. The series is the first collaboration between Sunrise and Shaft, directed by Atsuyuki Yukawa, who previously worked as a unit director on Suzume. The second teaser trailer and new cast were revealed alongside the date. Junya Enoki voices Akira Yatsuki, deputy head of the personnel department at the Fourth Tenka Institute; Aya Endo voices Saeko Kano, a former soldier and Akira's bodyguard; and Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi voices Jin Hiragishi, head of the 'Nashi Division' who hires protagonist Toshiro Kamiya. Previously announced cast includes Kouki Uchiyama as Toshiro Kamiya and Minako Kotobuki as Yomiko Horai. The staff includes series composer Jin Tanaka of Oshi no Ko, character designer Robert Sato, sound director Yota Tsuruoka, and music composer Tatsuya Kato of Dr. Stone. The manga by Kasumi Yasuda has been serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior since November 2020, with 13 volumes released.
Urozane launched a manga adaptation of Nabeshiki's Heion ni Ikitai [Status All 1] wa Kyō mo Kyō tote Sekai wo Sukū web novel on Kodansha's Comic Days platform on August 14. The story follows a protagonist whose status points drop to 1, leading to battles in the Shinjuku Dungeon. Nabeshiki serialized the web novel from January to March 2022.
The official website for Pop Pap Polters, a series of miniature stop-motion anime shorts by director Mozu and MOZU STUDIOS, unveiled the full trailer and key visual on Thursday. The trailer announces the cast, additional staff, and an October 4 premiere. Atsumi Tanezaki voices the three ghost siblings, with Junya Enoki as the homeowner.
FromSoftware's new Nintendo Switch 2 action game The Duskbloods, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, holds a network test from August 21 to 24, 2026. Ahead of that, media hands-on sessions and a group interview with Miyazaki revealed the game's core loop. In The Duskbloods, up to 8 players compete across four phases, earning victory points called Virtue to survive elimination. Virtue comes from defeating enemies, looting items, completing events, and, within designated Ritual Grounds, defeating other players. Outside those areas, PvP yields little benefit, so the game emphasizes strategy over direct combat skill. Players choose from six fixed characters in the network test, each with unique melee and ranged weapons, bloodline arts, and mobility options including air jumps and dashes. The full version will add customization and over 10 character bases. Miyazaki confirmed the game is not an extraction shooter and that PvPvE was a loose label. He also said the final battle can be PvE against a boss, and that ranked matches and seasons are planned.
The live-action Look Back film announced that musician Kenshi Yonezu, actress-singer Tōko Miura, and animator-director Yōko Kuno will contribute as special guest staff. Yonezu performs guitar under the Shark Kick Guitar moniker, Miura sings an insert song, and Kuno directs a rotoscoped animation sequence produced by Shinei Animation. The film opens September 11 in Japan.
Drecom announced that Wizardry Variants Daphne has surpassed 4 million total downloads worldwide. To mark the milestone, a campaign running from August 20 to September 9, 2026, gives all logging-in players 2,000 Orgu Gemstones plus Rare Remains. The update also adds the alternate style adventurer Heroine of the Evening Calm Elize, voiced by Yu Kobayashi, and the new quest Fordraig Labyrinth Exploration.
Toho will host a Godzilla-themed booth at Tokyo Toy Show 2026, held August 29-30 at Tokyo Big Sight. The booth features a large statue and diorama from the upcoming film Godzilla-0.0, early displays of original merchandise, a Chibi Godzilla greeting for middle school students and younger, and giveaways tied to Toho's official membership service.
Phoenixx announced on August 20, 2026 that the novel game Zashiki Warashi Kareshi I LOVE Ramen will launch on Steam on September 24. The price is undecided. A demo is now available. The game is a yokai romantic comedy themed around ramen, yokai, and romance, created by Ara Hana Nuno. The protagonist Sasami dreams of opening a ramen shop and meets Marilyn, a handsome zashiki warashi who claims to be a ramen-making specialist. Together they make ramen, interact with unique yokai, and follow a story with laughter, romance, and mystery. The full version includes part 1, previously released as a free game, and new part 2, which continues the story. The demo lets players play part 1 from the start, and after finishing it, a quiz about part 1 unlocks the beginning of part 2. Two theme songs, Zashiki Warashi Kareshi no Theme! and Oresama Tambourine, were released on YouTube to mark the demo. The Steam store page is accepting wishlist registrations.
Kazuhiko Shimamoto's Kamen Rider Black x Kamen Rider ZO was released on August 20, 2026. The 240-page volume includes the side story Kamen Rider Black PART Imitation 7 and Kamen Rider ZO, with newly drawn opening pages and illustrations, plus a 15,000-character interview with Ishimori Pro's Masato Hayase. It is priced at 2,200 yen.
ABEMA's official anime social media posted a quiz tied to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's Endless Eight arc, asking fans to identify which loop iteration Haruhi, Yuki, and Mikuru's yukata appearances belong to. The difficulty drew reactions on social media, with comments calling it too hard and crazy. The quiz accompanies the ABEMA channel celebrating the anime's 20th anniversary.
Kizuna AI celebrated her birthday on June 30, 2026, with a 3D live and collaboration stream featuring Sakura Miko, Mori Calliope, and others. The pioneer of the VTuber scene, active since November 29, 2016, is approaching her 10th year, prompting a two-part analysis of whether VTubers are idols.
Game Science released the first 15-minute gameplay footage for Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the second Black Myth title. The video shows sword attacks, parrying, dodging, finishing moves, multi-enemy fights, and a large boss battle where an ally joins and control switches. The game is in early development, planned for PC and major consoles with no release date.
QueseraGames will release the full version of rhythm adventure Nientum - Op.ZERO on Steam on October 14, 2026. Version 1.0 adds chapters 6 through 10, completing the main story, plus 20 new songs, a collection feature, Hard difficulty, and scene skip. A mobile version for iOS and Android targets the same date.
KADOKAWA's Fantasia Bunko releases Full Metal Panic! Family Vol. 4 and Shouji Gatou's new robot light novel Kidou Tensei Vol. 1 on August 20, 2026. Family Vol. 4 features Natsumi piloting the Azul Raven in a training exercise, while Kidou Tensei follows a salaryman reborn as a prototype mobile weapon.
QueseraGames announced on August 20 that the rhythm adventure game Nientum - Op.ZERO will leave early access and officially release on Steam on October 14. A mobile version for iOS and Android is in development with a target simultaneous release, with details coming September 1. The 1.0 update adds chapters 6 through 10, 20 free-select songs, a Collection feature, and Hard difficulty.
GameScience released a 15-minute gameplay trailer for the action RPG Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the sequel to Black Myth: Wukong. The footage shows Unreal Engine 5 graphics, exploration, sword combat, a ghost-summoning ability, boss battles, romance scenes, and fishing. Platform support and a release date are still unannounced.
Izanagi Games released a free trial version for the PlayStation 5 version of AKIBA LOST today, August 20, 2026. The full-motion live-action suspense game, developed with Nippon TV and AX-ON, will have its Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch demos arrive on August 27. Pre-orders for the download version are now open, with a 10 percent discount on the PS5 version running until September 16. The company also detailed two pieces of downloadable content: an original soundtrack with 31 tracks, including 22 from the TV drama, and a drama movie containing all six episodes broadcast on Nippon TV, playable within the game. Tsukasa Masuko, known for the Shin Megami Tensei series, handles the in-game BGM and sound effects. A Digital Deluxe Edition bundling the main game with the soundtrack, drama movie, and two pixel art costume sets is also planned. The full game releases on September 17, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
Automaton recommends 'Chaos Zero Nightmare,' a deck-building roguelike from SUPER CREATIVE and Smilegate, for players who have exhausted 'Slay the Spire 2' early access. The game's 'Chaos Manifestation' mode lets players build decks and save them for normal mode, offering a different take on the genre.
NC Corporation announced the second global test for the animation action RPG Limit Zero Breakers, called the Frontier Test, on August 20. Registration is open until September 6 at 11:00 JST. The test runs September 10-14 on Steam and mobile platforms, featuring main story chapters up to chapter 3, a spin-off story, new raids, and new characters, with improvements based on feedback from the previous Prologue Beta Test.
The We Are Aliens anime film announced four new cast members on Thursday. Gaku Sano plays Seiya Toda, Reika Ōzeki plays young Seiya, Arisa Sasaki plays Elmo Matsushita, and Edo Harumi plays a calligraphy teacher. The film opens in Japan on September 25.
The Overgeared anime will premiere on Tokyo MX and BS11 on October 2 at 11:30 p.m. JST. The second promotional video previews the opening theme "SATISFY" by Re:name and the ending theme "Ray of Emotion" by virtual singer TAO. New cast members include Riho Sugiyama as Jishuka, Masaaki Mizunaka as Toban, Kō Bonkobara as Regas, Masaya Fukunishi as Vantner, Kōhei Amasaki as Pon, and Shunichi Toki as Faker.
Scholastic announced five new titles under its Graphix imprint in partnership with Tezuka Productions, each reimagining a manga by Osamu Tezuka. The lineup: Atomcat/Astro Cat, Princess Knight, The Three-eyed One, Triton of the Sea, and Zero Man. Samuel Sattin returns as writer, continuing from Unico: Awakening, with Japanese artists handling illustrations. Unico: Awakening launched August 6, 2024 with art by Gurihiru and will end with its eighth volume; volume three shipped July 7.
Disney+ presented a teaser promotional video for Episode of Savanaclaw, the second season of the Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation series, on Thursday. The teaser introduces Fairouz Ai as the voice of Yuuka Hirasaka, a high school student who excels at judo and the protagonist of the second season. On the way home from a judo tournament, she encounters a mysterious carriage that whisks her away to Twisted-Wonderland. Episode of Savanaclaw will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ in December 2026. The first season, Episode of Heartslabyul, debuted exclusively on Disney+ in October 2025, and the overall anime will run for three seasons. The seasons adapt the original game's accompanying manga under the titles Episode of Heartslabyul, Episode of Savanaclaw, and Episode of Octavinelle. The anime's English dub debuted on Disney+ and Hulu on the same day the anime premiered. Takahiro Natori is serving as chief director and series script supervisor, and Shin Katagai is directing at Yumeta Company and Graphinica. Yoichi Kato is credited as the main writer. Hanaka Nakano and Akane Sato are designing the characters. Takumi Ozawa, the composer of the game, is also composing the music in the anime itself.