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Happy International Cat Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part I
Featuring Medalist, Kamen Rider, Sega, Manabu Nii, Masami Obari, Red Cat Ramen, Yusuke Nakamura, & more!
― August 8 marks International Cat Day around the world. The International Fund for Animal Welfare created the day in 2002 to raise awareness for cats. Today, the unofficial holiday is run by International Cat Care, which strives to improve the health and welfare of domestic cats. The anime and ma...
Voice Actor Rika Kinugawa Announces Marriage
Voice of Zombie Land Saga's Yūgiri announced her marriage
― Rika Kinugawa, the voice actress behind Zombie Land Saga's Yūgiri and other roles, announced on Saturday that she had gotten married. Kinugawa stated she married a non-celebrity and thanked her fans and supporters. “My husband is a non-celebrity who wholeheartedly supports my free-spiritedness with both firmness and great kindness.” As of p...
Yoshiki, Pokémon Donate to Kumamoto Earthquake Relief
Yoshiki also donates to wildfire relief in France, Spain
― The Pokémon Company and Japanese musician Yoshiki announced donations to support relief for the July 28 Kumamoto earthquake last week. The Pokémon company said it had donated a total of 100 million yen (about US$630,000) to Kumamoto Prefecture, the Japanese Red Cross Society, and other organizations aiding in the relief efforts of the earthq...
Ironmouse Joins Fortnite Battle Royale in Cute Sprite Form Along With 2 More Bleach Characters
VTuber introduced to massively popular battle royale game as collectable Sprite
― Epic Games announced on Tuesday that popular VTuber Ironmouse is joining its Fortnite Battle Royale game. However, the VTuber is not appearing as a player cosmetic, but as a collectable Sprite in the game's Chapter 7 Season 3 "Runners." A short video posted to the Fortnite X (formerly Twitter) account reveals the abilit...
Voice Actor Afumi Hashi Announces Marriage
Voice of Uma Musume's Mejiro Ryan announces marriage with handwritten letter
― Afumi Hashi, the voice of the Uma Musume Pretty Derby franchise's Mejiro Ryan, announced on Tuesday that she had gotten married. Akesaka said in a statement posted online that she married a non-celebrity and thanked her fans and supporters: “Thanks to all of you, I have been able to lead a truly happy life as a voice acto...
Kohei Horikoshi Celebrates Latest My Hero Academia Short With New Art
Illustration features teenage Eri
― My Hero Academia manga creator Kohei Horikoshi released an illustration on Tuesday for the Japanese premiere of the "My Hero Academia: I am a Hero Too" short anime short. The illustration features a teenage Eri with the caption, “Now streaming! Awesome!” The illustration also shows Momo Yaoyorozu, Kyoka Jiro, Fumikage Tokoyami, Katsuki Bakugo, and Denki Kaminari. T...
Mii-chan and Miss Yamada Staff Issue Statement After Backlash to Anime News
Critics assert anime will alienate those with intellectual, developmental disabilities
― The production committee for the Mii-chan and Miss Yamada anime issued a statement last week regarding criticism over the anime's announcement and how it might affect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The original manga depicts the title character Mii-chan exhibiting signs of intellectual ...
Digimon Franchise Reveals Poll Winners for Best Episodes of 1st 4 Digimon Anime Series
Digimon fans worldwide rank their favorite episodes
― The Digimon franchise revealed on Saturday (known as Digimon Day because the events of the first season begin on August 1) the results of its “Sekai ga Erabu Digimon Anime 4 sakuhin Best Episode” (Best Episodes of 4 Digimon Anime Series World Poll) poll. The poll surveyed Digimon fans around the world for their favorite episodes from Digimon Adven...
Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida Comments on Difficulties of Remaking VI, VIII, IX
Yoshi-P: "There's a chance they could turn into a four-part or even a five-part series."
― Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida (often referred to as Yoshi-P) commented on the difficulties of remaking Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy IX during an appearance at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin. In his comments, Yoshida states, “I understand the ...
The Apothecary Diaries Announces New Collaboration With Ibaraki Prefecture
Jinshi and Maomao explore 4 seasons of Ibaraki Prefecture in new video
― The Apothecary Diaries and Ibaraki Prefecture's Kanko Ibaraki tourism site's X (formerly Twitter) accounts announced on Monday a new collaboration for the prefecture's “Ibaraki is Blossoming” campaign. The collaboration revealed a new key visual for the campaign and a renewal to the “Ibaraki is Blossoming” website. Ibaraki TV's ...
Happy Marine Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part III
Featuring Kaiju No. 8, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Doraemon, Classroom of the Elite, A Lull in the Sea, PlayStation, Let This Grieving Soul Retire!, Kouji Seo, & more!
― Summer break is finally here for Japanese students! Although the Marine Day holiday on July 20 doesn't officially mark the beginning of the month-and-a-half-long summer vacati...
Happy Marine Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part II
Featuring Quintessential Quintuplets, Goodbye Lara, Sgt. Frog, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Dara-san of Reiwa, Mappa's DAYS, I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, Masami Obari, & more!
― People around Japan celebrated Marine Day on July 20. While often associated with celebrations of maritime activities, the day generally marks the end of Japan's rainy season. And what ...
Happy Marine Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part I
Featuring Pokémon, Spy x Family, Sound! Euphonium, Sonic the Hedgehog, Precure, Yuki Kaji, Square Enix, Orange Range, & more!
― July 20 marked Marine Day in Japan. A relatively new national holiday in Japan, the holiday traces its origins to the Meiji Emperor's 1876 return voyage from a tour of the Tohoku region on the lighthouse tender ship Meiji Maru. Today, Marine Day celebrates maritime activitie...
VTuber Suisei Hoshimachi, Hatsune Miku Throw 1st Pitch at Baseball Game
VTuber appeared on the mound for a perfect first pitch
― VTuber Suisei Hoshimachi and virtual idol Hatsune Miku threw the first pitch at the Chiba Lotte Marines match up against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks on Monday. Hoshimachi released a video of the event to her X (formerly Twitter) account. The video shows the VTuber appearing on the pitcher's mound on a screen and throwing a perfect pitch to Marin...
One Piece Animated LEGO Special Reveals Trailer, Cast
Live-action cast members reprise roles in Netflix special on September 29
― Luffy is soon going to be king of the LEGO pirates in a new two-part "LEGO One Piece" animated special on Netflix this September. Ahead of the Straw Hat captain's new blocky arrival, Netflix unveiled a new visual and trailer, revealing a returning cast from the live-action series: The Japanese version of the trailer features ...
Voice Actors Rina Hidaka, Yūma Uchida Announce Birth of 1st Child
Voices of Tropical-Rouge! Precure's Cure La Mer & Delicious Party♡Precure's Black Pepper welcome a healthy baby girl
― Voice acting couple Rina Hidaka and Yūma Uchida announced on Sunday that Hidaka had given birth to their first child, a daughter. In a joint statement, they report that Hidaka and her daughter are both healthy and added that they “want to work together as a family to live each day i...
Jump Magazine Apologizes to Fans Unable to Buy Issue With Blue Box Finale, One Piece Card
Apologies come after issue sells out in stores, reportedly due to some buyers reselling card for profit
― Blue Box manga creator Kōji Miura issued an apology in a now deleted X (formerly Twitter) post on Tuesday to her fans, who could not purchase the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine issue that shipped on Monday. This year's 33rd issue of the magazine included the final chapter of Blue Box … and a One Pi...
Inio Asano Spends 1 Month Creating 3D Rural Town for 1-Chapter Manga
Asano: “I haven't completed a single page of the draft yet!”
― Manga creator Inio Asano reported on Monday that he had spent a month creating a three-dimensional rural town for a manga project that is one chapter long. An X (formerly Twitter) post by Asano includes a nearly two-minute-long video highlighting the rural town. The video features a home, rest area, and rice fields. Asano added, “I haven'...
Megami Tensei Creator Releases Promised English Translation of Novels
Aya Nishitani: “Three years ago, I promised an American reader that I would translate Megami Tensei into English myself."
― Megami Tensei creator Aya Nishitani announced on Sunday that he is in the process of translating the Megami Tensei (Digital Devil Story) novel series into English. The author states in an X (formerly Twitter) post, "Three years ago, I promised an American reader that I would tra...
Petitcure ~Precure Fairies~ Anime Teach Movie Theater Etiquette in New Short
Precure fairies have come together to teach everyone proper manners in theaters
― The Precure franchise presented its first-ever short video to teach children proper etiquette in movie theaters on Sunday. The Petitcure ~Precure Fairies~ short is set to play in T-Joy Movie Theaters before feature films, starting on July 24. The short features Porun, Mepple, Mipple, and Lulun from Pretty Cure and Precu...
'Goodbye, Lara' Anime's Opening Uses Cel-Drawn Animation
Old animation techniques return for a beautiful opening
― Kadokawa Anime's YouTube channel began streaming Kinema Citrus' Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) original anime on Monday and revealed that part of the opening sequence uses cel-drawn animation. An X (formerly Twitter) post by the series states, "Please be sure to watch this gentle and heartwarming video, which features some original cel animatio...
Houston's Trill Burgers Chain Rolls Out My Hero Academia 10th Anniversary Burger
Go Beyond! Plus Ultra! with The One For All Burger, Plus Ultra Fries, & Detroit Smash Lemonade
― Award-winning Houston-based smash burger chain Trill Burgers announced a collaboration with My Hero Academia on Friday. The collaboration is in celebration of the anime series' 10th anniversary set to include the One For All Burger combo with the Plus Ultra Fries and the Detroit Smash Lemonade. The set wi...
Yes, That 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Character's Name Is 'Six Seven'
Game director Kotaro Uchikoshi revealed his full name 17 years later
― Video game director and producer Kotaro Uchikoshi “revealed” the first name of 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors character Seven on Wednesday. “Actually, Seven is his last name, and his first name is Six,” Uchikoshi said, apparently referring to the popular 2025 trend “6-7.” Uchikoshi came up with the name Six Seven follow...
Voice Actor Azuki Shibuya Announces Marriage
And has been married since 2025
― Voice actor Azuki Shibuya, former member of i☆Ris, announced last Thursday that she is married. Shibuya said, “Through a happy coincidence, I got married in 2025” and has kept her partner's identity private. The voice actor added she has already shared the news with her fan club. As of press time, Shibuya's announcement has received just over 6,000 likes and 315 rep...
Happy Tanabata 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part V
Featuring Monster Hunter, Animal Crossing, Food for the Soul, Little Twin Stars, MARRIAGETOXIN, Rascal, Haruomi Tomotsuka, Mitsuru Miura, & more!
― Tanabata on July 7 marks the final Japanese holiday of the year when the day and month are the same numerically (after Hinamatsuri on March 3 and Children's Day on May 5). Both children and adults write wishes on paper slips to decorate bamboo branches, t...
Happy Tanabata 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part IV
Featuring My Hero Academia, Tales of, Minky Momo, Chiikawa, My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked, Tatsunoko Production, & more!
― The days leading up to July 7 in Japan are a sight to behold — similar to, but slightly different from, Christmas decorations. Communities will often set up bamboo shoots and decorate them with children's wishes. It's a colorful display and gives us a look into the ...
Happy Tanabata 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part III
Featuring Pragmata, Sakamoto Days, My Happy Marriage, Doraemon, Chibi Maruko-chan, Please Excuse My Younger Brothers, Yaiba: Samurai Legend, & more!
― While many people in Japan make wishes to the stars Vega and Altair on Tanabata, it's said those wishes will only come true if it's a starry night. But with Japan in the middle of its rainy season, it has been many years since it's truly been a starry ...
Happy Tanabata 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part II
Featuring Dragon Quest, Shoko Nakagawa, Square Enix, The Ribbon Hero, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, Shuffle!, Hell's Paradise, & more!
― Japan celebrates Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival, on July 7. One of the common ways to celebrate the Festival is by making a wish to the stars Vega and Altair. So, here's all the wishes from the anime and manga world that will come true. Satomi ...
Happy Tanabata 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part I
Featuring Final Fantasy, Detective Conan, Hideo Kojima, Samurai Troopers, Bungo Stray Dogs, Yuki Kaji, & more!
― July 7 marks Tanabata in Japan, where people celebrate the once-a-year meeting of the weaver princess Orihime and ox farmer Hikoboshi in the heavens, by making wishes to these star-crossed lovers. As usual, the anime and manga world is full of Tanabata wishes: Bungo Stray Dogs 【七夕】今日は七夕🎋探偵...
Exclusive: Studio Ghibli Tribute Jazz Album Will Soothe You To Sleep
Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta composer Norihiko Hibino, Etrian Odyssey performer AYAKI team up for the latest Prescription for Sleep album, featuring Studio Ghibli classics.
― On Monday Scarlet Moon Records announced the latest "Prescription for Sleep" tribute album. Titled Prescription for Sleep: Ghibli, the album is set to feature "soothing jazz arrangements" of Studio Ghibli songs from the studio...
Sanrio Character Ranking 2026 Results Announced
Pompompurin reigns supreme for 2nd year in a row
― Popular character brand Sanrio announced the result for its Sanrio Character Ranking 2026 on Sunday. Pompompurin took the top place for the second year in a row with four-time winner Cinnamoroll staying at second place. Pochacco also maintained third place for the second year in a row. Sanrio notes 70,647,379 votes were cast this year. Pompompurin ek...
Seoul City Releases Webtoon Promoting Support Programs for Socially Isolated Youth
The story follows a young man who withdraws from society and lives alone in a small rented room after failing to find employment
― The Seoul Metropolitan Government has released a new webtoon highlighting support programs for socially isolated and reclusive young adults. Titled 1% Battery, 120 Knocks, the four-episode webtoon launched on KakaoPage on June 17. The story follows a young man who withdr...
Korean Government to Turn Seniors' Life Stories Into Webtoons as Part of Intangible Cultural Heritage Project
The initiative will document lives of residents aged 75 to 90 living in areas at risk of depopulation
― Korean Heritage Service, a Korean government agency, has launched a new initiative to document the lives of elderly residents in regions facing population decline, with the collected stories to be adapted into digital content including webtoons and short-form videos. The agency announced on June 2...
Bandai Namco Apologizes for Sgt. Frog Film's Unapproved Reference to Attack on Titan
Bandai Namco Filmworks, Bandai Namco Pictures did not get clearances on references to other works
― Bandai Namco Filmworks (BNF) and Bandai Namco Pictures (BNP) issued an apology on Thursday for unauthorized references to various intellectual properties in the latest Sgt. Frog film, Shin Gekijōban ☆ Keroro Gunsō Fukkatsu Shite Sokkō Chikyū Metsubō no Kiki de Arimasu! (New Sgt. Frog the Movie: The Ea...
McDonald's Commercials Welcome Summer with Mamoru Hosoda Films
Skating gold medalists Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara, Sakurazaka46 idol Hikaru Morita co-star in ads
― McDonald's Japan previewed a new set of commercials for its annual summer Big Mac campaign on Thursday, and it chose the perfect director to celebrate both nostalgia and summer. The "When You Say 'Summer,' Then and Now" commercials feature iconic scenes from Mamoru Hosoda films The Girl Who Leapt Thro...
MAPPA Animates Kenshi Yonezu's Single “Karasu – Raven”
2026 NHK Soccer Theme ties into FIFA World Cup 2026 Japan vs. Sweden match
― Japanese musician Kenshi Yonezu debuted a short animation by MAPPA for his latest single (and NHK's 2026 soccer theme song) “Karasu – Raven” on Thursday. The short recounts a man's journey from childhood to the Japanese national soccer team. The short ties into NHK's ongoing broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between...
Watch Eiichiro Oda Draw One Piece Volume 115's Cover in Timelapse Video
Upcoming volume will feature a whopping 13 chapters
― The One Piece franchise released a timelapse video for the creation of the cover for One Piece manga volume 115 on Saturday. The video highlights several sketches by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda before finalizing the cover's design. 7.3(金)発売！コミックス115巻のカバー制作過程動画が届きました🏴☠️完成イラストは明日公開！お楽しみに💨#ONEPIECE115 #ONEPIECE #ワンピ新刊 pic.twitter.com/H3mbVfglPv— ...
Las Culturistas Awards Hosts Perform American Pokémon Theme Song
Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers sing their hearts out for the anime classic
― Las Culturistas podcast hosted its annual parody awards show on the Bravo television network on June 17. During Las Culturistas Awards “ceremony,” the hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers performed the iconic American Pokémon theme song "Gotta Catch 'em All." Backup dancers cosplaying as various trainers from the games appeared on sta...
Witch Hat Atelier Creator Cheers on Amber Glenn Figure-Skating as Qifrey
Kamome Shirahama: “It looks like she could draw magic right there with her skates… She's a wizard on ice…!”
― Witch Hat Atelier creator Kamome Shirahama commented on American skater Amber Glenn's recent performance — as the Witch Hat Atelier character Qifrey — on Saturday. Shirahama said, “Figure skater Amber Glenn posted a video on Instagram of herself performing in a Qifrey cosplay. It's absolutel...
Disney+ Promotes Simpsons Double Episode With Paprika Parody Poster
Despite his genius, Professor Frink did not make Paprika's DC Mini device
― Disney+ promoted a new double-length The Simpsons episode with a parody of the American movie poster for the late Satoshi Kon's 2006 anime film Paprika on Wednesday. The poster for "The Simpsons Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition" episode features a silhouette of Marge Simpson and several scenes from the episodes filling out the...
Happy Father's Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part IV
Featuring Dandadan, Akane-banashi, Makoto Shinkai, Hikaru no Go, Kojima Productions, Space Brothers, The Beginning After the End, & more!
― Among all the family-themed holidays this year, Father's Day happens to land on an auspicious day on Japan's traditional six-day lunar calendar. So, let's bring in more good luck with some messages to fathers around the anime and manga world! Akane-banashi 🪭┈┈┈┈┈...
Happy Father's Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part III
Featuring Dragon Ball, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Castlevania, Girl Meets Rock!, Sega, Shinya Owada, Minori Chihara, & more!
― Fathers come in all sorts of forms. From the men who raised us in the home to those who nurtured us outside of the home, we have more fathers that we may think. So, let's honor all our fathers this Father's Day with some special messages from the anime and manga...
Happy Father's Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part II
Featuring Detective Conan, Pokémon, My Hero Academia, Final Fantasy, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, Resident Evil, Golden Kamuy, Yuki Kaji, & more!
― After Children's Day on May 5 and Mother's Day on May 10, Japan rounds out the family-themed holidays with Father's Day on June 21. The fathers of the anime and manga worlds are receiving many heartfelt messages: Detective Conan Detective Conan creator Go...
Happy Father's Day 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part I
Featuring Spy x Family, Naruto, Pragmata, Doraemon, Chibi Maruko-chan, Girls Band Cry, Sanrio, Ultraman, & more!
― June 21 marks Father's Day, and while there aren't many gift-giving practices tied to the holiday in Japan, heartfelt messages are almost always given. All the children in the anime and manga worlds are sending their fathers a message of thanks: Bonobono 本日、6月21日は #父の日👔💙💐大切なおとうさんへいつもありがと...
MAPPA Celebrates Art of Creation in Its 15th Anniversary Music Video
The anniversary celebrations continue in September with MAPPA EXPO exhibition in Tokyo
― The anime studio MAPPA released a new video celebrating its 15th anniversary on Friday. The video is set to the song “Seikatsu” ("My Life") by the Japanese three-piece pop band People 1: MAPPA describes the themes of the video: The film delicately brings the song's emotions to life through animation, depicting th...
Korean Politician Calls for Debate on Educational Rights Protection Bureau After Watching Webtoon-Based Live-Action Series Teach You A Lesson
The live-action series topped Netflix's non-English TV rankings for 2 straight weeks since its debut on June 5
― Gyeonggi Province superintendent-elect Min-seok Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, called for a public debate on establishing an “Educational Rights Protection Bureau” after watching Netflix's webtoon-based live-action series Teach You A Lesson. Ahn, who was elected in the June 3 election as a me...
Snowball Earth Clashes With Godzilla in Crossover Art
Has Godzilla awoken from the Oxygen Destroyer to wreak havoc on the snow-covered Earth?
― The Snowball Earth franchise announced a special collaboration with the Godzilla franchise on Thursday, with an illustration of Snowball Earth's autonomous robot Yukio fighting the icon of Japanese monsters. The illustration's title logo “Godzilla vs. Snowball Earth” pays homage to the Godzilla vs. films from Go...
Webtoon Artist Reports Revenue Tripling After Piracy Site Shutdown
Hyunwook: “I didn't expect much impact since my work wasn't even on the [pirate] site, but my paid revenue ended up rising about three times"
― A Korean webtoon artist went viral after revealing that their revenue nearly tripled following the shutdown of a major illegal piracy site, highlighting the ongoing impact of webtoon piracy on creators' earnings. Webtoon creator Hyun-wook Park (pen name Hyun...
Japanese Government Criticizes U.S. President Trump's Use of Naruto Imagery
Economic security minister: “[We] should exercise extreme caution to avoid situations where the reputation of a work is damaged by its use in a manner contrary to the rights holders' intent”
― U.S. President Donald Trump's Truth Social account posted a video using likenesses of the manga and anime franchise Naruto on June 6, and Japan's Minister of State for Economic Security, Science and Technology...
Sega Unveils Sonic Figure With Actual DNA for 35th Anniversary
Yes, this figure contains (synthetic) DNA sequences tied to Sonic's unique characteristics
―
Japanese video game developer Sega unveiled quite possibly the oddest figure on Tuesday: the Sonic the Hedgehog DNA figure. The figure celebrates the franchise's 35th anniversary and contains actual synthetic DNA within. Lom Baby, "a science collective composed of artists, engineers, scientists and other mem...
You Can Become a Hero in My Hero Academia's 10th Anniversary Video
Relive Izuku's 10-year journey to become the Number 1 Hero
― The My Hero Academia franchise released a special video to mark the anime's 10th anniversary on Tuesday. The “My Hero Academia The Animation 10th Anniversary PLUS ULTRA MOVIE 'You can be a Hero'” video follows the story's lead Izuku “Deku” Midoriya on his journey to become the Number 1 Hero. The video is set to My Hero Academia song “You S...
Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly, Wistoria: Wand & Sword Start Crossover Week With Flying Cats
Lulutto Lilly's Azuki & Uguisu, Wistoria's Kiki get scolded by Moja Cookie's Shikaruneko
― The Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly and Wistoria: Wand and Sword franchises announced on Sunday that they are partnering for a week of collaborations on social media. The campaign will showcase Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly's “cat-like creatures” Azuki and Uguisu and Wistoria: Wand and Sword's cat familiar Kiki i...
Exclusive: 3rd American Manga Awards Announces Nominees
Billy Bat, Bug Ego, The Credits Roll Into the Sea, The Horrors of Noroi Michiru, Love Bullet manga nominated
― Japan Society and Anime NYC announced the nominees for the third American Manga Awards on Monday. The award categories and their respective nominees are as follows: Best New Manga Billy Bat by Naoki Urasawa (Kana/Abrams ComicArts) Bug Ego by ONE and Kyoto Shitara (VIZ Media) The Credits Roll...
One Piece's Luffy Joins NBA Champions, New York Knicks
Luffy may not be the King of Pirates yet, but he can now lift the O'Brien Trophy
― Minutes after the New Your Knicks team were crowned the 2026 National Basketball Association (NBA) Champions on Saturday, Bandai's Tamashii Nations celebrated by noting that it will release a New York Knicks version of its S.H.Figuarts figure for One Piece lead character Monkey D. Luffy. The figure will ship this Octob...
Star Detective Precure! Anime Asks Fans to Figure Out Cure Eclair's Secret Identity
Can you deduce Cure Eclair's identity before the reveal?
― The tradition of adding a new Precure member mid-series continues in Star Detective Precure!, but with a twist: Can you deduce the identity of Cure Eclair before her grand reveal on July 19? The anime's staff announced on Friday that they are polling fans on the identity of newest team member. The June 14, June 28, July 5, and July 12 episode...
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Screenings Offer Leap Counter as (Temporary) Arm Tattoos
How many time leaps do you have left?
― Filmarks (Japan's self-described largest film, television, and anime review site) announced on Thursday that it will offer the time leap counter from the time-travel anime film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time — well, as temporary arm tattoos: In the film's story, the main lead Makoto Konno (voiced by Riisa Naka) gains the power to leap through time. She then di...
Naoki Urasawa 'Animates' New Rodrigo y Gabriela Music Video 'Monster'
Duo's new single was inspired by Urasawa's hit manga series Monster
― Grammy Award winning acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero of Rodrigo y Gabriela revealed on Wednesday that manga creator Naoki Urasawa illustrated the cover of their single "Monster," which they stated was based on Urasawa's manga of the same name. Urasawa also directed and animated the music video for "Monster...
Star Detective Precure! Anime Announces Detective Conan Collaboration Merchandise
Detectives gear up following their on-air collaborations
― Just before the first Star Detective Precure! and Detective Conan collaboration episodes aired on May 31 and June 6, the Precure franchise revealed a set of Star Detective Precure! x Detective Conan merchandise. The collaboration merchandise will go on sale on June 23 at the Precure Pretty Store locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Koshigaya ...
Happy Rock Day (& Lock Day) From Around the Anime World
Featuring Girls Band Cry, My Hero Academia, Sound! Euphonium, Precure, Rock is a Lady's Modesty, Square-Enix, Sega, Haibara's Teenage New Game+, Minori Chihara, & more!
― June 9 marks Rock Day (and Lock Day) in Japan, as a Japanese wordplay on the numbers 6 (roku) and 9 (ku). The anime and manga worlds today are full of tributes to rock music and, well, locks: Barbapapa 6/9は #ロックの日 🎸✨なんとバーバパパがギターに変身し...
Gundam Crosses Over With Sgt. Frog in Latest Film & New Art
Sgt. Frog creator Mine Yoshizaki & Gundam character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko draw 1st "official" collaboration
― The Sgt. Frog franchise released four Mobile Suit Gundam collaboration illustrations on Tuesday, before the latest Sgt. Frog film opens on June 26. Sgt. Frog creator Mine Yoshizaki and Mobile Suit Gundam character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko personally drew these art pieces: Even though...
Manga Creator Masaki Ando, Voice Actor Honoka Kuroki Announce Their Marriage
Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki creator & cast member celebrate with self-portrait art
― Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki creator Masaki Ando and voice actor Honoka Kuroki announced on their respective social media accounts on Sunday that they have married each other. Andō wrote in his statement, “As professionals in the entertainment industry, we respect each other's work and are committed to giving it ou...
Yuki Kaji Voices Ikemen Cockroaches in New Dating Sim
Can you resist the advances of four handsome cockroaches?
― Japanese insecticide company Earth Corporation made the unlikeliest of announcements on Wednesday: it has released a dating simulator starring voice actor Yuki Kaji. The game goes by the name Gokigen Lovely Days — literally, Happy Lovely Days, but written to emphasize "goki" and "vely" (buri) as a wordplay on the Japanese word for cockroach,...
Game Director Hideo Kojima Turned into Nendoroid Figure
All of Kojima's genius concentrated into one cute figure
― Japanese figure producer Good Smile Company revealed a Hideo Kojima figure for its Nendoroid line on Saturday. The figure of the celebrated designer of the Metal Gear and Death Stranding games is on display at the Good Smile Fest 2026 this weekend. (As usual for figures previewed while still in development, the Kojima figure is subject to cha...
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Film's Ticket Art Imagines What If She Did Go on That Date
Revisit the anime on its 20th anniversary in Japanese theaters in 4K
― Filmarks, Japan's (self-described) largest film, television, and anime review site, announced on Thursday that it is offering limited advance MoviTicke Cards with exclusive art for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 4K revival screenings. The cards feature the anime film's lead characters Makoto Konno (voiced by Riisa Naka) and Chiak...
Medalist Creator Tsurumaikada Marks Afternoon Magazine's 40th Anniversary
Original illustration features Medalist characters Inori Yuitsuka & Tsukasa Akeuraji
― Medalist creator Tsurumaikada presented an original illustration to celebrate the 40th year of Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon magazine on Sunday. The illustration features series protagonist Inori Yuitsuka and Tsukasa Akeuraji with a card that reads “40th Anniversary." Kodansha will offer original merchandise featuri...
Japan Mint to Release Detective Conan Commemorative Coin Sets
See Conan Edogawa in coin form
― The Japan Mint announced on Wednesday that pre-orders for two Detective Conan 30th anniversary coin sets have begun. The first set is a Detective Conan 30th Anniversary coin set and includes six uncirculated coins (in denominations ranging from 1 to 500 yen), a copper alloy commemorative medallion featuring protagonist Conan Edogawa (real identity Shinichi Kudo), and ...
Shin-Ei Makes Net Anime for Lotte's Chocolate Pie no Mi Snacks
Crayon Shin-chan's Yumiko Kobayashi & Hugtto! Precure's Rie Hikisaka star
― Japanese chocolate and snack maker Lotte Chocolate announced on Monday it has partnered with animation studio Shin-Ei for a new Pie no Mi web anime series, Pie no Mi: Oshi no Mori he Yōkoso (Pie no Mi: Welcome to Oshi Forest). The series will debut on the Lotte Chocolate YouTube channel on June 4 at 12:00 a.m. Japan Time (Ju...
JoJo's Hirohiko Araki Designs Curtains for Kyūshū's Biggest Kabuki Theater
Hakataza theater commemorate legendary name succession for 2 Kabuki actors
― Jojo's Bizarre Adventure manga creator Hirohiko Araki designed the art emblazoned on special stage curtains for the Hakataza, the largest kabuki theater on the Japanese island of Kyūshū, this month. The curtains feature Kabuki actors Onoe Kikugorō VIII and Onoe Kikunosuke VI. The theater is using these curtains during the Gr...
Aki Sora Manga's Masahiro Itosugi Reports Being Banned by Google After Uploading Old Works
Itosugi: “It's not an issue for good people, but be careful if you ponder, “Am I… a good person?”
― Aki Sora manga creator Masahiro Itosugi lamented in a May 16 post about being banned by Google. While uploading older works to Google Drive, Itosugi reported receiving a warning from the service. The creator reported appealing the warning only to receive the ban. Itosugi added that the ban is an issue...
Magical Girls Meets Wild Sextuplets in Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly x Mr. Osomatsu Collaboration
Featuring Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly's Uguisu & Azuki, Mr. Osomatsu's Ichimatsu
― The Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly and Mr. Osomatsu series revealed a collaboration illustration on Sunday. The image features Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly characters Uguisu and Azuki sitting on Mr. Osomatsu character Ichimatsu's lap. The Magical Sisters Lulutto Lilly series' account jokes that the illustration featu...
One Piece Cheers Japan's Samurai Blue Ahead of FIFA World Cup
One Piece & the Samurai Blue live up to camaraderie, grit, & victory with their NAKAMAAAAA!
― At midnight on Monday, the One Piece franchise posted a collaboration video with the Japan national football team, popularly known as Samurai Blue. The video features several memorable scenes from the One Piece manga series with images of the Samurai Blue across the years. The video ends with an illustratio...
Death Stranding's Norman Reedus Watches Chainsaw Man on Hideo Kojima's Recommendation
Reedus also names whose super power he would like wield
― American actor Norman Reedus (Sam Porter Bridges in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding games, Daryl Dixon in Walking Dead) has been taking in Hong Kong Comic Con this weekend, and GQ Hong Kong magazine asked him if he was personally into anime. Reedus responded, “There's Chainsaw Man, which Hideo Kojima told me about. He said it was his favorite....
Dragon Quest Fan Is Literally Counting Down to XII's Release
Just one more game to complete a Dragon Quest wall clock
― A Dragon Quest fan who simply goes by the name "Pu" is patiently waiting for the 12th installment of the game franchise, and unlike most of us, is doing something about it. On April 20, Pu posted a photo of a wall clock, with the hour marks replaced with the mainline Dragon Quest game boxes. 今日エアコンの清掃業者さんが来てくれたんだけど、玄関入ってから『ドラクエ好きなんですねー』リビング入っ...
San Francisco Giants Host Pokémon Worlds Night on August 27
Pokémon opens World Championship weekend by going out to the ballpark
― The Pokémon franchise and San Francisco Giants baseball team announced on Thursday that Pokémon is taking over Oracle Park for Pokémon Worlds Night on August 27, on the eve of this year's Pokémon World Championships in the City by the Bay. Fans who purchased the Special Event Tickets will receive Pokémon Worlds-themed Giants jers...
Frieren Transforms into Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring
Crossover art celebrates Osaka exhibition of 17th Century Dutch masterpieces
― The Frieren: Beyond Journey's End franchise and the "Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Masterpieces of the 17th Century" exhibition revealed a collaboration illustration on Wednesday. The illustration features the manga and anime's title character Frieren as Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece Girl with a...
Macross F Designer Risa Ebata Draws Skating Gold Medalist Alysa Liu
Alysa Liu is ready to be crowned the next Miss Macross
― Crunchyroll released an illustration of Olympic gold medal figure skater Alysa Liu by Macross Frontier character designer Risa Ebata on Thursday. Crunchyroll captioned the art piece, “[Alysa Liu] is a main character no matter where she goes. To celebrate Alysa's passion for anime, MACROSS character designer and illustrator Risa Ebata created th...
Holostars Announces Departure of Several VTubers
Hanasaki Miyabi, Kishido Temma, Arurandeisu, Minase Rio host their final streams in June 8-25
― Popular VTuber talent agency Cover Corp. announced on Tuesday that several of its members will end their streaming activities under the Holostars brand. Hanasaki Miyabi, Kishido Temma, Rikka, Arurandeisu, Minase Rio, and Kageyama Shien will host their final streams on June 8, June 8, June 9, June 10, June...
Happy Dragon Quest 40th Anniversary From Around the Anime World
Featuring Yuji Horii, Kazuhiko Torishima, PlayStation, Yuki Kaji, Shoko Nakagawa, Hikaru Midorikawa, Ami Shibata, Kazutoshi Soyama, & more!
― May 27 marks the 40th anniversary of popular role-playing video game series Dragon Quest. Created by Yuji Horii with art from legendary manga creator Akira Toriyama, the franchise has seen 11 mainline games (with the 12th on the way), several spin-off games, nu...
Happy Kiss Day From Around the Anime World
Featuring Naruto, Final Fantasy, Like a Dragon, Rooster Fighter, Red River, Warner Bros. Japan, & more
― May 23 marks an interesting unofficial holiday in Japan, Kiss Day. Dating back to May 23, 1946, Kiss Day marks the first time a Japanese film, Hatachi no Seishun (Twenty-Year-Old Youth), featured a kiss between two characters. While not as popular as other unofficial holidays such as February 22's...
One Piece's Luffy Dons Samurai Blue Uniform Ahead of FIFA World Cup
Luffy shows his support for Japan National Soccer Team
― Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine revealed on Monday a special cover for this year's 26th issue featuring a collaboration between One Piece and the Japanese National Soccer Team, popularly known as Samurai Blue. The illustration shows main character Monkey D. Luffy sporting the Samurai Blue uniform and carrying a soccer ball ahead of the F...
Celebrate 45th Birthday of Macross With Biggest Transforming SDF-1 Macross Toy
Deculture.
― Japanese high-end toy manufacturer Bandai Spirits confirmed on Monday that it is releasing a new DX Chogokin toy for the SDF-1 Macross space fortress to mark 45th anniversary of the Macross science-fiction romance franchise. A nearly two-minute-long video showcases the fully transformable toy in both fortress and "storm attacker" modes. The English-subtitled video also highlights severa...
The Anime World Offers Condolences After Voice Actor Takahiro Fujiwara's Passing Part II
Colleagues honor one of their own.
― May 21 marked a sad day for anime fans around the world with the news of prolific voice actor Takahiro Fujiwara's death. His works are beloved around the world, and professionals and fans alike have taken to social media to express their tributes to the late Fujiwara. Misa Ishii 信じたくないAPEXで一緒に収録したことはなかったけれど新人時代からいろんな作品でご一緒してましたレヴナント…もっと絡みたかった。軽口悪口言い合いたかった。寂しい htt...
The Anime World Offers Condolences After Voice Actor Takahiro Fujiwara's Passing Part I
Fellow actors around the anime industry pay their respects
― The world lost a veteran anime voice actor with Thursday's announcement of Takahiro Fujiwara's death at 43. He is best known for his roles as Kurogiri in the My Hero Academia franchise, Zenzō Inukai in the Laughing Under the Clouds television anime and film series, Jerome Guizbatt in Bleach:Thousand-Year Blood War, Bol Gil Bol in Bastard!!...
One-Punch Man Artist Yūsuke Murata Comments on Contentious Post on Pakistani Britons
Artist reacts to post with unverified images, video clip of UK far-right activist
― Warning: This article contains offensive language. On Sunday, One-Punch Man manga artist Yūsuke Murata responded to an English-language X (formerly Twitter) post that included unverified images of faces and a video clip of British far-right activist Tommy Robinson claiming, “Pakistanis make up 3% […] of the UK populat...
McDonald's Japan Reveals Mega Man Collaboration
Will Mega Man finally defeat Air Man after 19 years?
― McDonald's restaurants in Japan teased a new collaboration with the Mega Man game franchise on Thursday. The teaser post features an image of the iconic Mega Man parody song “Air Man ga Taosenai” (I Can't Beat Air Man) by Team Nekokan with the caption, “Danger. Debuting tomorrow, May 22, at 9:30! Will I finally be able to beat him…?!” The next da...
Winners of The Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026
My Hero Academia anime's final season wins Anime of the Year
―
The 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards ceremony streamed worldwide on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. JST (5:00 a.m. EST) on the company's YouTube and Twitch channels. The eighth and final season of the My Hero Academia anime won Anime of the Year. Fans voted on their favorites until April 15 on the Anime Awards website. Sally Amaki and Jon Kabi...
Yokō Tarō, Yōsuke Saitō Explain "NieR: Automata to be continued …" Message
Saitō: “I was the one who asked for that to be included”
― The May 14 issue of the Japanese game magazine Famitsu celebrated the popular game NieR: Automata with an interview with the game's production staff. The interviewer asked the game's director Yoko Taro and producer Yosuke Saito about the cryptic message “NieR: Automata to be continued…” at the end of the February 20 video that commemorated 1...
Artist Ken Ogino: Jump Wouldn't Run My Manga With Female Hero 11 Years Ago Without Eroticism
Lady Justice/The Ossan Newbie Adventurer artist: “The editors told me, 'If the protagonist is female, we won't publish it unless it focuses on eroticism,' so I reluctantly drew it …”
― Ken Ogino, artist for The Ossan Newbie Adventurer manga, recalled on Wednesday his time working for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Ogino said on social media that when developing his manga series Lady Justice...
Singer aiko Hugs Concert Goer, Who Collapsed Mid-Performance, for a Surprising Reason
Singer thanks fan who helped elderly concert goer
― Japanese singer-songwriter aiko responded to a fan on social media on Monday about an incident that occurred during her concert at Hakodate City, Hokkaido last Saturday. The fan said that an elderly gentleman collapsed in front of the fan during the concert, so the fan helped the gentleman up, and the staff checked on him many times during the conce...
Watch NHK Symphony Orchestra Play Pokémon Winds/Waves Games' Theme
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves main theme!
― The Pokémon franchise announced last Wednesday that it has partnered with the NHK Symphony Orchestra to record the main theme song for the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves games. The franchise also streamed a four-minute video of the NHK Symphony Orchestra performing the games' opening theme song, interspersed w...
Studio Khara Toasts Its 20th Birthday with Original Rei Art
Founder Hideaki Anno: Studio began “with just the president, one employee, & one advisor in a small office in a multi-tenant building”
― Studio Khara posted an original illustration by board director (and anime director) Kazuya Tsurumaki for the anime studio's 20th anniversary on Sunday. The illustration features Evangelion character Rei Ayanami with a well-deserved drink and the caption “20th Annive...
Final Fantasy XI MMORPG Celebrates 24th Anniversary with Animated Short
Relive the 1st MMO Final Fantasy game in animated form!
― The Final Fantasy franchise celebrated the 24th anniversary of the series' first MMORPG, Final Fantasy XI with a new animated short. The game's official X (formerly Twitter) account previewed the animated short on Friday with the caption, “Celebrating 24 years of FFXI!” Animation filmmaker Wakaboku created the short, titled "Our Adventure Neve...
Anime/Manga World Offers Condolences for Voice Actor Wakana Yamazaki's Death, Part III
Anime, manga, & game creators honor her contributions
― May 15 marked a sad day for anime fans around the world with the news of prolific voice actor Wakana Yamazaki's death. Her works are beloved around the world, and professionals and fans alike have taken to social media to express their tributes: Another Eden 『アナザーエデン』シリーズにて「アシュティア」を演じていただいた声優・山崎和佳奈さんがご逝去されました。アシュティアに命を吹き込んでくださった多大なる貢献に深く感謝し、謹んで...
Anime/Manga World Offers Condolences for Voice Actor Wakana Yamazaki, Part II
Fellow cast members pay respects to one of their own
― The world lost a veteran anime voice actor with the May 15 announcement of Wakana Yamazaki's death. She is best known for his roles as Ran Mōri in the Detective Conan franchise, Meiko Akizuki in Marmalade Boy, Ruri-Hume in Mononoke, Koan in Sailor Moon R, and Nene in Samurai Warriors, among others. Her work as a voice actor has touched the lives...
Detective Conan Cast/Staff Offer Condolences After Ran Mōri Voice Actress Wakana Yamazaki's Death
Renowned voice actress died on April 18 at 61
― On May 15, the anime world was shocked with the announcement of voice actress Wakana Yamazaki's death. Known as the voice of one of the main characters Ran Mōri from the long-running anime series Detective Conan, the voice actress appeared in many anime series integral to the medium. The staff and cast of Detective Conan paid their respects to the late...
Voice Actor Aoi Nagatsuki's Agency Addresses Photos Taken, Posted Without Her Permission
Amuleto agency: "We have confirmed the images were taken and released without permission"
― Japanese talent agency Amuleto released a statement on Wednesday regarding photos of voice actor Aoi Nagatsuki that were released online without her permission. Amuleto confirmed that the photos were of Nagatsuki and her friends. The agency further stated that the photos are a “violation of [Nagatsuki's] priva...
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