Kenshi Yonezu is an active musician and songwriter whose recent work includes theme songs for the fifth live-action Kingdom film and the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc film, a short anime collaboration with MAPPA, and a gashapon CD charm collection. His catalog continues to be licensed for physical merchandise and his songs have won major awards.
Kenshi Yonezu's recent output spans music, animation, and merchandise. He provided the theme song "Yodaka" for the fifth live-action Kingdom film, which opened in Japan on July 17 and drew 2.39 million viewers with 3.73 billion yen in earnings in its first 13 days. The song was featured in a new promotional video released in August, alongside first-look footage of the climactic battle scenes.
Yonezu also extended his partnership with animation studio MAPPA with a short anime for his song "Karasu," the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme. The pencil-drawn video, published on June 25, 2026, is the third collaboration between Yonezu and MAPPA, following the Chainsaw Man opening theme "KICK BACK" and the Reze Arc film theme "IRIS OUT." "Karasu" reached No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings, marking Yonezu's 20th overall No. 1, the most for a solo artist in history.
At Music Awards Japan 2026, Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" won Best J-POP Song and swept Best Japanese Song in Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. His catalog also became physical merchandise: Bandai released a gashapon line of miniature CD charms featuring 11 designs, including "IRIS OUT," "JANE DOE," "Lemon," and the album "LOST CORNER," with each capsule priced at 500 yen. Yonezu also joined the staff of the live-action Look Back film as a special guest, performing guitar under the moniker Shark Kick Guitar.
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The live-action Look Back film announced that musician Kenshi Yonezu, actress-singer Tōko Miura, and animator-director Yōko Kuno will contribute as special guest staff. Yonezu performs guitar under the Shark Kick Guitar moniker, Miura sings an insert song, and Kuno directs a rotoscoped animation sequence produced by Shinei Animation. The film opens September 11 in Japan.
Bandai is releasing a gashapon capsule line of miniature Kenshi Yonezu CD charms. The collection includes 11 total designs, one of them secret, featuring the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc film theme "IRIS OUT," the Hikaru Utada collaboration "JANE DOE," "Lemon," and the album "LOST CORNER." Each capsule costs 500 yen and ships in the fifth week of August 2026.
KURAND released on August 13 an original sake inspired by the sandbox RPG Kenshi, developed by Lo-Fi Games. The product recreates the in-game sake icon with a ceramic bottle and wooden box, both produced under Lo-Fi Games' supervision. It is the first Japan-exclusive Kenshi product and the first collaboration between Lo-Fi Games and a Japanese company. The nigori sake is priced at 6,490 yen, with shipments starting late November.
The fifth live-action Kingdom film, 'Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle,' has released a new promotional video featuring the theme song 'Yodaka' by Kenshi Yonezu, using previously unseen footage from the film. New stills showing the battle between Shin and Bansaku were also released. The film has drawn 2.39 million viewers and earned 3.73 billion yen in 13 days.
Takeru Kirishima's manga adaptation of Hakubi Kokuto's Sekigan Renkin Kenshi no Yarinaoshi Kitan light novel series has ended. The final chapter appeared in Kadokawa's Monthly Shonen Ace magazine on Friday, and the third compiled book volume will ship on September 26. The story follows adventurer Yoruichi Yashiro after he loses an eye and is branded a failure.
Kenshi Yonezu and animation studio MAPPA have released a short anime for the song "Karasu," the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme. The video, published on YouTube on June 25, 2026, was produced by MAPPA and marks the third collaboration between the musician and the studio, following the Chainsaw Man opening theme "KICK BACK" (2022) and the theme for the Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc film "IRIS OUT" (2025). The short anime matches the first chorus of the song and uses a pencil-drawn visual style, showing a person earnestly chasing a ball while a crow soars overhead. The song itself was released digitally on June 15 and achieved six chart crowns in its first week, including No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings. It is Yonezu's 20th overall No. 1, the most for a solo artist in history. The short anime is timed to the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the song scheduled to air on NHK's soccer broadcasts.
The Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) held the Grand Ceremony for Music Awards Japan 2026 on June 13 at Toyota Arena Tokyo. Sakanaction's "Kaiju," the theme song for the TV anime "Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite," won Best Anime Song. It was the band's first anime theme song. Lead vocalist Ichiro Yamaguchi said during the ceremony that the manga's author, Uoto, pushed for the band to be involved. Sakanaction also won Song of the Year, Best Rock Song, Best Music Video, and Best Rock Band/Solo Artist, among other awards, totaling eight wins. Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" from the "Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc" won Best J-POP Song and swept Best Japanese Song in Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Mrs. Green Apple won Artist of the Year for the second consecutive year, plus Best J-POP Artist and the Fandom Special Award. HANA won New Artist of the Year. The Best Original Score for Animation went to the "Lazarus" soundtrack by Kamasi Washington, Bonobo, and Floating Points. Ado won Largest Live Audience (International). The awards event, now in its second year, had over 70 categories voted on by more than 5,000 music industry professionals.
The Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc manga will skip the next issue of Jump SQ. and resume in the September issue. The series has taken multiple breaks in recent months, with the latest pause following a return in the March issue after a November hiatus. The manga has faced ongoing interruptions since 2024 due to creator Nobuhiro Watsuki's poor health.
The July issue of Kadokawa's Comic Alive magazine revealed that Yu Shimizu's Howling Blaze light novel series is getting a manga adaptation by artist koko. The manga will launch in the magazine's next issue on June 26. The fantasy story follows Witch Hunter Kaori Tsukimiya on the island of Karyujima, where she meets the White Flower Witch Fiona.
TOHO Movies debuted a new trailer for Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, the fifth live-action film based on Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom manga. The trailer announces Kenshi Yonezu's theme song "Yodaka." The film opens in Japan on July 17, with Kento Yamazaki reprising his role as Xin and Shinsuke Sato returning to direct.