The Magic Knight Rayearth franchise is in active production on a new TV anime series, with a confirmed October 2026 premiere window, a full main cast, and a world premiere screening scheduled for Anime Expo 2026.
The new Magic Knight Rayearth TV anime, the first anime adaptation of the CLAMP manga in over 30 years, is set to premiere in October 2026 on TV Asahi's IMAnimation W block. The production has been steadily revealing details through 2026. In late May, Anime Expo 2026 announced it would host the world premiere of the first two episodes on July 4, with voice actors Rie Takahashi and Saori Hayami in attendance.
On June 5, the production announced three additional cast members: Saori Hayami as Princess Emeraude, Yuki Ono as the priest Zagato, and Mika Kikuchi as the creature Mokona. Kikuchi's casting is notable as she previously voiced Mokona in the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle anime, marking a rare return to the same role across different CLAMP adaptations two decades apart. The main cast had already been announced earlier, with Ayane Sakura as Hikaru Shido, Rumi Okubo as Umi Ryuzaki, and Rie Takahashi as Fuu Hoji. The series is directed by Yui Miura in his series directorial debut, with E&H Production handling animation. Shigeru Murakoshi is writing the series scripts, Satomi Watabe is designing the characters, and Yuki Kajiura, Takumi Ozawa, and Shiho Terada are composing the music. UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS is producing the project.
Beyond the anime, the franchise has seen renewed merchandising interest. At the 84th Prize Fair in Tokyo on May 20, 2026, System Service exhibited first-time prize figures of Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu from Magic Knight Rayearth, alongside figures for other series. The teaser for the anime's June 5 announcement was posted on the official X account on June 4, showing only a date and time, which led to social media speculation about additional cast or theme song information. The anime is set to premiere in October 2026.
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TEAM HORAY's Taehyun Ahn gave a mini-interview about Sephiria, the roguelite action RPG the studio released for PC and Mac on July 31. He traces the inventory system to the accessory items in the studio's earlier game Dungreed and to placement mechanics in Noita and Diablo II, and says adding multiplayer to a design first built for single-player was an unimaginable amount of work.
Kadokawa released Volume 1 of Sora Urumi's manga Kokoro Make Cosmetica on October 7, 2026, under the Kadocomi Original label. The series runs on Kadocomi and follows Suzu, a high school girl who becomes the magical girl Cosmetica. Nijisanji VTuber Tomoe Shirayuki provided an obi comment reading, "This one volume is an ally of cuteness." Store bonuses are offered at Gamers, Toranoana, and Melonbooks while supplies last.
Dengeki Hobby Web reports that PLEX will sell an Ultraman kaiju soft vinyl figure reworked by Frog Tree, a sofubi artist focused on Japanese style. The figure, UKVA Red King Gaioh, is inspired by Red King and layers on yokai imagery, including the Gashadokuro. Lottery applications run on Premium Bandai from October 11, 2026 at 12:00 to October 26, 2026 at 23:00, one per person. It stands about 28 cm tall, 30 cm long, and costs 40,000 yen including tax. Winners are announced in late October 2026, with shipping in November 2026.
Frederick Raynal of Alone in the Dark, Keiichiro Toyama of Silent Hill, Makoto Shibata of Fatal Frame, and Kono Hifumi of Clock Tower appeared at The Tenth Mosaic in Tokyo on September 22 and 23, 2026. The panel covered the origins of their series and the design thinking behind horror that places fear in what players cannot see.
The revival anime of CLAMP's Magic Knight Rayearth starts October 7 on the TV Asahi network's IMAnimation W slot, airing Wednesdays at 23:45 for two consecutive cours. Streaming begins October 8, Thursdays at 0:15. The opening theme is Juumei's "Otome no Ken"; the ending theme is Kawaguchi Yurina's "Hoshitou." The story follows three middle school girls summoned to the world of Cephiro.
Meta announced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, smart glasses with a microphone and speakers but no camera. They play music and podcasts, handle calls, and support hands-free AI assistant conversation. The glasses weigh 43 grams, run up to 12 hours per charge, and reach up to 48 hours with the charging case. Two styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, come in 23 color and lens combinations. Pricing starts at 349 dollars, with shipping from October 13.
The 45th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirits announced that Keigo Shinzo's Hirayasumi manga will end in two more chapters, with a finish on October 19 if there are no delays. The series launched in the magazine in April 2021 and has over 1.1 million copies in circulation worldwide. A live-action series premiered on NHK in November 2025, and a television anime is set for January 2027.
KADOKAWA is running a pick-up gacha in Oshi no Ko Puzzle Star from October 1 to October 16 at 10:59, featuring Kana Arima and Ruby in costumes newly drawn for the game. A total of two rounds are planned, and the card illustrations are supervised by Kana Hirayama, the anime's character designer and chief animation director. A Like Pass also opens October 1, running to November 1 at 10:59.
Yinengjie released the demo of Chara-ya on Steam for PC on September 16. The desktop pet app lets users customize characters, keep several on screen at once, and earn items by leaving the app idle. About a week after release, concurrent players peaked at roughly 30,000 on SteamDB. The full version is planned within 2026.
Team NINJA's Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember arrives March 4, 2027 and adds an open field to the series. Producer Masakazu Hirayama says the wider design answers criticism that the previous game's morale rank system felt forced. The game is planned for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Development producer Masaaki Yamagiwa says the alpha demo drew more attention to the changes than the team expected.
The 30th anniversary festival event "EVANGELION:30+; 30th ANNIVERSARY OF EVANGELION" is getting a four-disc Blu-ray box release on February 24, 2027, priced at 27,500 yen including tax. The event ran at Yokohama Arena from February 21 to 23, 2026, and drew roughly 30,000 visitors from Japan and overseas across three days. The box collects the stage programs, including appearances by voice cast members Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Yuko Miyamura, Maaya Sakamoto and Kotono Mitsuishi, plus general director Hideaki Anno, director Kazuya Tsurumaki and director Mahiro Maeda. It also carries the Eva Kabuki program, a voice drama, the Yoko Takahashi special live, and the short anime "Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Performance." Extras include new bonus footage tied to that short, footage made for the Central Tower monument in the EVA EXTRA 30 walking area, a replica dubbing script, a booklet of cast and creator interviews, and an outer box with a new illustration by Shuichi Iseki showing 23 characters and one animal. A teaser video is out.
Viz Media announced the cast for the Hirayasumi anime on Monday: Yuma Uchida as Hiroto Ikuta, Mayu Takahashi as Natsumi Kobayashi, and Rikako Aikawa as Hanae Wada. Kei Suezawa directs at Production +h, with Naoyuki Asano on character design and Kaori Sawada composing. The first episode premieres October 7 at Japan Society in New York; the series airs on NHK General in January 2027.
One Peace Books will release Ei Ikaguchi's manga My Life Turned Around: After I Was Betrayed and Framed, I Won the Heart of the Most Beautiful Girl at School in English, starting with volume one on July 20, 2027. The manga adaptation launched on Kadokawa's Comic Newtype site in June 2025, with the first book volume shipping in November 2025 and the second on June 10.
Bandai will release a new gashapon figure brand called CAPSULEVERSE in the fifth week of October 2026, starting with two sets priced at 800 yen per play. The first set, CAPSULEVERSE Mobile Suit Gundam 01, has four types: the Gundam, Char's Custom Zaku II, Amuro Ray, and Char Aznable. The second set, CAPSULEVERSE Godzilla, also has four types: Godzilla (1974), Mechagodzilla (1974), Godzilla (1954), and Godzilla (2023). Each figure comes with a relief-style background that shows the world of its work, and the figure stands against that backdrop. Placing two figures from the same set back to back lets their battles cross over inside the capsule. Bandai has not yet announced further sets beyond these two. Both sets are scheduled for the same release window.
The Hirayasumi TV anime will air on NHK General TV starting January 2027. Production +h. handles animation, and Yuma Uchida plays Hiroto Ikuta, with Mayu Takahashi as Natsumi Kobayashi and Rikako Aikawa as Hanae Wada. A main visual and teaser PV were released alongside the cast announcement. The manga by Keigo Shinzo has run in Weekly Big Comic Spirits since April 2021 and has 1.7 million copies in circulation.
Tsuburaya Store ONLINE has begun taking pre-orders for the Daikaiju Series ULTRA NEW GENERATION Golza TSUBURAYA Limited Color figure. The coloring is adjusted around Golza's fight with Ultraman Tiga in episode 1, "The One Who Inherits the Light." The painted figure stands about 27cm tall and 36cm long, costs 24,970 yen, and ships in December 2026. It uses the same molds as the 2023 release.
STRICT-G, the Bandai apparel shop built around the Gundam franchise, is releasing two apparel lines in late September and October 2026. A three-design check shirt line covers the Principality of Zeon military from Mobile Suit Gundam, Amuro Ray from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, and Mafty from Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash. Each shirt costs 12,100 yen including tax in sizes M through XXL and is 100 percent cotton, with emblem embroidery on the front and logo embroidery on the back. Separately, two reversible sukajan cover Mobile Suit Gundam UC. The Unicorn Gundam and Banshee versions show Destroy Mode on one side and Unicorn Mode on the other, run M through XXL, and cost 38,500 yen each including tax. Pre-orders open on Premium Bandai at 13:00 on Friday, September 25, 2026. Check shirts reach stores Saturday, September 26, 2026. Sukajan reach stores Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The KyoMAF special stage for the new Magic Knight Rayearth anime revealed a second main trailer on Sunday, along with two theme songs and four additional cast members. Toaka performs the opening theme "Otome no Tsurugi" (A Young Lady's Sword), and Yurina Kawaguchi performs the ending theme "Hoshiakari" (Starlight); the trailer previews both. Mamiko Noto joins as Alcione, Ayumu Murase as Ascot, Hitomi Ueda as Caldina, and Hiroki Yasumoto as Lafarga. The event also confirmed the anime will air for two consecutive cours, a half-year run. It debuts on October 7 in the IMAnimation W programming block on TV Asahi and affiliated channels at 11:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. EDT). Ayane Sakura, Rumi Okubo, and Rie Takahashi lead as Hikaru Shido, Umi Ryuzaki, and Fuu Hououji. Yui Miura directs in his series directorial debut, with E&H production animating, Shigeru Murakoshi on series scripts, Satomi Watabe designing characters, and Yuki Kajiura, Takumi Ozawa, and Shiho Terada composing.
Axisray Lab showed BASH at Tokyo Game Show 2026, a wired USB gamepad with no analog stick. A soft mechanism called GumiTap sits where the stick would be, pressed in or pushed up, down, left, and right. Optical sensors inside read markers on the back of the pad and capture directional input, pressing, and rotation. It is planned for release within 2026 at around 300 to 350 dollars.
Orders for four Uma Musume Cinderella Gray items began at AMNIBUS on September 14. The lineup uses Chibitoko designs, newly drawn illustrations of the characters walking. The Trading Chibitoko Acrylic Stand with Parts and the Trading Chibitoko Swaying Acrylic Keychain are each 880 yen, or 10,560 yen per box. The Trading Chibitoko Hologram Can Badge is 550 yen, or 6,600 yen per box. The Chibitoko Aurora Die-Cut Stickers round out the set.
Viz Media announced Friday that it and Japan Society will host the world premiere screening of the Hirayasumi anime's first episode at Japan Society in New York City on October 7 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Composer Kaori Sawada and producer Junichi Katsutani will attend, with Viz Media community manager Godswill Ugwa hosting the panel. The anime premieres in Japan in January 2027 on NHK General, with a 2027 English release.
Crunchyroll confirmed its fall 2026 streaming slate, with premieres running from September 26 through October 16. A Wild Last Boss Appeared! Season 2 opens the season on September 26, followed by Overgeared on September 27, The Prince of Tennis II U-17 World Cup: Final Member Selection Match on September 30 and FX Fighter Kurumi-chan on October 1. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 arrives October 2 and Black Clover Season 2 on October 3, the same day as A Tale of the Secret Saint, Magical Explorer, Romelia War Chronicle, VERTEX FORCE and #I'm Looking For a Zombie. October 4 brings Reborn as a Space Mercenary, Aoashi Season 2, HOTEL INHUMANS Season 2, Uncle's Obsession with Cute Things and Even Though I'm a Super Timid Noble Girl, I Accepted the Bet From My Cunning Fiance. Magic Knight Rayearth lands October 7, Firefly Wedding October 9 and The Vermilion Mask October 10. PSYREN is listed under coming soon. Red River, The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System, Please Excuse My Younger Brothers, Case Closed and Star Detective Precure! continue from summer 2026.
The 33rd 2D Crayon Shin-chan film, Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Kikikaikai! Ora no Yōkai Bake-shon, has earned over 2.7 billion yen (about US$17 million) in Japan, the highest box office total in the franchise, the film's official website announced Monday. It opened on July 31 and ranked #3 its opening weekend. Director Masaki Watanabe shared an illustration to mark the record.
Neo-Porte announced on September 13, 2026 that Neozeroki Event 2026 "Duel" will be held Monday, December 28, 2026 at TACHIKAWA STAGE GARDEN in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The event is performed by Generation 0 members Shibuya Hal and Shirayuki Reid, who will present a mini live alongside variety and interaction segments. Doors open at 17:00, the show starts at 18:00, and it closes at 20:30. Tickets are split three ways: a standard in-person ticket at 11,000 yen, an upgrade ticket at 3,000 yen that moves the holder to the first-floor front area, and a streaming ticket at 6,600 yen with archive access through January 27, 2027. All in-person ticket buyers receive a postcard. The fastest advance lottery opened September 13 at 19:00 and closes September 23. Goods advance sales also began September 13, running to October 1, with T-shirts at 4,500 yen and other items. A second event, Neo-Porte Live 2026 "Contre-Jour," follows at the same venue on December 29.
The Overgeared television anime published its third trailer, third key visual, and two new cast members on Sunday. Yuki Murata plays Irene and Yurika Hirayama plays Isabel. The trailer previews Re:name's opening song "SATISFY" and TAO's ending song "Ray of Emotion." The series premieres October 2 at 11:30 p.m. on Tokyo MX and BS11, and Crunchyroll will stream it.
MAYLA will take pre-orders for a Bungo Stray Dogs Iconic Dress from September 17 at 5:00 PM to October 19 at 5:00 PM, priced at 31,900 yen with tax. The dress draws on the 15-year-old Osamu Dazai, with a tailored collar, brown tortoiseshell buttons for his eye color, a trench-coat-style waist belt, and embroidery reading No Longer Human, his ability in the series.
Anime "Bungo Stray Dogs" and ZOZOTOWN are launching a limited collaboration, with orders opening September 9. Illustrator OkiCha drew new pop-style art of six characters. The seven product types include T-shirts, zip-up hoodies, cushions, and tote bag and acrylic keychain sets.
The full prize lineup for Ichiban Kuji Mobile Suit Gundam UNIVERSAL CENTURY SAGA2 was announced. The A Prize is the RX-78-2 Gundam in the BUSTISAN bust series, standing about 18 cm with clear parts in the eyes and chest. The lottery releases October 3, 2026 at 850 yen per play.
The second Crayon Shin-chan x CASETiFY collaboration is now on sale, with a collection of playful tech accessories aimed at adult fans. Signature items include MagSafe-compatible plush charms sold as blind boxes, customizable sticker cases with a Shinnosuke font option, and limited-quantity trading cards. The line is available online and in select physical stores.
RayNeo begins selling the RayNeo GT series AR glasses and the RayNeo iO AI glasses in Japan on September 4 at 16:00. The GT Max model features a 59-degree field of view, single-device 3DoF support, and Dolby Vision compatibility when paired with the RayNeo Pocket TV Pro.
ABEMA Anime Festival 2026 announced its third lineup of participating works on August 31. Detective Conan, Crayon Shin-chan, Atashi'nchi, Shirotan, Takopi's Original Sin, and PUI PUI Molcar join the September 19-20 event in Shibuya. All rooftop stage programs at MIYASHITA PARK will stream free on the new ABEMA Anime Festival channel.
Kotobukiya has opened orders for Heavy Weapon Unit 80 Evil Axe Gray Ver., a new M.S.G Modeling Support Goods kit built around an oversized battle axe with a clear blue blade and gray frame. The kit recombines into dagger, spear, and hand axe forms, and its frame parts are shared with the Evil Scythe for cross-combination. It is priced at 1,980 yen and ships in January 2027.
CS broadcaster Satellite Theater announced the program "Rewind the VHS! Our OVA Special," airing nine OVA works from September and October 2026. September includes the Gosho Aoyama short film collections animated by the Detective Conan staff and cast, plus Magic Knight Rayearth, Vampire Princess Miyu, and Tokyo Vice. October brings LedA, Virgust, Puttun Make Love, and Plastic Little.
The fourth Pierrot magical girl series, Pastel Yumi, the Magic Idol, gets its first Blu-ray release. The 40th Anniversary Blu-ray BOX arrives October 28, featuring a newly drawn box design by Yoshiyuki Kishi, new audio commentary, a booklet, and the 1987 OVA. The set includes all 25 episodes.
Happinet announced its Tokyo Game Show 2026 lineup, featuring six titles at the main booth, including the released Brigandine Abyss and Beast of Reincarnation, the unreleased Tokyo Stories and Mononoke no Kuni, plus two unannounced titles to be revealed in September. The indie corner adds playable stations for Artis Impact and Stray, among others.
Koei Tecmo Games released 'BLUE REFLECTION Quartet: 少女たちのキセキ' (BlueRef Q), packaging four games. The second, 'BLUE REFLECTION RAY/澪', originally a TV anime, is adapted into a game covering the final stretch. Players control Hiyori while Ruka follows, and the pair constantly holds hands in 3D. The game requires prior anime knowledge and includes a database and flashback scenes.
Meta and EssilorLuxottica announced the August 25 launch of the new smart glasses Meta Glasses in Japan, with sales beginning August 26. Prices start at 50,600 yen, about 20,000 yen cheaper than the previously released Ray-Ban Meta. The frames come in three styles with multiple color options, and standard lenses are available in four types.
The film 'A Few Moments of Cheers' will rebroadcast on NHK E-Tele on September 5 from 15:50 to 16:59. It is the first terrestrial rebroadcast about six months after its initial airing on March 21. The film is the first theatrical animation from video production team Hurray!, made with Blender and a script by Jukki Hanada.
The Chiikawa anime film, Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu, stayed at #1 in its fifth weekend in Japan, earning 1,241,646,800 yen from August 21-23. The Crayon Shin-chan film rose from #6 to #5 in its fourth weekend, earning 169,928,400 yen. Both films continue strong box office runs.
The October issue of Kadokawa's Shonen Ace magazine announced that Shiwasu Hoshikawa's Bungo Stray Dogs STORM BRINGER manga will go on a long-term hiatus due to Hoshikawa's health. The magazine will reveal when the manga will continue in a later issue.
STRICT-G, the Gundam apparel shop operated by Bandai, has introduced a new apparel and goods collection modeled after Athrun Zala from the film Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM. The lineup consists of four items: a dry T-shirt, dry half pants, a dry hoodie, and a clear bottle, all featuring designs inspired by the character. The three apparel items are made with functional materials that offer contact cooling, UV-cut, and water-absorbing quick-drying properties, making them suitable for spring and summer wear. The clear bottle includes an original logo and comes with a carabiner that can be attached to bags, designed for everyday use as well as outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and mountaineering. Pre-orders for the collection begin on Friday, August 28, 2026, at 1:00 PM JST through the Premium Bandai online store, with general sales starting at STRICT-G stores on Saturday, August 29, 2026. The T-shirt is priced at 4,950 yen, the half pants at 6,050 yen, the hoodie at 6,600 yen, and the clear bottle at 2,200 yen, all tax included. The apparel comes in sizes M through XXL, with the T-shirt available in burgundy and the half pants and hoodie in navy.
The live-action One Piece series announced four new cast members for its third season, The Battle of Alabasta, during the One Piece Day '26 livestream event on Sunday. Emilio Sakraya will play Koza, Omid Abtahi plays Toto, Nabeel Khan plays Chaka, and Jamie Ward plays Pell. These characters are residents of the Alabasta kingdom, a setting that becomes central as the season adapts the manga's Alabasta arc and introduces Crocodile as a major antagonist. The third season is scheduled to debut on Netflix in 2027. Earlier cast announcements for the season include Cole Escola as Bon Clay, Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace, Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1, and Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger. Ian Stokes and Joe Tracz serve as co-showrunners, writers, and executive producers for the third season. Filming for the season wrapped in June, according to Anime Corner. The announcement came at the end of the event, following the reveal of the second worldwide character poll results, in which Luffy ranked first.
Yen Press announced nine new licenses at its main industry panel at Anime NYC on Saturday, split between two light novel series and seven manga series. The company did not give a release window. The light novels are The Witch's Conviction, The Beast's Redemption and 'Cause I'm Freedom! The manga slate includes Seal My Lips With a Kiss, Übel Blatt II: Knights of the Fallen King, and The Gray Exorcist.
RayNeo will release the AR glasses "RayNeo GT Max" on September 4. The price is undecided. The GT Max connects to smartphones, tablets, PCs, and other video-output devices to deliver a large-screen experience. It uses the Vision 4000 video processing chip and the Zone 360 spatial computing chip for high-definition video and 3DoF spatial display. The display is a 5.5th-generation dual-layer Micro OLED supporting full HD and 120Hz. The optical system, called Peacock Optical Engine 3.0 Max, uses a flat prism method and achieves a 59-degree field of view, showing a screen equivalent to 267 inches at 6 meters. Connected to the RayNeo Pocket TV Pro streaming box, it can display Dolby Vision content. Audio is handled by four speakers supervised by Bang & Olufsen. The official website is live, and registration offers an early purchase price and a 5,000 yen discount coupon. The product is available through Amazon, Rakuten, DMM, and Yahoo! Shopping.
Parry Frames Studio announced Stray Dog: nobody cares, a Soulslike action adventure for PC via Steam, on August 20. Players control a stray dog carrying a rusted sword to rescue its captured knight master. The project won a community vote with about 70 percent support, leading the studio to shift development focus from another title.
The Chiikawa anime film stayed at #1 in Japan for a fourth weekend, selling 602,000 tickets and earning 895 million yen. The fifth live-action Kingdom film rose from #7 to #5 in its fifth weekend, earning 353 million yen. Both films continue strong theatrical runs.
Anime Anime's Bike Day reader poll, held August 7-11 with 244 responses, ranks anime characters known for riding bikes. Chiharu Hagiwara of Detective Conan took first with about 17% support, followed by Bungo Stray Dogs' Chuuya Nakahara at about 9% and AKIRA's Shotaro Kaneda at about 7%. The survey marks the first in two years.
Anime! Anime! reader poll for 2026 summer anime ending themes ran July 16-23, with sequels and second cours drawing the most votes. The ED for "Bungo Stray Dogs Wan! 2" took first place, followed by "Yomi no Tsugai" second cour and "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4" second cour.
2K and Hangar 13 released The Man of Honor, the expansion for Mafia: The Old Country, on August 15. The DLC depicts Don Salieri's origins in 1905 Sicily. The four-game bundle Mafia: The Silent Oath Collection is discounted to about 6,500 yen on each platform until late August.
KADOKAWA will run a half anniversary campaign for the Oshi no Ko puzzle game from August 17 to September 16. Part 1 of a two-part pickup gacha features newly drawn Ruby and Aqua cards. A login bonus grants up to 30 pulls and two additional cards, and X campaigns offer gacha items and signed color papers.