The review of episodes 14-15 of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun Season 4 highlights themes of acceptance as characters like Ameri and Lead help others feel included. Naphula's social anxiety is addressed by the girls' group, while Lead helps Asmodeus realize he is not an outsider. Iruma's influence spreads through his friends.
Fashion brand SuperGroupies is collaborating with Nintama Rantarou on two Otomo Petit Bag models inspired by the Ninjutsu Academy teachers and the Tasogaredoki Ninja Army. Reservations open July 14, 2026, at 4:00 PM JST. Each bag costs 17,600 yen and includes a matching photo holder. The interior features hidden motifs and customizable space for fan items. Delivery is estimated for mid-November 2026.
Solafune CEO Ren Uechi participated in a roundtable with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other officials at the IVS2026 startup conference in Kyoto on July 1. The meeting, which Koizumi also posted about on social media, involved discussions on the company's AI-driven geospatial intelligence platform. Solafune focuses on integrating GEOINT, OSINT, and SIGINT for policy support and business development.
STORM, a gaming PC brand operated by ITC, is running a 'Big Clearance Sale 2026' with coupons up to 60,000 yen off select models. The white S2-98X3D857 features a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB DDR5 memory, and 1TB NVMe SSD. The coupon code '26KESSAN60000' brings the price down from 434,800 yen. The sale ends when stock runs out.
JIVX has released densha, a free web app that lets users learn Japanese while watching a voxel-style Yamanote Line train run through Tokyo. The scenery changes with real time, weather, and season. JLPT N5-level sentences play with audio and subtitles over lo-fi music. Users can control pace, voice gender, and camera angle.
The Aretha Reunion Project crowdfunding campaign begins July 15 on CAMPFIRE, aiming to revive the 1990s RPG series. Tiers range from 10,000 yen to 100 million yen, funding jigsaw puzzles, a Game Boy collection, a drama CD, a YouTube anime, and a completely new game. The campaign runs through August 31 and uses an all-in method where rewards are delivered even if the goal is not met.
The second season of the anime adaptation of Shigeru Sagasaki's light novel is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide. No other major service carries it, while the first season remains available on multiple platforms. TV broadcast began July 8, with streaming following July 9 and weekly updates every Thursday.
The California State Assembly is deliberating Assembly Bill 1709 (AB 1709), which would require social media platforms to restrict addictive features for users under 16. The bill targets design mechanisms such as infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic content recommendations, and notifications that extend usage time. Introduced in February 2026 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the initial version prohibited under-16s from creating or maintaining accounts on platforms with addictive feeds. After privacy concerns and the risk of isolating young users, a revised version allows operators to offer accounts without addictive features to under-16s, enabling continued communication with friends and communities. Services that cannot comply must delete those accounts. The bill explicitly lists addictive feeds based on usage history, automatic video playback, and any features designated by the California Attorney General. Operators must use age verification systems to determine user age and take reasonable measures to prevent displaying addictive features to under-16s. Willful violations carry civil penalties up to $50,000 per affected minor, negligent violations up to $25,000. An e-Safety Advisory Commission would be established to investigate age verification technology and privacy. The bill is scheduled for review by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Separately, the European Commission is considering similar restrictions for users under 13, with a bill expected after summer 2026.
The official website for the television anime of Kyouko Hikawa's From Far Away shōjo manga revealed the teaser video, visual, main cast and staff, and an October 4 premiere date. Tomoyo Kurosawa leads the cast as Noriko Tachiki, with Kentarō Kumagai, Yūichirō Umehara, and Eiji Takeuchi. Noriyuki Abe directs at Studio DEEN, with Rika Takasugi on series scripts, Eiji Abiko on character design, and Takeshi Hama on music. The anime debuts on Tokyo MX on October 4 at 24:00 JST.
Rapper Sonsi has released the music video for 'Omoidoori', a track from his debut album 'Nisemono'. The video was directed by Kazuki Ito, known for work with Yuki Chiba. The song is produced by Koshy and STUTS, the latter having provided the beat for Sonsi's breakthrough challenge on the audition program 'RAPSTAR 2025'.
M!LK member Yuto Sano appeared at a stage greeting for Toy Story 5 and smiled at the 'mellow' reaction to his character Smartie Pants, a high-tech toilet training toy. Sano performed a line from the film and recalled friends asking how to play with the unfamiliar toy. Social media users described the character as charming, and Sano expressed surprise at the positive response.
Several Final Fantasy games are at their lowest prices ever on Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store. The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Digital Deluxe Edition is 60% off at 3,256 yen, Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is 1,914 yen on Switch, and the Final Fantasy I-VI Bundle is 5,503 yen. Most deals end July 15.
Kit9 Studio has temporarily suspended development of the psycho-horror adventure "The Coffin of Andy and Leyley" to address legal issues and malicious actors within the fandom. The studio is creating guidelines for use of its intellectual property that will encourage fan content while allowing stricter enforcement. The next update "Burial" is progressing smoothly and unaffected. The game is in early access on Steam.
The Korea Virtual Human Industry Association and Fan Communications Global have announced the first VIVA (Virtual Icon Vision Awards) ceremony, a fan-voted award show for virtual idols, VTubers, and virtual characters. The awards feature 15 prizes across three categories, including grand prizes and rising star awards. Preliminary fan voting for the Virtual Idol category begins July 22, and direct applications for the Virtual Streamer category are open until August 4. The ceremony aims to celebrate the virtual content industry with fan participation.
Apple is designing the M7 Ultra chip to support up to 1.5TB of unified memory, double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, the company may not offer that configuration at launch due to a global memory chip shortage. The current top-tier Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) has discontinued its 512GB option, leaving only 96GB.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will release the standard M6 chip but has no plans for M6 Pro, M6 Max, or M6 Ultra. The company is instead prioritizing the M7 generation, which will feature significant AI processing improvements. A new 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 is expected later this year, followed by the M7 series from early 2027 through 2028. The M7 Ultra chip is said to dramatically improve AI performance and could be used in Apple Intelligence servers starting in 2029.
Global smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2026 dropped 11 percent year-over-year, the lowest Q2 total in 13 years, as a shortage of DRAM and NAND memory drove up component costs. Memory suppliers prioritized AI data centers over consumer electronics, forcing price increases on entry-level and mid-range models. Samsung and Apple grew their market share, while Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo saw double-digit declines. Google and Huawei posted gains.
Battlestate Games announced it will not exhibit at Tokyo Game Show 2026, ending a three-year run of attendance since 2023. The studio said its feelings for the Japanese community remain unchanged and it will pursue other ways to meet players. The popular female-version body pillows from previous years-Shturman in 2024 and KABAN in 2025-will not appear this year.
The 1987 Dragon Ball theatrical film Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle will air on TOKYO MX on July 19, 2026 at 20:00. It is the second broadcast in a series following last year's airing of the first Dragon Ball film. The film features Goku and Krillin rescuing a sleeping princess from demons.
The stage play 'Ensemble Stars! THE STAGE -Requiem from Knights-' ran in Tokyo and Osaka from June 26 to July 12, 2026. Based on the 2019 in-game event, it depicts the Knights unit's leadership succession as Leo Tsukinaga prepares to hand the crown to Sena Izumi. The story follows each member confronting their futures. The cast includes Shohei Hashimoto as Leo and Shota Takasaki as Sena.
RIFF DEV is developing the roguelike shooter Crab Rhapsody, where players control a crab fighting the AI 'Crab-GPT' over music copyrights. Band members provide support and change the in-game BGM in real time. Weapons are musical instruments like a flute spear and trumpet shotgun. A playtest is available on Steam since July 2.
DREAM PONY has launched Green Flow, a product sales franchise on Amazon specializing in plants and seedlings. The head office handles listing, research, customer support, and account management, while franchisees focus on purchasing and shipping confirmation. The company tested 60 accounts across multiple genres before consolidating into plants. The domestic gardening market is 233.4 billion yen with an e-commerce rate of 5-6%, indicating room for online growth.
Two new UR units from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury will be added to SD Gundam G Generation Eternal on July 16. The units are Darilbalde (Season 2 Spec) (EX) with pilot Guel Jeturk and Michaelis (Season 2 Spec) (EX) with pilot Shaddiq Zenelli. The announcement came via a unit introduction PV on the game's official X account.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a month-long promotional campaign for the Mobile Police Patlabor series, starting July 17. Highlights include a YouTube special with voice actors from the original and new series, daily releases of the TV anime, an AR photo contest, a stage greeting, a collaboration with Nadai Fuji Soba, a POPUP shop, and a re-release of the 2016 REBOOT on YouTube and U-NEXT. The campaign culminates with the theatrical release of Mobile Police Patlabor EZY File 2 on August 14.
THUNDER Co., Ltd. has launched a corporate training program that reframes the AI era bottleneck from task volume to human consensus. The course uses the company's PowerOS framework to identify 29 tasks, then spends five days training only the work that cannot be handed over to AI: building consensus, involving stakeholders, and pushing through decision-making. The program has been adopted by 30 companies in six months.
Minicactus Games has released Road Defense Racing, a top-down car combat game set in the same world as 2023's Road Defense: Outsiders. Players race armed vehicles while spectators attack from the sidelines. The game is available on Steam at a launch discount.
Attu Games announced that the hand-embroidered 2D action game Scarlet Deer Inn has exceeded 100,000 Steam wishlist registrations. The story follows a mother of two, Elise, through a dark adventure inspired by Slavic folklore. All character graphics are made with actual embroidery, and the developers performed the music on traditional instruments. The game launches July 21, with a demo available now.
Coly released details on Nicola Vaniteel, the leader of Endelore in the mobile game Disney Sparkle Link Stars. Voiced by Yuga Sato, Nicola is an absolute self-confident person who considers childhood friend Rize Courage a special existence. The character reveal uses the hashtag #BeautyAndTheBeast, suggesting Nicola is based on Gaston from the Disney film.
'Forbidden Solitaire', a solitaire puzzle horror game released on PC on May 1, was developed by Grey Alien Games and Night Signal Entertainment. In a recent interview, the developers cited the 1997 film 'Wes Craven's Wishmaster' as a main inspiration. The game frames its horror scenario around a cursed 1995 CD-ROM, with 90s-style graphics and live-action footage.
At Bilibili World 2026 in Shanghai, the open-world action RPG Silver Palace offered a trial version with two boss battles: a new encounter against Vita et Mors and a return of Cinderella from the earlier CBT. The trial also included city exploration and mid-boss fights. Parrying timing appears easier than in the previous test, and the finishing move system was a highlight.
DeAgostini Japan will release the bi-weekly 'Marvel Movie Museum' starting August 18, 2026, a 100-issue series of die-cast models replicating iconic items from Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Each issue includes a metal-and-resin model (6.5-8.5 cm) and a magazine with archive materials. Issue 1 features Iron Man's Mk 85 helmet from Avengers: Endgame. Subscribers to issues 1-23 receive a miniature Arc Reactor model.
The Idolmaster SideM will hold a "SUMMER SPLASH! POP UP SHOP" at Tower Records Shinjuku from July 17 to July 26, 2026. The event features newly drawn summer costume illustrations of High×Joker, plus mini character goods for W·Beit. A range of merchandise including acrylic stands, badges, and clear files will be available, with purchase bonuses.
Makoto Tanase, former chief of the Cyber Investigation Division of Japan's National Police Agency, has been appointed as a director at VLC Security. Tanase brings experience in cybercrime investigation, international cooperation, and intelligence. VLC Security provides consulting, training, and security services. The company aims to strengthen its ability to address advanced cyber threats by integrating law enforcement expertise.
EXNOA LLC launched the "Natsu da!! DMM GAMES Mizugi Jack!! '26" campaign on July 14, 2026, running through August 12. The event features a roulette where up to 1 million participants can win DMM Points, along with login bonuses and discount coupons for over 25 eligible titles on the DMM GAMES platform.
All 16 volumes of ONE's Mob Psycho 100 are available on Kindle for 100 yen each, totaling 1,600 yen, as part of a limited-time sale. The series follows middle school psychic Shigeo Kageyama as he navigates ordinary youth while dealing with supernatural threats.
CyberLink has updated PhotoDirector 365 with AI Video Virtual Try-On, letting users change clothing in videos by selecting from templates, uploading photos, or typing text descriptions. The existing Chat-Based Image Editing feature now allows users to choose from multiple AI models, including GPT-Image-2 and several variants. Both features consume credits (8 per second for video, 6 per edit for chat), but a 365 subscription includes 100 monthly bonus credits.
Publisher PlaySide and developer Fumi Games announced on July 14 that MOUSE: P.I. For Hire has exceeded 1 million players across all platforms. The first-person shooter, featuring hand-drawn rubber hose animation inspired by 1930s cartoons and a hardboiled detective narrative, launched on April 17. It holds a Very Positive rating on Steam with over 10,000 reviews, 94% of which are positive. The game is available on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Developer Embers is bringing Paper Shredder to Steam, an incremental game where players shred office documents to earn a $1 million reward. A dedicated Happiness Manager provides mandatory mental support and toxic positivity to keep motivation at 100%. Players may also discover former colleagues who escaped through the shredder.
Bandai announced the third volume of the Mobile Suit Gundam CAPSULE INDEX gashapon series, releasing in the fourth week of July 2026. The lineup includes four mobile suits: Xi Gundam and Gustav Karl Type 00 from Hathaway's Flash, Destiny Gundam Spec II from SEED FREEDOM ZERO, and White Gundam from GQuuuuuuX. Each capsule costs 400 yen.
APOC has launched a beta version of 'UZU Ads Meta Distribution,' a feature that lets businesses buy influencer videos and run them as Instagram and Facebook ads directly from the UZU Ads platform. During the beta, handling fees are waived, and support and reports are free. The move addresses the need for specialized Meta ad knowledge, allowing businesses to use high-performing influencer content for paid distribution without leaving the service.
On July 13, the virtual music unit YSS began sales of its sixth album 'M-LOG' on BOOTH and streaming services. The two-member unit, consisting of composer yopi and vocalist Sorte, operates primarily on VRChat. The album includes three formats, with the highest tier offering high-resolution audio and a bonus track, plus badge data usable in VRChat avatars and worlds.
Parasol Corp announced that the cartridge restoration simulator Cozy Game Restoration will include Japanese among nine languages at launch on September 24. The game's demo at Steam Next Fest drew 146,000 downloads and 280,000 wishlists, with a median playtime of 36 minutes. The developer plans to add 21 more languages after release with community translation support.
Advance scene cuts for Episode 2 of The Old Man from the Countryside Becomes a Sword Saint II have been released. The episode sees Beryl struggling to teach Fissel, while Muii begins to open up. The first season ranked in Prime Video's top 10 across 45 countries and won the Storytelling Award at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2026.
hololive DEV_IS member Juufuutei Raden is collaborating with the puppet fantasy series Thunderbolt Fantasy. A custom puppet of Raden styled after the character Cháo Fēng will debut at a Tokyo exhibition from July 25 to August 9, 2026. The collaboration also includes a 10th anniversary pop-up exhibition in Taipei from September 12 to October 12.
The AI Stanford Digital Economy Lab released a statement titled 'We Must Act Now,' signed by 16 Nobel laureates, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and other economists and AI researchers. The statement warns that AI could cause large-scale job displacement and economic transformation faster than the Industrial Revolution. It calls for immediate action to build guardrails. The article also notes opposing views, including a labor economist who says job loss cannot be directly linked to AI, and Ford's failed AI automation experiment.
Season 4 of the Korean language learning program "KAN・KAN・KAN!" began airing July 1 on Chiba TV. Hosted by Kyoto University graduate and instructor Seungjun, the five-minute daily show targets absolute beginners. The continuation follows positive reception of the first three seasons. This season marks one year since the program's debut, making it the longest-running regular Chiba TV program hosted by a non-celebrity.
Ask has begun sales of the OWC Express 4M2 Ultra series external SSD enclosure in Japan. The enclosure supports Thunderbolt 5 and can hold up to four M.2 SSDs, achieving RAID transfer speeds up to 6,622 MB/s. Two models are available: the standard version and a SoftRAID bundle with a three-year license. The aluminum chassis aids heat dissipation, and the Thunderbolt 5 output port enables daisy-chaining.
Indie developer Caue Ferrareto officially released the roguelike puzzle game Stackflow on Steam on July 14, following an early access period that began in November 2025. The game combines Tetris-style block clearing with deck-building roguelike elements and has received positive reviews. The 1.0 version adds new special blocks, perks, and a function to keep special blocks. A 25% launch discount is available until July 28.
Asikaze deployed its TechHive Agent AI employee platform at group company Ansel Technologies for three months. The AI handled 2,107 recruitment tasks including initial responses, application checks, and scheduling. Human time per application dropped from 20 minutes to zero, and the hiring team went from three people to one. Asikaze is now recruiting test user companies.
On July 15, 2026, Zero Advance Inc. launched an audition for the first generation of VTuber talents under its agency ALTER PRODUCTION, recruiting two women to form a sister unit focused on passionate discussion of battle and confrontation manga. The application period runs through August 31, 2026. Each talent will primarily stream solo but will also regularly collaborate as a unit. Applicants must be women aged 18 or older, able to stream at least three times a week continuously, and able to continue activities for at least one year. They must not be affiliated with any other agency. Successful candidates receive a minimum guarantee of 150,000 yen per month plus sales incentives, along with original model production, streaming equipment loans, training such as voice training, and dedicated management. Media mix development including merchandise and music production is also planned. The selection process consists of three stages: document/voice screening, online interview, and final interview. Separately, on the same day, MissionTime Inc. opened the REPLAY LIVE 3rd Generation Audition, a larger-scale general VTuber recruitment with no experience required. Both auditions close on August 31.