Mobile Suit Z Gundam is finding a new audience through live-stream co-viewing with VTubers, a trend that Magmix reports is growing in popularity.
A Magmix analysis published on May 20, 2026, reports that simultaneous viewing of Mobile Suit Z Gundam alongside VTuber commentary is growing in popularity. The piece attributes the trend to the show's dense plot and dramatic moments, which create natural reaction content, and notes that older anime are finding new life through live-stream co-viewing.
The story is the only Yomimono coverage of Z Gundam in the provided cluster. No other stories address the series' production, staff, release schedule, or any other aspect of its current state. The coverage is limited to this single observation about audience behavior.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
The anime adaptation of Metabo Hagure's light novel series revealed three new cast members on Friday. Yōhei Azakami, Masaaki Mizunaka, and Marika Kōno join the series, which premieres in July on TV Tokyo, BS11, and AT-X. REMOW handles global licensing and will preview the first half of episode one at Anime Expo on July 4.
The television anime adaptation of Nana Mikoshiba's light novel series The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World will return for a second season in October 2026. The announcement was made on Friday via a new website, which also revealed the returning staff and cast. Masahiro Takata is back to direct, write and oversee the series scripts, and serve as sound director. Animation studio Zero-G is producing the second season, replacing Cloud Hearts, which handled the first season. Mariko Kawamoto takes over as character designer from Makoto Shimojima. The returning cast includes Junya Enoki as Ray White, Iori Saeki as Amelia Ros, and Akira Sekine as Ariane Olgren. A teaser visual was released alongside the news. The first season premiered in January 2023 and was streamed by Crunchyroll. The light novel series began in 2020 and will release its ninth volume on June 2, 2026. A manga adaptation by Norihito Sasaki ran from 2020 to 2024.
The Patlabor EZY 'File 1' film opened at #8 in the Japanese box office, while the live-action Shōjiki Fudōsan film debuted at #4. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie returned to #1 in its fourth weekend, and Detective Conan: Highway no Datenshi held at #3 in its sixth weekend.
JR Tokai will run a collaboration campaign with The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi from June 20 to September 23, 2026, celebrating the series' 20th anniversary. The campaign includes a key visual of Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki in train worker uniforms, an original voice drama written by Nagaru Tanigawa, quizzes with smartphone wallpaper rewards, and a stamp rally in Nishinomiya.
The light anime adaptation of Kaoruko Miyama's boys-love manga Perfect Addiction announced its main cast, staff, key visual, and a July premiere on tvk. Yōhei Azakami and Sōma Saitō star in the second project from the BALLOON label.
EZFG, the Vocaloid producer known for "Cyber Thunder Cider" and "Itai Itai Itai," died on April 7, 2026, his father announced via the official X account on May 18. He was diagnosed with stage 4 appendiceal cancer in March 2024 and underwent chemotherapy.
Disney Animation's Zootopia 2 Blu-ray and DVD set released in Japan on May 20, 2026. A previously unseen scene from the film was revealed, showing Nick and Judy on an undercover operation at an airport posing as a married couple. A special interview with Tomoyuki Morikawa, who voices Nick Wilde, was also published to mark the home video launch.
Bandai Namco Filmworks releases the Blu-ray for the first chapter of the new Patlabor series on May 22, 2026, exclusively through A-on STORE and Premium Bandai. The limited-quantity disc includes the ending theme CD by Mariko Nagai, video extras, and a double-sided jacket with art by Masami Yuuki and Akemi Takada.
Pxrge Trxxxper, the 19-year-old winner of ABEMA's 'RAPSTAR 2025', released his first album 'REVERSAL' on May 15. The 10-track album features guest appearances from Jin Dogg, Benjazzy, DADA, Leon Fanourakis, Yvng Patra, Young Zetton, and ZERRY, with production by the OVER KILL team led by FUJI TRILL.
A Magmix analysis reports that simultaneous viewing of Mobile Suit Z Gundam alongside VTuber commentary is growing in popularity. The piece attributes the trend to the show's dense plot and dramatic moments, which create natural reaction content, and notes that older anime are finding new life through live-stream co-viewing.
The light anime adaptation of Hokuhoku Yakiimo and Kusabi Kurokawa's manga Saved by the Ice Cold Prince's Embrace has revealed its main cast and staff in a teaser promotional video. Miku Itō will voice the protagonist Katrina, and Yōhei Azakami will voice Prince Clarence. Yūsuke Morishita, known for directing I Want to Live a Long Life to Dote on My Favorite Stepbrother, is directing the anime at IMAGICA Infos and Imageworks Studio in collaboration with Stainlab. The anime is set to premiere on TV Kanagawa in July 2026. The story follows Katrina, the illegitimate daughter of a count and his maid, who is sent to the northern outskirts to learn proper conduct under a prince rumored to be cruel, only to find him kinder than expected. The manga began serialization in January 2025 under Funguild's Comic Spira label, and the original text story was first posted on Shōsetsu ni Narō in July 2023. Funguild describes the light anime as an adaptation of the manga version.
NHK is producing a live-action television special based on Osamu Tezuka's autobiographical manga 'Paper Fortress,' which depicts his wartime childhood. The special, titled 'Tezuka Osamu no Sensō,' will also draw from Tezuka's short story 'God Father's Son' and interweave his life in 1973 with his alter ego's story in 1945. Kengo Kōra stars as Tezuka, and Konosuke Harada plays the protagonist Tetsurō Osamu. The special premieres in August, with filming starting in May in the Kansai area.
The live-action series adaptation of Nagisa Furuya's boys love manga The Summer of You has announced its main cast and staff. Tomoya Oku and Kazuto Mokudai will star as the two leads. The series will stream on U-NEXT from June 24 and air on TV Tokyo from July 1.
The anime adaptation of Tanba and Yuunagi's light novel series revealed its first promotional video and four new cast members on Monday. The show will debut in July. Atsushi Tamaru, Ryōta Takeuchi, Mitsuki Saiga, and Kazuhiko Inoue join the cast as members of the Lakes Adler family.
Mari Yamazaki's sequel manga Zoku Thermae Romae (also known as Thermae Romae Redux) resumed serialization on Monday with a new chapter on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ platform. The series had been on hiatus since chapter 13 was published on September 1, 2025. Chapter 14 is now available worldwide, with an English release on Shueisha's MangaPlus site. The chapter focuses on Lucius's wife Satsuki, who is separated from her family and back in her hometown, dealing with her obligations and considering her next steps. The chapter ends with a teaser featuring Lucius and Marius. Yamazaki launched the manga in February 2024 on Shonen Jump+, and Shueisha published the second compiled volume in March 2025. The series previously took a break in April 2024 before returning in July 2024. In the story, Lucius is now nearing 60 years old but continues to travel between ancient Rome and modern-day Japan. The original Thermae Romae manga ran from 2008 to 2013 and inspired a three-episode anime in 2012, two live-action films, and the Netflix anime Thermae Romae Novae.
Koji Suzuki, the novelist who created the Ring horror franchise and helped launch the J-horror boom in the west, died in a Tokyo hospital on Friday. He was 68. His 1991 novel Ring spawned films, manga, and spinoffs, and his other works include Dark Water, Spiral, and Loop.
Kansai TV announced Meru Nukumi will play Mio Kashiwabara, the assistant homeroom teacher, in the new live-action GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka series. The sequel moves the story to the Reiwa era, with Takashi Sorimachi returning as Onizuka. The series premieres July 20 on Kansai TV and Fuji TV.
A Yu-Gi-Oh Art Works exhibit featuring concept art by the late Kazuki Takahashi will be held in Tokyo in Winter 2026. The production committee opened an official website and social media account, and will release more details in late August 2026. The exhibit is a one-time event with no tour planned.
Episode 5 of Re:Zero Season 4 splits its focus between the tower's library-a repository of everyone's memories, searchable only by knowing the person-and a flashback to Typhon's childhood, where her Authority of Pride killed anyone who felt guilt, making her a tragic mass murderer unaware of her own wrongdoing.
Greenwich Entertainment released the first trailer for Ryuya Suzuki's indie feature Jinsei, which opens in New York on June 5 and nationwide on June 12. The hand-drawn film follows one protagonist across a hundred years, voiced by rapper Ace Cool, and has already won a Special Jury Prize at the New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival.
Voice actress Wakana Yamazaki, best known as the voice of Ran Mori in the long-running anime series Detective Conan, died on April 18 at age 61 following an illness. Her talent agency Aoni Production announced in February that she would pause activities for medical treatment. Yamazaki voiced the character since the series premiered in 1996, a role she held for nearly three decades. The Detective Conan production staff confirmed that Akemi Okamura, who had filled in since March 14, will permanently succeed her as the voice of Ran Mori. Creator Gosho Aoyama released a statement saying, "To think I'll never hear that gentle, comforting voice that was always there again... it's so sad." Yamazaki also voiced Meiko Akizuki in Marmalade Boy, Koan in Sailor Moon R, Nene in the Samurai Warriors game series, and Nojiko in One Piece. She received the Kei Tomiyama and Kazue Takahashi Award at the 19th Seiyuu Awards for her contributions to the profession. A funeral was held by close relatives. The cast and staff of Detective Conan, along with figures across the anime and game industries, posted public condolences on social media.
Episode 6 of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 focuses on combat and character development as the party faces Reid, the original Sword Saint. The episode features two rounds of Reid versus Julius and one round of Reid versus Emilia, with the animation serving as eye candy for the action quota. The central dilemma is that every member of the party must defeat Reid to proceed to the next floor of the tower, including Subaru, Anastasia, Meili, Ram, Rem, and Julius. However, Reid is willing to adjust the rules, suggesting that overcoming him requires intellect rather than sheer strength. The battles also advance character arcs: Emilia's sheltered nature causes her to not register Reid's sexual harassment, surprising him and allowing her a clean hit. Julius's fight explores his lifelong status as second best compared to Reinhard, and his pride in being chosen by Anastasia-a memory now only he retains. The episode draws parallels to Subaru and Julius's fight from the first season, with Julius emulating Subaru's earlier absurd proclamation and willingness to accept consequences. A staircase scene metaphorically depicts Subaru supporting Julius rather than carrying him, acknowledging Julius's need to walk his own path with help, similar to how Rem once helped Subaru.
Bandai Namco Filmworks released a new video for the Patlabor EZY anime project on Thursday, introducing the main characters of the Special Vehicles Division 2. The project consists of eight episodes released as three theatrical films. The first film, File 1, debuted on May 15, 2026, and contains the first two episodes in an omnibus format. File 2 follows on August 14, 2026, with episodes four through six, and File 3 arrives in March 2027 with the final two episodes as a two-part story. The story is set in the 2030s, where Labors have become commonplace and are increasingly replaced by autonomous robots. SV2 still uses a tuned-up version of the SV-98 Ingram. The cast includes Sumire Uesaka as Towa Kuga, Kikunosuke Toya as Kippei Atori, Ami Koshimizu as Saki Hirata, Chikahiro Kobayashi as Akihiko Hazama, Setsuji Sato as Yuta Yanai, Yume Matsumura as Hachikuma Yuzuki, and Megumi Hayashibara as Kimika Saeki. Shigeru Chiba reprises his role as Shigeo Shiba. Yutaka Izubuchi directs at J.C. Staff, with Kazunori Ito writing the script. Mori Calliope performs the opening theme, and Mariko Nagai performs the ending theme.
Manga Mavericks Books announced on May 18, 2026, that it has licensed Zawayuki Taki's BDSM-themed manga "Tie Me Up, Stare Me Down" (originally serialized as "Shibatte Mitsumete"). The publisher will release the complete series as a single 3-in-1 omnibus volume in both print and digital formats in May 2027. The manga was originally serialized on Shinchosha's Kurage Bunch website from March 5, 2024, to May 20, 2025, and Shinchosha published three compiled tankobon volumes in Japan, the final one in July 2025. The story follows Sawada, a sales and marketing department head at a grocery store chain who feels crushed by responsibility. After discovering a fetish bar, he receives "special" care from a dominatrix named Nana and experiences liberation through bondage. Print pre-orders are now live on the Manga Mavericks Store. The company also shared a message from creator Taki as part of the announcement during its online Manga Mavericks Monday licensing event.
WEBTOON and Paramount have released the first of two original Star Trek webcomic series, Stargazers and Recollection, as part of a partnership announced last September. Stargazers debuted on Sunday, while Recollection is set for later this summer. Both series feature new characters and stories within established Star Trek canon.
The Kirio Fan Club anime has added three new cast members: Yoko Hikasa as young Kirio, Yui Kanari as his childhood friend Nozomi, and Yu Serizawa as Yua. The characters debut in the eighth episode on May 21. The rom-com series premiered on April 2 and streams on HIDIVE.
Merry vocalist Gara organized the Daisuke Festival!! at Zepp Haneda on July 30 as part of the band's 25th anniversary project. The event brings together Merry, MUCC, and former Kagerou members to honor Daisuke, the late vocalist who died suddenly in July 2010. Gara, MUCC's Tatsuro, and Kazu contributed comments ahead of the show.
The new anime project "Mobile Police Patlabor EZY" has brought back the popular character Isao Ota, voiced by Chikao Ohtsuka, who made a surprise appearance at a stage greeting in Tokyo on May 16. Director Yutaka Izubuchi explained the decision, saying he wanted to bring the character out "in a delicious way." Ota is a veteran member of the former Special Vehicles Section 2 from the original OVA series. The stage greeting also featured cast members Sumire Uesaka, Kikunosuke Toya, and Chikahiro Kobayashi. Separately, a new one-shot manga by original creator Masami Yuki, titled "Patlabor 2026," was published in Weekly Spirits on May 18, marking the first new manga in the franchise in 32 years. The anime project consists of eight episodes split into three theatrical chapters. "File 1" opened on May 15, "File 2" is scheduled for August 14, and "File 3" for March 2027. The project has also received recommendation comments from 14 figures including Hideaki Anno, Sumito Owara, and Kenji Kawai.
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.
Takeru Hokazono's Kagurabachi manga is on a one-issue break due to the author's sudden illness, as announced in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump issue 25. The series will return in the next issue on May 25. This is the second unplanned break for health reasons in under a year, following a similar pause in June 2025.
At the opening day stage greeting for "Patlabor EZY" File 1 in Tokyo on May 15, director Yutaka Izubuchi, writer Kazunori Ito, character designer Masami Yuuki, and singer Mariko Nagai discussed the new series' origins, character choices, and the return of the franchise after years of development.
The Super Kabuki stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke has released a video ad showing the main cast in costume. The play stars Danko Ichikawa V as Ashitaka, Kazutaro Nakamura as San, and Tokizo Nakamura VI as Eboshi Gozen. It runs from July 3 to August 23 at Tokyo's Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre, directed by Kensuke Yokouchi with a script co-written by Ghibli veteran Keiko Niwa.
Roronoa Zoro has taken first place in every region in the latest weekly results of the One Piece World Top 100 2nd character popularity poll, overtaking Monkey D. Luffy who led the midterm rankings. The data covers votes from April 27 to May 3, 2026. Final results will be announced at One Piece Day '26 in August 2026.
The television anime adaptation of Minoru Toyoda's manga Draw This, Then Die! will premiere on July 3. The first promotional video, released on Friday, reveals and previews the opening theme song "Isho" by Tatsuya Kitani. The series will air on NTV's "Friday Anime Night" programming block at 11:30 p.m. JST. The anime is directed by Hiroaki Akagi at Shinei Animation, with series scripts overseen by Hiroko Fukuda. The cast includes Akira Sekine as Ai Yasumi, Saori Hayami as Rei Teshima, and Inori Minase as Hikaru Sekiryū, among others. The manga, which launched in Shogakukan's Monthly Shonen Sunday in November 2021, won an award at the 70th Shogakukan Manga Awards in January 2025 and the 16th Manga Taisho awards in 2023. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the manga for English release.
In an interview with Anime Herald, director Alberto Vázquez discusses his film Decorado, describing it as a parody of classic Disney cartoons mixed with real-world themes like health crises, financial trouble, and corporate control. He calls animation an adult medium that should deal with all topics.
The staff for the television anime adaptation of Kureha's light novel series The Ogre's Bride revealed three additional cast members in a new trailer on Saturday. Taito Ban will voice Takamichi Araki, Nobunaga Shimazaki will voice Ouga Kiyama, and Aya Endo will voice Sakurako Kiyama. The anime is scheduled to premiere in Japan in July 2026. The previously announced cast includes Saori Hayami as Yuzu Shinonome, Yuichiro Umehara as Reiya Kiryuin, and others. Kazuhito Omiya is directing the series at Colored Pencil Animation Japan, with Yumi Kamakura handling series scripts and Hikari Tanaka designing characters. The light novel series began on Starts Publishing's Novema! platform in 2019 and has nine volumes as of May 2024. A manga adaptation by Jun Togashi launched in December 2021. The light novel and manga together have over 5.8 million copies in circulation. A live-action film adaptation opened in Japanese theaters on March 27.
The long-delayed Patlabor sequel, Patlabor EZY, begins its theatrical rollout in Japan on Friday, May 15. First announced in 2017, the project went quiet for years before resurfacing with a multi-part release plan. The series consists of eight episodes split into three chapters. File 1 hits theaters this week, File 2 follows on August 14, and File 3 arrives in March 2027. Episodes 1 through 6 are standalone anthology entries, while episodes 7 and 8 form a continuous story. The sequel is set a few decades after the original Patlabor and follows a new cast of characters in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Special Vehicle Unit Section 2 Division 2. They pilot an upgraded version of the classic Ingram mecha, the AV98Plus Ingram Plus, and deal with problems caused by AI and autonomous robots. Yutaka Izubuchi, who directed Rahxephon and worked as mechanical designer on the original Patlabor, directs the series at J.C.Staff. Writer Kazunori Ito and composer Kenji Kawai return from the original staff. The opening theme is performed by VTuber Mori Calliope. A life-sized Ingram mecha was spotted on a truck in Tokyo ahead of the premiere.
Writer Mujirushi Shimazaki and artist Rika Kamiyoshi have launched a new manga titled Yami Ochi Reijō wa Maō no Musume Alice ni Tenseishita no de Ōto de Anyaku suru Koto ni Shimashita. The series debuted on Square Enix's Gangan Online app on May 6 and centers on a noblewoman reincarnated as the Demon King's daughter seeking revenge.
Bandai Namco Filmworks board director and producer Naohiro Ogata announced on Friday that Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom Zero will screen in theaters. The announcement came during the Gundam Conference Spring 2026 livestream. Freedom Zero is a prequel to the 2024 film Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom. Director Mitsuo Fukuda, producer Hisakazu Naka, and voice actor Sōichirō Hoshi first revealed the project at a stage greeting in November 2024, when a teaser video played during special edition screenings of the main film. Fukuda stated at that time that the script was completed 20 years ago, that storyboards were nearly half finished, and that dialogue recording was already done. The prequel was originally planned as an original video anime two decades ago. The new theatrical path was not yet decided when the project was first teased. A fresh teaser trailer accompanied the Friday announcement. The 2024 Freedom film opened at number one in Japan, sold over 634,000 tickets in its first three days, and became the highest-earning Gundam film in the country.
Ufotable revealed on Saturday the returning voice cast and character visuals for the anime film adaptation of Type-Moon's visual novel Witch on the Holy Night. Haruka Tomatsu reprises her role as Aoko Aozaki, Kana Hanazawa returns as Alice Kuonji, and Yusuke Kobayashi voices Soujyuro Sizuki. The film is scheduled to open in 2026. The original visual novel, first released in Japan in 2012, is set in the late 1980s and follows Aoko, a high school student reluctantly apprenticed to the witch Alice, alongside the transfer student Soujyuro. A fully voiced HD remaster of the game launched on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in December 2022 and on Steam in December 2023. The PS4 and Switch versions have sold over 150,000 copies worldwide. The film was first announced in December 2021. Ufotable is handling animation production. A key visual was released in March 2026.
Seven Seas Entertainment announced six new licenses on Wednesday. The slate includes four manga and two light novels, all scheduled for release between January and April 2027. The manga titles are Pendulum: The Beastmen Omegaverse Saga by Hana Hasumi, Good Night, My Little Bird by RICO SAKURA, The Cat Who Didn't Believe in 'What-ifs' by Oki Eiko, and The Tomorrow I Want to See with Kako: A Time-Loop Romantic Comedy by KNOTS. The light novels are Goetia Shock by Dokuzu Kento with art by Nekosuke Ookuma, and Wandmaker of the Ruined World by Hagane Kurodome with art by Kayahara. Pendulum and Good Night, My Little Bird will appear under the publisher's mature-rated BL label. Pendulum is a companion story to Remnant: The Beastmen Omegaverse Saga, already available from Seven Seas. The Cat Who Didn't Believe in 'What-ifs' began as a popular webcomic and will receive its first English print edition. Goetia Shock will be a digital-only release on the Airship imprint. The Tomorrow I Want to See with Kako carries a release date of January 2027 in the press release and March 2027 on social media. Pricing for the print volumes ranges from $15.99 to $16.99 in the United States.
VAP will release a Blu-ray box set of the Eren the Southpaw television anime in Japan on September 16, 2026. The three-disc set is priced at 36,000 yen and contains the full series with Japanese audio and no subtitles. On-disc extras include promotional videos and clean versions of the opening and ending theme songs. The physical package adds a special booklet and an original story and manga. The anime, which adapts the manga by writer Kappy and artist nifuni, began its broadcast on April 7, 2026. Toshimasa Suzuki directed the series, with scripts overseen by Taku Kishimoto and character designs by Takayuki Goto. Production was handled jointly by Signal.MD and Production I.G. The cast is led by Shoya Chiba as Koichi Asakura and Yumi Uchiyama as Eren Yamagishi. The opening theme is "Funkin' Beautiful feat. ZORN" by ALI, and the ending theme is "New Walk" by Ima Murasaki. The original manga ran in Shonen Jump Plus starting in 2017 and is complete in 24 volumes, though it has not been licensed in English.
The television adaptation of Amara and Mai Okuma's light novel series The Cat and the Dragon revealed a second promotional video, a key visual, and three additional voice actors on May 14. Atsumi Tanezaki will play Gali, Chika Anzai will play Annerossa, and Junya Enoki will play Stan. The characters appear in the new trailer alongside the previously announced cast, which includes Takehito Koyasu as the cat-raised dragon Nekoryu and Kikuko Inoue as Mamanyan. The series is scheduled to premiere in July 2026. Studio OLM is handling animation production, with Jin-Koo Oh directing and Mitsutaka Hirota writing the series composition. Rie Nishino and Chiaki Kurakazu are the character designers, and Takahiro Obata is composing the music. The story began as a short story on the web platform Shosetsuka ni Naro in 2013. Takarajimasha later picked it up for a print release under its Bunko label. The light novels have sold over one million copies across nine volumes. A manga adaptation by Izumi Sasaki runs on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web platform.
The television anime adaptation of the romance fantasy manga The Duke's Son Claims He Won't Love Me Yet Showers Me with Adoration announced two new cast members on Wednesday. Ryōhei Kimura voices Aleksis Josef Ralt, the crown prince of the kingdom of Ralt and lord of Julius Royus. Ryōta Suzuki voices Jere Ekrous, an aide to Prince Aleksis. The series is scheduled to premiere in July on TV Asahi and BS Asahi. The previously announced cast includes Yui Ishikawa as Elsa Eukrainen, Sōma Saitō as Julius Royus, Kaito Ishikawa as Jarmo Parnilla, Chika Anzai as Serafiina Parnilla, Hibiku Yamamura as Rebeka Rikkonen, and Junya Enoki as Hannes Eukrainen. Hitoyuki Matsui directs at studios Zero-G and Grass, with Kaoru Suzuki credited for planning technical direction. Tomoko Konparu oversees series scripts and Yūko Yahiro designs the characters. MICHIRU composes the music. The manga, written by Kei Misawa and illustrated by Natsu Mizuno, began on the BookLive digital bookstore in February 2021. Flex Comix shipped the fifth compiled volume on March 13 and offers the series in English on digital platforms.
The original mecha anime Vertex Force will premiere in October 2026. Kazuhiro Takamura is directing the project, writing the scripts, and designing the characters. The production is housed at studio SMDE. A teaser video was released alongside the announcement. The project is an original work, not an adaptation of an existing manga or light novel. The announcement confirms the main creative lead and the production studio, establishing the core team behind the series. The teaser video offers the first look at the show's visual style and mecha designs. The October premiere window gives the production a clear timeline for its debut. The announcement did not include voice cast details or a specific episode count.
Director and manga artist Katsuhiro Ōtomo has founded a new animation studio called Oval Gear. The studio will focus on feature-length work. Its first project is already in production. The company is hiring animators and production staff as it builds out its team. Ōtomo is best known for the 1988 film Akira, which he directed and wrote based on his own manga. His other directing credits include the anthology Memories, the steampunk feature Steamboy, and the science-fiction story Roujin Z. He also contributed to Perfect Blue, the psychological thriller directed by the late Satoshi Kon. The formation of Oval Gear marks a return to feature animation for Ōtomo, whose last full-length directorial work was Steamboy in 2004. The studio name and its immediate hiring push suggest a permanent production base rather than a one-off project team. No release window or title for the first film has been shared.
Yen Press will debut a new imprint in October 2026, launching with two titles. The first is Ryoko Kui's The Dragon School is Atop the Mountain, an early collection of one-shots from the Delicious in Dungeon creator that treats the extraordinary as ordinary daily life. The second is Futa Kimura's Fate Rewinder: All Great Feats Require Time, a children's manga about agents who use micro-time machines implanted in their eye sockets to rescue people from tragic deaths. The imprint arrives as part of a broader wave of licensing news. Glacier Bay Books will publish Marco Kohinata's Akari in June 2026, a standalone story about mistaken identity and found family selected for the MINT manga initiative. Mangalith will release Hideko Mizuno's Fire! on October 14, 2026, bringing the 1969 shojo manga that helped open the genre's 1970s flourishing to English readers in a single volume. Kodama Tales will publish Hisae Iwaoka's The Magical Forest of Hoshigahara in November 2026. Manga Mavericks Books will release Minami Q-ta's Ball and Chain in March 2027, a story about two queer people pushing back against assigned gender roles and the expectations of marriage. The licensing announcements follow the death of Yoshiharu Tsuge on an unspecified date. Tsuge, born October 30, 1937, was the creator of the surrealist manga Nejishiki and an artist who twisted the medium with an uncompromising personal vision shaped by postwar poverty and lifelong anthropophobia.
The May 2026 print release slate adds two Boys' Love debuts alongside a wave of continuing volumes. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes the third volume of the full-color webtoon Lost in the Cloud on May 5, the same day Tokyopop issues the second volume of Monster and Ghost in paperback and hardcover. WEBTOON Unscrolled collects the complete supernatural series The Reaper and The Waiting into a single graphic novel. Vertical Comics releases Voices in the Sea Foam, a one-shot BL manga from Magazine Be x Boy about a college student who recalls a past life as a mermaid. Yen Press moves A Long and Short Love Story to May 12. Viz Media has no BL titles in the window but ships Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi volume one, Blue Box volume 20, and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex volume 5. Square Enix Books puts out The Art of Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Rising Tide and the ninth Apothecary Diaries light novel. Kodansha Manga prints the Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition omnibus and Stella Must Die. Inklore continues Wet Sand with volume three. The dates were compiled from publisher listings and are subject to change.
Animehunch examines the long-running theory that Natsuki Subaru is the Sage Flugel, citing evidence from the current season of Re:Zero. Shaula identifies Subaru by scent and speech patterns, and a tree Flugel planted 400 years ago bears a message in Japanese kanji that reads "Flugel was here." Subaru had the same urge to carve his name on it.
The anime adaptation Sekiro: No Defeat will open in Japanese cinemas on September 4, 2026, for a limited three-week run. Kadokawa, Crunchyroll, Qzil.la, and ARCH announced the date alongside a new main visual. Crunchyroll confirmed the series will stream exclusively on its platform later in 2026. The production committee also released a statement that no generative AI is used in the adaptation, a response to audience concern after studio Qzil.la was chosen. Qzil.la is known for work involving AI technologies. Kenichi Kutsuna directs, with Takuya Satou writing the screenplay and Takahiro Kishida designing the characters. The voice cast includes Daisuke Namikawa as Wolf, Miyuki Satou as Kuro, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Genichiro Ashina. The story adapts FromSoftware's game, following the shinobi Sekiro and the Divine Heir during the warring Sengoku period as Ashina faces an internal threat.