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Ota
Minoru Ota is the director of Kyoto Animation's first major anime series since the 2019 arson attack, which premiered on Netflix on July 5, 2026.
Synthesized from 29
Yomimono stories · updated
Jul 5
Minoru Ota directed the first two episodes of Sparks of Tomorrow, which screened at Anime Expo 2026 before the series premiered on Netflix on July 5, 2026. The series is set in an alternate-history Meiji-era Kyoto and follows a clumsy girl and an inventor in a steampunk world on the cusp of an electric age. Ota appeared at a Q&A session after the screening alongside producer Satori Senami.
The project was shelved after the 2019 arson attack on Kyoto Animation and is now the studio's first major anime series since that tragedy. Ota is a first-time director for the series, which marks a deliberate stylistic and thematic departure from the studio's previous work. The premiere positions the series as a new frontier for Kyoto Animation.
Key facts
- Role
- Director of Sparks of Tomorrow ↗
- First-time director
- First-time director for Sparks of Tomorrow ↗
- Premiere date
- July 5, 2026 ↗
- Setting
- Alternate-history Meiji-era Kyoto ↗
Timeline
- Jul 5, 2026 Sparks of Tomorrow Premieres on Netflix as Kyoto Animation's New Frontier
- Jul 1, 2026 Aile The Shota to Release New Song 'ONGAKU' on July 8
- Jun 28, 2026 My Charms Are Not Working for Medaka Kuroiwa Nominated for DARUMA Award
- Jun 28, 2026 VLiver Hitone Iri Releases Original Song Aromatic Arcana via OTAGROUP Music
- Jun 22, 2026 Valve Adds Sarcastic 'Data Miner Bait' Message to Dota 2 Code
- Jun 22, 2026 Dorohedoro Holds Top Spot In ANN's Spring 2026 Weekly Rankings
- Jun 19, 2026 Hosoda Mamoru Exhibition Opens With 450 Storyboards From The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Jun 19, 2026 You Are Ms. Servant Manga Resumes After Four-Month Hiatus
- Jun 15, 2026 Demon Slayer and Heart Bread ANTIQUE Collaboration Launches July 1
- Jun 14, 2026 Ryota Miyadate Transforms Into Three Superstars for Third Solo anan Cover
- Jun 14, 2026 Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Arc Blu-Ray Store Bonuses Reveal Ufotable Art
- Jun 12, 2026 Studio 4°C Returns to Chimney Town With a Hybrid Sequel
- Jun 11, 2026 Fujiko F. Fujio's 'The Minotaur's Plate' Gets First Stage Adaptation
- Jun 10, 2026 Unapologetic Projects Adapting Hotaru's Way Manga Into U.S. Live-Action Series
- Jun 8, 2026 Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Live Demo Debuts at Summer Game Fest, CBT Registration Opens
- Jun 7, 2026 Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Closed Beta Set for Late 2026
- Jun 5, 2026 Spring Anime OPs and EDs Push Visual Boundaries With Experimental Direction
- Jun 3, 2026 Muv-Gal Adds SSR Yui Takashiro In Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse Collab
- May 31, 2026 Thai Cosplayer and VTuber Fan Taotan Gets Warm Welcome in Manila
- May 31, 2026 Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk Episode 1 Review Emphasizes Cozy Yuri
- May 31, 2026 Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku?! Premiere Explores Prejudice and Shared Fandom
- May 30, 2026 Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Producer Discusses Trilogy, Budget, and Studio Growth
- May 28, 2026 Gachiakuta Stage Play Cancels Shows After Lead Actor Injures Leg
- May 28, 2026 Tomb Raider King Animated Series Reveals Kotaro Yanagi in New Trailer
- May 27, 2026 KAF Releases 'School Front' Music Video From 5th Album 'Deep Love'
- May 24, 2026 Hana-Kimi Season 2 Premieres July 1 With Omoinotake Theme Songs
- May 19, 2026 BE:FIRST Announces World Showcase Tour Across 4 Cities
- May 17, 2026 Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk Anime Streams Sixth Episode Clean Ending Theme
- May 16, 2026 Witch on the Holy Night Film Cast Returns for 2026 Premiere
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Claim activity
When a claim about Ota was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed Ota directs Sparks Of Tomorrow Sep 3 · source
All coverage
13h ago
Level Infinite announced Marian: Queen for Goddess of Victory: NIKKE during the 4th anniversary livestream "To the Promised Land, Goddesses Assemble" on October 24, 2026. The SSR Nikke is voiced by Kana Hanazawa and enters PickUp Recruitment after the October 29 maintenance, running until November 19 at 04:59. She is an attacker-type unit with a machine gun, Burst Skill III, and the Burning code, and her Burst Skill raises her own attack power while hitting multiple targets. Her squad is Counters, and she arrives with a dedicated background. The same stream announced the 4th anniversary story event "MARIA-n," which covers Marian's past, a separate costume called "Last Affection" shown as a white wedding dress with its own combat effect, plus new outfits for Neon, Nayuta, and Snow White: Heavy Arms, six returning costumes, a Pilgrim selective recruitment, and main scenario chapters 49 and 50.
17h ago
Creative Assembly vice president Roger Collum posted a statement on the company forum about Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition, which launched October 14 and was pulled from sale the next day after negative Steam reviews over performance, bugs, and broken mod support. Collum said the title was externally developed and never went through internal review or QA, and that responsibility still lies with Creative Assembly. The company said generative AI asset use is under investigation.
1d ago
Tokyo Otaku Mode opened pre-orders on Friday for the third round of original merchandise tied to the 2026 hololive Meet ambassadors. The goods use the second key visual from September, showing Wamame Tsunomaki, Airani Iofifteen, Gigi Murin, and Chihaya Rindo in resort-style outfits on a ship at night. The lineup includes 2way acrylic stands, 57mm hologram can badges, B2 wall hangings, 60cm desk mats in two designs, tumblers, and acrylic die-cut magnets.
1d ago
TECH PLAY-X will again support planning and operation of TECH DRIVERS in FY2026, the engineer talk series hosted by Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Four sessions are planned under the theme of AI. In the first three, one automaker and a guest company from another industry take the stage; the fourth is a joint Toyota, Nissan, and Honda session on AI development in mobility. The FY2025 edition ran seven sessions, mainly online.
1d ago
ASUS JAPAN announced two ROG-branded gaming peripherals for release on October 30, 2026: the ROG Gladius IV Ace mouse at an estimated 26,080 yen and the ROG Raikiri II Pro controller at 37,280 yen, both in black and white. The Gladius IV Ace is a right-handed ergonomic wireless mouse with a 56g body, a sensor rated to 65,000DPI, and a polling rate of up to 8,000Hz. Its design follows sports science, and included 3g, 5g and 7g weights raise the total as high as 71g across seven balance options. Communication uses ROG SpeedNova 8K Gen II, and the mouse supports NVIDIA Reflex. The Raikiri II Pro has hot-swappable TMR joysticks aimed at low drift and wear resistance, reaches 8,000Hz in both wired and 2.4GHz wireless connection to a PC, offers a full-color display for profile switching and settings, and lists up to 79 hours of battery life. Detachable rear buttons, replacement caps and dual-mode triggers adjust the feel.
1d ago
HoYoverse will stream a release preview program for Petit Planet on November 1 at 20:00 on its official YouTube channel and X account. The company announced the broadcast on October 23. Petit Planet is a slow-life game in which players become a Hoshimibito and grow a star by reshaping its terrain and arranging areas, with farming, fishing, furniture crafting, and interaction with neighbors and friends who arrive from the sea of stars. Development team members and special guests will appear on the stream to unpack what the program calls the "first page" of life on the star, with game content plus upcoming events and campaigns. A follow-and-repost campaign runs from October 23 until the broadcast starts at 20:00 on November 1, with twenty winners drawn from those who follow the official X account and repost the designated post, each receiving a 3,000 yen Amazon gift card. Petit Planet is planned for release in winter 2026 on PC, iOS, and Android, and pre-registration is open.
2d ago
A pop-up store for the Hotaru's Marriage anime adaptation opens at Machida Modi on November 6 and at the Maruzen Marunouchi Main Store on December 15. Newly drawn goods show Satoko, Shinpei, and Kotaro making finger hearts, with floral patterns based on the original manga covers. The 12 goods categories include acrylic stands at 1,980 yen and herbariums at 3,850 yen. Admission is free at both venues.
2d ago
Kodansha's Afternoon magazine streamed an animated promotional video on Wednesday for the debut of the first compiled volume of Gyakusatsu Kigen, the new manga by Shiwasu Hoshikawa and Yuichiro Momose. The volume shipped on Thursday. Soma Saito narrates the video, with Takehiro Kubota storyboarding. The manga launched in Afternoon on May 25 and follows high schooler Rakki after a delinquent called "A" rescues him from a classmate fight.
3d ago
Anime News Network interviewed producer Tatsuya Matsubara and scenario writer Naotaka Hayashi about Steins;Gate Re:Boot. Matsubara says the remake exists to modernize the original game ahead of new text adventure projects, with all assets rebuilt from scratch. The ending draws on the 2010 drama CD Hyde of the Dark Dimension, which Hayashi wrote after players asked for a Moeka ending, and returns the series to a traditional text-adventure format.
3d ago
V Inc. will open the VRChat official world "Cosmic Wonderland" for flower creative studio plantica to the public on October 23, 2026, the company announced. V Inc. handled direction and production of the world, which the announcement describes as a botanical garden on an unknown planet. The world is divided into four areas: a CORRIDOR entrance, a dome-shaped HALL for viewing planets and auroras, a TRAIL among large plants, and a LAB research area. The LAB holds specimens and explanation panels for 24 fictional plant species, with Japanese and English text. Gravity is set to one-fifth that of Earth, letting visitors jump to view the plants from above or below. A launch listening event runs from 20:00 to 23:00 on opening day, with DJ Yusuke Shiotani, who composed the world's background music, performing. The event uses a Group Public instance open to anyone, and joining the group is not required to enter. The world is enterable from the PC version only, not from Quest standalone or mobile.
4d ago
A limited-time Initial D pop-up shop on the first floor of the FKD Interpark store in Utsunomiya, Tochigi runs until November 1. It displays and sells AUTOart's 1/18 scale Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86), made to mark 30 years since the manga's serialization began, alongside a real AE86. The model reproduces the Project D specification, and the shop also carries licensed goods, apparel, and car accessories.
5d ago
Hobby Japan's 1/64 MF Ghost Series is taking orders for two Toyota 86 GT (ZN6) die-cast miniatures, both modeled on the car driven by Katagiri Kanata: the Odawara Pikes Peak spec and the Ashinoko GT spec, the latter with gold-outlined 86 decals and its own wheels. Each is 4,290 yen with tax, planned for release in May 2027 or later, sold through Post Hobby and model retailers.
6d ago
The Garden of Sinners and Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] film series will begin subscription streaming on October 30 on d Anime Store, Netflix, ABEMA, U-NEXT, Hulu and others. Prime Video and Disney+ start November 20, the day Witch on the Holy Night opens in theaters. The films are part of a TYPE-MOON and ufotable project tied to that release. ABEMA will also open a commemorative channel on October 30 with a free marathon of five TYPE-MOON and ufotable works.
6d ago
AMNIBUS is taking pre-orders for the second Botania Series volume, which places Frieren, Himmel, Heiter, Eisen, Fern, Stark and Zain in botanical designs. The lineup runs across four trading lines (swaying acrylic stands, acrylic keychains, acrylic cards, can badges), plus a flip clock, neck strap with pass case, mouse pad, coaster with acrylic stand, acrylic memo stand and 75mm glitter can badges. The article also notes the TV anime's Golden Land Arc begins airing in October 2027.
Oct 16
Dota 2 pro Nuengnara Teeramahanon, known as 23savage, said Malaysian police detained him and teammates Fbz and Oli on October 13, confiscated his phone and passport, and questioned him for two hours about whether he really plays esports. Given a chance to prove it, he picked Kez and put up 32 kills, 3 deaths and 10 assists in a 40-minute match. He and the others were released.
Oct 16
KiwiSaurus released the PC adventure game Hametsu no Otaku on Steam on October 16. The price is 1,980 yen, with a 10% commemorative discount to 1,782 yen running until October 23. The player moves between reality and the internet as a fan of the game Idol☆Star who organizes a group purchase, spends the collected money, and has 14 days to raise 500,000 yen before the perfume order deadline.
Oct 16
INFOLENS will run "Fallout mini Collection" at its GEEK SHOP Ikebukuro PARCO Store from October 22 to November 3, held alongside a Fallout collaboration cafe. The shop will carry items including a 14,300 yen S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Perk Card collector's album, a 4,950 yen Nuka-Cola gift set, 5,940 yen metal signs, and a 4,950 yen Charisma Bobblehead. A giant Vault Boy statue and character panels go up in the store, and buyers get one of five mini posters using the ROBCO FUN cover.
Oct 15
Toyota Tsusho's Metals Resources Department has run a pilot introduction of a Notion CRM Agent System, with Modelist Inc. supporting the design and implementation. The system structures daily business context such as emails, chats, and documents on Notion CRM so it can serve as AI input, and it supports personalized agents for internal experts, external experts, and general work support.
Oct 15
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the October 2026 overseas Game Catalog lineup for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers. The list is split across three dates. The Midnight Walk, a claymation horror adventure from Fast Travel Games that supports PS VR2, arrives October 15. On October 20, Mafia: The Old Country from 2K, Horizon Forbidden West from Sony Interactive Entertainment, and the four-player co-op shooter Mycopunk from Devolver Digital join. October 27 brings Tales of ARISE - Beyond the Dawn Edition from Bandai Namco Entertainment, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 from Mob Entertainment, and Monster Energy Supercross 25 - The Official Video Game from Milestone. In the Classics Catalog for Premium members, Capcom's Dino Crisis 2 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition are both listed for PS5 and PS4. Release dates differ by title. Titles without a specified date become playable from October 20.
Oct 15
Kotaro Uchikoshi announced on October 15 the establishment of CRASH KEYS Inc., a new company whose catchphrase is "There are doors that only a broken key can open." On his own X account the day before, the Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files director said a game his staff worked on for about a year and a half was canceled, and that he is seeking work requests and investment.
Oct 14
Kotaro Uchikoshi, the writer behind the Zero Escape series and AI: The Somnium Files, announced on October 15, 2026, that he established a new company called Crash Keys in March 2025. The studio is named after a fictional organization in Zero Escape and is headquartered in the Miyamasuzaka Building in Shibuya, Tokyo, the same building as Izanagi Games. Uchikoshi is representative director. Crash Keys will pursue original projects using his experience, with game development in planning, direction, and scenario writing, plus video and anime work in composition, original concept, and script. The company is seeking investment partners. Uchikoshi said he had planned to reveal the company in 2027 with a new game he and his team had worked on for about a year and a half, but the game was cancelled, so he announced early. The Crash Keys website lists members including Akira Mine and scriptwriter Muri Sasaki, plus two encrypted biographies and the phrases RHIZOME-9 and a Virtue's Last Reward line.
Oct 14
Sega and Creative Assembly suspended sales of Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition on October 15, one day after the October 14 release. The publisher said feedback showed the release did not meet user expectations or company quality standards, and it is investigating the cause while working with platform partners to re-release the original version. Players who already bought the Complete Edition can keep playing it. The Complete Edition bundles the 2011 strategy game with its downloadable content, including the Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai campaigns, and adds Japanese and Chinese voice and text, 1440p and 4K support, more than 50 playable minor clans, 64-bit support, and official mod support through Mod.io. It launched on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store. Steam user reviews were overwhelmingly negative, with 16 percent positive out of more than 3,100 reviews as of the suspension. Complaints cited bugs from the original version, heavy performance, and incompatibility with existing mods.
Oct 14
Honda and V Inc. released "Honda Motanion Hub Michi-no-Eki Joso" on VRChat on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. The world models Michi-no-Eki Joso in Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture, with cooperation from Joso City and COLLECT Inc. Honda produced the project and V handled world creation. A photo campaign on X runs through the release, with five winners receiving a CB750Four avatar gimmick version.
Oct 14
Sega released Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store on October 14, 2026, priced at 5,990 yen with tax included. The definitive version of Creative Assembly's 2011 strategy game adds Japanese localization with full voice acting, updated lighting and shadow rendering, and support for 1440p and 4K resolutions, and bundles DLC including Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai.
Oct 13
SEGA Europe and The Creative Assembly have released Total War: SHOGUN 2 - Complete Edition, a definitive version of the Sengoku-period strategy game. It includes the base game, the Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai expansions, faction packs, and content updates, with Japanese and Chinese voice and subtitle support, 1440p and 4K UI scaling, modernized controls, more than 50 playable factions, Mod.io integration, 64-bit support, ultrawide monitor support, and colorblind accessibility options. It is available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store.
Oct 13
OTAGROUP announced that Avivi, the community-type agency partnered with the VTuber app Avvy, will hold an online lecture by Ringo Kujo on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 19:00 to 20:00. The session marks the publication of her book How to Start VTubing from Zero! and runs free on Google Meet, with applications closing October 16 at 20:00.
Oct 12
The Jump Press livestream on Monday announced that Kota Kawae's Nue's Exorcist manga is getting a television anime adaptation, set to debut in summer 2027 on TV Asahi. The announcement also revealed a teaser video, a teaser visual, the main cast, and the main staff. Hiroyuki Hashimoto is directing at Studio Hibari. Hiroshi Seko is overseeing series scripts, Shunpei Mochizuki is designing the characters, Takayuki Yamaguchi is the sound director, and MONACA is composing the music. Kaito Miura voices Gakuro Yajima, Saori Onishi voices Nue, and Sayumi Suzushiro voices Kazusa Suo. Kawae launched the manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 2023. Shueisha published the 16th compiled volume on September 4. Viz Media published the eighth volume in English on September 1. The manga topped AnimeJapan 2025's "Manga We Want to See Animated" poll.
Oct 11
Tamiya is reissuing its 1/20 scale Toyota Celica LB Turbo Gr.5 kit as Grand Prix Collection No.72, scheduled for release on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The Group 5 car was built for the 1977 German Racing Championship, based on the Celica Liftback 2000GT with a body modified beyond its original form and a 560-horsepower engine. The kit includes two car numbers and Cartograf decals.
Oct 11
Aniplex Online is taking preorders for a non-scale figure of Doma, Upper Rank Two of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, based on an illustration drawn by ufotable. The figure shows him seated on a chair holding a fan. It costs 6,800 yen including tax, with a limited acrylic charm bonus. Preorders run until December 28, 2026, and shipping is scheduled sequentially from July 2027. Crenel releases the product.
Oct 10
Romankey's UMS004 Super-Posable Female Body Mia Brown Skin Ver. is a 1/12 scale action figure standing about 158mm tall, made from PVC, POM, PC and ABS. It ships with a figure body, a long neck part, three sets of foot parts, interchangeable lower-limb and hand parts, a bodysuit and a stand. It is priced at 8,800 yen with tax and is scheduled for release in November 2026, handled only by AmiAmi.
Oct 9
Studio Sota is releasing miniature models of Wedge Motorcycle custom bikes as capsule toys and box toys, scheduled for January 2027. Box toy pre-orders are open at the Studio Sota Store. The models are 1/32 scale, built from 3D scan data of actual vehicles, and come in brown, gray, navy, sand khaki, olive, and red. The box version includes a display case and logo stand.
Oct 9
Episode 1 of Hotaru's Marriage, "Unwanted Repayment," airs Friday, October 9 on Fuji TV's Noitamina block. Satoko Kirigaya, voiced by Lynn, is targeted and kidnapped, and proposes marriage to the hitman Shinpei Goto, voiced by Koki Uchiyama, to survive. david production animates the adaptation of Oreko Tachibana's manga, directed by Takahiro Kamei.
Oct 9
The Blu-ray box for There's No Gal Who's Kind to Otaku!? releases on October 9 and includes a first-time audio commentary. Sho Komura, Konomi Inagaki, Yu Serizawa, and director Arata Mita discuss the final episode's recording, including an ad-lib the director requested during the cultural festival scenes and Komura's account of watching the finale with his mother.
Oct 8
Ryotaro Sakaguchi, 36, plays the drag queen and street drummer Angel in the Japanese production of RENT, running at Theater Creation in Tokyo from October 15 to November 13, 2026, double-cast with Hayate Takahashi. He posted a photo of himself in Angel's all-red costume and white hair on October 7, writing that the musical opens next week and that he finished the final rehearsal.
Oct 8
Hanamaruki's Sugu Uma Cup Miso Soup line and the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will release six limited packages drawn by ufotable, shipping from mid-October 2026 to supermarkets, mass retailers, and drugstores nationwide. Tanjiro Kamado, Giyu Tomioka, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, and Shinobu Kocho appear across the six varieties, which include fried eggplant, spinach, tonjiru, tororo kombu, seaweed with aosa, and long green onion.
Oct 8
HARRY MASTINO is developing AROTA - Tire God for PC (Steam), a game with one core action: throw a tire from the top of a hill and let a physics simulation carry it as far as it goes. Once the tire leaves the player's hands, the player watches. Every run diverges based on terrain, because a small step can launch the tire into the air and a badly hit pebble can stop it dead. The build ships with five maps, including snowy mountains, wastelands, and outer space, and each map rolls the tire differently. Multiple tire types are selectable, and the choice of tire changes how it travels, so matching a tire to a stage matters. Runs are measured, and the best distance is posted to a public leaderboard for players worldwide to compare. AROTA - Tire God also supports online PvP, where two players roll in real time to see whose tire travels farther. Tire appearance can be customized, from bright colors to a realistic look.
Oct 7
One or Eight began distributing a free Steam demo for the village-building action RPG Warota, My House Is Next to the Demon Lord's Castle www on October 8, 2026 at 0:00 JST. The demo runs 2 to 3 hours, up to the defeat of the first boss, and supports Japanese, English, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. It adds a song, Heartful Full Full Bokko, to the idol Demon Lord Platinum Gold Cast's live performance, with composition, arrangement, and lyrics by Maron of IOSYS and vocals by Platinum Gold Cast. Villagers' work and daily routines were adjusted from the open beta. Production jobs can now fight: tailors throw needles, and dairy farmers lead dogs, cats, and cows against monsters. Players switch among more than 20 jobs by changing hats, and can give hats to villagers. One or Eight confirmed the game for Steam Next Fest: October 2026 Edition, running October 19 to 26. Early access starts November 13, 2026 at 2,800 yen.
Oct 7
The TV anime Hotaru no Yomeiri, adapted from Oreco Tachibana's manga, begins airing on October 9, 2026. In an interview, Lynn, who plays Satoko Kirigaya, and Koki Uchiyama, who plays Shinpei Goto, said the source manga's five million copies in circulation and its established readership shaped how they approached the roles. Lynn described Satoko's resolve to return home for her father; Uchiyama said the adaptation should not betray the expectations of original fans.
Oct 7
Mouse Computer will release the G TUNE FZ-I7G80, a gaming PC marking the 50th anniversary of Intel's Japan subsidiary, the company announced. The price starts at 500,000 yen and the release date is undecided; sale timing will be posted on a special page once set. The unit uses blue LEDs inside the case, Intel's corporate color, and the side panel carries a design commemorating the anniversary. Sales are limited to 50 units, with original pin badges, stickers, and figures included; the bonuses ship later. Inside are an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 270K Plus and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, with 32GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. The PC runs Windows 11 Home 64-bit and has a water-cooled CPU cooler, Intel Z890 chipset, Wi-Fi 6E, and 10GbE wired LAN. Purchases are planned on the Mouse Computer website, at each direct shop, at G-Tune:Garage Osaka, and by telephone.
Oct 7
Sunny Side Up will release Happy Kuji "DISNEY Christmas Ornament Kuji 2026" at FamilyMart stores starting at 10:00 on November 7, 2026. Each draw costs 880 yen including tax. The theme for the 2026 edition is "Christmas Dress Up," and the lineup centers on Mickey and Friends in party outfits, red dresses and tuxedos, drawn for the project. Characters from film titles join them. The set has four prize tiers plus a Last Prize. A new Year Ornament Prize debuts, with one type showing Mickey Mouse beside a tree carrying the year 2026. The Figure Ornament Prize covers 25 characters, the most for the tier. All figure ornaments include a base, so they work as room figures besides tree decorations. The Special Complete BOX Prize has six types grouped by series. The Acrylic Ornament Prize returns with 10 types, glitter included. The Last Prize is a BIG! Standing Plush of Mickey Mouse in a newly drawn outfit, about 65 cm tall. Availability varies by store, so the Happy Kuji official website carries the details.
Oct 6
Hypnosis Mic held its 12th live concert, MIC AS ONE, on October 3 and 4, 2026 at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama. All 21 cast members from seven divisions performed, including the six male divisions plus Chuou Division. The show was shown via live viewing at cinemas across Japan and streamed live on ABEMA. Subaru Kimura, Shintaro Asanuma, Yusuke Shirai, Sho Hayami, Ryota Iwasaki, Shota Hayama and Yuu Kobayashi were among the cast.
Oct 6
ClaN Entertainment and Sanrio's VTuber project Nyantasia is selling its Youth Time Voice set on the official BOOTH store from October 5 to October 31, 2026. Individual talent sets cost 1,500 yen and the complete set costs 10,500 yen. The 2024 Halloween Voice set is also resold in the same window at 1,000 yen per talent set.
Oct 6
The TV anime BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity - has cast Aisa Tachibana as Kazui Kurosaki and Ayaka Ohashi as Ichika Abarai. Masakazu Morita, who plays Ichigo, wrote on social media that Kazui is "my son" and Ichika is "my friend's daughter." Ryotaro Okiayu, who plays Byakuya, answered that Ichika is his niece. The two new voice actors also posted comments, with two episodes left until the conclusion.
Oct 6
Toyota announced on October 6, 2026 that it will exhibit a special vehicle, the Crown Crossover x Touken Danshi Mikazuki Munechika, at the second Kyoto Station Building Art Festival, Geijutsu no Eki 2026. The Crown carries blue and gold lines and a large Mikazuki Munechika emblem on the hood. The exhibition runs October 17 to November 3, 13:00 to 20:00 daily on the first floor Station Front Plaza. More collaboration plans are to be announced.
Oct 6
Red Bull Japan is running a collaboration campaign with the hololive OFFICIAL CARD GAME at Lawson stores nationwide from October 6 to October 19, 2026. Customers who buy two eligible Red Bull products receive one original PR card. The four card designs feature VTubers Shishiro Botan and Laplus Darkness, two designs each, including visuals of them holding Red Bull cans.
Oct 5
Indie developer Hirasaka released the horror action comedy Death Momotaro for PC on Steam on September 25. The game follows the folk tale's hero, who flees from Death Grandpa's kitchen knife and fights the dog, monkey, and pheasant instead of the oni. It costs 420 yen, with a 10 percent discount to 378 yen running until October 9, and includes a high-difficulty Death Mode.
Oct 5
Children's Garden is a puzzle ADV shown at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 20. Players stack onbutsu stones at Sai no Kawara under an ethical correction program, earning next-life lifespan that the novel part spends to open blacked-out reports. Jizo Bosatsu gives the player an ethics management unit to save a child stuck in the loop. It is scheduled for 2026 on PC via Steam, with a demo running now.
Oct 5
Indie team TastyPotato released a demo for its horror adventure game Bet You Won't on Steam on October 3, 2026. The player is a streamer targeted by a serial killer who unboxes suspicious packages that arrive daily. Each package holds clues, strange items, or things that can kill the player. Wrong choices lead to death, and a new streamer continues the investigation. The release date is undecided.
Oct 5
SLOC WORKS Research Institute LLC relocated its head office from Beppu, Oita Prefecture to Sapporo, Hokkaido, effective October 1, 2026. Rira Tsubota became Representative Member CEO, succeeding Yu Miyamoto. The company calls the move a second founding and runs two businesses: SLOC model research and development, and business support. Its corporate website was renewed.
Oct 5
A collaboration visual pairing Aoko Aozaki from the theatrical anime Mahoyo with Saber from Fate/Zero was revealed on October 1, drawn by ufotable, which handles production for both works. The visual accompanies the special project "Let's Watch Together! TYPE-MOON x ufotable." Fate/Zero, marking 15 years since its TV anime broadcast, gets a selection broadcast on Fuji TV in the Kanto local area over four nights, with the episodes chosen by viewer vote.