Singer-songwriter aiko is active in 2026, providing theme songs for anime and sharing personal moments with fans on social media.
aiko, a singer-songwriter known for her pop hits, appears in Yomimono coverage through several distinct events in 2026. Her most prominent anime tie-in is the opening theme "Anata no Hana no Iro" for the second season of Blue Box, announced in August 2026. The trailer also previewed the ending theme "blue in" by elsewhere kikou. The season premieres on October 4 on TBS and 27 other channels, with Netflix streaming in October. This marks a new collaboration for aiko in the anime space.
Earlier in June, aiko's song "milk" was used in the teaser promotional video for MAPPA's anime adaptation of the manga "Local Is Best!" (Jimoto ga Saikō!). The announcement noted that aiko is a fan of the original work, and she shared her joy about the adaptation and the PV on social media. This connection suggests a personal affinity with the source material, beyond a standard licensing arrangement.
In May, aiko made headlines for a personal incident at her Hakodate concert. She responded to a fan on social media about an elderly gentleman who collapsed; aiko hugged him, then revealed the man was her father, who had a cramp in his butt. The disclosure offered a rare glimpse into her private family life. Across these stories, aiko is presented as an active artist whose music reaches anime audiences and whose public persona includes moments of warmth and openness.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
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REAL AKIBA BOYZ will release Akiba Saiko!, the theme song for their September 19 Tokyo Gymnasium live Akiba 3150, on September 7. MASA of the band Futari-me no Gian composed the track and wrote the lyrics with rapper Rappitto and musician Ariremu. The song grew out of a conversation between RAB member Maron and MASA, and carries the group's history, its ties to Akihabara, and its stance of saying you like what you like.
The school gourmet comedy drama Oishii Kyushoku season 4 announced six new cast members on August 27. Issei Hashimoto plays Ren Toma, the transfer student who becomes Amita's rival in the Okinawa-set season. Hiroki Kawata, Shogen, Tomohito Yashima, and Ryosei Tayama join the cast, while Maiko Ito reprises her role as lunch lady Fumie Makino. Hayato Ichihara stars as Yukio Amita.
The official website for the anime adaptation of Koji Miura's Blue Box manga unveiled the main promotional video and main visual for the second season on Wednesday, August 26. The trailer announces and previews the season's opening theme song "Anata no Hana no Iro" by singer-songwriter aiko and the ending theme song "blue in" by the duo elsewhere kikou. The season is set to premiere on TBS and 27 other channels on October 4, with streaming on Netflix in October. Yoshino Aoyama joins the cast as Yumeka Kido, a new character who appears before Taiki and Chinatsu. Daisuke Sako (Lupin Zero) takes over as director from Yuichiro Yano, and Electric Circus replaces Telecom Animation Film as the animation studio. Anri Ishii and Yumika Okazaki take over as art director and editor, respectively. The rest of the main staff, including series composer Yuko Kakihara and character designer Miho Tanino, retain their roles. The manga, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since April 2021, concluded on July 13, with the 28th and final volume shipping on December 4.
Dark Horse Manga announced at Anime NYC on Friday that it will release two graphic novels in Hideyuki Kikuchi and Yoshitaka Amano's Vampire Hunter D franchise. The Vampire Hunter D: Fortress of Blood comic debuts December 16, and the English translation of Saiko Takaki's Vampire Hunter D: Rose Princess manga arrives in March 2027.
Bandai Namco announced that the arcade version of Taiko no Tatsujin will update some of its in-game fonts on August 19. The reason was not given, but observers suspect a connection to the recent pricing overhaul of the font subscription service LETS. Similar changes are appearing in Monster Strike's upcoming UI update.
The September issue of Akita Shoten's Monthly Princess magazine announced that Saiko Wadori and Mika Kajiyama's His Majesty the Demon King's Housekeeper manga will end with its next chapter, set for the November issue in October. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes the series in English.
The developer of 'Kimi ka, Saikou no Aibou!' explains the game's concept of a grumpy king who hinders players through physics, and how the character design of 'PEAK' inspired giving the protagonists expressive faces. The co-op physics-based transport adventure released on PC June 10 for 800 yen.
Bandai Namco Entertainment released a paid downloadable content collaboration pack for Taiko no Tatsujin: Don Don Festival on June 25, themed around the anime adaptation of Nagano's manga Chiikawa. The pack makes the song "Hitorigotsu ~Band Ver.~" playable and includes limited in-game items such as Chiikawa characters' puchi characters, collaboration name plates, and titles. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Alongside the DLC, a free update added the new song "Shanimuni Hanabi" as the second installment of the Taiko no Tatsujin 25th anniversary commemorative song project, a four-part plan to release new songs fulfilling Don-chan's dream of becoming a music producer. The song is described as conveying passion for immersing oneself in activities like Taiko no Tatsujin to overcome real-world hardships.
MAPPA announced an anime adaptation of usagi's manga Jimoto Saiko! during its 15th anniversary livestream. The series will stream worldwide on Netflix. The story follows Chanel and her friends in a hometown plagued by violence, drugs, and poverty. Staff includes director Tokio Igarashi and scriptwriter Ryō Takata.
MAPPA announced on June 19 during its 15th anniversary lineup presentation that it will produce an anime adaptation of the manga "Local Is Best!" ("Jimoto ga Saikō!") by usagi. The series will stream exclusively worldwide on Netflix. Alongside the announcement, a teaser visual and a teaser promotional video were released. The PV uses the song "milk" by singer-songwriter aiko, who is a fan of the original work. The manga, originally serialized on social media, is known for its cute art style contrasted with a story that has been described as a stew of all the world's evils. It follows girls who have never left their hometown and insist "Local is best!" no matter what misfortunes befall them. The director is Toshio Igarashi, the script is by Ryo Takada, and character design is by Rio. The original creator usagi commented on the announcement, expressing gratitude that the manga could be adapted into an anime, and noted that during serialization, when the creator went bankrupt, the editor lent 1 million yen out of pocket. aiko also shared her joy about the adaptation and the PV.
The action RPG AIKODE, influenced by Drakengard, NieR, and Final Fantasy 13, has announced new information will be released soon. The game, developed by solo developer ACE, features exploration, character customization, and combat with a three-mode weapon. It is planned for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Vocaloid P Orangestar, known for summer-themed songs like "Asu no Yozora Shōkaihan" and "Kaisei," has written his first new song in roughly two years for the TV anime "Shunkashūtō Daikōsha Haru no Mai." The anime, based on an original work by Kana Akatsuki of "Violet Evergarden" fame, is set in a world where agents empowered by the gods of the four seasons rotate the seasons. Orangestar's involvement, while seemingly a departure from his summer associations, is framed by the article as a natural fit given his past works' themes of lost time and youth.
Anime Anime highlights three spring 2026 OPs and EDs as showcases for up-and-coming directors. The article focuses on China's OP for Kamiina Botan, which uses 18fps, 8mm film texture, and cine-calli techniques. It also discusses Yamamoto Ken's OP for Shunkashuutou Daikousha and Moaan's ED for NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE as examples of new frontiers in animation.
Japanese singer-songwriter aiko responded to a fan on social media about an incident at her Hakodate concert. The fan helped an elderly gentleman who collapsed; aiko later hugged him. In her reply, aiko revealed the man was her father, who had a cramp in his butt.