The Aikatsu! franchise is in an active period: the new Data Carddass 'Aikatsu! Encore' cabinet begins rolling out in October, a new Aikatsu Stars! film is set for early spring 2027, and the original anime is being streamed for free on ABEMA.
The Aikatsu! franchise entered a busy stretch in mid-2026, driven by anniversary projects, a new arcade cabinet, and streaming availability. The Data Carddass 'Aikatsu! Encore' cabinet, announced in May, is set for a sequential rollout from October, and a revised FAQ on August 27 confirmed that old 'Aikatsu! Cards' with QR codes will work on the new cabinet. The FAQ draws a hard line at other card types: some old cards are excluded, and existing IC cards, idol licenses, and digital idol licenses cannot be used. This settles a question players raised since the May announcement.
The 10th anniversary of Aikatsu Stars! produced the first completely new theatrical work for that series in a decade. 'Aikatsu Stars! ~Hoshiboshi no Progress~' was announced on July 3 for an early spring 2027 release, with director Teruo Sato and scriptwriter Yuko Kakihara returning. The announcement included a teaser video and visual showing Yume Nijino in a new dress. Around the same time, a pop-up shop opened at Tokyo Character Street on July 17, selling newly drawn merchandise of eight characters including Ichigo, Mizuki, and Yurika, running through July 30 with online sales.
The original anime reached new viewers when ABEMA ran a marathon broadcast of all 178 episodes of the first through fourth seasons plus 'Aikatsu! The Movie' starting August 17, as part of a Heisei Girls' Anime Special. Each work stayed free for one week. The franchise also stayed visible in fan polls: Nijino Yume from Aikatsu Stars! placed second in Anime Anime's 2026 Rainbow Day poll. Design work tied to the series remains collectible, as animator Kayoko Ishikawa released her first career-spanning art book on July 15.
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Bandai renewed the official website for the Data Carddass 'Aikatsu! Encore' on August 27, 2026, ahead of the cabinet's sequential rollout from October. A new FAQ answers player questions raised since May, confirming that 'Aikatsu! Cards' with QR codes can be used on the new cabinet, though some old cards are excluded and existing IC cards, idol licenses, and digital idol licenses cannot be used.
ABEMA announced on August 14 that it will hold a "Heisei Girls' Anime Special" as the third week of its August "Anime 200 Titles Free Festival Every Week" project. Starting late on August 16, the streaming service will run marathon broadcasts of Aikatsu!, Tamagotchi!, and Shugo Chara! on its Family Anime 3 channels. Each work will be available for free for one week after broadcast. The Aikatsu! marathon begins at 2:30 a.m. on August 17 and covers all 178 episodes of the first through fourth seasons, plus the first film, Aikatsu! The Movie. The Tamagotchi! marathon starts at 1:00 p.m. on August 17, featuring the first series that aired from 2009 to 2012, including the "Lovely Tamatomo Arc," "Happy Harmony Arc," and "Collect Tama Heart Arc." The Shugo Chara! marathon begins at 11:00 p.m. on August 17, covering the first and second seasons of the anime based on PEACH-PIT's manga from the girls' magazine Nakayoshi. The festival runs four consecutive weeks in August, offering about 200 popular anime titles for free with a different theme each week.
Anime Anime's 2026 Rainbow Day reader poll, with 102 respondents, ranked Doma from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba first for the second consecutive year. Nijino Yume from Aikatsu Stars! placed second, and Touhou Project's Tenkyuu Chimata took third.
A pop-up shop for the Aikatsu! franchise opened at Tokyo Character Street on July 17, 2026, selling newly drawn merchandise featuring eight popular characters, including Ichigo, Mizuki, and Yurika. The shop runs through July 30 and also offers online sales. The event comes alongside a revival screening of the Aikatsu Stars! movie and the announcement of a new film for early 2027.
A new theatrical film, Aikatsu Stars! ~Hoshiboshi no Progress~, was announced as part of the series' 10th anniversary project. It will hit theaters in early spring 2027. A teaser video and visual featuring Yume Nijino in a new dress were released. Director Teruo Sato and scriptwriter Yuko Kakihara reunite for the film.
Animator and illustrator Kayoko Ishikawa, known for her work on the Aikatsu! series and Yuri!!! on ICE, will release her first art book, Kayoko Ishikawa Design Works TEATRO, on July 15 through publisher BNN. The book collects over 500 illustrations spanning 12 titles, including character designs, layout drawings, and ED video sketches, plus new art and an interview.
Animator Kayoko Ishikawa, known for her design work on 'Aikatsu!', will release her first art collection 'Kayoko Ishikawa Design Works TEATRO' on July 15. The 184-page volume from BNN includes over 500 illustrations, covering her work on 'Aikatsu!', 'Sarazanmai', 'LUPIN the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine', and nine MAPPA titles including 'Yuri!!! on ICE', 'Chainsaw Man', and 'Zenshu.' It also features new drawings, an interview, and commentary.