P-P is the founder and lead developer of Pixel Smile, the indie studio behind the rhythm game Step Theater, which released a demo on Steam on July 23, 2026. He is a game streamer with over 680,000 YouTube subscribers who began streaming in 2010, worked as a programmer at a game company around 2015, and went independent in 2024 to pursue indie game development.
P-P, a game streamer with professional game development experience, has released his first public title as an indie developer. The rhythm game Step Theater, developed by his studio Pixel Smile, launched a demo on Steam on July 23, 2026. The demo includes two stages and a playtime of about 20 minutes, with the full version scheduled for release on Steam later in 2026. The game features sound by Mafumafu and Blackmagic, and graphics by Aramon and Subikaka.
P-P began streaming in 2010 and worked as a programmer at a game company around 2015. He went independent in 2024 to focus on indie game development. His YouTube channel has over 680,000 subscribers. The development team plans to use player feedback from the demo for future development.
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A BanG Dream! pop up store runs at the atre Akihabara 1 second-floor event space from Friday, September 18, 2026 to Thursday, October 1, 2026. Goods from Yume∞Mita and Our Notes line up, alongside in-building broadcasts and decorations. Songs from all five Our Notes bands play inside the building, with newly recorded narration by five cast members, one per band.
Tokyopop announced on Friday that it has licensed five manga titles for English release in spring-summer 2027: Can't Buy My Love by Pitari Mishima, A Fangirl's Guide to Learning How to Date 3D Men, Romantically Challenged by Hi Calo, LOVE IS PAIN by Arata Minami, and How to Fall In Love with You Again. The lineup runs across romance and omegaverse stories.
Feux will hold two events in Paris starting September 11, 2026. A one-night screening of Satoshi Kon's Paprika runs at the Musee Guimet rooftop, marking 20 years since the film's release. A PERFECT BLUE x Paprika pop-up store runs at Junku Paris through September 22, with limited goods made by U-NT. Items will also be sold on the U-NT STORE online shop.
Cover Corporation will open the "hololive production official pop up shop" at Ikebukuro PACKS from Saturday, October 3, 2026, with cooperative operation by MOVIC Co., Ltd. The tour covers Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Sapporo, beginning with Ikebukuro through Sunday, November 1, 2026. Nagoya runs Friday, November 6 to Monday, November 23, 2026. Fukuoka follows Friday, December 11 to Sunday, December 20, 2026, Osaka Saturday, January 9 to Sunday, January 17, 2027, and Sapporo Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 28, 2027. Original merchandise based on newly drawn bus guide visuals will be sold, with regional products: Tokyo carries three talents, and each later city carries two. Some hololive official goods and licensed merchandise will also be available. Admission restrictions using LivePocket-Ticket- are planned for the first two days in Ikebukuro, with possible numbered tickets afterward depending on crowding. Locations for Nagoya onward and business hours are to be updated on the special site.
Sokpop Collective announced on September 10 that Rat Game will launch on October 30 for PC via Steam, with Japanese in-game text supported according to the store page. The game is an asymmetric horror comedy in which one chef faces two to eight rats in a restaurant. The rats run around the kitchen, office, bar, storage room, and restroom, using small bodies to move through space under furniture and holes in walls. They sabotage the restaurant by tampering with the breaker panel, clogging toilets, and hacking PCs, and they win by completing a set number of tasks. The chef catches rats and throws them into cages placed around the restaurant, can peek under furniture to search, and can use a gun. Trailer footage shows rats solving math problems at a PC and entering a safe combination, and captured rats being freed from cages by fellow rats. The developer describes a hidden cheese storage room somewhere on the map. Estimated play time is about two hours. Rat Game was officially announced in February. Sokpop Collective is based in the Netherlands.
King Records launched Pop Team Epic into the Roblox license catalog at noon on September 9. The registration lets Roblox creators plan, build, and apply to publish games and experiential content using the manga's characters and world. Bkub Okawa's four-panel manga has run in Takeshobo's Manga Life WIN, now Takecomi!, since August 2014. The listing is positioned as a new form of IP use beyond manga and anime development.
The Sgt. Frog and Sanrio Characters pop up store has added dates, starting at the Ekimaru A la Mode JR Kyoto Station West Exit Store from September 11 to September 23, 2026, then at ESPAL Sendai and the space in front of JR Ikebukuro Station South Ticket Gate. Two new items, the Mini Mini Boa Mascot and Multi Earphone Case, are 1,320 yen each with tax and go on early sale September 11.
Max Factory opened preorders for a Pop Up Parade L size figure of Guts in the Berserker Armor, in a Bloody Paint version. The figure shows Guts covered in blood, in a form the listing describes as having surpassed his limits through the armor's power. The seller lists a reference price of 9,799 yen including tax, and the Rakuten Books listing shows a sale price of 9,139 yen including tax.
The manga adaptation of Hirotsugu Ryusen's She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man light novels will end with its 16th volume, which ships October 29. Dicca Suemitsu draws the adaptation, which launched on Micro Magazine's Comic Ride site in July 2016. Seven Seas licensed both the light novel and the manga. The story follows Sakamori Kagami, a top player in the VRMMO Ark Earth Online, who wakes up in a young girl's body and takes the name Mira. The TV anime aired in January 2022.
Five next-generation girl acts will share one stage at Shinjuku WARP on October 11 for S Cawaii! presents GIRLS POP JAPAN supported by SBI MUSIC CIRCUS. The lineup includes former BEYOOOOONDS member Yumu Yamazaki, anime theme singer Kaya, Stardust Promotion's MISS MERCY, 11-member group Alpha Plus, and duo Suupeas. SBI Music Circus organized the event with NTT Docomo Studio & Live and Culture Entertainment Group.
The Satoshi Kon Birth Festival 2026 runs Oct 9-12 at Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas and Shibuya HUMAX Cinema. The lineup covers Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika, and the TV series Paranoia Agent. Talk events feature Megumi Hayashibara, Junko Iwao, Asami Notomi, and Haruko Momoi. A Paprika 4K remaster screens Oct 12, Kon's birthday, with Hayashibara on stage. A pop-up shop runs through Nov 15.
The GPSBOX & Kiramekko POPUP STORE runs at Haneda Airport Terminal 1 until September 28. It sells Chiikawa x Sanrio Characters Kiramekko figures in four types, including Chiikawa x My Melody and Usagi x Pompompurin, plus mofusand x Ultraman Kiramekko and GPSBOX figure collections. Items are random, and numbered tickets may be issued on busy days.
Solo developer Waki released the dandelion life simulation ADV Tampopo wa Taeru on Steam on September 3, 2026. Players help a roadside dandelion collect carbon dioxide, water, and light energy to photosynthesize, then use cell division to strengthen it. The dandelion faces trials including cat attacks and a salaryman's breakdance. Play time runs 30 minutes to an hour. The game costs 300 yen.
Konami Arcade Games has started selling Shigoto Neko x pop'n music Kuji Vol.2 on KONAMI Premium Kuji ONLINE, the company's no-losing-ticket online lottery. The volume uses newly drawn illustrations by Kumamine, the illustrator behind Shigoto Neko, the character known for its Yoshi! pose. Prizes run from S to E rank, with bonus e-amusement pass cards for larger draw sets. Each draw costs 880 yen, and sales run until October 5, 2026.
Nintendo added the Paper Mario soundtrack to Nintendo Music on September 4. The 2000 NINTENDO 64 action RPG's music arrives with 148 tracks spanning 4 hours 29 minutes. The original CD soundtrack, released in 2000, went out of print and its tracks were never included in other soundtracks. Used copies sold for 50,000 to 100,000 yen, and one Amazon.co.jp listing sat at about 170,000 yen when the report was filed. The CD contained only 78 tracks, so the Nintendo Music version nearly doubles the count. Nintendo Music is available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on browser, iOS, and Android. The game itself is playable through NINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classics for Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. Some tracks support the app's length-change feature. The opening "Hajimari da yo" and the save screen "Erande ne" are among the memorable songs in the set.
Dissolution of My Self, the BL psychological horror ADV from indie team Pop Elephant Studio, launched September 4 on Steam for PC. Players click daily objects in a rented apartment to unearth memories of fallen prince Hector and his uncle Matvey, but the task is to help Hector forget, erasing his self. It supports Japanese voice and text, costs 790 yen with a launch 10 percent discount to 711 yen, and has a free demo.
Pop Elephant Studio released Ore no Kaitai-shi on Steam today at 790 yen, with a 10 percent launch discount. The BL psychological horror adventure follows Hector, a prince of a fallen nation, and his adjutant Matvey, who is also his uncle, caregiver, and 'mama,' as their codependency in a rented apartment turns abnormal. Play is point-and-click, with investigation order changing what is remembered. Japanese display and full voice are supported, and a demo is live.
Lacking Finesse Games has released Papabile, a PC simulation game, for free on Steam. Set in 1492 Rome, the game casts the player as a cardinal in a papal conclave following the Pope's death, aiming to win the papacy through bribery, flattery, and threats among procedurally generated cardinals.
Inforenz will run an INFOLENS GEEK SHOP merchandise booth at Tokyo Game Show 2026, selling new Fallout, Cyberpunk, and Poppy Playtime items. Newly handled lines include Pragmata, Ender Lilies, and Ender Magnolia. The booth is at 11-W01 in Hall 11, with a purchase bonus fan.
Dragami Games announced on September 3, 2026, that a brand-new game in the Lollipop Chainsaw series will receive its world premiere at Tokyo Game Show 2026. The event runs from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. The licensee NADA HOLDINGS is organizing the game's presence, while JP UNIVERSE handles development. The title will be playable at the Sega Partners Corner inside the Sega/Atlus booth, with four demo units available for attendees to try. Cosplayer Peach Milky, the series' official ambassador, will appear at the booth in a new costume for protagonist Juliet, alongside a photo spot featuring a life-size chainsaw prop with LED effects and engine sounds. Two special talk shows titled Lollipop Chainsaw NEW PROJECT are scheduled: one on September 18 at the Sega/Atlus stage and another on September 19 at the TGS 2026 main stage. Both events will feature Peach Milky, the producer, and the development team discussing the new game. Original keychains will be distributed to demo players, and logo stickers to booth visitors, while supplies last. Sega is the distribution partner for Japan and Southeast Asia, excluding some regions.
Big Mount Interactive announced A Bad Dream: Trypophobia, a psychological horror adventure built around trypophobia, the fear of clusters of holes. The player wakes in a nightmare made from distorted memories, exploring hospital corridors, forgotten rooms, and an eroded family home, all covered in holes. The goal is to escape by finding keys for chained doors while avoiding Laura, an entity whose body is dense with holes. Keys spawn at random locations, so routes change each run. Release is October 15, 2026.
Elecom will open reservations on September 7 at noon for a limited red color of the M.A.P.P. mouse, the revival of the 2002 design project with Masamune Shirow and Hajime Katoki. The red is the first new color in the series, tuned under Shirow's supervision, and sells for 12,800 yen. Blue, one of the three colors released in spring 2026, has already sold out. General sale is planned for late September.
POPKIT Co., Ltd. will produce PRICEKIT, a sister app to its POP creation tool POPKIT, which has passed 700,000 cumulative users. The app streamlines price card creation and price change operations and is scheduled for release in early 2027. The company cites frequent storefront price revisions and anticipated consumption tax reductions as the reason.
A BANANA FISH pop-up shop opened August 28 at SHIBUYA109 in Shibuya, selling original goods featuring illustrations from the special season Ash and Eiji shared. Items include acrylic keychains, T-shirts, and clear files, with purchase bonuses for spending thresholds. Online orders run through September 6.
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls xR concept live Pop'n ToyBox!! ran August 13-16 at Shibuya LOVEZ and on ASOBI STAGE, with 19 idols aged 9 to 31 split into daytime and evening themed performances. The report details how the dolls-like costumes and distinct choreography made familiar idols feel present, supported by a serialized novel building anticipation.
Tokyo Otaku Mode is selling three HoloLive figures: a swimsuit version of Shirogane Noel based on her first anniversary illustration, plus POP UP PARADE SP figures of Hoshimachi Suisei and Tokoyami Towa. Prices are 19,800 yen for Noel and 6,800 yen each for the other two.
A 'NEW PROJECT event' for Lollipop Chainsaw will be held at Tokyo Game Show 2026 on September 19, from 9:40 to 10:30. The event will introduce the appeal of the new game, show footage conveying its worldview, feature cosplayers with a life-sized weapon, and include appearances by IP producer and director Nasu and JP Univers representative Tabata. A major announcement regarding the new project is also expected.
Liquid AI released Pipette, a free benchmark app for measuring AI execution performance on smartphones. Available on iOS and Android, the iOS version uses the GPU, while Android is CPU-only. Testing on an iPhone 17 Pro with Gemma 4 E2B IT took 18 minutes and results can be exported as CSV.
Inforenz will release the Poppy Playtime Iron Studios Statue 'Art Scale' 1/10 Scale Huggy Wuggy. The polystone statue captures Huggy Wuggy's distinctive fur and eerie expression with bared sharp teeth. A dedicated display base inspired by the game's world is included. It is priced at 70,000 yen (tax included) and scheduled for release in late September 2027.
Good Smile Company announced a reprint of the Lucy figure from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in its POP UP PARADE L size series. The painted non-scale finished figure stands approximately 225mm tall and is scheduled for release in February 2027 at 9,800 yen including tax.
Dengeki Hobby Web's latest Amazon Hobby New Arrivals Ranking for the Figures & Collector Dolls category places Max Factory's GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE figma Anis: Sparkling Summer at No. 1. The top 10 also includes a One Piece box set, a Ghost in the Shell Motoko Kusanagi figure, and several other pre-order items.
The official X account announced on August 25 that the TV anime Yumeiro Patissiere and its second series Yumeiro Patissiere SP Professional will begin subscription streaming sequentially from September. Streaming platforms will be announced later. The story follows Amano Ichigo, a girl who transfers to St. Marie Academy to train as a pâtissière after meeting instructor Henri-sensei, and later runs a shop as a high school student.
GOKKO Co., Ltd. will begin streaming the vertical short drama 'Sensei, Kyou Satsuei Arunde Yasumimasu!' on the POPCORN app from Friday, August 28. The two-episode live-action adaptation, starring Yukii Mizuhara, Miyu Kishi, and Ayaka, is based on the vertical-scroll comic distributed on U-NEXT Comic. It follows a new teacher who becomes homeroom teacher of the 'Entertainment Class' at Hoshinari Academy, where idols, actors, and models are students.
Amazon Prime Video announced that Yugo Aosaki's Jirai Glico novel is getting a live-action adaptation titled Rock Paper Landmine. The series streams worldwide on the service starting November 13. Nana Mori stars as Mato Imoriya, Aju Makita plays Kazahi Koda, and Kazuaki Seki directs. The Seven produces.
Good Smile Racing is bringing back the "POP UP PARADE Racing Miku 2023 Ver." figure, scheduled for release in February 2027. The figure recreates the 2023 edition design of Racing Miku from the "Hatsune Miku GT Project," dressed in a race queen outfit with wide-open sides. Illustrator Toridamono, known for the "Atelier Ryza" series, designed the character, and the figure emphasizes plump thighs, a feature described as fresh for a Hatsune Miku figure. The product is part of the POP UP PARADE line, which targets collectors with an affordable price and an easy-to-display size of roughly 17 to 18 cm in total height. Pre-orders open August 25 at 12:00 PM at the official Good Smile Company shop and run through September 23. The figure is priced at 6,500 yen including tax. The prototype was handled by CKB, with coloring by namoji. A dedicated base is included. The re-release responds to the figure's popularity, according to the announcement.
Mob Entertainment announced 'Escape from Playtime' during the Future Games Show at gamescom 2026 broadcast on August 27, 2026. The game is a survival horror title with up to 4-player co-op, set in the world of 'Poppy Playtime.' It supports single-player and online co-op. Players control the Smiling Critters, first introduced in 'Poppy Playtime' Chapter 3, as they crouch, jump, and climb to escape from failed experiments created by Playtime Co. They explore locations such as classrooms, warehouses, and laboratories, following a mysterious voice to collect parts and resources and bring them back to a safe place. The facility changes with each playthrough via auto-generated layouts, and the game supports proximity voice chat. The initial early access release will include 8 characters, one area, and multiple enemies, with plans to add new areas and features based on feedback. The supported platform is PC (Steam), with Japanese language support planned. A trailer and Steam store page were released alongside the announcement.
Tokyopop announced at Anime NYC on Friday that it has licensed seven new manga, all scheduled for release in 2027. The slate includes Garagarapon, a story about government officials resolving conflicts between the real world and imagined ones, and And Then, She Became Mina., about a girl who receives the heart of a mass murderer. Also licensed: What Goes On Behind the Scenes, SIX: Paths of Horror, The Commander's Proposal Is Out of the Question!, and Breathe Out, Look at Me.
Tokyopop announced two new manhwa licenses at Anime NYC: Lily of the Valley by Rangrari and Magic Soup by Kimpeacock and Tropicalarmpit. Both are scheduled for release in 2027 as part of a nine-title licensing lineup that also includes seven new manga titles. English versions of both manhwa are available on Tapas and Tappytoon.
Good Smile Company is adding Momonga from Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom Movie to its POP UP PARADE SP figure line. The painted plastic finished figure stands about 270mm tall, includes a rocky terrain base, and uses metallic paint and weathering on the armor and great swords. It releases in April 2027 for 15,800 yen.
Serenity Forge released Puppergeist on August 21 for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox. The rhythm visual novel costs 590 yen and supports Japanese. Players guide witch Claire through the Doggy Underworld to find her lost dog, with rhythm challenges built from dog barks. Art is by NomnomNami, with music by Kan Gao and Kawai Sprite.
The official website for Pop Pap Polters, a series of miniature stop-motion anime shorts by director Mozu and MOZU STUDIOS, unveiled the full trailer and key visual on Thursday. The trailer announces the cast, additional staff, and an October 4 premiere. Atsumi Tanezaki voices the three ghost siblings, with Junya Enoki as the homeowner.
Inforenz will release a 1/10 scale statue of Huggy Wuggy from the horror game Poppy Playtime. The polystone figure reproduces his fur and eerie expression with bared teeth, and includes a display base inspired by the game. It is priced at 70,000 yen and scheduled for late September 2027.
NHK General will rebroadcast 'NHK Video File: Want to Meet That Person Encore Satoshi Kon' on August 22 at 5:40 AM. The program compiles interviews with the late director Satoshi Kon and airs ahead of the August 24 anniversary of his death. It originally broadcast on August 23, 2025.
Pipapo Games' Laura discusses 'Map Map - Map-Making Game', a PC title released May 29. The game centers on completing maps by measuring distances and using tools like compasses and sextants. Laura cites 'GeoGuessr' as the biggest influence on the core system, with art inspired by 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'.
Max Factory and Sentinel's MOTORED CYBORG RUNNER series adds POP TRACKER, a new action figure from illustrator AF_KURO's original project. The figure features a diecast body with new gadgets including a megaphone, game console backpack, and clear PVC side bag. It releases in July 2027 for 24,800 yen.
The 4K remaster of Satoshi Kon's 2006 film Paprika will expand from select theaters to 98 nationwide starting August 7. The screenings are part of Filmarks' revival project, with advance screenings at Kyoto's Demachiza from July 31. Millennium Actress will also screen. Collaboration items and a giveaway accompany the expansion.
South Korean indie studio PepperStones is showing a playable demo of HIPS N NOSES at ChinaJoy 2026, held July 31 to August 3. The game combines cafe management with Vampire Survivors-style action roguelite. Players run a cafe by day and fight in dreams at night, with resources linking both halves.
NB Games released a demo for the rhythm game Step Theater on Steam on July 23, 2026. The game is the first title from indie developer Pixel Smile, which is led by game streamer P-P. Players step to the rhythm to advance a story displayed on a screen called the Step Theater, with the goal of restoring a movie theater's vitality. The demo includes two stages, Two Mochiya and Apprentice Ghost, with a playtime of about 20 minutes. The full version is scheduled for release on Steam in 2026, with pricing not yet announced. The game features sound by Mafumafu and Blackmagic, and graphics by Aramon and Subikaka. The development team plans to use player feedback from the demo for future development. P-P began streaming in 2010, worked as a programmer at a game company around 2015, and went independent in 2024 to pursue indie game development. He has over 680,000 YouTube subscribers.
HTC's XR content production company VIVE ORIGINALS has officially launched the virtual idol audition program 'VPOP ASIA'. The program began airing on July 18 on Taiwan's TVBS Entertainment Channel and CATCHPLAY+, and from July 23 it will stream every Thursday at 21:00 Japan Time on the VPOP ASIA official YouTube and Twitch channels. The show combines virtual production, Chinese-language pop music, and digital IP, featuring newly arranged versions of 120 classic Chinese-language songs from the past 30 years. Fifteen virtual trainees participate, with 29 musicians, artists, and producers from the Chinese-language music scene serving as judges and production staff. The host is Taiwanese entertainer Lulu (Huang Lu Ziyin), marking her first time co-starring with virtual idols. Japanese VTuber Kson makes a special appearance. Production took one and a half years. VIVE ORIGINALS General Manager Liu Siming stated the goal is not to recreate nostalgia but to create the future, positioning the program as a platform for expanding virtual entertainment collaboration across Asia.
Fryu has announced a limited-time collaboration between its purikura machine Bloomit and INFOLD's mobile game Love and Deepspace, celebrating the game's 2.5th anniversary. The event runs from July 20 to August 31, 2026, at approximately 500 Bloomit machines nationwide. Players can take two-shot style photos with five male leads: Seiya, Rei, Homura, Shin, and Mahiru. Each character has a dedicated photo frame, sticker design, and newly recorded guide voice. The photo session includes in-game music: "Pop Candy" plays during shooting and "Spring to Flowers" during the doodle phase. Printed stickers mimic the characters' own SNS feeds, complete with a personal message. A limited run of 65 machines will feature special character wrapping in five designs. Downloading photo data requires a Pictlink premium membership (550 yen per month). The collaboration mode may not be available at all stores. Love and Deepspace has surpassed 80 million users worldwide since its 2024 Japanese release.