2h ago
KADOKAWA and Hatena announced the joint development of RIKU, an AI-powered novel writing support service, and opened applications for a closed beta test. The application period runs until 23:59 on Monday, August 17, and is open to people aged 18 and over who are writing novels or want to write in the future. RIKU is designed not to have generative AI write the work itself, but to support the author through dialogue, helping with character and worldview construction, idea organization, and proofreading and editing. The service operates under the theme "You write the story. A partner by your side," positioning the AI as a companion that listens and helps organize thoughts, while the user remains the main entity writing the story and text. Works created or input by users on the service will not be used for AI learning, addressing concerns about training data. The development combines KADOKAWA's editorial expertise, gained through dialogue with authors, with Hatena's experience in user-generated content services like Hatena Blog. The two companies previously collaborated on the web novel site Kakuyomu since 2016. The closed beta test will be available on Windows, Mac, smartphones, and tablets, and a free Google account is required to apply.
Jul 27
Shōnengahōsha announced on July 27 that Sho Kasugai's manga Millennium Family is getting a television anime adaptation. The anime will air on TBS and other stations, though a debut date has not been revealed. Masato Jinbo, known for directing Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei! and The Rising of The Shield Hero Season 2, is directing the series at studio PartsCraft and also supervising the scripts. Hiroshi Yoneda, who worked on Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow, is handling character design and serving as chief animation director. Rikuya Yasuda voices the protagonist Theo. The manga launched in Young King Ours magazine in March 2021 and has eight compiled volumes released so far, with the ninth volume set for July 30, 2026. The story follows seven immortal siblings born in England who possess eternal life, making them targets for criminals, hospitals, and military organizations. AI localization company Orange Inc. licenses the manga in English through its e-bookstore service emaqi.
Jun 27
McDonald's Japan previewed new commercials for its annual summer Big Mac campaign, using scenes from Mamoru Hosoda's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, and Wolf Children. Figure skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara and Sakurazaka46 member Hikaru Morita appear in live-action segments. The ads revive the 1980s Coca-Cola jingle "I feel Coke" and begin airing June 30.
Jun 25
TV Asahi announced nine new regular cast members for its Thursday drama 'Dai Kūkō ~GATE24~,' starring Shuri, including Kaoru Okunuki, Sayaka Akimoto, Masaki Kaji, Shion Machida, Riku Kashima, Naoto Nishimura, Haru Tsubakihara, Seiichi Tanabe, and Mitsuru Fukikoshi. The series will also be distributed worldwide on Netflix. It premieres July 23.
May 16
The ongoing television anime I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class revealed a third promotional video and three new cast members on Tuesday. ASMIK Ace announced the additions. Rikuya Yasuda joins as Nozomu Seki, a classmate of protagonist Maki Maehara. Shinji Kawada plays Itsuki Maehara, Maki's father. Yurina Amami voices Kyoka Minato, a subordinate of Itsuki. The new trailer features the reGretGirl song "Hi no Ataru Kotoba" from 2025. The series premiered on Tokyo MX on April 7 and streams on Crunchyroll. Hideki Tachibana directs at studio CONNECT, with Keiichirō Ōchi writing the scripts and Shoko Takimoto designing the characters. The story follows isolated student Maki Maehara after he befriends popular classmate Umi Asanagi at a video store. Takata launched the original light novel on Kadokawa's Kakuyomu platform in November 2020, and Kadokawa's Sneaker Bunko imprint began publishing it in print in December 2021. Rin Ono's manga adaptation runs on the Comic Alive+ website.